VRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OM!! (Mario Kart 64 (N64))

Member Name: HOT_DOG_GOD

Product:	Mario Kart 64 (N64)
Date:	29/07/01 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Multiplayer, Colourful, Several modes

Disadvantages: Stressful and Chaotic (could be good?)

Since his birth in 1981, Mario, the famous short plumber (previously a carpenter) has starred in over seventy Nintendo games, appeared on several different formats and encountered over three hundred enemies. Impressively, he has featured in games of various genres, ranging from golf and tennis numbers to cute little platformers. Another of these entertaining and crazy games is Mario Kart 64, the wacky driver for the N64.

Along to play with and against Mario are seven of his best pals, Luigi, Toad, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario and Bowser. Each of the racers sport various strengths and suffer from different weaknesses. Small, light characters such as Toad, Yoshi and Peach are quick and agile, whilst larger characters such as Bowser, DK, and Wario are slow and often difficult to control, but when reaching high speeds, they can fearlessly drive, flattening anyone in their path. Mario and Luigi range in the middle of the smaller and larger characters. They're slower than the smalls, but faster than the bigs.

The graphics are fun and cartoon-like, consisting of smooth 3D images with great backgrounds and racing courses. Bursting with bright colours while accompanied by top tunes, the game is exciting, up-beat and enjoyable to play. As the chunky racers zip around the fantastically detailed tracks, they spout their hilarious individual phrases, such as Mario’s “Lets-a-go” and Toads shriek. This gives the game personality, resulting in tremendous fun!

There are sixteen tracks to race on, each packed with secret routes, shortcuts, weapons and traps to collect and fire. In the game, shells are used to shoot at unexpecting racers, whilst bombs and bananas are used as traps. Scenery is bright and looks great, for example, the fat cows in ‘Moo Moo Farm’.

The tracks:

• Mushroom Cup

Luigi Raceway
Distance - 717m
From a birdseye view, this track looks like a slightly deformed &
#39;8'.

Moo Moo Farm
Distance - 527m
Simple circuit, where groundhogs pop up from the road, causing karts to crash.

Koopa Troopa Beach
Distance - 691m
Great track with a cool short-cut through the mountains. Although, this shortcut is hard to do and when not successful, racers will crash and fall as its opponents drive past.

Kalimari Desert
Distance - 753m
Another fun course. Trains appear frequently and if you don't slow down to let on pass, don't expect them to stop for you! If you're feeling adventurous, you can explore the train track, getting run over along the way.

• Flower Cup

Toad's Turnpike
Distance - 1036m
Possibly the most difficult track to complete with style. You race on a busy motorway, packed with buses, cars and lorries which often leave just a small gap in the road for you to pass through.

Frappe Snowland
Distance - 734m
Nice snowy climate but watch out for the sneaky bombs disguised as snowmen!

Choco Mountain
Distance - 687m
Dodge the falling boulders and avoid falling off the side of the road. If you do fall, you have to drive all the way back up!

Mario Raceway
Distance - 567m
Nice, cheerful track. Sharp corners everywhere, and if you haven't mastered turning, you'll be skidding into sand-areas quickly.

• Star Cup

Wario Stadium
Distance - 1591m
Long, bumpy track, with one large jump. Not the most exciting of tracks, but still good fun!

Sherbet Land
Distance - 756m
In this icy track, watch out for the sliding penguins! If you drop into the freezing water, you return back, temporarily in a cube of ice.

Royal Raceway
Distance - 1025m
Nice turns and a massive great jump. Once again, if you are in the mood for exploring, you can visit Princess Peach's castle (featured in Super Mario 64)

Bowser's Castle
Dist
ance - 777m
Welcome to the scariest race track ever, where mean ugly cube monsters attempt to crush you and large lava pits await your every fall.

• Special Cup

DK's Jungle Parkway
Distance - 893m
Beautiful land, with a massive jump over the river (watch out for the ferry) and a bumpy ride through the jungle. Keep on the road though! Set one wheel on the grass and the mean monkeys hurl coconuts at you.

Yoshi Valley
Distance - 772m
Amazing track! Dozens of routes to travel along. Your ranking is not given throughout the race, meaning you have no idea who is in front or behind you.

Banshee Boardwalk
Distance - 747m
Another of the more difficult tracks. You race along a boardwalk (hence the track name) where in places, side barriers have been removed, so its incredibly hard to avoid falling. Bats and ghosts appear along the way to spook you.

