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Review  Mario Kart 64
- By Rob Schlicht
[Contributing Editor]
My life was going all nice and smooth. I had my N64, my two controllers, my Shadows of the Empire, my NBA Hangtime, and life was in perfect balance. Then, I went to a friend's house to try out Mario Kart 64. Damn. Before I know it, I'm out a hundred buck, after having bought the game, a guide, and two more controllers. Finally, Nintendo had forced me to buy four controllers.
Aesthetics:
The graphics in this game are a touchy subject. The worlds you drive in all look good, although there is some strange mixing between great polygonal environments (Bowser's Castle) and worlds seemingly built out of cardboard, with an over-abundance of sprites (DK's Jungle). For the most part it looks good, in a great cartoony style. However, a lot of it seems like it was cut and pasted directly from Mario 64, and to a lesser extent, Pilotwings 64. The characters are all sprite-based, and it's pretty easy to tell when you get close, or making them do the spin-out maneuver so they stare directly at you. The single-player game has an acceptable framerate, though it dips from time to time. In two-player mode, no quality is lost from single-player, and the framerate stays pretty close, but in three and four player modes (Especially in battle mode) there can be a lot of slowdown. The good news is, unless you're looking for it, you'll probably be having too much fun to notice.
Sound:
The sound is great. Each kart engine sounds different, though I did find the differences more apparrent in the SNES version (Especially DK's truck engine). The music is exactly as it should be, and remains pretty true to the original. The characters also taunt during the race, which is pretty funny. Play as Wario for guaranteed laughs.
Control:
The control is excellent. The analog stick controls the kart beautifully, with A and B as the gas and brake, in great position. The Z button is used for items, while the C buttons change displays and camera angles. The R button is used for sliding, and with a special move using the analog stick, it can be used to power slide, cutting through a turn quickly and earning a min-turbo for your trouble.
Gameplay:
I was a big fan of Super Mario Kart for my SNES, and if you played it at all, you'll pick up on this one really quick. Drive as fast as you can, while using items against other drivers, and trying to avoid their attacks. Sounds easy, and it's pretty simple to jump into, but you better practice more than your friends, because they will smoke you once they get an hour or two more experienced than you. The characters are largely the same as the original, all of them being Nintendo mascots. Koopa Troopa is no more, though. Originally replaced by Magikoopa, who was eventually axed. After Magikoopa was taken out of the game, they added Wario, a great move, balancing the game at three heavyweights, three lightweights, and two right in the middle.
Multiplayer:
The one-player mode will wear thin pretty quickly, especially after the computer cheats for the umpteenth time. Granted, it has to be done, but couldn't the AI just be smart enough to launch shells, instead of having to have infinte turbos when they're behind? The multiplayer will NEVER get old.
OVERALL:
Overall, this is a great game for N64 vets, and an excellent way to convert Sony/Sega fans. Even people who don't play video games regularly can have a lot of fun with it.
The Lowdown on  Mario Kart 64
| Aesthetics: Above Average |
Control: Very Good |
| Gameplay: Awesome |
Multiplayer: Awesome |
| Sound: Very Good |
Innovation: 6/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 4/6 |
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Overall: Awesome!
"Top of the Genre"
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This game is:
Awesome
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INFO |
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Number of Players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: No
Expansion Pak: No
Memory Pak: Yes
Transfer Pak: No
ESRB Rating: E
Release Date:
TBA
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ADDITIONAL
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None Yet
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