Collection essentials #402: Mario Kart 64 (N64)

Another case where I’m going a little out of order to cover such a defining game for the system early.

Super Mario Kart was one of the best-selling titles on the SNES, so a sequel for the brand new 3D console made all the sense in the world. And boy, the newfound power of the Nintendo 64 was a huge boon to this new series. Just the simple fact that four players could participate at a time instead of two was an absolute game-changer. Suddenly this was one of the absolute top social video games in the world, one that you wanted to see in any group setting. Even people who don’t normally play video games often saw the appeal of Mario Kart 64 and joined in on the fun. And even though the first game was a big success, this one was even more popular and truly cemented the series as a mutual favorite between both dedicated and casual players.

The game’s presentation is excellent, and the sounds and voice clips let you know right off the bat that you’re in for a quality experience. All eight characters in the game have a variety of voice clips which help give the game more personality. They’re very quotable for anyone who experienced this game in the ‘90s!

The pure basics of the game on the surface seem very similar to the original. You have pretty much the same modes: grand prix, time trial and battle. But Mario Kart 64 is different from the original in so many ways that I’m not even sure I want to list every little thing I can think of because that would just be too much. Basically everything was rebuilt from the ground up, so the game’s controls, physics, AI of computer-controlled racers, and track design all feel completely different, and better for the most part. The original game had tracks that were all completely flat due to the limitations of the Super Nintendo, but Mario Kart 64’s tracks are hugely varied and have plenty of bumps and hills that were lacking in the original. I can’t stress enough what a huge upgrade the tracks are in this game. Hardly any tracks in the original game are particularly memorable except maybe Rainbow Road, but in Mario Kart 64 nearly every track is so distinct design-wise and thematically that just about all of them are.

The concept of items of course returns, as do most items from the original games. Items are really what define Mario Kart, and allow for more casual players to hold their own with experienced players due to their ability to turn a race around. You can use mushrooms to give your kart a boost, shells to try and knock down opponents, bananas to lay down traps, lightning to shrink all your opponents, and more! The further behind you are, the better your chance of getting a really good item, and that helps keep races more even.

What’s different about items? Now the game uses regenerating item boxes instead of tiles on the floor that get used up with one touch, which is much better. New items include some variants on old items such as the golden mushroom or the banana bunch. This was the first game to introduce the infamous blue shell, which homes in on whichever racer is in first place. This game also introduces the “fake item box” which looks only slightly different than a real one and can fool players who aren’t observant enough. AI-controlled racers now use items much more like human racers compared to the original, which is a welcome change. 

One super cool thing you can unlock in this game is “Extra” mode, which flips whatever track you play! This was a brilliant idea on Nintendo’s part to add some gameplay variety without having to add more tracks. There’s one track in particular which is heavily affected by this change, Toad’s Turnpike. The track normally features cars driving alongside the kart racers which must be avoided. But on Extra, the racers will be driving AGAINST traffic, making the course much more challenging!

When I was a kid, as you can imagine, I absolutely adored Mario Kart 64 and took every chance I could to play it before I owned it. At a social gathering I was often the best player so I really enjoyed when I got a chance to humble everybody! As the days of our Nintendo 64 acquisition were nearing, Mario Kart 64 was the number one game on our list, so it was one of the first ones we got. The cartridge shown in the photo is the very cartridge from my childhood. Although if you look closely you may notice that it is a “Player’s Choice” rerelease copy, and thus it doesn’t match the box I have, which is just slightly annoying!

Mario Kart 64 is truly an outstanding Nintendo 64 game. Is it worth revisiting in modern times? Well, sort of. Like most fans, I would argue that future Mario Kart games have more to offer now and most people would be better off starting with the newest game in the series. However, if you can’t get enough, you certainly will enjoy giving Mario Kart 64 a spin. It does control a little differently and has some distinct mechanics, so it’s not as though the game lacks its own identity. It still stands out as one of the top Nintendo 64 games and is a worthy quintessential essential.