Mario Kart
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Mario Kart is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games. To date, there have been four Mario Kart games for home consoles, two portable games, and two arcade games. The eighth and latest installment, Mario Kart Wii, was released in Japan on April 10, 2008, in Europe on 11 April 2008, in Australia on 24 April 2008 and in North America on April 27, 2008.
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[edit] Series
- Super Mario Kart — (Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), 1992).
- Mario Kart 64 — (Nintendo 64 (N64), 1996). Also available on Virtual Console, as of 2007.
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit — (Game Boy Advance (GBA), 2001).
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! — (Nintendo GameCube (GCN), 2003).
- Mario Kart DS — (Nintendo DS, 2005).
- Mario Kart Wii — (Wii, 2008).
[edit] Gameplay
In Mario Kart, the characters from the Mario series of videogames get together and race go-karts around a variety of tracks. Players can obtain items by driving through (or over in Super Mario Kart) question mark blocks or coins, which can be used for either defense, offense or by powering up the engine for a short amount of time (boost). Each Mario Kart game features several gameplay modes, which can be played in both single player and multiplayer.
In Time Trial or Time Attack the goal is to achieve the fastest time in the selected track. Players are usually given three super mushrooms (speed boosts) which they can use any time during the race against time. Once a record is set, the game saves a "ghost," a replay of the set record, to compete against. In Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii, the developers put in their own "Staff Ghosts" for the player to race against. They must be unlocked by achieving a certain time which differs on each track. In Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS, it is also possible to download a ghost from friends. In Mario Kart DS, two ghosts (the player's own and a friend's) can be saved. In Mario Kart Wii, ghosts can be downloaded from across the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. There are two sets of staff Ghosts in-game--one available at the start and a faster ghost that is unlocked after the player achieves a certain time in the Time Trial or Time Attack.
In Grand Prix, the characters compete against each other in a themed cup. There are usually four cups: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup and Special Cup.
- Super Mario Kart features the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, and Star Cup in the three engine classes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc) and Special Cup in the 100cc and 150cc. 150cc mode must be unlocked by beating the 100cc cups first, while the player must clear each of the other cups to unlock the Special Cup. Each cup in this game holds five tracks for a total of 20 tracks in the game.
- Mario Kart 64 has the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special cups available in all three (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc) classes. This game adds a Mirror Mode to the series (called "EXTRA" in this game), which is unlockable by beating the 150cc cups. It also features four tracks to a cup, which has been repeated in each game since.
- Mario Kart Super Circuit adds in a fifth cup (the Lightning Cup), which is between the Flower and Star cups. The player must beat the four cups (Mushroom, Flower, Lightning and Star) to unlock the Special Cup in that particular class. It also includes an "extra" version of each cup that features all the tracks from Super Mario Kart. There is no Mirror Mode in this game.
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! starts with Mushroom, Flower and Star cups, with the Special Cup unlockable. This game features an "All-Cup Tour" that has all 16 tracks, which always starts with Luigi Circuit and ends with Rainbow Road, and the 14 other tracks are mixed up in a random order. Like its console predecessor, it also features the unlockable Mirror Mode. It is also the first game in the series to feature unlockable characters and the first to allow multiple kart selection.
- Mario Kart Arcade GP has its cups that start with the names of the characters (Mario Cup, Luigi Cup, Wario Cup, Pac-Man Cup, Bowser Cup, Ms.Pac-Man Cup). It does not have engine clasess (cc), but its time trial is called time attack. Many of its items and tracks are not found in the console games. Ex. of items baisin, thumb tacks, oil, tornado.
- Mario Kart DS has two Grand Prix modes: The Nitro Cups (all-new tracks) and the Retro Cups (all classic remade tracks). Nitro Grand Prix features the four standard cups, Mushroom, Flower, Star and Special, while Retro Grand Prix features the return of the Lightning Cup from Super Circuit, this time as the Retro equalvent of the Special Cup. Also featured in the Retro Grand Prix are the Shell, Banana and Leaf Cups acting as the counterparts of the first three Nitro cups. The Retro mode features four tracks each from all four previous Mario Kart games. This game features 50cc, 100cc, 150cc and an unlockable 150cc Mirror Mode. Players can also play mission mode, as for the first time in the series' history can race online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
- Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 has, like in Mario Kart Arcade GP, its cups that start with the names of the characters, its time trial is called time attack. Features include: an extra challenge at the end of each cup, increased difficulty, Mario coins, and more characters.
