To close out my quest of beating Mario Kart games I never quite finished as a child, I decided to boot up Super Circuit on my 3DS. I don't really remember if I'd ever beaten this game on the GBA as a kid. I do remember playing it a fair bit, but I also remember being confused on how new tracks were actually unlocked, so I'm doubtful if baby me ever actually properly completed it. It took me a bit over 3 hours to beat all of the normal courses on 50cc to 150cc in the English version of the game (but I didn't bother putting in the time to unlock or beat all of the SNES tracks, as I'd more than had my fill of those XP).
Being the 3rd entry in the series, Super Circuit is a weird beast in how it combines aspects of both the 2D SNES original with updates from the N64 title and beyond. For starters, it plays much more like the SNES title in that we're once again on flat tracks in a "Mode 7" style (although this isn't true Mode 7, of course). However, tracks have a bit more going on in them, a little like the N64 version, and items have been improved significantly (mostly in how the red shell FINALLY does not travel as the crow flies, so it finally has some greater utility as a catch up mechanic). Boasting multiplayer over cable connection and twenty tracks on its own (including an extra 20 in the form of unlockable SNES tracks), Super Circuit has quite the loadout when it comes to trying to outdo its console-borne predecessors.
As far as the racing goes, this is the first one that actually starts to feel fairer in a fun way. The AI does still feel a bit too rubberband-y when it comes to its competency, but it doesn't nearly feel like you're playing against a bunch of hackers like the first two games did. Sadly, the reintroduction of the Mode 7-like graphics style reintroduces the larger problem the first game had in regards to it being difficult to see gaps in the track. This is a problem worsened further by the small GBA screen (even playing it on my larger 3DS XL screen, it was still hard to do this). Another unfortunate callback to the SNES days is the reintroduction of the 3-life system, so even though your score in the cup can mean that you could get first place 3 times and still be assured a 1st place victory with 0 points scored in the last track, you still need to get 4th place or higher to not have to redo the track completely. That was a bad idea in 1992, and it is still bad in 2001.
One more small introduction to this game is that even though there are still only 8 racers, you have differences between them now in regards to their speeds and weights. The only issue with that is that it isn't balanced super great, and especially on higher difficulties, the way the AI spins you out if a heavier character bumps you can feel very overly mean when combined with their high-difficulty-cheat-speeds they can reach.
The presentation is very good, as would be expected from a Nintendo first party game. You have fast moving, colorful sprites, and very nice looking characters. The music is also very good, with lots of remixes of classics alongside new good tunes as well.
Verdict: Hesitantly Recommended. The jump from this to Double Dash!! would still be another massive leap in quality, but this is the first one of these three that I had enough fun with that I can actually recommend on any level. The later difficulties still get a bit too hard with how the AI can cheat, but it's nowhere near the level of how bad it can get in the previous two games. This is where Mario Kart actually starts getting fun beyond being a party vs. game, and it's a better game for it.