Game Debate #117: Mario Kart 64

[cj_robot | 544]

20 hours ago, Sumez said:

...the terrible visibility is what really kills it.

You're not the only one saying this, but I just don't get it. Certainly there are plenty of N64 games plagued by blurry textures and overuse of fog, but MK64 was not one of them. The track geometry is pretty basic and the road is plenty wide everywhere... I never had any problem at all seeing where I was going in this game. (Actually, with split screen multiplayer you definitely have a point)

Now, did the sequels get better? Sure. But 64 is still great and super fun to play. 8/10 for me.

[RH | 4,924]

1 hour ago, docile tapeworm said:

Super Mario kart is the greatest Mario kart game. They all got worse after that. I do play 8 with the kids and dominate.

This is the way.

I actually joked with my wife and said I wanted a shirt that said "I spank my kids..." on the front and on the back "...in Mario Kart."

They love it, even though I stop my cart at the finish line every time, to do a reverse-circle to cross the finish line that they can see in replay.

[OptOut | 8,889]

Definitely the superior N64 multiplayer racing experience, the battle mode ALONE is the stuff of family get-together legends! I still find the game immensely satisfying to pick-up and play, to this day. I gave it a 9, which might be a little over-charitable, but man, this game still rules!

(Diddy Kong Racing is still the better single player game tho!)

[fcgamer | 4,730]

Easily a 10/10. Awesome game, if Nintendo would do a remake of this, I'd purchase the platform it was on for this game alone.

In terms of aging, it doesn't run as nicely as back in the day, but I feel this is where the MK series peaked. The SFC entry was lackluster, good ideas but the tech wasn't there. Move up to GameCube, you have a situation where you're in first all race, only to get gang raped on the last lap, ten yards from the finish...bah!

Oh and DKR sucks, never could get into that game despite buying it to try to get more MK64 goodness. The only track I even somewhat enjoyed was the town stage.

[Gamegearguy | 225]

Mario Kart 64 is my favorite video game period. I bought it at launch day (Valentine's Day 1997) and have loved it ever since. The graphics and game play are greatly improved from the SNES version, and have hills and other nice things to drive on. Mario Kart DS is great with its ability to drive different courses you can choose, but when they made MK64, they hadn't thought of that yet so you can't fault them. I love the track with the train and Rainbow Road.

[PII | 1,886]

1 hour ago, fcgamer said:

Oh and DKR sucks, never could get into that game despite buying it to try to get more MK64 goodness. The only track I even somewhat enjoyed was the town stage.

I briefly had a copy of DKR in the recent past and just didn't want to get into it after a few tryouts.  The sliding seemed really wimpy compared to MK64 with no resulting increase in speed, and the power sliding in MK64 is what makes it, along with the skips and fantastic multiplayer options...

[spacepup | 2,405]

This one was really tough to rate, for me.  I gave it a 6 here, trying to go by the scale presented and not thinking about historical significance.  I don't really have much desire to play this game, given the other great options available.  

Back during its time, it was definitely lots of fun, but I feel they did such a good job expanding on the concept with later entries, that there is little other than nostalgia or memory to pull me to this one again.

I definitely have some fond memories of playing it, and would surely have rated it higher long ago, but after seeing the significant expansion and how the racing "feels" in later versions, it's hard for me to go out of my way to play this one, other than from a historical significance or context, or for nostalgia reasons.

It isn't a bad game by any means, but unlike many other games that have numerous sequels, I just don't have much desire to play this one again.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

10/10. Anybody that says anything else is trying to be an edge lord, and I feel the n64 over all is a weak console. 
 

this game on my N64 with four controllers brought to work on a Friday afternoon is outrageously fun, and the most accessible to “non gamers”.  One of the few N64 games that still holds up to this day. 
 

perfect controls for a weird controller. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

If @MrWunderful and I agree on something, it must be true. Looks like 10/10 for MK64 it is!

[Deadeye | 1,596]

6/10

Edgelord here

[OptOut | 8,889]

17 hours ago, MrWunderful said:

perfect controls for a weird controller. 

YOU'RE a weird controller. 