- Mario Kart Wii also has cups with all-new tracks and cups with all classic remade tracks. Like Mario Kart DS there are four cups featuring new tracks (Mushroom, Flower, Star and Special), while four other cups (Shell, Banana, Leaf and Lightning) offer four tracks each from the previous five games, with the exception of Super and Super Circuit, which have two each. This game features 50cc, 100cc and 150cc modes and an unlockable Mirror Mode, as well as 13 unlockable characters and online racing using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game also comes with the Wii Wheel peripheral, which attaches itself to the Wii Remote.
The player wins the cup by receiving the most points throughout the Grand Prix. Points are allocated based on the position the player finishes in. The most a player can get is 60 points, comprising 15 points in each of the four courses in Mario Kart Wii. This increased score is due to the higher number of racers in the Wii game (12 compared to the previous games' eight). A maximum of 40 points (10 per race) is available in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, there is a maximum of nine points for each race. In addition, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii feature a rating system, which, from lowest to highest, is E, D, C, B, A, one star, two stars and three stars. The player's rating is based on how well he played in a cup, such as performing mini-turbos, avoiding items, etc.
In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, while racing on a track players are to pick up coins. Once ten or more coins have been obtained a player's car can reach maximum speed. However, if a kart is hit by any items, bumps into another car, or falls of the track, coins will be lost. These coins can also determine a player's rating (3 stars, 2 stars, 1 star, A, B, C, D, E) and unlock other tracks.
Mission mode is only present in Mario Kart DS and includes several levels, each of which contain nine challenges (one of which is a boss battle). These challenges range include collecting X number of coins, driving through X number of gates, destroying X number of enemies, etc. The player is given a grade upon completing a mission, with E being the lowest and three stars being the highest. There is only one mission level to start with, but by beating each mission level's boss players can reach level six, and, by achieving a rank of at least one star in all missions, level seven.
In VS. mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a race. The one who crosses the finish line first wins. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. In Mario Kart DS, players can race against CPU opponents for the first time.
In Battle Mode, every player is assigned a set of balloons that can be popped. The aim of battle mode is to pop the opponent's balloons by attacking his or her with items. Once all balloons are popped, the player loses. In Mario Kart Wii, another type of Battle Mode games involves acquiring more coins than an opponent. There have been several types of Battle Mode games, and they can be played in teams or "free for all" mode.
Some items do not appear in Battle Mode because of the sheer advantage they give their users. This includes Spiny Shells, Bullet Bills, Chain Chomps, Thunderbolts, and triple red shells; Mushrooms being removed before the stealing of balloons was also introduced in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii are the only games where players can battle against CPU opponents.
[edit] Playable characters
Characters are listed in alphabetical order. Shaded cells denote unlockable characters.
- Note:
- Note:
[edit] Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
This mode was introduced in Mario Kart DS. Abbreviated as WFC, this mode allows players to use Nintendo's online gaming service to match up against other players elsewhere in the world, nationally, or with comparable skill levels. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Mode also includes a "friends roster" which allows a player to play with a group of people he or she knows. Wi-Fi gameplay follows the same scoring as multiplayer VS matches, except with a limit of 4 players instead of 8. Mario Kart Wii also makes use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, in which up to twelve people can race online via Wi-Fi.
[edit] Other appearances
In Nintendogs, players can find a remote-controlled Kart during walks. There are three different karts, the Mario Kart, the Bowser Kart, and the Peach Kart. Each version of Nintendogs has only one type of kart.[citation needed]
Several Mario Kart-related items appear in the rival Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a trophy of a kart from the Mario Kart series is available. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a new item, Lightning, which is from Mario Kart, was introduced and one of the stages is themed after the series' leading stage, Mario Circuit, with a look based on Figure-8 Circuit from Mario Kart DS.[1]
[edit] Recurring tracks
There are several types of tracks that have been featured in many of the Mario Kart games.
