- Kart racing with the Mario Brothers.
- Collect power-ups and nonlethal weapons to get ahead.
- New set of courses and racers.
- Slick 3-D graphics.
- For 1 to 4 players.
.co.uk Review
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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). While the game clearly takes
full advantage of the graphic 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 up to four of Nintendo's lovable characters 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 non-lethal 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 nent 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
Manufacturer's Description
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Put the pedal to the metal in this worthy successor to that
Super NES classic, Super Mario Kart. Mario Kart 64 boasts great
graphics, tons of unique power-ups and a stunning 3-D version of
the legendary Battle Mode. Great control--a trademark of all
games from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto--will bring you back
time and time again for free-wheeling fun.
Mario Kart 64 races eight familiar faces, including Mario, Bowser
and Yoshi, on four progressively tougher four-track circuits.
Wide curves and gentle banks mark the Mushroom Cup tracks. Your
commute gets notably tougher on the Flower Cup, though. You'll
have to dodge semis rumbling on Toad's Turnpike and bounding
boulders on fog-bound Choco ain. Star Cup tracks range from
the icy surfaces of Set Land to the lava lakes of Bowser's
Castle. The true test of karting competence, though, comes on the
four tracks in Special Cup. Zip through the dark caves and green
hillsides of Donkey Kong's Jungle Parkway, cling to the sheer
cliffs of Yoshi Valley and hustle over haunted Banshee Boardwalk
before tackling the longest track in the game: neon-lit Rainbow
Road.
Mario Kart 64 offers two camera angles and three engine sizes:
50cc, 100cc and 150cc. You can gain even more speed by mastering
the power slide technique or grabbing Super Star power-ups. Each
kart has distinctive handling, acceleration and top speed
capabilities. Light karts like Princess's smoothly steer through
tight corners, but run the constant risk of getting flattened by
heavy karts like Donkey Kong's. Shells that you fire at rival
racers, bananas that make them skid out and lightning bolts that
make 'em small and very slow are just a few of the game's unique
power-ups.