Mario Kart 64
Encyclopedia
is a racing game
developed and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo 64
. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console
service for the Wii
. It was the first game that the ESRB gave the E rating to instead of the K-A rating.
Mario Kart 64 is the sequel
to Super Mario Kart
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
. Changes from the original include the move to 3D computer graphics
and the inclusion of four-player support. Players take control of characters from the Mario
universe, who race around a variety of tracks with items that can either harm opponents or aid the user. The move to three-dimensional graphics allowed for track features not possible with the original game's Mode 7
graphics, such as changes in elevation, bridges, walls, and pits. However, the characters and items remained 2D pre-rendered sprites.
The game was critically well received and was a best seller. Mario Kart 64 was one of the first games in the series to feature Charles Martinet
as the voice of both Luigi and Wario.
There are eight playable characters: Mario
, Luigi
, Bowser, Princess Peach
, Wario
, Yoshi
, Toad
, and Donkey Kong.
There are 16 tracks that are based on different locations seen in Mario video games: Luigi Raceway, Moo Moo Farm, Koopa Troopa Beach, Kalimari Desert, Toad's Turnpike, Frappe Snowland, Choco Mountain, Mario Raceway, Wario Stadium, Sherbet Land, Royal Raceway, Bowser's Castle, D.K.'s Jungle Parkway, Yoshi Valley, Banshee Boardwalk, Rainbow Road. Each track has a unique shape, and may contain various obstacles, hazards, and short-cuts.
Items are picked up by players when they drive through item boxes. Each item can be used to an effect such as launching shells at opponents, consuming a mushroom to gain a temporary boost in speed, or placing bananas on the ground for opponents to later slip on. AI-controlled racers are able to use all the items except for red and green shells.
By hopping and then going around a corner while tilting the control stick in the direction of the turn, a player earns a small speed boost by drifting
. There is also an advanced drift technique (as just mentioned) that allows players to turn against the direction of their drift for a speed boost.
The game is compatible with the N64 Controller Pak, but only to save track ghosts in the Time Trial mode, which requires 121 pages, almost the entire standard controller pak. All other data is stored in-cartridge.
In Grand Prix mode one to four human players compete against computer players in a tournament that takes place over four courses. At the end of each race points are awarded based on what order the player finished in. These points are added up as the tournament continues, and at the end of the tournament, the player with the most points wins. Difficulty level is measured by engine size
: 50(3.05CID), 100, or 150 cc. There is an unlockable difficulty called 'Extra', allowing players to race on mirrored tracks.
In Time Trial mode players race around the track by themselves in an attempt to improve their time and set a new record for the course. Players start time trial mode with three mushrooms (speed bursts) and cannot obtain any additional items. During time trial players may select to race alongside a 'ghost' who will mimic the movements of the player from his/her previous run.
Versus mode entails two to four players racing head-to-head on a single track without any AI characters on the track, with mobile bombs located around the track.
Battle mode is different from the other modes in that the aim is, rather than to complete a race as quickly as possible, to attack other human-players with items. There are four courses that can be selected and two to four people can engage Battle mode. The Block Fort arena is known for its high replay value. At the start of the battle each player begins with three balloons attached to their kart. Each time a player is damaged, by, say, running into a banana, or being hit by a shell from another player, the player loses one of his or her balloons. When a player loses all of his balloons, he is eliminated from the match. In a one-on-one match the game ends and the cart with at least one balloon left is declared the victor. In three or four player matches the eliminated character becomes a bomb and may now run into other players, exploding and taking away from them one of their balloons. Battle mode differs from Grand Prix or Versus in that those towards last place receive the best items in Grand Prix and Versus, but in Battle mode these items are generated randomly.
. In pre-release screenshots, a Magikoopa was playable, but before the game's final release the Magikoopa was replaced by Donkey Kong.
Characters are divided into three categories: lightweights, middleweights, and heavyweight. Mario
and Luigi
are balanced middleweight characters; Peach
, Yoshi
, and Toad
are lightweights with quick acceleration; Wario, Bowser, and Donkey Kong are heavyweights with responsive steering. Lightweights are faster in acceleration and in maximum speed, but heavyweight characters have better turning and can bash into lighter characters, spinning them out of control.