[edit] Circuits
Every Mario Kart game to date has included several "circuit" courses, one of which serves as the starting course for the Mushroom Cup. Circuit courses are built to resemble actual raceways, with paved track, loose gravel or sand sides, and (in the 3D games) grandstands with onlookers, as well as signs and billboards scattered throughout the course advertising various imaginary racing products. These tracks range widely in difficulty, from simple turns to complex hairpins and banked curves. In the English version of Mario Kart 64, all circuits are referred to as "raceways".
Particularly memorable circuit tracks include Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, (later brought back in Mario Kart DS), which is designed in the shape of a large Yoshi (resembles one if seen from air) as well as Royal Raceway (called "Peach Circuit" in Japan) from Mario Kart 64.
[edit] Beaches
In every Mario Kart game so far, there has been at least one beach stage. Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit have two beach courses. Mario Kart Wii does not feature a new beach course, but instead brings back two beach courses from previous games. In Mario Kart 64, Koopa Troopa Beach became popular due to its infamous cave jump which allows players to skip a large portion of the course. The others (excluding the GP versions) have only one beach course. These beach courses consist of rising shore waters (in the 3D titles), deep waters to drown in, crabs, Cheep Cheeps, and other beach-themed obstacles. On the Peach Beach of Mario Kart: Double Dash, cataquacks and other references to the Isle Delfino setting of Super Mario Sunshine are used.
[edit] Public roads
In all 3D Mario Kart games (except for Mario Kart Super Circuit), there are tracks that include other traffic to avoid. Mario Kart 64 has Toad's Turnpike, which has huge vehicles that go the same direction as the karts. (In the Extra mode, they come toward the karts, making it one of the most unpredictable and most difficult tracks). Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City. They feature different kinds of cars, such as Mushroom trucks, a Wiggler vehicle, and Bob-omb cars. Mario Kart DS has Shroom Ridge (which is set on a road that winds around a mountain), and a slightly modified version of Mushroom Bridge. The vehicles travel on the left-hand side of the road, matching traffic systems in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, (though this is reversed in Mirror mode). Mario Kart Wii features Moonview Highway, where trucks, Bob-omb cars, minivans, and everyday cars create traffic that moves forward on the left side of the road, and towards the racers on the right side. The stage transitions from a winding road to a more urban environment, complete with toll booths, billboards, and big-city lights. The karts themselves have headlights. Public roads usually come in the middle of the Flower Cup or Star Cup, with the exception of Mario Kart Wii, which has its public road in the Special Cup.
[edit] Deserts
There has been a desert track in each Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64. Desert tracks usually feature quicksand, hills, and long stretches of bumpy terrain. In Mario Kart 64, there is Kalimari Desert, in which a train crosses the track in two places. In Mario Kart Super Circuit, Yoshi Desert makes an appearance (the Sphinxes have Yoshi heads). Dry Dry Desert in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! features a tornado that makes characters fly into the air, plus an area with quicksand and a hungry Piranha Plant living at the bottom. There are also several Pokeys that bend to the left and right, impeding drivers. Mario Kart DS features Desert Hills, which includes Pokeys that move from left-to-right and back, the Angry Sun, who rains fire down on the track, and a Super Mario Bros. 3 desert level-like theme with pipe structures and huge stone structures. This course is brought back in Mario Kart Wii, which also features a new course called Dry Dry Ruins (named after a dungeon in the N64 title Paper Mario with the same name). It is similar to Dry Dry Desert in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. On the course, columns with hieroglyphics inscribed in them fall onto the track to then be used as ramps. In the ruins section of the course, a central bowl with Pokeys slowly fills with sand over the course of the race, and the music changes.
[edit] Jungles
All games from Mario Kart 64 to Mario kart DS featured at least one Jungle course. Mario Kart 64 has DK's Jungle Parkway, set atop a waterfall with a steamboat patrolling the river. Mario Kart Super Circuit has both Riverside Park and Lakeside Park, the latter featuring volcanoes which shot out lava balls that spun players out when hit. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has both DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle. DK Mountain's centerpiece is a gigantic DK Barrel which shot players to the top of the mountain. They would then have to drive down the mountain, avoiding massive boulders, as well as traverse a swaying bridge over a fast flowing river. Dino Dino Jungle, as the name suggests, has several dinosaurs stomping and flying around the course. Mario Kart DS has Yoshi Falls, set in a large valley and circling a lake. Mario Kart Wii doesn't have a new jungle track, however it does bring back DK Mountain, DK's Jungle Parkway, and Yoshi Falls.
