Played on Switch
It's obvious after playing this game why Mario Kart became such a hit. It's also pretty amazing how similar this game has stayed in it's 31 years of iterations, a testament to how solid the idea+execution was in the first place.
The music, art, gameplay are all very fun and especially unique in the SNES era. This is one of the best uses of the Mode 7 graphics system to simulate a pseudo-3D experience.
After all these years though, there are some parts of the game that are truly frustrating. The CPUs are essentially their own beast in this game who often have TAS level responses when it comes to dodging obstacles, paired with an unlimited supply of items that makes racing them truly a nightmare on some maps. The sound of the kart engines racing near/past you are grinding on the ears (luckily not included in 2P). And the game is just generally pretty difficult to control, especially with the lack of a brake/reverse button. Also while the Mode 7 graphics are great for it's time, most obstacles are essentially 2D and only really visible within a couple seconds of running into them, which can be pretty annoying.
Overall I was pleased with the first entry into this incredible series, but I'm certainly glad I can move onto something a bit more modern.
It's obvious after playing this game why Mario Kart became such a hit. It's also pretty amazing how similar this game has stayed in it's 31 years of iterations, a testament to how solid the idea+execution was in the first place.
The music, art, gameplay are all very fun and especially unique in the SNES era. This is one of the best uses of the Mode 7 graphics system to simulate a pseudo-3D experience.
After all these years though, there are some parts of the game that are truly frustrating. The CPUs are essentially their own beast in this game who often have TAS level responses when it comes to dodging obstacles, paired with an unlimited supply of items that makes racing them truly a nightmare on some maps. The sound of the kart engines racing near/past you are grinding on the ears (luckily not included in 2P). And the game is just generally pretty difficult to control, especially with the lack of a brake/reverse button. Also while the Mode 7 graphics are great for it's time, most obstacles are essentially 2D and only really visible within a couple seconds of running into them, which can be pretty annoying.
Overall I was pleased with the first entry into this incredible series, but I'm certainly glad I can move onto something a bit more modern.