#69: Mario Kart 64 (1997, N64)

I find it interesting to go back and see that Mario Kart 64 got pretty distinctly mixed reviews back when it was originally released, while I considered it pretty immediately to be one of my favorite titles on the system (well that doesn't mean that much, since it was only my third N64 title), as well as probably the first game ever where I found myself really embracing multiplayer. What stands out most to me about Mario Kart 64 is both how dramatically it improved on the original Super Mario Kart, and how dramatically it was itself improved upon by both Double Dash and Mario Kart DS, to point of feeling unplayable until after a proper acclimation period.

The improvement over Super Mario Kart was pretty easy - the original, while great in its own right, is still a mode 7 racer played on a digital control pad - meaning it lacked both anything resembling vertically as well as meaning it lacked some precision in its control. Battle mode was still very fun, but only for 2 people at a time. Mario Kart 64's move to 3D wound up - much like Star Fox's transition to 3D - feeling more like a return home than a move into some new world like it was with something like Mario 64. Four-way battles meant less time was spent searching and also meant that attacks could come out of anywhere. The move away from the more maze-like battle maps to simpler ones which utilized vertically also meant both that there would be less opportunity to hide and better ways to sneak up on opponents. Just an all-around total improvement.

Racing itself was also greatly aided in part to less difficult computer opposition. Whereas the original could see opponents on higher difficulties able to blow the player away (in addition to increased aggression via weaponry), Mario Kart 64 does a good job of keeping things closer. This does mean that rubberband AI is extremely prevalent, but it also means one is not likely to find themselves so far out that the race ceases to be interesting.

The most important addition to the racing and the star of the show winds up being power sliding, exactly the sort of simple skill move an otherwise simple kart racer like this needed as it means that the player is rarely simply accelerating - even when alone at the head of the pack - as they are instead looking for opportunities to gain a quick speed boost via a power slide.



The flaws become most exposed only after coming back after spending time with the superior sequels on the GameCube and DS - each of which further enhance the quality of control (dramatically) and eliminate the bugs and quirks present here (track exploits are surprisingly wide-spread here).

Mario Kart 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Released: 2/10/1997
Obtained: Early 1997

9.0/10