In "Mario Kart R", the playable characters were Mario
, Luigi
, Princess Peach
, Yoshi
, Wario
, Toad
, Bowser and a Magikoopa, possibly Kamek.
Prior to the final release of the game, a feather item was playable in Super Mario Kart R as it was in Super Mario Kart.
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
for the Nintendo GameCube
.
Almost ten years after the original release, Mario Kart 64 was re-released on the Wii
's Virtual Console
in January 2007 for 1000 Wii Points
. However, due to the lack of a Controller Pak, it is impossible to save ghost data, as was possible in the Nintendo 64
version.
, including reviews from IGN
and GamePro
, and magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
. IGN stated, "Though the single-player mode is a bit of a step back from the SNES original, Mario Kart 64 still offers one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on Nintendo 64." GameSpot
insisted that though the graphics and sound of the game are impressive, the gameplay is too easy and lacks depth. In GameSpot's re-review of the Virtual Console release the reviewer criticized its sound, lack of ghost-saving, and graphics, saying the latter had "aged rather poorly." The game placed 17th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time. Mario Kart 64 sold approximately 5.5 million copies in the United States and 2.24 million in Japan. Joystiq
reported in February 2009 that the game had sold over nine million copies worldwide.
s that were released worldwide in 1999 as part as the Video Game Super Stars line created by Toy Biz. Series one included Mario, Bowser, and Yoshi, while series two included Ghost Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Wario.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
developed and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
service for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. It was the first game that the ESRB gave the E rating to instead of the K-A rating.
Mario Kart 64 is the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart
is a go-kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The first game of the Mario Kart series, it was launched in Japan on August 27, 1992, in North America on September 1, 1992, and in Europe on January 21, 1993. Selling eight million copies...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Changes from the original include the move to 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
and the inclusion of four-player support. Players take control of characters from the Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
universe, who race around a variety of tracks with items that can either harm opponents or aid the user. The move to three-dimensional graphics allowed for track features not possible with the original game's Mode 7
Mode 7
Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super NES video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects this can create is the application of a perspective effect on a background layer...
graphics, such as changes in elevation, bridges, walls, and pits. However, the characters and items remained 2D pre-rendered sprites.
The game was critically well received and was a best seller. Mario Kart 64 was one of the first games in the series to feature Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
as the voice of both Luigi and Wario.
Gameplay
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
, Bowser, Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
, Wario
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario series. The character was designed as another antagonist to Mario , and first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist and final boss...
, Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
, Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
, and Donkey Kong.
There are 16 tracks that are based on different locations seen in Mario video games: Luigi Raceway, Moo Moo Farm, Koopa Troopa Beach, Kalimari Desert, Toad's Turnpike, Frappe Snowland, Choco Mountain, Mario Raceway, Wario Stadium, Sherbet Land, Royal Raceway, Bowser's Castle, D.K.'s Jungle Parkway, Yoshi Valley, Banshee Boardwalk, Rainbow Road. Each track has a unique shape, and may contain various obstacles, hazards, and short-cuts.
Items are picked up by players when they drive through item boxes. Each item can be used to an effect such as launching shells at opponents, consuming a mushroom to gain a temporary boost in speed, or placing bananas on the ground for opponents to later slip on. AI-controlled racers are able to use all the items except for red and green shells.
By hopping and then going around a corner while tilting the control stick in the direction of the turn, a player earns a small speed boost by drifting
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
. There is also an advanced drift technique (as just mentioned) that allows players to turn against the direction of their drift for a speed boost.
The game is compatible with the N64 Controller Pak, but only to save track ghosts in the Time Trial mode, which requires 121 pages, almost the entire standard controller pak. All other data is stored in-cartridge.
Game modes
There are four different forms of play in the game: Grand Prix, Time Trial, Versus, and Battle.In Grand Prix mode one to four human players compete against computer players in a tournament that takes place over four courses. At the end of each race points are awarded based on what order the player finished in. These points are added up as the tournament continues, and at the end of the tournament, the player with the most points wins. Difficulty level is measured by engine size
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
: 50(3.05CID), 100, or 150 cc. There is an unlockable difficulty called 'Extra', allowing players to race on mirrored tracks.
