Mario Kart 64
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Product information
ASIN | B00000DMAX |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.2 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #17,792 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #23 in Nintendo 64 Games |
Product Dimensions | 4.5 x 2.9 x 0.7 inches; 3.17 ounces |
Type of item | Video Game |
Language | English |
Rated | Everyone |
Item model number | NUS-006 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Item Weight | 3.17 ounces |
Manufacturer | Nintendo |
Date First Available | November 1, 1999 |
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Product Description
Product description
Three... Two... One... GO! The signal light changes and you drop the pedal to the metal. Take on up to three friends in the split-screen VS games, or race solo in the Mario GP. Tell your friends to bring it on in the highly competitive Battle mode. Advanced features allow you to race with your "Ghost". The driving data from your best run appears as a transparent character on the screen. No longer must you simply race against the clock - you can actually race against yourself!
Amazon.com
Mario Kart 64, one of the first games released for the Nintendo 64 platform, is an updated translation of the very popular Super Mario Kart for the Super NES (SNES). And while the game clearly takes full advantage of the graphics power and speed of the N64, a few components that made the original so compelling have been left out of this release.
Still, Nintendo's expertise at sucking players into the game world is strongly evident, and Mario Kart 64 offers enough challenges to keep players (especially casual gamers) entertained. Placing a familiar Nintendo personality behind the wheel of a sputtering kart powered by a 50, 100, or 150-cc engine, the game lets players race computerized opponents or up to four other players on a variety of well-designed tracks. Because karts lack the power and speed of race cars, drivers must focus on collecting power-ups and nonlethal weapons rather than negotiating hairpin turns on two wheels. Grabbing and using on-track items is the heart of the game's fun: a strategically-placed banana peel sends the unlucky victim into a spin, nailing an opponent with a turtle shell launches their vehicle skyward, and a rocket provides a quick boost to near-breakneck speeds, if only for a moment.
The multiplayer mode provides enormously chaotic fun for up to four players--flip it on at a party and watch the guests congregate around the screen. --Eric Twelker
Pros:
- Well-designed tracks
- Simple controls
- Strong multiplayer appeal
- Computerized opponents sometimes pull off questionable feats
Review
Super Mario Kart, one of the greatest head-to-head titles ever released for the cartridge systems, is back, this time for the Nintendo 64. There's a whole new set of courses, new racers, slick 3-D graphics, and most surprisingly, a four-player simultaneous play option. This should all be great news to Mario Kart fans, and in fact it is - sort of.
Don't get me wrong: There's nothing really wrong with the new Mario Kart - the increasingly rotund plumber and his jolly crew have never looked and sounded so good. And from Wario's penguin-like mumblings to the glittering crown on the Princess'- head, it's obvious that the design team was plenty willing to get down and dirty with the presentation aspects of the game. The addition of more detailed sliding techniques and a few new nasty things to distract (read: crash) your opponents are welcome features (the deadly lightning bolt just can't be beat for dispensing raw fear). But once you get past the predictable new additions, you begin to realize that there's really not much depth to Mario Kart 64.
History has shown us plenty of titles that featured the very best sound and graphics money could buy which still somehow ended up being not much fun to play - Killer Instinct, Rebel Assault, and Tomb Raider all come to mind. While Mario Kart 64 is certainly better than most of these titles, it still shows a lack of solid play design that really hurts its long-term play value. First off, and perhaps most importantly, single-play mode is just too easy. This is due in part to the game's extra wide tracks, and in part to the poor AI routines - which deliver opponents who seem more like they're on their way to the local convenience store than in an all-out race for the finish line. This same lack of play consideration also infects the super-large battle courses. The result is that players can (and do) drive around for minutes without even spotting an opponent - much less getting a chance to score a hit. None of these problems ever really destroys the game entirely, but they do make it more difficult to get excited about picking up the controller for more than a handful of races. This is a big surprise considering Nintendo has built its empire on solid control and design in its games.
If you own a Nintendo 64, you're probably going to buy this game whether or not you read and heed this review - after all, there aren't really a lot of N64 games to choose from, and it IS a Mario title. Fair enough. The thing is, even with all its bells and whistles, Mario Kart 64 is very likely to disappoint you after about a week. I wouldn't feel right about not giving you that warning. That said, I'm off to Mario Kart on my SNES to reminisce about the good old days, and dream of what this cartridge could have been. --Trent C. Ward
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review
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For nostalgia's sake, get this game, pop it in, disregard that it looks blocky on a new TV, and enjoy the memories!
You can even use different items either to slow down the other racers, or to help you pass them up. Of course every item has it's own effects, there are a few that are hard to get. That's because they're special, learn how to use them, and the competition will be eating your dust.
And last, but far from least, there is a special mode you can unlock for an even bigger challenge. Yeah, this game will keep you busy no matter how you play. It's definately a must-have, order it while you can.
To this day, there are only 3 Mario Kart titles; the original Mario Kart for SNES, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart Double Dash (if you don't count the handheld and arcade versions). By far, the best one is the 64 iteration, followed second by the original. Double Dash for the Gamecube was absoutely terrible in terms of controls, graphics, and overall fun. The idea was good on paper but something just didn't translate well. Not the case for MK64. This is a great game, and I still enjoy it to this day. Me and my college buddies will sit around, have a few drinks, and have a go with this racing classic.
Pros: Extremely well balanced racing game. Great exercise for right index finger and left thumb.
Cons: Single banana in third place.
Other thoughts: Is the jump over the wall on Wario Stadium a glitch or an acceptable Karting move? Rainbow Road is like Kart jury duty. You'll say anything to convince others that you do not need to participate.
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Je m'en suis servi et je n'ai eu aucun problème avec.