As you are probably well aware of at this point, there are a seemingly endless amount of spin-off games in the Mario franchise, whether they continue the traditional platforming style that the original games started, but changed things around, or with most other games that venture into many different genres, like party games, puzzle games, RPGs, and so on. Of course, many fans of this franchise have probably taken a dive into each of these spin-off series at least once to see what they are all about, but, even if you are not a Mario fan, or a fan of video games in general, there is probably only one Mario spin-off series that you have ever played in your entire life. That, my friends, would be Mario Kart. This is, without a doubt, the biggest spin-off series that Mario has ever had, with many different games still being made to this day, and each of them being a critical and commercial success (for the most part), usually being one of, if not THE best selling games on their respective systems. Hell, like I mentioned earlier, even if you don’t play video games all that often, you probably have at least tried out one round of Mario Kart in your life with your friends, just to see what all the fuss is about, it is THAT big. But, of course, all juggernauts have to start somewhere, and for Mario Kart, that starting point would be with the original SNES game, Super Mario Kart.
When it comes to my own personal experiences with Mario Kart, I have mainly stuck to later titles in the series, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Wii, since these games usually get better with each installment, and if I am gonna play any entry in the series, it would be best to stick with those ones. That’s not to say that I haven’t taken a look into the other games in the series though, as I have played quite a lot of both Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash, both with friends and by myself. In terms of Super Mario Kart though, I have barely any experience with it whatsoever, aside from one playthrough through all the modes, and occasionally jumping into it sometimes when I am bored. So, based on my own experience with the game, I would argue that Super Mario Kart is a good game… but it doesn’t hold up quite nearly as well as other titles in the series. Despite that, it did lay the groundwork for what the series would eventually become, and for a first attempt, I would say they did a pretty great job here.
The graphics are pretty good, having a distinct style from every other game in the series, and while they haven’t aged too well, and can look weird at times (Yoshi looks like he is in constant agony), I will admit that there is a certain charm to it, the music is pretty good, having this distinct and nostalgic flow about it, even if sometimes it can get drowned out in the main game, the control is good for the most part, with the steering handling pretty well, but when it comes to higher difficulty, that becomes a different story (more on that later), and the gameplay itself is that classic Mario Kart feel that has become a staple of the racing genre, but much more rough then most of you are probably used to.
The game is, obviously, a racing game, where you take control of one of eight racers hailing from the Mario universe (including Donkey Kong Jr., for some reason…), race against the other seven on a good selection of tracks through multiple Grand Prixs, try to get the upper hand on your competition with proper use of drifting, boosts, shortcuts, and items that you will obtain, keep your streak up so that you don’t end up eliminated, and come out on top while celebrating with a bottle of alcohol, as one does in a Mario game. All of the core mechanics and gameplay modes of Mario Kart that will be repeated for most of the rest of the series was introduced here, and when looking back on them, they still work very well, the items are very satisfying to use when you use them at the right time, and there is plenty to do here that will keep you invested.
The main mode is obviously the VS and Grand Prix races, where you can race against either the computer or a friend, competing for first place and rubbing it in your opponents’ faces when you eventually win. This is primarily where I spent most of my time with this game, and I had a pretty good time with it for the most part. It did feel fun going through these tracks most of the time, and the satisfaction I felt when getting first place in a Grand Prix felt as it should for one of these games. Aside from those modes though, we also have Time Trial mode, where you can try to beat these courses as fast as you can while learning all the ins and outs of it. I personally have never really cared about Time Trials, but I can’t deny that they have become a staple of the racing genre, so I can appreciate it for being there, and for those who do wanna get better at the game, it is a good choice to hone your skills. And finally, there is Battle Mode, where you can take on another player in a head-to-head battle, using many items to annihilate your competition, popping all of their balloons, and making you the Ultimate Balloon Warrior (god, that sounded so lame). Again, I myself am not too huge on Battle Mode, but I can’t deny, when you get the right people to play with, it can make for a chaotically wonderful time, even if this Battle Mode is hard to go back to, since there is only a two-player option rather then four.
