Mario Kart 64 Review

Well this is multiplayer at its best! great fun if your have load of matees to play it with and still great fun if you dont. And they manged to fix the few minor glitches with it too! Sweet...!

Am I the only one who finds this game vastly overrated?

MK64 certainly does seem to divide opinion. Some people love it. Some people hate it! My personal opinion is it is better than Double Dash but not as good as the original SMK.

It is the loose handling and wide tracks that let this game down for me. Oh yeah and the introduction of the dreaded blue shells!

i think this is the worst mario kart game by far but i still love it. i used to have it on the n64 and i lost it

If you're only accustemed to MK:DS, or even if MK:DS is the one that you're used to most, this game is really gonna show its age.

The turning system is the second worst of the series and the Red Shells seem to fire into walls more than they do people. Multiplayer is much to fast and frantic for anyone to really tell just what the hell is going on and as if MK didn't always require more luck than skill, this now has Bo-Bombs that randomly appear to blow you up.

This is still a good game, but no-where near as good as MK:DS and SMK are. However, it's still loads better than DD.

If you do get it you'll need a Classic Controller, as the NGC pads Analogue is far to senstive for this game and powerslides are impossible because of that, you'll be constantly crashing into walls with it.

this game(when i downloaded it on VC) made me buy the DS mario kart,and they are both great(although MK:DS is cool with all the retro tracks)..and yeah double dash never really grabbed me like these ones do

Double dash is better. Rainbow row is improved etc. Mario kart 64 has som really big tracks. Big walls, Wario stadium and the tracks are like motorways.

Just as good as I remembered! I was a little worried that I was going to be dissapointed after loving this when I was really young but it lives up to those memories and brings them all flooding back to me!

This actually remains my favorite in the series. I'd have liked the DS version better except that I think power sliding--or when to power slide--takes more talent here; you can't just snake around the whole time in this one.

I downloaded this the other day - and I absolutely love it. A friend and I razzed up 2 player GP mode for almost six hours yesterday. I've decided that its my second favourite MK game, after the DS version. Well worth 1000 point, no doubt.

Me and my brother play this game all the time as this is the only good multiplayer game on the vc. Has anyone heard any news or rumors of when Mario's other N64 games (such as Mario Party) coming to the vc? Please let me know.

This is a good game but it has some major problems on VC. In three-player I found a wicked glitch that speeds the game up to about double speed. But then 4-player slowed down so much on every track and battle that it was nearly unplayable. Has this happened to anyone else?

i think 2 stars its terribal compared 2 all the others i remember it being so much better i remembered wrong

This game is good, Double dash was horrible, and Mario Kart DS is the best!
Have not played Super Mario Kart.

Personally I love this game. SNES version more of course. I don't see why people say the game seems empty because of the 3d maps. And I've never had a problem with the AI either.. hmm. Great game, go DL it now!

I think this game is far better than the SNES. I actually think that the SNES version is almost as bad as the Game Boy Advance version. (But it is impossible to be that bad.)
When I played it the first time it just didn't keep me interested, I really thought it was just a poor spin-off. I almost didn't play the N64 version because of that, but I did and had a lot of fun.
Yes, that's an opinion.

Mario Kart 64 has not aged at all since it's release a decade ago. This is easily the best console Mario Kart game probably tieing with Mario Kart DS overall, and the game has almost infinite fun and even now when all my friends and I are in our late teenage years. We still get together and play this game, screaming at eachother over either VS. or Battle. There are a total of sixteen tracks and eight characters in this game, as well as the always fun battle mode where players use weapons to knock off eachothers baloons. While the meat of this game is multiplayer goodness, there is still tons of fun to be had by ones self. The GPs are always fun to play, time trials can easily become a small obsession, and two players can also participate in GP mode semi-cooperatively as well. It is the quintissential Mario multiplayer experience and one of the best games you will ever play, PERIOD.

