Aeriscloud
Banned
Do you even read? They said that MK64 had the worst Rainbow Road.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Did Mario Kart 64 secretly suck?
- Thread starter Alphahawk
- Start date
Do you even read? They said that MK64 had the worst Rainbow Road.
POWERSPHERE
Member
Lots of drunk fun
Yeah. I've come to accept that when MK64 (the greatest of all time!) is brought up you'll inevitably see the same list of complaints (some valid to an extent and some just plain wrong), and that's fine.
But now Diddy Kong Racing was better? DIDDY KONG!? Oh my god. Look, Rare's N64 stuff was awesome and DKR had a fun little take on a singleplayer mode and good music, but when it comes to actual racing (kind of important in these games) there's no comparison.
CartridgeBlower
Member
This odd revisionist history that MK64 somehow wasn't great is just weird. Everyone loved it when it came out because it was a great game. Nothing more to it.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I played Mario Kart 64 religiously for about 5 years after release. Played it last year at a new years party and it was still amazing. Double Dash was the one that sucked. I will fight anyone on block fortress.
Ardenyal
Member
Echoing this.
asker
Member
People still compete in it to this day. That should be a testament to its gameplay values. It features skill based driving that takes a lot of commitment to master, and well thought out maps without too much clutter and bullshit that will screw you up by chance (sure there are some, but not as bad as other enties in the series). The raceway-maps (Royal, Mario, Luigi) are some of the best ever conceived of in a kart racing game. If you truly want to get good at this game, there are lots of little engine quirks and unintended shortcuts to learn.
It holds up today as the best fun you can have in a couch with 3 friends, and to this day, after 500+ hours of play, situations still arise that drop my jaw with amazement.
What's wrong with you?
It holds up today as the best fun you can have in a couch with 3 friends, and to this day, after 500+ hours of play, situations still arise that drop my jaw with amazement.
What's wrong with you?
GhaleonQ
Member
Yes. It was a medicore video game then and is the worst in the series still.
NeoGAF has a slightly higher percentage of people who recognize this, but, gosh, people love their memories of playing it with friends. It's trashy fun, don't get me wrong, and its battle mode is probably the 2nd best.
That's because that mode was actually well-designed!
It added a bunch of a.i. and racing things that most people hate about the series, the aesthetics are mediocre, and the tracks are the most boring in the series by miles. They designed in 3-d without knowing how to USE 3-d. F-0 X was only 1 1/2 years later, for comparison.
I love this until the part I snipped off.
I wish this were consensus.
NeoGAF has a slightly higher percentage of people who recognize this, but, gosh, people love their memories of playing it with friends. It's trashy fun, don't get me wrong, and its battle mode is probably the 2nd best.
That's because that mode was actually well-designed!
It added a bunch of a.i. and racing things that most people hate about the series, the aesthetics are mediocre, and the tracks are the most boring in the series by miles. They designed in 3-d without knowing how to USE 3-d. F-0 X was only 1 1/2 years later, for comparison.
I love this until the part I snipped off.
I wish this were consensus.
Nocturnowl
Member
Of all the MK games i'd say it's probably taken the biggest beatdown from father time, its kart controls are kind of finicky, the items are all over the place to the point that you can get hit up the arse by your very own red shells and they often fling off into walls anyway.
The CPU are at the height of rubberbanding, witness racers taking hits on the horizon not go flying into the air when struck but sort of stop and then immediately pick their speed back up and of course their sudden bursts of speed in general, you could be racing alongside Toad spamming a Super mushroom and the swine will somehow stick with you like glue, Toad is a filthy cheat in that game and no one can convince me otherwise.
But despite all this the track design is pretty stellar, the above complaints aren't massive deal breakers in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't suck but it isn't the gold standard either and I don't really see how some can still consider it the best outside of some cherished multiplayer memories.
That said MK64 absolutely has the best battle mode, block fort all day long and the soundtrack is pretty sweet as well.
The CPU are at the height of rubberbanding, witness racers taking hits on the horizon not go flying into the air when struck but sort of stop and then immediately pick their speed back up and of course their sudden bursts of speed in general, you could be racing alongside Toad spamming a Super mushroom and the swine will somehow stick with you like glue, Toad is a filthy cheat in that game and no one can convince me otherwise.
But despite all this the track design is pretty stellar, the above complaints aren't massive deal breakers in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't suck but it isn't the gold standard either and I don't really see how some can still consider it the best outside of some cherished multiplayer memories.
That said MK64 absolutely has the best battle mode, block fort all day long and the soundtrack is pretty sweet as well.
Randy Monk
Member
Diddy Kong was much better, no contest.
The fact that they are awesome? you know like Yoshi's Valley, Choco Mountain, Toad's Turnpike and Koopa Troopa Beach?
The first is one of a kind and never replicated again
The second has various hazards and is just good course design
Toad's Turnpike is awesome with the random pattern of cars on the road
Koopa Troopa Beach is incredible with difficult but useful shortcuts
I can really quote other ones like Kalimari Desert and DK's Jungle, it was a giant step up from the SNES one.
asker
Member
They were for most part focused on the racing and less focused on the wackiness.
Star Falcon
Member
It was a great game with lots of fun levels. I had a lot of fun with multiplayer in that game - i think for 4 players i preferred it to the other Kart Racing games at the time. Though i would say Diddy Kong Racing (and possibly Crash) were better games overall.
My favourite of the Mario Kart games is actually probably Mario Kart DS.
Lol.
You can have your opinion, but that doesn't mean you're right.
My favourite of the Mario Kart games is actually probably Mario Kart DS.
Lol.
You can have your opinion, but that doesn't mean you're right.
manueldelalas
Time Traveler
Single player mode was meh, multi-player was incredible, many nights wasted playing with friends.
