I have now owned Mario Kart 64 for about a month, in this time I have become quite addicted to this platform inspired racer. Its mixture of smooth gameplay and challenges keeps me (and my mates) coming back for more.
***Packaging***
Well mine was fairly bashed about, as I bought it pre-owned (more on that later). However even with a crispy new one the same problems still exist. The way in which the flaps get caught in the manual, and fold over the pages. You would have thought Nintendo would have changed their packaging by now, or maybe they are concentrating all resources on the upcoming “Gamecube”. The design on the front of the box is bright, and captures the mood of the game. Flipped over, the underside reveals a few in-game snaps, and the traditional short description:
“Three… Two… One… Go! The signal light changes and you put the pedal to the metal”
A bit corny for anyone over the age of 12, however I suppose it hits the spot for the target audience.
***The Manual***
Excellent presentation throughout, the blend of nice illustrations and to-the-point explanations provides adults, and kids alike the chance to understand the basics of Mario Kart. For a game made in 1996 the manual buts most of today’s efforts to shame.
***Graphics***
From the moment you turn on the console, you are bombarded by bright sprites and rendered curves. Even today, with the likes of the playstation 2, the N64 can still pack a punch. The landscapes are far from detailed, however, I doubt you’ll notice as your whizzing along in your lawn-mower tyke. The karts themselves are satisfactory, and complement their surroundings. Even in 2-player mode, firing a red shell up Mario’s ass has never looked so good. The only complaint I have to report is the fact that there is a little slow-down when using boosts (mushrooms).
***Gameplay***
This
is where most of the Mario series come in to their element. Mario Kart 64 is no exception. You seem to forget about the games gripes when you and 3 mates do battle. Nothing else matters when that blue light appears: nailing your buddy on the last bend with a sniper like aimed shell is good, watching your kart whiz pass on his screen is simply sublime!
However all is not rosy, there is one serious gameplay annoyance. CATCH-UP. For anyone who has played the game, that phrase will send shivers down your spine, for those who haven’t, let me explain. The computer players don’t seem content to lose fairly: whenever your out in the lead they seem to be going stupendously fast! The reason is they are cheating! To make the game seem action packed throughout, the guys at Nintendo decided to allow the computer opponents to always, yes ALWAYS stay within a few yards of your tail. No matter how hard you try, you can’t shake them off. Apart from this I am very happy. (Blood pressure returns to normal)
***Sounds***
You come to expect pokemon-like blips from all childish games. However the Mario series does try a little to appeal to the elder gamers. With funky drum rolls (all be it covered by annoying computer beeps) mixed in with soothing chimes, it all adds up to a pleasanter gaming experience. The base and treble are just right, and the characters voices are clear most of the time.
***The Game***
You have a simple first choice: “Time Trial” or “Mario GP”. Time trial is basically where you can choose any track and set the best lap time. These are then saved for future reference. A nifty “ghost” feature is included too, where you can actually race against your previous time in the form of a semi-transparent ghost of your attempt.
The next choice you have is which power kart you wish to race. Starting at the easy-peasy 50CC, then the mediocre 100CC, and the tough (er) 150CC.
Your third choice comes in the form of character select. Here you can choose your driver. Each person has different attributes, and therefore, different advantages and weaknesses. Here’s my guide to their characteristics:
MARIO – All rounder LUIGI – Same as Mario except slightly faster, yet harder to control PEACH (PRINCESS to you and me) – Similar to Luigi, possibly easy to corner with. TOAD- My personal favourite, the best acceleration, and easiest to handle. Lowest top speed, however most track s on twisty and turny so this factor is not so detrimental. YOSHI – Like a tamer version of toad. Better top speed. DK, WARIO, BOWSER- The heavyweights, all slow to get going, but like a heavy supermarket trolley, they don’t half motor once rolling. Also very strong and can push other riders about.