I'm quite suprised this is given 4 stars when it should clearly have 5. The only thing I don't like about this game is the way they have just used 2D sprites for each of the racers instead of making proper 3D models.

I never owned an N64 as I was still a devoted Amiga owner until the early 2000s, so aside from the occasional game at a friend's house, this largely passed me by. I did however own a SNES. I absolutely loved Super Mario Kart and I still dig it out every now and again. I also enjoyed Double Dash on the Gamecube, so I was curious to see what this 'missing link' was like.

Oh dear, it's awful. It holds no nostalgia value for me, so the rose-tinted specs that might flavour the opinions I have on other games don't apply here. This game is truly awful. The graphics are bland and the mix of sprites and true 3D really doesn't work, meaning that the karts never seem to be properly part of the screen.

The gameplay is also awful. There is far too much reliance on weapons, the controls are un-responsive compared to DD and SMK, meaning you never feel truly comfortable pushing your kart to the edge and to make matters worse, the enemies are inexplicably able to catch up with you even if you are having a faultless race.

Perhaps it's not a bad game in it's own right, it's just that Super Mario Kart is probably one of the greatest games of all time and Double Dash is one of the stars of the Gamecube catalogue.

i dont see why you guys are dising this game. yah i played it a long time ago but i think it would be good and worth downloading isnt it? i mean mario kart ds is proboly way better but i think this game would be good

is it really that bad?

I think it is in terms of how it compares to Super Mario Kart and Double Dash. I just found it hugely disappointing but that's probably because I'd never really played it before and I'd played SMK and DD to the point of obsession (and arguably beyond). Maybe it might be worth a flutter, but it's a 'full price' VC game, so you could get two timelessly classic NES games for the same price.

This was my first game ever. I liked it. It's only fun for a week or so in single player mode, but the multiplayer portion of the game is great.

mariokart 64 is the worst of the series, i agree with the 4 stars

the main problem with 64 is its stupid computer catch up. no matter how much u screw peach over she still manages to make u fight for your 1st place. computer cheats and i hate computer catch up

this was all about the multiplayer,i cant agree with all of you because i played its multiplayer regularly and its absolutly brilliant.if its a one player racer you want,get f-zero x.with its random track generator,it will last you till the end of time,and it even has a bonus track from this game in it,which is brilliant to race on

I'd say it's only good for multiplayer

You should only get this game for the multiplayer the single player gets boring very quickly.

I preferred Diddy Kong racing for its single player mode but Mario kart 64 defiantly had a better multiplayer mode.

This game is alright, but I will never understand why they made the characters sprite-based!

link64- I agree Diddy had the lesser multiplayer, but not by much; Icicle Pyramid was brilliant, as was the egg nest one =] Playing those online on Diddy Kong Racing DS makes up for all the touch screen rubbish!

I do love this however, one of my favourite N64 games, and one of the better instalments (though not the best, right Super/DS?) of my favourite racing series! Four player Yoshi's Valley tells me to rate this five stars, so I will!

I'm kinda sad that Diddy Kong Racing can't be released on VC since Banjo and Conker were in it!

Man I remember when I use to play this game every night on my 64 it was the first game we got when we got the 64. I clearly remember all the tracks and everything, considering the game is already beaten within 2 hours of downloading it. I remember the god awful AI system and its ability to come from 8th to 2nd in mere seconds and keep up with any boost you have at your disposal, it really ticked me off a lot seeing as you literally had to fight your way to stay in first.

Yes the game deserves 4-stars, it's always my favorite. The DS Mario Kart is great, the controls are smooth and everything, but never cared much for the changes in the weapons system and the countless amounts of blue shells you get in that game. But the MK:DS still holds a high place to me, both of the games are truly good.

And of course we can all agree that MK:64 is at least better than Super Circuit right?

