In league with Goldeneye and Super Smash Bros as one of the most competitive, local multiplayer games of the 90s, Mario Kart 64 earns very high marks in the nostalgia department by anyone who fondly remembers destroying their roommate with a green shell at 2AM. But as we all know, nostalgia alone does not a great game make; so how does this beloved cart racer hold up, fifteen years after it's release?
Gameplay
In terms of the overall series, Mario Kart 64 is the game that most rewards you for actually being good at the driving mechanics. Where in Double Dash you would get blue shells and golden mushrooms until you were delicately placed in front of the pack, MK 64 makes you earn it. Sure, you'll get the golden mushroom, but you may also get one banana. You got to have the skills to make the bills.
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| It's not all hams and plaques. |
The controls are so deep and nuanced that you will be continually surprised with what you're able to pull off under pressure. Drifting became a huge component in this entry and it's here where you'll really find the most depth in terms of gameplay. It takes a reasonable amount of practice and know-how to be able to pull off a drift properly. For the really brave, you can turn your drift into a mini turbo boost at the risk of careening off the track.
In my "Still Playing" entry I had used the excuse of the uneven item distribution for why I was having such a hard time with the game, but that wasn't actually true - it is in fact what every single game journalist complains about when it comes to this series, so I suppose I had just been conditioned to think that was the problem...but it wasn't. Guess what the problem was? I sucked at Mario Kart 64. I wasn't good at drifting and controlling yet. I hadn't mastered the later courses' hairpin turns and small-but-essential time saving shortcuts. But once I did, I felt like I earned the victory - not just blue shelled my way to it.
Presentation
Mario Kart 64 isn't a technical marvel by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly serviceable and runs at a truly steady framerate. The only weird thing is that on the virtual console, the karts and characters look like crap. Like they're 2D models placed over a 3D background. Everything else has that soft-line, N64 look, but the drivers are all blocky and weird looking. Doesn't ruin the experience, but it's just kinda strange to look at.
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| Look at the outline of Bowser compared to the outline of DK above. |
The music is appropriate and not overbearing, and the sound and voice samples are fine, but can get really grating when you're head to head with peach and every time, and I mean every GD time she takes the lead she says
"Peachy!"
Close your eyes and imagine losing a race after hearing "Peachy!" 30 times in a row.
You just threw a controller didn't you?
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Overall, Mario Kart 64 still holds up as a competent, fun and challenging kart racer. While I didn't have a chance to play any multiplayer in my review period, I remember it fondly from many a youth group night and high school party. If anything, playing this will make you unstoppable at the new versions of Mario Kart. Which are clearly for babies.
Review in Ten Words or Less:
The perfect combination of challenge and fun.
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