Mario Kart 64

This N64 game is an update of the classic game from 1992 and I have to say, this game rocked. It was also very challenging, which added to the fun. The graphics are fantastic and the overall game is better than the original. New weapons are available along with the ones from the original and there many new and challenging tracks. The battle mode is also excellent, featuring (I believe) four arenas. Another plus is you can have up to four players playing at once, whether in battle mode or racing mode. This is a must have for any video game fan.

I rarely play racing games, but this one was my favorite for the N64. Having been launched alongside Super Mario 64 in 1996, Mario Kart 64 no doubt boosted both Mario's and the system's popularity. While it's dated by modern standards, it still has its appeal.

The roster has 8 characters, each with newly introduced weight classes. Toad, Toadstool, and Yoshi were fast lightweights, Mario and Luigi were balanced middleweights, and Bowser, Donkey Kong and Wario were slow but durable heavyweights. You'll race across 16 exotic and well-designed courses; some of them are the series most fun and memorable, like Kalimari Desert, while others are just a pain, like the infamous Banshee Boardwalk with lots of sharp turns, limited lighting, narrow tracks, and swarms of bats that would fly into you and slow you down.

Since the game had so much content, the N64 couldn't handle a fully 3D rendered Mario Kart game, so the racer models and items were substituted with 2D sprites, but it still looked good and helped the game run smoothly. New features included 4-player mode, split-screen, and the ability to wield three shells at once as a shield or to hit other players. New items included the super mushroom, the fake power-up, and the always dreaded Blue Shell.

The characters all had quirky and hilarious voice clips, especially Toad and Wario. The sound effects from the karts and powerups were cool and there was great, memorable music on every course, courtesy of Kenta Nagata, like the triumphant sounding trophy theme, the bright and charming, steel drums of Koopa Troopa beach, and Toads Turnpike with its soothing and unique techno theme.

Unfortunately, there were some serious flaws that made the game infamous to many players. First off, the games difficulty on single player was a real pain. Like Mario Party released in 1998, the CPU drivers are given unfair advantages. The rubber banding is the worst as the CPU's suddenly accelerate to impossible speeds and stay right behind you, making it hard to make 1st place. Even outside that, the controls are difficult, and handling feels stiff. There's lots of hazards to watch out for too, like an unavoidable banana peel for you to slip on and a large amount of falling hazards on some of the stages that will likely ruin your chances of winning first place if you're not careful.

While still a fun and classic game to play once in a while, it's more enjoyable on multiplayer. And even then, this one hasn't aged that well. Some people even say it's inferior to the original Mario Kart on the SNES. So, you might be better off playing more modern releases, like Double Dash and Mario Kart 8.

2 words: Rubber banding. I never heard that term before but once you play you'll know exactly what I mean. It's impossible NOT to notice cause it's very prevalent in this game while racing.

Otherwise this game is a great N64 game that holds up well! I just think the more recent Mario Kart editions are even BETTER! Wario stadium is easily my favorite track cause it's so big and full of opportunity. It deserves to be played by everyone at least once. :)

OK, let's get something out of the way. Two player battle mode in Mario Kart 64 is the most fun you can have with a multiplayer game this side of GoldenEye. Now, for the bad news. Although the control is exceptionally tight (a Nintendo trait if ever there was one), and the new power slides are very intuitive, there is a MAJOR problem with the AI. For one thing, unless they pick up a weapon while you watch, they always have banana peels. Now, in the original Mario Kart each computer controlled opponent had their own distinctive weapons, but that was OK, since you had whatever you picked up to use. Now, not only does the computer have unlimited peels, they can also use your weapons against you. That's a minor gripe; here's the big one: rubber band AI. To maintain all races tight to the finish, the computer can never really be left behind too far, they mysteriously bound back. Gone are the days of lapping Toad (sucker!). Besides that, this is a great game for the N64.

"Super Mario Kart 64" is a very fun game and much better than I expected it would be. When it came out in '96 I didn't buy it straight away, but a few friends of mine owned it and I got really good at the game -- and found it really fun to play.

Later I ended up buying it used at a game store and played it all the time. It's a really addictive racing game and elitists will be surprised that just because Mario is attached, it's not a cash in (like Mario Tennis and Party) -- it works well with or without Mario and, like "Paper Mario," doesn't sacrifice gameplay to target towards the little kiddies.

This is a great racing game AND a great Mario game. It's got fun features, well-designed tracks, fairly decent graphics for the time period (remember N64 was top of the line in '96) and a great two-player battle option.

All in all, a must-own if you've got an N64.