I like Super Circuit better then Mario Kart 64, what mario kart 64 is missing is a quick run mode like Super Circuit and MK DS, I'd love to see Mario Kart 64 having that and the ability to save ghost data on the Virtual Console version Mario Kart 64.

Many say this game hasn't aged well, but what it lacks in longevity, it more than makes up for in personal nostalgia. I got this game on the N64 for my 9th birthday, and having got the Wii for my 19th, I wasted no time in downloading this game.

In my opinion, it's second only to Mario Kart DS. There's a certain... click to the items and boosts in this game, aided by the animation and sound effects, that just makes nailing someone with a shell sweet. And there's nothing like barreling down a course with a Starman, flinging your opponents around and hopefully knocking 'em off the course.

When I was young, I used to go around screaming the character's phrases. I played multiplayer constantly. I knew the giant Rainbow Road shortcut. And then, as now, this game warrants five stars.

Yeah, ha ha ha!

This is the game me and my friends spent the whole summer on in 1997.
10 years later and for 1000 Wii Points it will also very well rescue you and your friends holidays. Who doesn't like Mario Kart???

4 stars?! are you kidding?! tis worth 5 stars! when i downloaded this i was sick and spent most of the day beating the game. all the gold medals. battle mode is extremely fun, my favorite is the block fort ^.^ . i also have it for my n64 but its like a whole new experience when you play it on your wii, am i right? the drifting is perfect (even better when compared to the flaw in mkds @.@) and i hope they use it in the wii version. rubber-band AI? nonsense! CHALLENGING AI. very fun. 5 stars all the way!

This is fun stuff! Wonderful racing action for one to FOUR players. The BATTLE mode is great and the individual course designs are legendary. Highly recommended!

I think I'm one of the few that prefers Mario Kart 64 above the rest in the series. Mario Kart DS is a close second though.

This is SUCH a fun game! (one of the top N64 games) This is probably one of the most fun racing games ever made! The Mario Kart series is awesome and will hopefully continue for years to come...

Actually, I think this game is a lot better than the original on SNES. The introduction of 3D and the use of an analog stick made it a lot easier to control.

To me, this is by far the best Mario Kart ever, followed by Mario Kart DS (sorry, I hate playing racing games with a d-pad), Mario Kart DD and the Mode7 versions.

The only thing that is really anoying (and this is true for every subsequent Mario Kart, especially Double Dash) is the AI.

However, with good sliding skills, it is still possible to be half a lap ahead of the CPU (at least on the US version).

Also a great multiplayer fun! (Only Smash Bros is better than that!)

All these games that come around once every console - Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Paper Mario, Super Mario games, They're all great, and Mario Kart 64 is no exception. It's a great game, could be a little better, but it deserves 5 stars nonetheless.

The game rocks because for those who enjoyed the multiplayer battle mode on the snes version, the n64 version is far superior.
Don't get me wrong - Super Mario Kart is one of my all time fav games - but I still love MK64.
I had many a good time with friends playing this game, and for whoever said the powersliding is out of place, get some practice and you'll see how it works.

Good game, but not half as enjoyable as it used to be for me, naturally

best game ever created
PERIOD!

this game never got old for me and is still my favorite mario kart game ( i can honestly say i liked this more than super mario kart or double dash.) lots of good memories in multiplayer mode and single player mode. (yoshi pwns all)

I have to totally disagree that the SNES version is better than this one. The SNES version is very very good, but after you play this you cannot go back. And for the record I played the SNES version to the death before playing this. I much rather play this one and particularly in multiplayer it totally rules. Battle mode has sucked about a million hours of mine and my friends time.

I guess it is point of view because I also totally dislike the GBA version which is a lot like the SNES version, but totally love the DS version. It is a coin toss which one is better - this one or the DS version, but I would still go with this one since battle mode is propably the best multiplayer ever made.

I agree with WoRMaSTeR. This game's better than SMK.
Don't be fooled. This is worth 1000 points.

Here's my list on the MK games.