Rainbow Road
Distance - 2000m
This track is bright and very psychedelic. You race through space on a dazzling road, made from all the colours of the rainbow. The road spirals and twists, where bright smiling stars watch, while large patterns light up!

Some great names there! And the collectables? These items can be collected by driving through spinning diamonds:

• Mushroom - Gives a temporary boost of speed. They are best used to speed over areas of track which would usually slow you down such as grass or sand.

• Triple Mushrooms - Three temporary boosts to use at any time. Use them wisely (or don't).

• Super-Mushroom - For a limited time, players can boost their speed as many times as they want. Keep tapping that button!!

• Super-Star - For a limited time, players will be invincible. Bananas, shells and enemies will have no effect on the racer. While invincible, you can drive into opponents, hurting and stalling them.

• Thunder Bolt - Attacks every other
racer. When struck by the bolt, racers shrink, their speed will drop and they will become easy to crush. Thunder Bolts do not work on invincible drivers.

• Boo - When another player has an item, you can steal it from them. You will also become invisible for a short time, passing safely through bananas and bombs.

• Green Shell - This shell travels in a straight line. When a rival is hit, they will crash.

• Triple Green Shell - This item gives three shell attacks. They will also protect you from bananas.

• Red Shell - When fired, the red shell will chase the nearest racer, targeting and hitting them, making them crash.

• Triple Red Shell - Give protection as they circle the racer. The shells can be used to shoot three racers (or the same racer three times ;O)

• Spikey Shell - Chases the leading racer, hitting all opponents in its path.

• Fake Item - Looks like the item with which you collect weapons, but is actually a bomb. If it is placed near a bunch of real items, it might be hard to tell the difference.

• Banana - Hit a banana and a racer will slip. Works well when placed on a corner, as drivers cannot turn. (Tip - If you are about to slip on a banana, quickly brake. Racers won't slip, but they whistle as a sigh of luck)

• Banana Bunch - Five bananas trail behind your kart. You are able to place on banana at a time where you like.

Up to four players can battle it out against each other in VS Mode as they attempt to reach the finish line. Multiplayer in this game is marvellous. Fantastically tense weapon fights kick back and forth throughout races as drivers skid and slide along the way. The characters’ individual driving styles mean everybody has a favourite. After much play, you’ll find yourself mastering sharp corners and firing weapons like an expert.

In the Mario GP mode, there are four cups t
o win as prizes for beating the other players who mainly consist of computer racers. When attempting to win a cup, you are required to race through four courses gaining a respectable number of points in each. Great determination and dedication is needed to complete the mode.

Computer driven racers fight dirty and cheat. Suspiciously, they always manage to pick up top weapons, targeting opponents perfectly, and on occasions, you may be speeding miles ahead of one and then find them on your tail just seconds later. Although unrealistic, this adds a vital aspect for a game to possess; Challenge.

A nice addition appearing on Mario Kart is the battle mode, in which two to four players use weapons and traps, on a mission to hunt down the other drivers, kicking 3D cartoon butt and creating havoc. Each player begins with three balloons strapped to their car, with one balloon bursting when: • A racer slips on a banana or collides with a stronger opponent
• A racer is hit with shells or bombs
• A racer falls off the edge of the course
The winner is the only racer to be left with at least one balloon. A choice of four arenas is available, each with unique qualities and differences. Unfortunately, one of these is surprisingly dull, but the others are simply amazing. A few items cannot be collected in this mode, as it would make the competition too easy. These items include all mushrooms, Thunder Bolt, Triple Red Shell, Spikey Shell and Banana Bunch.
In the time trial mode, the objective is to drive as fast as you can. There are no traps along the way to affect your drive. This is a great opportunity to practice and perfect your racing on all tracks and if you score a good time, you can save your 'ghost' and next time you race on the track, you can race yourself as your previous time! Three mushrooms are given at the start. When used at the right times, times can be improved considerably.

Before you begin a mo
de, a choice of three engine sizes is given. 50cc, 100cc or 150cc. These many extras are included in the game to satisfy all who play. Another addition, somewhat unknown to many owners is that when all modes are completed with each engine successfully, a choice to use reversed mirror-tracks is available, meaning you will have to learn the quick, sharp turns of the sixteen courses once again.

Mario Kart 64 is a fantastic game with a lastability of several years. This is mainly due to the multiplayer modes, as they are hilarious, hectic, and the massive thrills never become a bore. Mario has featured in some of the most popular Nintendo games ever created through the years, but this is one of the most entertaining. The fun never dies!

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