Mario Kart 64 (N64) - Let's Play 1001 Games - Episode 515
13💥 Fan of the channel? Help support the series ► https://www.patreon.com/GamingJay1001
💥 Follow me on Twitter ► https://twitter.com/GamingJay1001
💥 Check out the website ► http://letsplay1001.com/
💥 Check out the book ► http://www.amazon.com/1001-Video-Games-Must-Before/dp/0789320908
I'm Gaming Jay: Youtube gamer, let's player, fan of retro games, and determined optimist... Join me in this series while I try out EACH of the video games in the book 1001 VIDEO GAMES YOU MUST PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE, before I die. The game review for each game will focus on the question of whether you MUST play this game before you die. But to be honest, the game review parts are just for fun, and are not meant to be definitive, in depth reviews; this series is more about the YouTube gamer journey itself. From Mario games to the Halo series, from arcade games to Commodore 64, PC games to the NES and Sega Genesis, Playstation to the Xbox, let's play those classic retro games that we grew up with, have fond memories of, or heard of but never got a chance to try! And with that said, the game review for today is...
Mario Kart 64
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Kart_64
Mario Kart 64[a] is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the successor to Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the second game in the Mario Kart series. It was released in Japan on December 14, 1996, and in North America and Europe in 1997. It was later released as a Virtual Console game for the Wii and Wii U in 2007 and 2016, respectively.
Changes from the original include the move to polygon-based true 3D computer graphics for track design, and the inclusion of four-player support.[2] Players take control of characters from the Mario franchise, who race around a variety of tracks with items that can either harm opponents or aid the user. The move to three-dimensional graphics allowed for track features not possible with the original game's Mode 7 graphics, such as changes in elevation, bridges, walls, and pits. However, the characters and items remained 2D pre-rendered sprites. The game was commercially successful and was generally praised for the fun and high replay value of its multiplayer modes, though some critics regarded it as a disappointment compared to Super Mario Kart.
Production of the game began in 1995 under its original title Super Mario Kart R[12] (the "R" stood for "rendered"),[13] and was intended to be a launch game for the Nintendo 64, but more resources were given to Super Mario 64's development.[14] Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto acted as producer and often consulted with game director Hideki Konno.[15] Some brief early footage of the game was showcased at the Shoshinkai Software Exhibition in Japan on November 24, 1995.[16][17][18] Miyamoto stated that the game was in fact 95 percent complete at the time of the show, but Nintendo chose not to display a playable version due to the difficult logistics of demonstrating the multiplayer features.[17] The prototype featured the Feather item from Super Mario Kart and a Magikoopa as one of the eight playable characters, who was replaced with Donkey Kong in the final game.[12][19]
The player's driving controls were designed to be similar to operating a radio-controlled car.[20] While Mario Kart 64 features tracks that are fully rendered in 3D, the game uses billboarding to display the characters and items. Konno stated that, while rendering the characters as 3D models was not impossible, the limited processing power of the console would not have allowed all eight characters to appear on the screen at once. Instead, the characters are composed of pre-rendered sprites that show the characters from various angles to simulate a 3D appearance.[14] Rare, developer of the Donkey Kong Country games, provided Donkey Kong's character model.[21]
While rubberband AI was used to prevent all the racers from easily separating, the Spiny Shell item, which targets and attacks the player in first place, was added in order to keep each race competitive and balanced. The item was included in all subsequent Mario Kart games.