The next choice is which course you are going to tackle. Well there’s four cups – MUSHROOM, FLOWER, STAR and SPECIAL. Steadily increasing in difficulty as you progress up the ranks. Here’s my guide to the tracks on Mario Kart 64:
MUSHROOM CUP
Luigi Raceway Very basic track; don’t except much action on this track. Just get in the lead and stay there. Difficulty - *____
Moo Moo Farm Figure of eight barnyard bamboozle – again a simple track in this primary cup. Use tight cornering and red shells to come out on top in this one. Difficulty - **___
Koopa Troopa Beach The first track to hold a secret, when coming up to the third set of jumps, providing you have a boost in reserve, simply shoot over the ramp and through the mountain shortcut. You will arrive at the other end and shoot out of the waterfall, quarter of a lap ahead of your competitors. Difficulty - **___
Kalimari Desert I can’t stand this course, its so boring. The lure of the railway track is false and simply losses you time. Get it done, quick! Difficulty - *____
FLOWER CUP
Toad's Turnpike Intricate little track, avoid the traffic, and your on the way to victory. Even harder in reverse mode. Difficulty - ***__
Frappe Snowland Slippery track with exploding snowmen, great for doing power slides! Difficulty - ***__
Choco Mountain Another one of those dull tracks, I just shut my eyes and drive this one with my feet. If only. Difficulty - **___
Mario Raceway Ohh, a big jump. (Secret) I like this track, plenty of action and some hard sharp turns. Good track! Difficulty - ***__
STAR CUP
Wario Stadium Great track – jump over the wall at the beginning and it will be plain sailing from then onwards! Another great track for the show-off. Difficulty - **___
Sherbet Land Grrrr. The pain in the rear end track. Evil penguins! Difficulty - ****_
Royal Raceway Good track with a nice mixture of obstacles and straights. Top marks. Difficulty - ***__
Bowser's Castle Very nice track – avoid those hovering boulders and you ill have 1st place in the bag! Difficulty - ***__
SPECIAL CUP
DK's Jungle Parkway Nice track with superb scenery, big jump and a ferry. Difficulty - ****_
Yoshi Valley An odd one this, my advice – keep going left and you can’t go wrong. Also there a corner you can cut near the end by using the jump button. Difficulty - *****
Banshee Boardwalk Quite difficult track – fallen off is commonplace here. However use it to your advantage, knock your mates of the barrier less track! Difficulty - *****
Rainbow Road The final furlong. Great track. Ill leave this one for you to discover! Enjoy. Difficulty - ****_
***Useful Info***
The game has an RRP of £39.99
You can get it from “amazon.co.uk” for £24.99.
Ideal for the kids, depth to fulfil most gamers of all ages.
I got mine for £19.99 (used) from my local “gamestation”.
As I say for most of my N64 opinions - try and get the expansion pack – it boosts the graphics no end.
***Tips***
Hold down “L” while in the game to turn off the music. Handy!
Hold down “R” to power slide. Nifty!
Complete 50, 100, and 150CC modes to unlock mirrored tracks.
Get a memory card – you will now be able to save your ghost data!
Thanks for reading
I actually enjoyed writing this review!
Oh yeh I nearly forgot! Here is my low-down on the Items available, and tips on when to use them.
Mushroom – Boost – Use when going over jumps and off road areas.
Star – Invincibility and boost, only for a short period of time though. Use to make other drivers crash and eliminate obstacles.
Lighting – Makes everyone do diddy! Great for catching up! Usually only get this when in 8th place.
Ghost – Makes you go invincible, and nabs and gets a replacement item Green Shell - This shell travels in a straight line. When a rival is hit, they will crash.
Red Shell – Heat seeker
Spiny Shell – Gets the leader
Mystery Box - Looks like an item box, but acts like a bomb!
Banana – Ill give you three guesses!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Great all the time, especially with three of your mates! Cool tracks, graphics, characters and modes. The graphics, sound, lifespan and gamepley are all fantastic. What a laugh! Disadvantages: Very very very slight pop-up
natthehat 08.04.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Mario Kart 64 (N64)
Sep 2nd, 2001
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very helpful by (87%):
helpful by (3%):