[AstralSoul | 502]

This is probably tied with Mario Kart 8 as my favorite MK game. Yes a lot of it is nostalgia but the countless hours I put into this game are unmatched when comparing the rest of the series. Between this and Mario 64 this is what made me buy an N64. Couch co-op is still superior to online play and with 3 friends, Mario Kart 64 was just so perfect. Still has my favorite soundtrack and track selection too. 10/10

[Gloves | 11,800]

Diddy Kong Racing is better. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

2 hours ago, OptOut said:

YOU'RE a weird controller. 

Maybe yours is the weird one

[rdrunner | 422]

4/10 - On the N64 alone, I prefer Diddy Kong Racing, F-Zero X, and even Cruis'n USA more than this.  I haven't even played all the racing games on the system either.

I do like Mario Kart games (who doesn't?), but 64 is also my least favorite Mario Kart.  Out of the games I have played, I would rank them like this: MK8, original, Double Dash, DS, 64.

Without rehashing every flaw people have already brought up, I'll just list the biggest reasons I don't like this game:

• Races are slow and take too long (especially Rainbow Road).
• Rubberband AI at its worst.
• Introduced blue shells into the series.

Plenty of better racing games out there in my experience, hence the score.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

On 9/2/2022 at 11:59 AM, OptOut said:

Definitely the superior N64 multiplayer racing experience, the battle mode ALONE is the stuff of family get-together legends! I still find the game immensely satisfying to pick-up and play, to this day. I gave it a 9, which might be a little over-charitable, but man, this game still rules!

(Diddy Kong Racing is still the better single player game tho!)

I gave it an 8 just for the hours of group game nights. It seems like we always played either Mario Kart or Goldeneye.

[Link | 2,715]

On 9/2/2022 at 4:41 AM, Estil said:

UK (the university, not the country)

Just say University of Kentucky. It's less typing

[Tanooki | 4,939]

I didn't give it the 4 that rdrunner did, wanted to hit a LIKE on that, but it could be misinterpreted.  The Blue Shell makes it very lower score worthy.  That thing has been increasingly more and more abusive especially in the DS/Wii and post years where it's heavier spammed, abused, just beyond a rarer tool or a new or poor player to have a chance to catch up into just aggravating to no end.  They all, all have AI issues, I'd argue the DS one was by far the worst given how on 150CC it behaves is dead obvious, but the 64 AI wasn't any more rubberbandy than the original on SNES.  I'd really put 64, SNES, GBA in the high points of the series, Gamecube is relatively great too.  The 64 one has a great set of tracks largely, solid control, fun environment, and the weapons even the blue shell(more rare it pops up) gives balance to the force here.   It's a great game on its own, it didn't have to rely on multiplayer internet not to get tiring fast and suck, but it was every much as capable with 4 people going at it to have as much fun as the campaign, it was just not lackluster.

[Splain | 2,571]

I don't know what I'd think of this game if it came out today, but this is handily my favorite Mario Kart. I can't explain it outside of nostalgia, but I've played every Mario Kart game, hoping to like them more than 64, and it just doesn't happen. I've logged so many hours in this game. So yes,I'd say it's one of my all-time favorites. 10/10

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,014]

I went 8/10 just bc of the rating scale but man, is it close to being a perfect cross between a race game and a party game. Very, very tough to beat. 

I can't relate to ppl who rate Double Dash and Wii over 64. The only Mario Kart games that get close to 64 are 7 and 8, 7 being my personal favorite. 

[Tanooki | 4,939]

GC one is nice, not that nice, hell I like the GBA one more than it as it kind of feels more like a sequel to the SNES title, but the Wii one, dumpster fire, right along with the DS release, so much wrong about both.

[G-type | 2,483]

I rated this so high mostly because it was the n64 game I most enjoyed playing with my high school friends. We mostly alternated between this and 4-player Goldeneye deathmatches, which I was much worse at. I honestly think my favorite iteration is the Wii version (with the plastic steering wheel)

[G-type | 2,483]

13 hours ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

I gave it an 8 just for the hours of group game nights. It seems like we always played either Mario Kart or Goldeneye.

yup

[Reed Rothchild | 9,550]

GnG pulling off the comeback 

[Sumez | 2,968]

Rightly so. Classic arcade game, and revolutionary within its gen.. o wait that's for next week

Edited September 5, 2022 by Sumez