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Mario Kart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mario Kart is a series of Nintendo racing games that feature characters from the Mario Bros. video game franchise. Mario Kart differs from many other racing games in that it does not seek to accurately simulate real world cars, driving conditions, or physics, making Mario Kart particularly easy to learn.
The games are particularly popular as multiplayer games. Two-, four-, eight-, and even sixteen-way challenges are possible. The success of the game series led other companies to imitate the game with characters from their own franchises, as well as licensed characters from film and television.
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- Super Mario Kart is the original Mario Kart game. It was released in 1992 for Super Famicom and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The characters in this game are Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong Jr., Koopa Troopa, and Bowser. This version only supported 2-player multiplayer mode
- Mario Kart 64 was released in 1996 in Japan, and in 1997 in North America and Europe for Nintendo 64. It was the first 3D Mario Kart game, and allowed four players to race and battle on the same screen. In the Characters list, Donkey Kong Jr. and Koopa Troopa were replaced by Donkey Kong and Wario. This version supported 4 player multiplayer mode.
- Mario Kart Super Circuit was released in 2001 for Game Boy Advance. It was the first portable version of Mario Kart and contained all the tracks from the original in addition to new ones. Up to four players could link up and play simultaneously using a single game cartridge. All the characters were the same as Mario Kart 64.
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was released in November 2003 for GameCube. This game strayed away from the classic Mario Kart formula by omitting the jump action and changing the traditional karts into themed vehicles, seating two characters each. This game is LAN-enabled, such that a max of 16 players can play at the same time on 4 GameCubes, 4 copies of the game, 4 TVs, 4 Broadband Adapters, 4 ethernet cables, and an ethernet hub. In the Characters list, Koopa Troopa returned, Toad became a secret character, and Princess Daisy, Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Toadette, Paratroopa, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., Waluigi, Petey Piranha, and King Boo were all added.
- Mario Kart Arcade GP was released in autumn of 2005 in Japan and North America. It is the first Mario Kart arcade game. It was developed by Namco and features Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky as some of the playable characters.
- Mario Kart DS was released in November 2005 for Nintendo DS. It was also the first Mario Kart game to expand the single player experience by adding the Mission Run mode, and allowed players to play VS and Battle mode against bots rather than real-life opponents. Mario Kart DS is also the first game to use Nintendo's online gaming service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It also features an assortment of tracks from previous Mario Kart games. In the Characters list, Toad was no longer secret, Princess Daisy and Waluigi became secret characters, and Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Toadette, Koopa Troopa, Paratroopa, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., Petey Piranha, and King Boo were all replaced by Dry Bones, Shy Guy, and even R.O.B. This game supported Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and had 8 player over its wireless connection or four player online games and you can show off your artistic skills with an emblen.
- Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 has been released in early 2007 in Japan.
Although a Mario Kart game has not been announced to be in active development for the system,[1] EAD producer Hideki Konno has indicated that the Wii is the "next logical step" for the Mario Kart series.[2]
In Mario Kart, the characters from the Mario series of video games get together and race go-karts around a variety of tracks. Players can obtain random items by driving through (or over in Super Mario Kart) question mark blocks, which can be used for either defense, offense or by powering up the engine for a short amount of time (boost). Each Mario Kart game hosts several gameplay modes, which can be played in both singleplayer and multiplayer.
In Time Trial the goal is to achieve the fastest time in the selected track. Players are usually given three mushrooms (speed boosts) which they can use any time during the trial. (There are exceptions, though. In SMK, players receive no items, in MKDD, players only receive two, and in MKDS 1-3 mushrooms are given depending on the selected vehicle's Item stat). Once a record is set, the game saves a ghost, a replay of the set record, to compete against. In Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart DS, the developers put in their own "Staff Ghosts" for the player to race against. They must be unlocked by achieving a certain time which differs on each track. In Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS, it is also possible to download a ghost from friends. In Mario Kart DS, two ghosts (the player's own, and a friend's) can be saved.
In Grand Prix, the Mario characters compete against each other in a themed Cup. There are usually four Cups: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup and Special Cup.
- Super Mario Kart features the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup in the three engine classes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc), and Special Cup in the 100cc and 150cc. 150cc mode must be unlocked by beating the 100cc cups first, while the player must clear each of the other cups to unlock the Special Cup. Each cup in this game holds 5 tracks for a total of 20 tracks in the game.
- Mario Kart 64 has the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cups available in all three (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc) classes. This game adds a Mirror Mode to the series (called "EXTRA" in this game) which is unlockable by beating the 150cc cups. This game also features four tracks to a cup, which has been repeated in each game since.
- Mario Kart Super Circuit adds in a fifth cup (the Lightning Cup), which is between the Flower and Star Cups. The player must beat the four cups (Mushroom, Flower, Lightning, and Star) to unlock the Special Cup in that certain class. It also includes an "extra" version of each cup that features all the tracks from Super Mario Kart. Due to space, there is no Mirror Mode.