1# Mario Kart DS(DS)
2# Mario Kart 64(N64)
3# Super Mario Kart(SNES)
4# Mario Kart: Double Dash(GCN)
5# Mario Kart: Super Curcit(GBA)
Hopefully the Wii version will be in the Top 3.

Its one of the best games for the n64 imo, and its beats double dash by far. Double Dash had some new ideas and deepth which made the game, but it actually felt more like a mario party game than a actual racing game... or is that just me

Great game. Surely worth getting for the time trials alone!

great game... however, 1 star penalty...

double dash is better

it seems to me that all n64 games have an odd charm that no other games can touch. but mabey its just me. my cousin had this game and i loved it!

Will Super Mario Kart ever be coming?

To shortay-01 It should. But how is Super Mario Kart better than this?

this game is easily one of the best in the series, had loads of fun killing my older bro in this. and i dont care what any1 says, this has some of the best tracks ever in this series
my list would probably be
1.mario Kart DS
2.mario kart 64
3. mario kart dd
4. smk
5. never played sc, and heard it was horrible, so this is last.

i might actually be wrong, i played smk for the snes from like age 3-5 so i never played it all the way through, ive gone back and played it, it just never rly attracted me that much and i stopped playing half-way through. definitely gonna drag it back out again soon though.

Grew up with this- probably the first racing game of its kind that I ever played so I'm going to rate it 5 stars. I can see why people dont like it so much, but the tracks are all really memorable for me.

And also, I don't know why, but this Mario Kart is definitely my favorite for the balloon battle mode. It just feels more fun than later games' versions of it. The Block Fort map is really good, and the Skyscraper, while its stupidly small, its insanely fun for quick, frantic battles. So, yeah, 5 stars from me!

Come on guys, this game is fun, and at 150cc it is pretty hard. I dont know what everyone is looking for but in my opinion this is one of the best games for the 64. 4 players, alot of tracks, neat weapons, and a decent comp ai. What else could you want?

After playing Double Dash! for so long, I must say that this game is alot better. Double Dash was "too colorful". My brother had Super Circut and MK: DS but they were boring to me. Super Mario Kart was cool but I don't know which one to choose between this or Super Mario Kart.

Pocketim. don't worry. Now that Rare says it's possible for Banjo to hit the vc, Diddy Kong Racing may also come too. However, if I had to guess, Donkey Kong Country 3 has to come out firdt to finish the DKC triology.

Good game that take's you back to the good times, but feels wierd compared to recent Mario Kart games.

This is pretty much the best game in the MK series. Glad I downloaded it, because it's worth it.

Why do people dislike the game?

I'm personally not a big fan because of multiple reasons:

-The worst AI in any Mario Kart (Sometimes they continue to keep their illogical boost even when in 1st place meaning you can't ever beat them)
-Bad track design (Rainbow Road is the worst RR of any Mario Kart and most other tracks are fairly bland)
-Controls are too floaty (Mario Kart DS now has the best controls IMO)
-Blue Shells are hard to use and nearly always crash into walls

Battle mode is totally awesome, but besides that it's probably my least favourite Mario Kart (Though I haven't played either arcade game).

Combine bad tracks, bad AI, sketchy controls, and you have a game that's not much fun without lots of other people around. What's the point. Give me Super Mario Kart (where is it, anyway!?) or the upcoming Mario Kart Wii.

I am so confused. I hated Super Mario Kart and I still play MK64. The control is better. There are more options. The tracks are more aesthetic. The music is way better. What am I missing here?

I am amazed at how many of you are insulting this legendary game. Well worth the five stars. For it's time of release it provides more fun today than a ton of new games do today.