So, now that we have gotten a lot of the positives out of the way for this game, it’s time that we get into the negatives, as this game definitely shows its age in a lot of ways. Going down the list here, first and foremost, for every race, no matter if you are playing by yourself or not, half of the screen is completely useless, only being used for the map or for the second player. I can kind of understand why this was done, but considering that F-Zero, a great SNES racer that came out two years before this, managed to fill up the whole screen with the main action, why can’t this game do that too, and put the map in the corner or something? Secondly, while the control is solid for the most part, it certainly isn’t the best, as it carries the same problem that F-Zero has where, in certain instances, it feels impossible to turn properly without smashing into walls. Yes, you do have drifting to help you out, but I’m pretty sure plenty can agree with me when I say that the drifting in this game is complete ass, and it doesn’t help that much, especially in courses on 150cc.
Thirdly, this game carries around a dirty term that is a common one with others in the genre: rubber-banding. If you don’t know what that is, it is essentially where, if you are too far ahead of the computer players in a race, they will speed right back up to where you are, and have a high chance of stealing that first place right from under your nose. I swear, the amount of times I have had a perfect run in 150cc mode ruined all because of an opponent snatching that first from me at the last second… it boils my blood just thinking about it. And on top of that, the AI can also use items that are impossible for the player to use, so they are basically cheating, and I hate them all because of that. And for the final issue of the game, one that is pretty obvious at this point… it is incredibly dated. Yeah, I know, it isn’t the game’s fault, but there have been plenty of other games, not just from Mario Kart, that have evolved the genre to places that this game wishes it could reach, such as with faster speed, tighter control, 4 or more players at once, and infinite possibilities for carnage and ways to push racing to the next level. If you were to play any Mario Kart game, this would be one of the last games that I would suggest to you, and many would probably agree with me on that sentiment, even though it still has a lot going for it even to this day.
Overall, despite having plenty of issues and just not being as appealing due to the effect of time, it cannot be denied that Super Mario Kart is still a pivotal point in the Mario franchise, and one of the best racing games on the SNES. It set the foundation for what would become the biggest racing franchise in gaming history, and even nowadays, it is still fun to come back to from time to time and revisit, seeing where it all started, and maybe even getting some friends along to have some fun with. I would definitely recommend it for Mario Kart fans, just so they can experience it at least once, but for those who are only casual fans of the franchise, then you can just stick with the later titles, as you won’t be missing out on too much. And besides, we all know that F-Zero is better than this anyway. It’s not even an opinion at this point, it is a well-known FACT.
Game #344
When it comes to my own personal experiences with Mario Kart, I have mainly stuck to later titles in the series, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Wii, since these games usually get better with each installment, and if I am gonna play any entry in the series, it would be best to stick with those ones. That’s not to say that I haven’t taken a look into the other games in the series though, as I have played quite a lot of both Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash, both with friends and by myself. In terms of Super Mario Kart though, I have barely any experience with it whatsoever, aside from one playthrough through all the modes, and occasionally jumping into it sometimes when I am bored. So, based on my own experience with the game, I would argue that Super Mario Kart is a good game… but it doesn’t hold up quite nearly as well as other titles in the series. Despite that, it did lay the groundwork for what the series would eventually become, and for a first attempt, I would say they did a pretty great job here.
The graphics are pretty good, having a distinct style from every other game in the series, and while they haven’t aged too well, and can look weird at times (Yoshi looks like he is in constant agony), I will admit that there is a certain charm to it, the music is pretty good, having this distinct and nostalgic flow about it, even if sometimes it can get drowned out in the main game, the control is good for the most part, with the steering handling pretty well, but when it comes to higher difficulty, that becomes a different story (more on that later), and the gameplay itself is that classic Mario Kart feel that has become a staple of the racing genre, but much more rough then most of you are probably used to.