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! starts with Mushroom, Flower, and Star Cup, with the Special Cup unlockable. This game features an All-Cup Tour that has all sixteen tracks, which always starts with Luigi Circuit and ends with Rainbow Road, and the fourteen other tracks are mixed up in a random order. Like its console predecessor, it also features the unlockable Mirror Mode.
- Mario Kart DS has two Grand Prix modes: The Nitro Cups (all-new tracks) and the Retro Cups (all classic remade tracks). Nitro Grand Prix features the four standard cups, Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special cups, while Retro Grand Prix features the Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning Cups. The Retro mode features tracks from all four previous Mario Kart games. This game features 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and an unlockable 150cc Mirror Mode.
The player wins the cup by receiving the most points throughout the Grand Prix. Points are allocated based on the position the player finishes in. The most a player can get is 40 points, or 10 points in each of the four courses in Mario Kart Double Dash and Mario Kart DS. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, there was a maximum of 9 points for each race. In addition, Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS features a rating system, which, from lowest to highest, is E, D, C, B, A, 1 star, 2 stars, and 3 stars.
Mission mode is only present in Mario Kart DS, and includes several levels, each of which contain nine challenges (one of which is a boss battle). These challenges range include collecting X number of coins, driving through X number of gates, destroying X number of enemies, and so-on. The player is given a grade upon completing a mission, with E being the lowest and 3 stars being the highest. There is only one mission level to start with, but by beating each mission level's boss players can reach level 6, and, by achieving a rank of at least one star in all missions, level 7.
In VS mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a race. The one who crosses the finish line first wins. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. In Mario Kart DS, players can race against CPU opponents for the first time.
In Battle Mode, every player is assigned a set of balloons that can be popped. The aim of battle mode is to pop the opponent's balloons by attacking them with items. Once all balloons are popped, the player loses. There have been several types of Battle Mode games.
Some items don't appear in Battle Mode because of unfairness or impossibility. This includes Spiny Shells, Bullet Bills, Chain Chomps, Thunderbolts (exception: Shine Runners), and triple red shells (before Balloon Battles had more than 3 balloons). Mushrooms were also out before the stealing of balloons was introduced in Double Dash!!. Mario Kart DS is the only game where players can battle against CPU opponents.
This mode was introduced in Mario Kart DS. Abbreviated as WFC, this mode allows players to use Nintendo's online gaming service to match up against other players elsewhere in the world, nationally, or with comparable skill levels. NWFC Mode also includes a "friends roster" which allows a player to play with a group of people he or she knows. Wi-Fi gameplay follows the same scoring as multiplayer VS matches, except with a limit of four players instead of eight.
A line of remote-controlled Mario Karts are available in stores. Each kart has a Game Boy Advance-shaped controller, and features forward driving and rotates when put in reverse, instead of steering. The current line-up of karts are Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Also, in the upcoming Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a stage based on Mario Kart is featured. Plus, there are two large karts (Usually found at discount stores like BJ's and Sam's Club). They depict Yoshi and Mario. They are not controlled by a GBA-like controller, but instead, it is a Gamecube Controller shape.
There are several types of tracks that are long-running favorites and have been featured in many of the Mario Kart games.
Every Mario Kart to date has included several "circuit" courses, one of which is serves as the starting course for the Mushroom Cup. Circuit courses are built to resemble actual raceways, with paved track, loose gravel or sand sides, and (in the 3D games) grandstands with onlookers, as well as signs and billboards scattered throughout the course advertising various imaginary racing products. These tracks range widely in difficulty, from simple turns to complex hairpins and banked curves. A particularly memorable circuit track is the Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, which is designed in the shape of a large Yoshi (and resembles one if seen from the air).
In Mario Kart 64, Circuits are referred to as "raceways".
All Mario Kart games have included a beach level of sorts, such as Shy Guy Beach (MKSC) and Cheep Cheep Beach (MKDS). They feature sand (which usually does not slow the kart), sometimes crabs (racers spin out if they hit them) and tides that allow shortcuts when low, but heavily impair speed when high. Beaches normally come early in a game (Mushroom Cup). Both Koopa Beaches from Super Mario Kart are among the more challenging tracks.
In all 3D Mario Kart games, there have been tracks that include other traffic to avoid. Mario Kart 64 had Toad's Turnpike, which had huge vehicles that went the same direction as karts. (In the Mirror Mode, they come toward the karts). Double Dash!! had Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City. They featured different kinds of cars, such as Mushroom trucks, the Wiggler vehicle, and Bob-omb cars. Mario Kart DS has Shroom Ridge, in which vehicles travel on the left-hand side of the road, much like the road system in Japan (in Mirror Mode they go on the right-hand side), set on road which winds around a mountain.
There has been a desert track in each Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64 (except for Arcade GP), but in Super Mario Kart, Choco Island courses are the only courses that come close to being deserts. Deserts usually feature quicksand and long stretches of bumpy terrain. In Mario Kart 64, there was Kalimari Desert, in which a train crossed the track in two places, and Yoshi Valley, a dry maze in which no one knew their position until finishing. For Super Circuit, Yoshi Desert made an appearance (the Sphinxes had Yoshi heads), and Double Dash!! had a sandstorm that made any object fly into the air plus an area with quicksand and a hungry Piranha Plant living at the bottom. The desert in Mario Kart DS included Pokeys, which moved from left-to-right, and the Angry Sun, who rained fire down on the track, and a Super Mario Bros. 3 desert level-like theme.