In Time Trial mode players race around the track by themselves in an attempt to improve their time and set a new record for the course. Players start time trial mode with three mushrooms (speed bursts) and cannot obtain any additional items. During time trial players may select to race alongside a 'ghost' who will mimic the movements of the player from his/her previous run.
Versus mode entails two to four players racing head-to-head on a single track without any AI characters on the track, with mobile bombs located around the track.
Battle mode is different from the other modes in that the aim is, rather than to complete a race as quickly as possible, to attack other human-players with items. There are four courses that can be selected and two to four people can engage Battle mode. The Block Fort arena is known for its high replay value. At the start of the battle each player begins with three balloons attached to their kart. Each time a player is damaged, by, say, running into a banana, or being hit by a shell from another player, the player loses one of his or her balloons. When a player loses all of his balloons, he is eliminated from the match. In a one-on-one match the game ends and the cart with at least one balloon left is declared the victor. In three or four player matches the eliminated character becomes a bomb and may now run into other players, exploding and taking away from them one of their balloons. Battle mode differs from Grand Prix or Versus in that those towards last place receive the best items in Grand Prix and Versus, but in Battle mode these items are generated randomly.
Playable characters
Players can choose from eight characters to operate their kart. Koopa Troopa and Donkey Kong Junior, both of whom appeared in Super Mario Kart, did not return for Mario Kart 64, replaced by Donkey Kong and WarioWario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario series. The character was designed as another antagonist to Mario , and first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist and final boss...
. In pre-release screenshots, a Magikoopa was playable, but before the game's final release the Magikoopa was replaced by Donkey Kong.
Characters are divided into three categories: lightweights, middleweights, and heavyweight. Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
are balanced middleweight characters; Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
, Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
, and Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
are lightweights with quick acceleration; Wario, Bowser, and Donkey Kong are heavyweights with responsive steering. Lightweights are faster in acceleration and in maximum speed, but heavyweight characters have better turning and can bash into lighter characters, spinning them out of control.
Development
Production of the game began in 1995 under its original title Super Mario Kart R, but the title was later changed to Prevent Copyright issues with the Sega Saturn Game Sonic R. The first major public viewing and demo of the game was during the Shoshinkai Software Exhibition on November 24, 1995.In "Mario Kart R", the playable characters were Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
, Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
, Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
, Wario
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario series. The character was designed as another antagonist to Mario , and first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist and final boss...
, Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
, Bowser and a Magikoopa, possibly Kamek.
Prior to the final release of the game, a feather item was playable in Super Mario Kart R as it was in Super Mario Kart.
Music
The soundtrack to Mario Kart 64 was composed by Kenta Nagata, the first major game for which he composed. Both the introduction music for Mario Kart 64 and the music from the course Bowser's Castle were remixed and used in the music video gameMusic video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, known as Dancing Stage Mario Mix in Europe and Dance Dance Revolution with Mario in Japan, is a 2005 music video game by Nintendo and Konami for the Nintendo GameCube, and is the first Dance Dance Revolution game to be released on a Nintendo console outside of Japan...
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
.
Re-release
Almost ten years after the original release, Mario Kart 64 was re-released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in January 2007 for 1000 Wii Points
Wii Points
Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...
. However, due to the lack of a Controller Pak, it is impossible to save ghost data, as was possible in the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
version.
Reception
Mario Kart 64 received generally positive reviews. The game has an average review ratio of 87% on Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, including reviews from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
, and magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
. IGN stated, "Though the single-player mode is a bit of a step back from the SNES original, Mario Kart 64 still offers one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on Nintendo 64." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
insisted that though the graphics and sound of the game are impressive, the gameplay is too easy and lacks depth. In GameSpot's re-review of the Virtual Console release the reviewer criticized its sound, lack of ghost-saving, and graphics, saying the latter had "aged rather poorly." The game placed 17th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time. Mario Kart 64 sold approximately 5.5 million copies in the United States and 2.24 million in Japan. Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
reported in February 2009 that the game had sold over nine million copies worldwide.
Merchandise
Mario Kart 64 included a line of action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s that were released worldwide in 1999 as part as the Video Game Super Stars line created by Toy Biz. Series one included Mario, Bowser, and Yoshi, while series two included Ghost Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Wario.