Please, computer catch up is a must- it at least poses a challenge unlike other games. I've learned how to win in the end, and it's definetly skill, not luck. Blue shells being unfair? Just slow down and let the guy behind you pass! Bad turning? Are you kidding, master the power slide PROPERLY and its genius, getting frustrated because it doesn't work for you doesn't warrant a bad rating. This game is all skill, and if you think it's too fast-paced I can't imagine what today's games do to you

Sure some tracks could have been better but look when it was released! Shame I think Mario Kart Wii is going to flop like Double Dash did. Oh well, what can you do?

Yes, this game is worth downloading but its the worst entry of the series. The circuits r not as good as in SMK n I dont know... theres something missing here. It couldve been better.

Im surprised how many ppl r bashing DD, to me thats the best MK! It was not a failure, the GC was a failure. Theres not a single person that owns a GC that doesnt have DD n loves it.

Anyway, MK64 is fun to play anyway. New weapons, new characters n improved graphics. The best way to play it is on the multiplayer mode, specially the battle mode (thats the best feature of the game).

Super Mario Kart was the worse, the N64 version was a giant leap up and then double dash is the best. Just cause SMK is old skool doesnt make it the best.

i grew up playing the n64 version and its still a classic today but Double dash is definatelly worth playing. Even worth buying a Gamecube just for that game!

I have the original N64 cartridge for this game. It's actually not that great. Still better than Mario Kart: Super Circuit on GBA, but not one of the best. The graphics are dull. The N64 was capable of a much better display than this. It's like one of those Rare games on SNES (Killer Instinct, DKC) or like in Killer Instinct Gold when the backrounds were in full 3D, but the characters are still sprites. Plus, it was hard to keep shells from crashing into walls if your target is far away but still in sight. It had some interesting concepts, like the tumbling boulders in the canyon level or the traffic in the highway level, but these were better portrayed in future Mario Kart games. It's still kinda fun, but graphics are the worst thing about it.

one of the best in nintendo history

No doubt to my mind - the finest multiplayed game on Virtual Console, and an excellent way to spend 1,000 points. Still as good in 2008 as it was in 1997.

I remember when I first played this game, having not played the SNES version, that it would be okay at best. It is without a doubt one of the best racing games out there period. True classic. Must have.

I must say I'm suprised to see that alot of people disliked MK64. In single player I can understand the point that the game got boring, but in multiplayer this game was a blast!! I spent a whole summer getting blazed and having great laughs with mates as we battled it out in 3 player mode (which for some reason was insanely faster than the other modes). The intensity of this game was superb and a can remember many tight races where I practically had an adrenalin rush from the craziness of dealing with weapons, trying to maintain racing lines while powersliding like a maniac to stay in front.
To a degree the bizarre fashion that the computer could catch up in single player was also good, as it made the game both more exciting and more intense.
I feel this game deserves 5 stars just for the intensity of 3+ multiplayer battles (few games other than first person shooters have come close), but understand those who think single player mode lets it down. Sadly I never got into SMK the way many others here have.

This game has aged horribly.

It was merely okay when it was released originally on the N64. The game was rather shallow and the single-player was over in a two-night rental.

It doesn't even use character models, but rather ugly-looking sprites. Not only that, but the emulation of the game is lacking? No Ghost Data support? What's with that? And, sometimes it glitches and runs too fast on Moo Moo Farm.

Ugh... sometimes things are best left in our memories.

I think this game is very good Mario kart DS is better but I like to have a mario kart on the tv. The only flaws are no ghost data, mushrooms barly work and red and blue shells just hit walls most of the time. But this game is still worthy of 5 stars. It just kind of gives me a classic feel and reminds me of my childhood. And honestly I like rainbow road It's long easy and relaxing. It's the last stage and it gives you a chance to catch up.

I like this game a lot, and still play it, but I feel it is the worst in the series.

Stop reading these comments.
Go download the game!
5 Stars!

Believe the mushroom!

I wonder how the n64 tracks will look like in mario kart wii. Because the graphics weren't different in the DS one because they had the same graphics, almost. So will the tracks be blocky and unappealing, or nice and shiny?