All games from Mario Kart 64 onwards featured at least one jungle type track, with Donut Plains courses being the closest for Super Mario Kart. Mario Kart 64 had DK's Jungle Parkway, set atop a waterfall with a steamboat patrolling the river. Mario Kart Super Circuit had both Riverside Park and Lakeside Park, the latter featuring volcanoes which shot out lava balls that spun players out when hit. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had both DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle. DK Mountain's centrepiece was a gigantic DK Barrel which shot players to the top of the mountain. They would then have to drive down the mountain, avoiding massive boulders and traversing a swaying bridge over a fast flowing river. Dino Dino Jungle, as the name suggests, had several dinosaurs stomping and flying around the course. Mario Kart DS had Yoshi Falls, set in a large valley and circling a lake.
Most Mario Kart games have had some course with a spooky theme (an example of one that didn't was Double Dash!!). Common themes in these 'haunted' tracks have included dark lighting, Boos, or (in the 2D games) railings which break after impact. Luigi's Mansion in the DS version of Mario Kart (based on the GameCube game with the same name), includes a muddy swamp in which traction is lessened.
In three of the games (MK64, MKDD, and MKDS), there has been a stadium track, which takes place in a dirt arena surrounded by grandstands, similar to a Supercross track. Typically associated with Wario and Waluigi, they contain many jumps, bumps, turns, and (more recently) fire and oil. Stadia are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty, although the stadium in Mario Kart DS is among the most challenging tracks. The Wario Stadium track in Mario Kart 64 is notorious for a shortcut that can reduce the time a single lap takes to two seconds.
With the introduction of Waluigi in the Mario Kart series, there have always been two stadiums in the game. The alternate stadiums, instead of being dirt tracks, are mostly made of metal, with a definitive superstructure. The two metal cage tracks are Wario Colosseum (which comes after Waluigi Stadium in MKDD) and Waluigi Pinball (which comes before Wario Stadium MKDS).
Bowser Castles are particularly well known for unforgiving and straight 90-degree turns, lava pits, and Thwomps. Super Mario Kart features three Bowser Castle tracks, while Super Circuit has four; the rest only have one (Mario Kart DS has two but one is taken from Super Circuit). They are usually the penultimate tracks of the game, with the only track afterwards being Rainbow Road. Due to their stiff turns and obstacles, they are considered to be technically demanding. The name has also been spelled as Bowser's Castle; this name appears in Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
All Mario Kart games to date, save for Arcade GP (although this did include a snowy section on the Wario Stage) have included at least one ice-themed track, such as Frappe Snowland (MK64), Sherbet Land (MKDD), and DK Pass (MKDS). Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 64 have two ice tracks, the rest have one. They are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty. By nature, the track is usually slippery. They feature obstacles such as exploding snowmen, giant Freezies, penguins, and ice skating Shy Guys.
Rainbow Road is the name for the final track in the last cup (the Special Cup) of every Mario Kart game to date. As such, it is considered one of the toughest tracks to master, as the track is suspended in space and generally has few or no rails to prevent the player from falling off of the edges during a turn (an exception is Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 64, where there are guardrails everywhere, although on hills, it is easy for a player to fall over the rail). Other features of the Rainbow Road tracks include 90-degree turns and flashing Thwomps (Super Mario Kart), Chomps and steep drops (Mario Kart 64), and speed boost panels (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) that might either provide a helpful edge or cause a player to lose control and careen off the track. It is also worth noting that the Rainbow Road circuit in F-Zero X has the exact same track design as the Mario Kart 64 Rainbow Road. The music for Rainbow Road is the most recognizable from the Mario Kart series and every game uses the same theme, though each version is remixed differently.
The main selling point of Mario Kart is the item system. In certain parts of the course, players can drive through an "item box" and receive a random item. There is an equalizer aspect: karts in worse positions get better (and rarer) items. There are four categories of items: hazards (items such as bananas left on the track as an obstacle), projectiles (items such as shells fired at other players or obstacles), boosts (gives the kart more speed), and special (does not fit in to any of the three categories). Some of the special items include Bullet Bill's, Chain Chomps, Lightning, Stars, and Bloopers. Stars not only make you go faster, they also make you almost invincible, meaning nothing can hurt you with the exception of falling off the track. In Super Circuit, Double Dash, and DS, Stars increase your speed, but decrease Drift(Turning). As a result, Stages with no rails, like Rainbow Road, are more challenging. Hazards and most projectiles can be trailed behind the kart by holding the item button. This serves as defense against opponent attacks. They are then activated once you release the item button.
- Official Mario Kart Web Site
- Mario Kart DS official UK Microsite
- Mario Kart World Record Page
- Time Trials videos for every Mario Kart game except arcade
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection site
- Mario Kart Central
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Forum Community
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Mario Kart video games
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Super Mario Kart • Mario Kart 64 • Double Dash!! |