Mario Kart 64 is the second main installment of the Mario Kart series. It is the first game in the series to use three-dimensional graphics, however, the characters and items in this game are still two-dimensional, pre-rendered sprites. The game offers two camera angles and three engine sizes: 50cc, 100cc and 150cc. Each kart has distinctive handling, acceleration and top speed capabilities. Shells that you fire at rival racers, Bananas that make them skid out and Lightning Bolts that make them small and very slow are just a few of the game's unique power-ups.
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Mario Kart 64 is an absolute blast with friends, but it definitely hasn't aged gracefully. It's fast, frantic, and the courses are iconic, but the rubberband AI can be super frustrating (looking at you, Blue Shells). Graphically it's rough by today's standards, and the single-player content doesn't offer much replayability. That said, if you have buddies over for a chaotic race night, Mario Kart 64 still delivers pure fun even after all these years.
One of my favourites, spent literally hundreds of hours playing this as a child. Plowed through 150cc, Banshee Boardwalk is still an absolute pain in the ass but the other courses are still sweet.
I guess one of my biggest gripes about Nintendo Switch Online is the lack of filters or shaders. Desperately needs a CRT filter or something to blend the sprites with the background.
I guess one of my biggest gripes about Nintendo Switch Online is the lack of filters or shaders. Desperately needs a CRT filter or something to blend the sprites with the background.
There's really solid gameplay here. What holds Mario Kart 64 back is that it's pretty barebones. Four cups, eight racers, a couple game modes. What helps this game stay relevant is that every single course is a banger and the mechanics are pretty solid. That helped the game win it's reputation and to keep it even as arguably better sequels have come out over time. People still play Mario Kart 64 even in the face of the shinier new entries and that is a testament to it's quality. Also, it has some of the jankist graphics of any Mario game and that's sort of fun. If you're playing Mario Kart with a group whose willing to try one of the older entries this is probably the go to.