I never had a SNES so never really played the first game until recent, but my friend had the N64 version and boy is that some fun multiplayer. Yes it has its flaws like narrow tracks, poor handling and pixelated sprites on 3d tracks but that doesnt stop it from being fun!
Its my fav Mario Kart for that reason, plus nostalgia. Although MKDS is an amazing game, u cant beat playing on a big screen with your friends. Cant wait for the Wii version as I havent heard to much good about Double Dash

I have enjoyed all of the Mario Kart games. I never played the N64 version though. My friend tells me it is very good. Also Double Dash is a great racing game. Don't listen to the nay-sayers

A true classic... I love it!

The best multiplayer mario kart there is. There is nothing better than getting reveage in battle mode as the bomb.

no no no. Mario Kart 64 is better than Super Mario Kart

To add my two cents to this long argument, MKDS is the best Mario Kart so far, followed by MK64, and then MKDD (I haven't played SMK, but I'm looking forward to it when it comes out). While Mario Kart 64 may not have online mode, incredible graphics, or two persons per car, it still is a pretty good game. Yes the rubber-band AI is a pain in the butt, but fun can be found in single player. Multiplayer is also a blast, but be warned, there is no music in the races or battles! I would highly recommend this game to everyone, but if you have a DS, get the Mario Kart for that; it's by far the best (snaking or not).

7.5/10: Nostalgia makes me rate it high.

Its a real shame MK64 was a multi-player masterpiece but the game has really begun to show its age. Not bad but not brilliant.

I like DS the most. MK64 is pretty good.

In terms of balance and game-play, this is imo second only to MK DS. So much freakin' fun. Now if everyone could just get along, and play nice long enough to release Beetle Adventure Racing. Come on VW, everyone wins if you loosen up!

Boy this game brings me back. I remember playing this game when i was like 5.

I dont understand Super Mario Kart was so flat, had so few colours and on a 42" screen will look horrible! I thought it had nes graphics, there is no detail and Mario Kart 64 is a good successor!

My wife and I enjoy this one. Other reviewers are right, the sparseness here probably makes this one worse than other installments like SNES version, but this is pretty solid anyways. Feels a little thin and blocky non-3D sprites are kinda cheap looking, but we playfully shout at each other and call each other a *&#-ing $&# just the same.

Pretty good, although I would prefer 800 points for the SNES version. We can play for 20 - 30 mins and be done, perfect for us. Fine for now.

Love it! Great game, great graphics, great sound and music also multiplayer. My favourite character on Mario Kart 64 is Bowser

Love this game, the best racer on the N64

great game

Mario Kart 64 is probably my favorite racing game. Ever. Despite what Damo said, this game is an improvement in every possible way over Super Mario Kart, minus perhaps in track design. At the time of MK 64's release, the SNES-sprite-like character models were sloppy, but bearable. Now, with Wii's anti-aliasing technology (which usualy improves a game's visuals), Mario and friends look grainy and rough. Plus, the ability to save and race ghosts to try and out do you and your friends' best times (a vital part of Mario Kart 64) has been stripped from the VC version of MK 64. The bottom line: Mario Kart 64 for the N64 gets a 5 out of 5 stars easily. The VC version, however, gets a 4 out of 5. Still, if you are one of those people who loves playing games with friends and family, this is a must have. However, if you typically play games alone and are looking for a depthful racer to play in single player mode, go download F-Zero X. Still, at $10, MK 64 is more than a bargain or a steal; it's a robbery. -Scott L (4 out of 5)

Mario Kart 64 was my first N64 game. It was a long time before I got my second N64 game, because there was no need. The level designs and exciting racing action satisfied my video game needs for that time. Looking back, it is the best mario kart game of the series, because it kept it plain simple. It was not like the other games with fifty karts for each character where you had to choose between a 98.65% acceleration rating, 56.7877% chance of getting a good item, 67% weight rating. You didn't have to worry about how many coins you have so you don't spin out every time a little thing hits you. It was just choose a character, a track, then race!