The game is, obviously, a racing game, where you take control of one of eight racers hailing from the Mario universe (including Donkey Kong Jr., for some reason…), race against the other seven on a good selection of tracks through multiple Grand Prixs, try to get the upper hand on your competition with proper use of drifting, boosts, shortcuts, and items that you will obtain, keep your streak up so that you don’t end up eliminated, and come out on top while celebrating with a bottle of alcohol, as one does in a Mario game. All of the core mechanics and gameplay modes of Mario Kart that will be repeated for most of the rest of the series was introduced here, and when looking back on them, they still work very well, the items are very satisfying to use when you use them at the right time, and there is plenty to do here that will keep you invested.
The main mode is obviously the VS and Grand Prix races, where you can race against either the computer or a friend, competing for first place and rubbing it in your opponents’ faces when you eventually win. This is primarily where I spent most of my time with this game, and I had a pretty good time with it for the most part. It did feel fun going through these tracks most of the time, and the satisfaction I felt when getting first place in a Grand Prix felt as it should for one of these games. Aside from those modes though, we also have Time Trial mode, where you can try to beat these courses as fast as you can while learning all the ins and outs of it. I personally have never really cared about Time Trials, but I can’t deny that they have become a staple of the racing genre, so I can appreciate it for being there, and for those who do wanna get better at the game, it is a good choice to hone your skills. And finally, there is Battle Mode, where you can take on another player in a head-to-head battle, using many items to annihilate your competition, popping all of their balloons, and making you the Ultimate Balloon Warrior (god, that sounded so lame). Again, I myself am not too huge on Battle Mode, but I can’t deny, when you get the right people to play with, it can make for a chaotically wonderful time, even if this Battle Mode is hard to go back to, since there is only a two-player option rather then four.
So, now that we have gotten a lot of the positives out of the way for this game, it’s time that we get into the negatives, as this game definitely shows its age in a lot of ways. Going down the list here, first and foremost, for every race, no matter if you are playing by yourself or not, half of the screen is completely useless, only being used for the map or for the second player. I can kind of understand why this was done, but considering that F-Zero, a great SNES racer that came out two years before this, managed to fill up the whole screen with the main action, why can’t this game do that too, and put the map in the corner or something? Secondly, while the control is solid for the most part, it certainly isn’t the best, as it carries the same problem that F-Zero has where, in certain instances, it feels impossible to turn properly without smashing into walls. Yes, you do have drifting to help you out, but I’m pretty sure plenty can agree with me when I say that the drifting in this game is complete ass, and it doesn’t help that much, especially in courses on 150cc.
Thirdly, this game carries around a dirty term that is a common one with others in the genre: rubber-banding. If you don’t know what that is, it is essentially where, if you are too far ahead of the computer players in a race, they will speed right back up to where you are, and have a high chance of stealing that first place right from under your nose. I swear, the amount of times I have had a perfect run in 150cc mode ruined all because of an opponent snatching that first from me at the last second… it boils my blood just thinking about it. And on top of that, the AI can also use items that are impossible for the player to use, so they are basically cheating, and I hate them all because of that. And for the final issue of the game, one that is pretty obvious at this point… it is incredibly dated. Yeah, I know, it isn’t the game’s fault, but there have been plenty of other games, not just from Mario Kart, that have evolved the genre to places that this game wishes it could reach, such as with faster speed, tighter control, 4 or more players at once, and infinite possibilities for carnage and ways to push racing to the next level. If you were to play any Mario Kart game, this would be one of the last games that I would suggest to you, and many would probably agree with me on that sentiment, even though it still has a lot going for it even to this day.
Overall, despite having plenty of issues and just not being as appealing due to the effect of time, it cannot be denied that Super Mario Kart is still a pivotal point in the Mario franchise, and one of the best racing games on the SNES. It set the foundation for what would become the biggest racing franchise in gaming history, and even nowadays, it is still fun to come back to from time to time and revisit, seeing where it all started, and maybe even getting some friends along to have some fun with. I would definitely recommend it for Mario Kart fans, just so they can experience it at least once, but for those who are only casual fans of the franchise, then you can just stick with the later titles, as you won’t be missing out on too much. And besides, we all know that F-Zero is better than this anyway. It’s not even an opinion at this point, it is a well-known FACT.
Game #344