Mario Kart 64

"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.

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.

Mario Kart 64 is the first game I bought for Nintendo 64 back in late 1996. Even after so many other games and other systems that out did the Nintendo 64, I kept coming back to this game. Mario Kart offers a wide variety of courses to race on with eight unique Nintendo characters. A few of these characters being: obviously Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Donkey Kong.

There are four sets of races, each featuring a unique course going anywhere from Peach's Castle to Donkey Kong's Jungle. The course's are fun to travel through while you pick up items off the road helping you to stop your opponents and get a better boost. Mario Kart 64 is by far the best racer I've played. It is so unique and fun that you just become engulfed by it.

When the racing get's old, try to beat your friends in a little battle match or set a course time trial record with your favorite character.

Mario Kart 64. Featuring: Mario, Peach, Luigi, Toad, Wario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Bowser.

Uniqueness: 5/5

Replay Value: 5/5

Plain Fun: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

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.

Nintendo IS the Disney of video-gaming; their catalogue of classic games have defined millions of childhoods across the globe and influenced things inside and outside the gaming industry itself. Mario Kart 64 is one of those many treasure-troves of Nintendo's gold-mines of entertainment. Mario is here with Donkey Kong, Peach, Luigi, Wario, Yoshi, Toad and even Bowser. The roster's grown since then, but still what a great selection of characters for a crossover racing game.

Released in 1996, Mario Kart 64 was one of the launch titles of the Nintendo 64, alongside Super Mario 64 (though that game was delayed in Europe and Australia by almost a year from the console's release), and Kart 64 still has fast, fun and vibrant gameplay. You're first place one minute, and then your position is under constant threat thanks to the use of blue-shells, banana peels, lightning bolts and trick-question-mark-boxes which are actually bombs.

This game brings back quite a lot of memories from my childhood: the discovery of many glitches, playing it with my cousins whenever they had a sleepover at my place, and just playing it with my brother gave me such cherishing moments that's helped me become the gamer I am today.