i love this game. its the best of all the mariokarts, definitly 5 stars

In my opinion, this is still the best of the bunch when it comes to Mario Kart games...

i like this game. seriosuly, i like it. may be nostalgia, but i prefer this one instead of F-Zero X. Mario kart has it all. a good variety of tracks, powerups, difficulty settings and a PERFECT multiplayer mode, which makes this game really shine!
fun alone and together with your friends, mario kart is a must have for racer fans. or you wait for Mario kart wii to be released 5/5

Very good game!! Love this one! woooo mk series!!!

wow saying this isnt as good as Super Mario Kart for the snes? i might have to start taking your reviews with a grain of salt. I cant play super mario kart any more at all. personally i still like double dash the best but my friend says that this version is the best so far to him ( was actually dissapointed with double dash as he felt it was inferior by a large margin at first, but now because that is the most recent console version of the game he cant play n64 because he is so used to double dash) anywhoo i was terrible at super mario kart and didnt enjoy playing it as much as this one.

To this point I got away with only renting Mario Kart 64, I figured 1000 wii points later I would never have to rent again (not that I still have an N64) but I played it a few times on my Wii with multiple players but not it is just another over looked channel. I wouldn't recomend buying this game until you have a few people to play with. Super Mario Kart was my favorite by far, I cannot wait for it's release on virtual console.

-WALDO

I've deleted Mario Kart 64 from my channels now that I have Mario Kart Wii and re-downloaded the other games I was forced to delete. Once I unlocked all sixteen levels in Yoshi's Story, I'll delete that and re-download MK 64 for when I want to compare courses or remind myself of the ones in MK64 not present in either MKWii or MKDS.

Easy 5 stars.

Sure, this game isn't Super Mario Kart, but I have a hard time accepting how often this game gets dogged. It's not a bad game. Personally, I think that SMK is incredibly awesome, but there wouldn't be much point in making the same exact game with some different tracks. So for me, the fact that it IS different is a plus because it's not the same old stuff rehashed (although there are updates to some of the old tracks, for instance).

The weak part about this game is definitely the graphics, the character sprites especially, as they don't even transition smoothly. I don't know, perhaps it was the franticness of Mode 7 graphics that made it less noticeable in SMK, but in MK64, rotating a character sprite is like taking a snap-shot every 45 degrees, and I'm a little surprised that Nintendo didn't put more effort into it (though the sprites themselves look plenty good to my eyes). The tracks also do feel a little sparse, especially on some of the larger ones, but I do like the ramps and banking added by the transition to 3D and it gives a new dimension to some of the bonuses and shortcuts.

And rubber-band AI is always annoying.

At the end of the day, this game isn't as good as SMK, which just seems to have gotten so many things right. MK64 has some flaws and feels like maybe Nintendo rushed it out the door to help the thin software library of the N64. But it's still a good game on its own, and retains a lot of the good qualities of SMK. I just think that some people dislike this game because it's not SMK, which is a shame, because I always have a lot of fun with it. And right now, it's the closest we've got to SMK on the VC, so I'm glad to have it.

@Drake
"-The worst AI in any Mario Kart (Sometimes they continue to keep their illogical boost even when in 1st place meaning you can't ever beat them)"

Just because you can't beat a game doesn't mean it is bad or unfair. This game is ridiculously easy in 1 player once you get the hang of power sliding.

"-Bad track design (Rainbow Road is the worst RR of any Mario Kart and most other tracks are fairly bland)"

Rainbow Road is bad if you drive it in time trial. In any other mode and especially in multiplayer any track in this game is a hectic battle and you don't even notice the lacking graphics or the missing scenery. Overall this has the best tracs by a mile of any mario kart.

