Graphics: **
What do you expect from one of the first two Mario games on the N64? Nice sprites, cardboard trucks, paper walls, a see-through castle, cut-outs of karts and characters, and tons of octagons supposed to be spheres. But... there’s also some nicely designed courses, such as Rainbow Road (a beauty!), Wario Stadium, Royal Raceway, and DK’s Jungle Parkway that make me give this an average score.
Sound: ***1/2
Wow! I just love some of the music in this game! Rainbow Road and the credits music especially! Then again, you get the annoying repeating music in the raceways. Snow music is all right, and so is the battle music. Bowser’s Castle’s music is great, and Koopa Troopa Beach’s is up there too. Add Kalamari Desert to the good music and Jungle Parkway to the boring music. The Farm music and Boardwalk music are all right, but the Turnpike music is great. The menu music is pretty good too. The game loses half a star thanks to the boring repeating sounds or sayings everyone makes.
Difficulty: **1/2
After you get the hang of this game and use items in the best way, you’ll have no trouble with this game, but the computers cheat enough that I had to make it over 2 stars. Plus, one time one Banshee Boardwalk I fell so far behind that I got so mad that I threw the game across the room. Now the cartridge has a tab snapped off it thanks to those cheating AIs. Frustration is a key word. Remember it when playing Toad’s Turnpike Extra.
Characters: ***
Who else? Bowser, Toad, Mario, DK, Yoshi, Peach,
Luigi, and Wario. Monty Moles and Thwomps appear, but
you don’t get as many minions involved in this
game, giving this a lower score.
Controls: ****
Beautiful controls. Something Mario games never
lack: easy and good controls. You’ll wonder what the L
Button does sometimes, though, because you can’t
stretch your finger out to fiddle with it during a close race.
Weapons: ****
I don’t care if now there’s some Crash Playstation game that’s the “best kart game ever because of its unique weapons”; that game stole every item off MK64. Bananas, ¿ Blocks, Shells, Lightning, Star, Mushrooms, and Boo were the items used by this game. Excellent choices for items. In the future, I hope new items are added, but I hope these items are never taken away. These can make a blowout close and put two good racers behind a poor racer. Plus, they’re great in Battle Mode. No complaints here.
Tracks: ****
Excellent tracks! These are just awesome tracks
to run on and find all those hidden shortcuts. We all know
that there’s one on the Beach; but can you find
the “Mushroom across the water on Royal Raceway” shortcut or the “fall
into a pool on Toad’s Turnpike” shortcut? There are tons of shortcuts,
and really, there’s only about four tracks that don’t have some type of
shortcut. Of course, the tracks are built well, and Rainbow Road is so
good it got copied off by a racing game called... whoops, Quizzie answer
there. Koopa Troopa Beach was built well, and how about the maze on Choco
Mountain, one of the most confusing races, because you actually run back
and over the way you came for the second half of the race. Whoever built
tracks like these needs a bonus; whoever built the MK: Super Circuit tracks
needs to be fired.
Grand Prix Mode: ***
This is where it all starts. If you want those Extra courses, beat the 150 cc courses, but I suggest you work your way up. If you can’t win the gold on 50 cc, you won’t finish a race in 150 cc. After you get good, 150 cc is the only way to race, because it’s so fast compared to the rest. Remember, though, computers can cheat, and I once lapped everyone and still had a computer come all the way back to catch me. So hold on to your Triple Shells and never let them go for safety.
Time Trials Mode: **
This mode is for people who want to beat that time they saw in the strategy guide, and then figure out you’ve gotta do a million power slides to beat those times and unlock the computer ghosts on the three raceways! Boring, unless you decide to use a Game Shark...
Vs. Mode: ****
Ah, MK64 racing at its finest! Beating other living, breathing opponents is a ton better than beating computers; computers can only make you mad, not happy, and beating live opponents gives you the joy of being better than them. This mode lets you pound on someone who stinks at this game, or explore a little if you get up big. Plus, the joy of using those items is a lot better than it was using them on AIs.
Battle Mode: ****
Before I start in on this mode, remember that no matter what kart game you ever play with a battle mode, this series had it first, and none other comes close. The battle mode in Mario Kart 64 is like no other. Great, multi-player fun! Anyone can win in this game, kind of like the Mario Parties. It’s for three or four more than two, but two’s all right. I would like two things from this mode next game: one-player Battle vs AIs, and more arenas, or possibly on the real tracks.
Gameplay: ****
Well, this is kind of obvious: everything is in place for a great game. This game plays well too.
Fun Factor!: ****
I’m going overboard on the four stars, but what’s more fun than Battle Mode? Blowing yourself up as Link?
OVERALL: ****
Well, this game brings a tear to my eye, being
my first-ever N64 game, and my favorite until Mario Tennis came along.
Mario Kart 64 is a game that you must buy if you call yourself a “Mario
fan”, or a “kart game fan”, or one of those “Playstation fans” even. You
won’t have more fun with a shooter game than you will with this happy,
pleasant one with no violence. Buy it, own it, or stand next to Roy when
I pour the Chargin’ Chucks on him!