I grew up in the N64 era, and it may be my favorite system of all time because of that. It opened my eyes to a world of gaming that I never thought existed, made me realize games were here to stay and were going to grow up with me, and created memories that would last forever.
One of those games that left a huge impact on me as with many, was Mario Kart 64.
I played the shit out of MK64. I had played SMK on the SNES before, (or after, I don't remember, either way MK64 was definitely my "first" MK), but this was something way cooler. And it was something I owned. Countless nights were spent playing this game for years on end. I loved it. It was the shit, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
But I'm also not blind. MK64 has not aged well. It can still be fun mind you, but in my opinion, every Mario Kart since has been superior. We are now at MK8, which I firmly believe is the best entry in the series, (I haven't played DX yet, but will be very soon!), and as much as I love MK64 for what it gave me, at this point I would probably say that I think that it could be one of, if not the worst MKs ever made. Compared to other entries, it's boring and uninspired, and the only thing I really think it had going for it was having the last great Battle mode in the series (until hopefully MK8DX's).
But MK64 is just one of those games that a lot of people just CANNOT take off their rose tinted glasses for. A few of my close friends still stand by that they think it's definitely the best MK, and shun every new one because of it. Their reasons are always bullshit, and if we do end up playing it we get bored pretty quickly. And I know this just isn't in my group of friends either. The game just left such an impact on so many people that they still legitimately see it as the only MK worth playing, which is insane to me.
I completely understand why so many people would hold it so dear, but comon. Really? What is the deal with people just not being able to let MK64 go? Is it because Double Dash mixed too many things up too quick for some people, and they immediately assumed the rest wouldn't retain the 64 simplicity? I think MK8 has overcame people's opinions more than others because it's just so god damned good, but I still feel like there's this weird stigma attached to every MK after 64 just because they're not 64.
I know this could probably just come off as "don't hate what people like", but I'm curious, does anyone here on GAF think that MK64 is actually the best MK game? If so, I would like to hear the case. I just don't get it, but I will listen and try to. I understand wanting to play it FOR nostalgia purposes, that's fine, but when people say it's actually the best Mario Kart, that's what drives me loopy. It's not like Mortal Kombat 2 against the 3D Mortal Kombats that I could definitely see a case for liking the originals over, or the 3D Mario games that are all different enough that I could understand someone's love over 64 to Galaxy. MK8 and most in the series behind it still retain the same core of MK, it's really just a better version of the same game. And also, does anyone else have friends that pull this card too? Or am I alone in this and my friends just suck?
One of those games that left a huge impact on me as with many, was Mario Kart 64.
I played the shit out of MK64. I had played SMK on the SNES before, (or after, I don't remember, either way MK64 was definitely my "first" MK), but this was something way cooler. And it was something I owned. Countless nights were spent playing this game for years on end. I loved it. It was the shit, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
But I'm also not blind. MK64 has not aged well. It can still be fun mind you, but in my opinion, every Mario Kart since has been superior. We are now at MK8, which I firmly believe is the best entry in the series, (I haven't played DX yet, but will be very soon!), and as much as I love MK64 for what it gave me, at this point I would probably say that I think that it could be one of, if not the worst MKs ever made. Compared to other entries, it's boring and uninspired, and the only thing I really think it had going for it was having the last great Battle mode in the series (until hopefully MK8DX's).
But MK64 is just one of those games that a lot of people just CANNOT take off their rose tinted glasses for. A few of my close friends still stand by that they think it's definitely the best MK, and shun every new one because of it. Their reasons are always bullshit, and if we do end up playing it we get bored pretty quickly. And I know this just isn't in my group of friends either. The game just left such an impact on so many people that they still legitimately see it as the only MK worth playing, which is insane to me.
I completely understand why so many people would hold it so dear, but comon. Really? What is the deal with people just not being able to let MK64 go? Is it because Double Dash mixed too many things up too quick for some people, and they immediately assumed the rest wouldn't retain the 64 simplicity? I think MK8 has overcame people's opinions more than others because it's just so god damned good, but I still feel like there's this weird stigma attached to every MK after 64 just because they're not 64.
I know this could probably just come off as "don't hate what people like", but I'm curious, does anyone here on GAF think that MK64 is actually the best MK game? If so, I would like to hear the case. I just don't get it, but I will listen and try to. I understand wanting to play it FOR nostalgia purposes, that's fine, but when people say it's actually the best Mario Kart, that's what drives me loopy. It's not like Mortal Kombat 2 against the 3D Mortal Kombats that I could definitely see a case for liking the originals over, or the 3D Mario games that are all different enough that I could understand someone's love over 64 to Galaxy. MK8 and most in the series behind it still retain the same core of MK, it's really just a better version of the same game. And also, does anyone else have friends that pull this card too? Or am I alone in this and my friends just suck?