ElectricBlue187
Member
Mario Kart DS is (not so) secretly the best Mario Kart ever
What are the chances of Block Fort returning in MK 8? My favorite map in MK ever.
friskykillface
Banned
Lol no.
It was amazing back then and it's still fun today.
When more of it's courses makes its way as retro tracks you'll see it be praised.
Toads highway in reverse turned us into adults
It was amazing back then and it's still fun today.
When more of it's courses makes its way as retro tracks you'll see it be praised.
Toads highway in reverse turned us into adults
Lord British
Member
Introduced Blue Shell, so, yes.
But in truth, no, I loved Battle Mode back in the day.
But in truth, no, I loved Battle Mode back in the day.
Unknown Soldier
Member
The only person allowed to proclaim Truthfacts is CBoaT, and this post is one glaring example why.
Guys,
I agree with all the opinions in this thread regarding MK64 apart from the ones saying it hasn't stood the test of time and the dudes thinking Diddy was better.
The game got so much wrong yet so much right. I was so disappointed in it when I first played it. It wasn't what I expected. The tracks and style was really different from the short tight tracks.
But was it the best goddam cartoon racer since SMK? DAMN RIGHT it was!
I agree with all the opinions in this thread regarding MK64 apart from the ones saying it hasn't stood the test of time and the dudes thinking Diddy was better.
The game got so much wrong yet so much right. I was so disappointed in it when I first played it. It wasn't what I expected. The tracks and style was really different from the short tight tracks.
But was it the best goddam cartoon racer since SMK? DAMN RIGHT it was!
No, but it's probably the most overrated game of the series. To be honest, the only explanation I cand find to someone saying it's the best Mario Kart it's that it was his first Mario Kart.
Even? Super Circuit it's probably among the best in the series.
Even? Super Circuit it's probably among the best in the series.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
Weird; I usually place in the top 3. And that's while playing with an 8,000 point score, so I'm playing with basically the top-tier of players
The Dutch Slayer
Member
nooooooooooo its the best MK there is :O
Heart Attack
Member
No it didn't. I think it's up there with MK DS as the best in the series. It's one of the hardest Mario Kart games to master.
dsmoke1986
Member
No way, Kart64 is my fave Kart of all time and in my top 10 games of all time. The multiplayer is fantastic, and was a gem back in the day with 4 peeps.
Fantastic stuff, I still play the Rom on Project64 and it holds up well IMO.
Fantastic stuff, I still play the Rom on Project64 and it holds up well IMO.
Angel Whispers
Member
It was a great game for its time.
Since then, Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed raised the bar in the genre, and dethroned all of the console Mario Karts. That said, I'm actually rather optimistic about Mario Kart 8.
Since then, Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed raised the bar in the genre, and dethroned all of the console Mario Karts. That said, I'm actually rather optimistic about Mario Kart 8.
entremet
Member
Not for MP. MK64 automatically won due to native 4 player support. So damn good. I did think SP wasn't as good.
Allan Holdsworth
Member
I liked it back then, but I never owned it, just rented/borrowed it a few times. I loved Diddy Kong Racing, played it to death even if I could never beat Wizpig.
I got a copy a few years ago when I was completing my N64 collection, and tried it for a few minutes. The handling felt way too stiff. I could maybe give it another chance, it's the only Mario Kart I haven't played extensively.
I got a copy a few years ago when I was completing my N64 collection, and tried it for a few minutes. The handling felt way too stiff. I could maybe give it another chance, it's the only Mario Kart I haven't played extensively.
littlebirdtoldme
Banned
mario kart snes is still best.
Part of the appeal of the kart games was always the dense courses.
someone should hack mario kart into fullscreen with online support.
Part of the appeal of the kart games was always the dense courses.
someone should hack mario kart into fullscreen with online support.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Damn right!
My friend who grew up with the SNES version would say yes, but I loved it. We still play it on the VC every now and then. I loved fighting the control system as you power- slided around those corners, I loved firing the blue shell just as someone was about to jump the ramp on Wario Stadium, leaving bananas all around vital corners in some tracks, leaving fake reward boxes inside the real ones, I loved the little touches like Peach's castle sitting inside an explorable area in Royal Raceway... marvellous stuff.
It was the game that got me to buy the N64 - I was looking at both that and the PlayStation, which had G-Police running. The thought of returning home with the N64 and bringing it down to my SNES owning friend was way too much an attraction, and I'm so glad I did. Many years after release we're still playing that game.
It was the game that got me to buy the N64 - I was looking at both that and the PlayStation, which had G-Police running. The thought of returning home with the N64 and bringing it down to my SNES owning friend was way too much an attraction, and I'm so glad I did. Many years after release we're still playing that game.
PIMPBYBLUD
Member
Quite a few people felt this way including me.
I learned to love it for what it was but quite a few people never got over it. I was pretty hardcore at SMK.
My rainbow road times with DK were godly but not as good as my warrior Stadium times on MK64
Not just you. Double Dash is my favourite MK also. MK64 was good for its time, but I don't think it's aged very well. I wouldn't bother playing it now when there are so many better MK games to be had.
Flakster99
Member
Memorable tracks providing a wide range of difficulty. Fantastic multiplayer. An all around fun game that was played for years amongst my friends and family says no, Mario Kart 64 did not secretly suck. The game was awesome day one. I think what helped us enjoy the game for what it was and not what some folks wanted was that we read very little reviews and cared little for another persons opinions, except those of our own. Fun factor went a long, LONG way.
Also, people are giving away to many fucks to reviewers. Play the game for yourselves if you're at all interested. Buy it. Rent it. Borrow it. Then judge it.
Also, people are giving away to many fucks to reviewers. Play the game for yourselves if you're at all interested. Buy it. Rent it. Borrow it. Then judge it.