Racing/Driving Games and Accessories - Happy Shopping! :)

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Mario Kart 64

John B. Marine | 4:55 PM | | |
Mario Kart 64 brought the budding Mario Kart franchise into the 3D realm. There was no doubt "Super Mario Kart" began what remains as one of the greatest gaming (let alone racing/driving) game franchises ever. Mario Kart 64 did a lot to try to build up and continue where "Super Mario Kart" left off. So let me discuss "Mario Kart 64" in this blog post on "John's Race Space."






Mario Kart 64


It was 1996 when "Mario Kart 64" first hit store shelves. This was the second game of the Mario Kart series apart from the iconic "Super Mario Kart" in 1992. It was the first 3D Mario Kart game offering fast speeds and intense action. I have logged many laps and hours playing this game, as well as having a rivalry with my cousin playing this game back in the day.

This game basically brought the cartoon kart racing genre to the 3D realm. Even though most of the levels were 3D, the characters are pre-rendered, as is many of the pseudo-3D sprites like trees. The same insanity of Mario Kart games is present in this new installment. In addition to being the first 3D Mario Kart, this was also the first Mario Kart allowing up to four players locally. So you can enjoy racing against up to four players or being in Battle mode against up to four players.


Characters.

"Mario Kart 64" features eight drivers you can choose from. Gone is the Koopa Troopa, and welcome the Mario Kart debut of Wario. Each character is rated for their size. Lighter characters go faster and can corner better, but they can be knocked around by larger-type characters. Conversely, a heavier character is slower and don't handle as well, but they can knock around lighter characters. The most balanced characters you can choose from are Mario and Luigi.


Racing.

A lot of things in "Mario Kart 64" remain unchanged apart from "Super Mario Kart." Choosing Grand Prix will let you choose between 50cc engine displacement, 100cc engine displacement, or 150cc engine displacement. Choosing between the different displacement makes for tougher races. Select a character and choose a map. Each map features four races to choose from. If doing Grand Prix, you will run in all four of the races. Every race is three laps long. You must finish 4th or better to advance to the next round.

The races themselves are frenzied. It helps to get a good head start off the line if you can. Don't overrev the engine at the start. Run through the item boxes to access all sorts of items. If you can find shortcuts, take advantage of them to get the edge. Do whatever it takes to win each race and each championship.

Time Trial lets you race any of the 16 tracks in the game on your own. You get three Mushrooms to use at any time. You can save Ghost Laps of your best times around each course. A word of caution is that two tracks are very long, and unless you find shortcuts to reduce time of about the four-minute mark, you can not record Ghost Laps. You also can not record Ghost Laps if you crash hard or fall off the race track. So try to complete the Time Trial without crashing or getting into much trouble.

If you prefer Battle, just try to go around the map collecting items to use against your opponent(s). Once all three balloons have been popped on a character, the character is eliminated. Make sure that eliminated character isn't you!


I will now look towards providing a review for you all, so get ready.




Mario Kart 64: Final Thoughts


"Mario Kart 64" is an all-time classic for a number of reasons. It provided incredible graphics and fun game play. To me, "Mario Kart 64" is the last great Mario Kart before future titles seem to have hardcore rubber banding. Future Mario Kart titles after MK64 seem to punish you for actually being so good. This is a racing game to enjoy even if you are not good at racing games. Absolutely add this game to your Nintendo 64 collection.


Video Preview.

Mario Kart 64 in action. Enjoy!


^ Mario Kart - Nintendo 64


That's all for this blog post!





I hope you enjoyed this look at Mario Kart 64. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my official website at johnbmarine.com, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS) Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS) Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS) Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS) Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)
Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns Patreon Soundcloud Bandcamp Twitch OpenGameArt TurboSquid
Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends) Facebook (Fans) Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn (professionals only)
Questions or Comments? Contact Me (serious inquiries only)...
Contact Me via E-Mail
Share this article

0 Comments:



 
Copyright © 2015 John's Race Space • All Rights Reserved.
Template Design by BTDesigner • Powered by Blogger