-Controls are too floaty (Mario Kart DS now has the best controls IMO)

The controls are perfect, they just take a while to master, which certainly isn't a bad thing! Once you master them breezing though the tracks is just pure fun.

"-Blue Shells are hard to use and nearly always crash into walls"

Ridiculous claim and just why I had to respond. They are fairly easy to use and I utterly love the fact that they atleast require some skill to use. They are by far the most annoying powerup in ds, gamecube and wii versions. They require no skill to use and usually don't even benefit the one getting it, so all they do is annoy the hell out of people.

Overall this game isn't very good in one player, but it is the best multiplayer experience and that is what mario kart is about. And that is what makes this the best game in the series.

n64 is probably better than vc. a very good game, but not worth 1,000 points.

AWSOME GAME!! but i got double dash and mario kart wii (preordered it) so im probably not gonna get it.
but everyone with a wii get this game for virtual console its awsome (unles u have the origanal stick with that) long live mario kart the best racing game in the world!

may not be the best of the games but it has the most memorable courses such as the jungle parkway coconuts and a 6 minute rainbow road

Most people i know outside of here often say that the newer versions are better but this is the version i had as a young kid so this always has a place in my heart. Absolutely Fantastic stuff. The Tracks are definetly some of the more memorable and some of the best in my opinion

I'm glad this game is coming out for vc. I own ths for the 64 and the controls make it hard to win on 150cc or extra mode. It seems like it will be a lot easier using a gamecube or classic controller. Better graphics, ability to have 4 people playing at once, and being able to unlock extra mode(it's really just mirror mode with a different name), make this game better than super mario kart for the snes.

I love it. I even prefer this one over the classic Super Mario Kart. It's simply more fun and has some great tracks and tunes.

are there any unlockables in this game? i have it for VC, and havent gotten that far, so i would like to know. great game though. amazing multiplayer. decent one player

so do you think i should get this or f-zero x if i want a good multiplaer with a decent single player?

@pApEr y0sh!
Other than "extra" mode (which is mirror mode), there's nothing to be unlocked.

@india3
Get this game if you want good multiplayer and a decent single player. Still, it is almost smarter to get Mario Kart Wii. It's more expensive, but also way more expansive. As for F-Zero, get F-Zero GX for the Gamecube. It's extremely better and just ten more bucks for a new one.

@Batman. Whoever told you that MK SC was horrible is an idiot. It doesn't stack up to some other MK games, like, say Mario Kart DS, but it was still damn fhn despite that annoying link cable. I can't provide my own list of the best and worst MK's, since I've only owned the handheld ones as of now, but I disagree.

Still trying to find MK wii. That thing's selling like hotcakes!

This is one of my favorite games ever. This was my introduction to the Mario Kart series and what especially made it fun was the playing in 4P mode against my friends. It's true that 1P mode isn't as enjoyable, but it's still fun to play nonetheless. Now that I've got Mario Kart Wii, I really have no use for it. It sure was fun to play up until then, though.

It is good and is well a game that made you call all of your friends to play this game, but it could have been made a little more, maybe a couple more characters and unlockables?

It was one of the first N64 games so Nintendo was probably happy with sixteen courses and eight characters when they made it.

The best Mario Kart game in my opinion was Double Dash!!
This game is quite good but I find 150cc to be extremly hard.

Fun times. Great game.

Great, great game. I was more of a Diddy Kong Racing guy but Mario Kart 64 was still a terrific game. I liked playing the original Mario Kart for SNES more but thats just my opinion. No Mario Kart beats the newest Wii version. Playing with the steering wheel is just too much fun!

Mario returns to ride but it's better to get the Wii version unless you have nostalgia holding you down.

meh looks ok not anything great but I would have second thoughts if someone talse me why the ideo says "you will need a classic controller" yet nintendo and VC reveiws both say that a gamecube pad is compatible

My only beef back in '96 was that you couldn't play battle mode with CPU players. Other than that, I loved the game, and still do.