Game:

Mario Kart 64 (1996)

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Mario Kart 64 is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii.

Mario Kart 64 is the sequel to Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Changes from the original include the move to 3D computer graphics and the inclusion of four-player support. Players take control of characters from the Mario universe, 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 critically well received and was a best seller. Mario Kart 64 was one of the first games in the series to feature Charles Martinet as the voice of both Luigi and Wario.

There are eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Toad , Wario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Princess Peach.

There are sixteen tracks that are based on different locations seen in Mario video games: Luigi Raceway, Moo Moo Farm, Koopa Troopa Beach, Kalimari Desert, Toad's Turnpike, Frappe Snowland, Choco Mountain, Mario Raceway, Wario Stadium, Sherbet Land, Royal Raceway, Bowser's Castle, D.K.'s Jungle Parkway, Yoshi Valley, Banshee Boardwalk, Rainbow Road. Each track has a unique shape, and may contain various obstacles, hazards, and short-cuts.

Items are picked up by players when they drive through item boxes. Each item can be used to an effect such as launching shells at opponents, consuming a mushroom to gain a temporary boost in speed, or placing bananas on the ground for opponents to later slip on. AI-controlled racers are able to use all the items except for red and green shells.

By hopping and then going around a corner while tilting the control stick in the direction of the turn, a player earns a small speed boost by drifting. There is also an advanced drift technique (as just mentioned) that allows players to turn against the direction of their drift for a speed boost. Also, there is an extra boost that is used at the start of a race known as a rocket start. This allows the characters to get a head start when the traffic light turns green.

The game is compatible with the N64 Controller Pak, but only to save track ghosts in the Time Trial mode, which requires 121 pages, almost the entire standard controller pak. All other data is stored in-cartridge.
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Nintendo 64 - Nintendo iQue - Virtual Console
Nintendo
1997

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