[edit] Haunted tracks
Most Mario Kart games have some courses with a spooky theme. Common themes in these 'haunted' tracks include dark lighting, Boos, or (in the 2D games) railings which break upon impact. Boo Lake, Broken Pier (both from Mario Kart Super Circuit), and Ghost Valley 1 & 2 from Super Mario Kart, are four tracks which embody all these themes. Luigi's Mansion in Mario Kart DS (based on the GameCube game with the same name), includes a muddy swamp in which traction is lessened. While not strictly haunted, Airship Fortress in Mario Kart DS takes place in a crumbling castle. It is the only track in the game that includes Bullet Bills firing at players as a part of the level. In Mario Kart 64 there is a track called Banshee Boardwalk, which was later revamped in Mario Kart DS as a Retro Cup stage and consists of a haunted boardwalk and castle. Mario Kart Wii does not have its own haunted track, albeit remaking one.
[edit] Snow Tracks
All of the games have at least one snow track included. Common themes of these courses are icy surfaces with little or no grip, water that would freeze the racer if fallen into and snow-themed obstacles such as snowmen (Frappe Snowland from Mario Kart 64, Snow Land from Mario Kart Super Circuit and DK Pass from Mario Kart DS), penguins (Sherbet Land from Mario Kart 64, revamped in Mario Kart Wii), ice-skating Shy Guys (Sherbet Land in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) and rolling snowballs (DK Pass from Mario Kart DS). DK Summit (called "DK's Snowboard Cross" in the Japanese and European versions) in Mario Kart Wii is set in a ski resort and features ramps and a half pipe for racers to perform stunts, as well as a giant DK Barrel resembling DK Mountain's DK Barrel from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
[edit] Stadiums
In three of the games, there has been a stadium track, which takes place in a dirt arena surrounded by grandstands, similar to a Supercross track. Typically associated with Wario and Waluigi, they contain many jumps, bumps, turns, and (more recently) fire and mud. Stadium tracks are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty, although Wario Stadium in Mario Kart DS is among the most challenging tracks. Another similar course from Mario Kart DS is Waluigi Pinball, which takes place in a pinball field where players have to avoid rolling pinballs and electrifying flippers. Mario Kart 64 features Wario Stadium, a motocross track which features a few ramps, small dirt hills, and many turns. Instead of a new stadium track, Mario Kart Wii features a slightly modified, graphically enhanced-version of Waluigi Stadium from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The latter also has Wario Colloseum.
[edit] Bowser Castles
Bowser Castles are particularly well known for their unforgiving and straight 90-degree turns, lava pits, and Thwomps. Super Mario Kart features three Bowser Castle tracks, Mario Kart Super Circuit has four; the rest only have one (Mario Kart DS has two and Mario Kart Wii has three, but the former has one taken from Mario Kart Super Circuit and the latter has one taken from Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart 64). They are usually the penultimate tracks of the game, with the only track afterwards being Rainbow Road, with the exception of Mario Kart 64, who has its own in the Star Cup. Due to their stiff turns and obstacles, they are technically demanding. The name has also been spelled as "Bowser's Castle." Mario Kart Wii is slightly unique as its own Bowser Castle features a large and more lively Bowser statue (different from the one in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) which spits giant balls of flame that the player must avoid, as well as fully lava-pitted floors akin to Super Mario Galaxy.
[edit] Rainbow Road
Rainbow Road is the name for the final track in the last cup (the Special Cup) of every Mario Kart game to date. It is one of the toughest tracks to master, as the track is suspended in space (or in the case of Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, over a city) and generally has few or no guard rails to prevent the player from falling off the track during a turn or being knocked off the track by an opposing driver. Mario Kart 64 is an exception where guard rails are present throughout the track, but it is still relatively easy to jump over them.
Other features of the Rainbow Road tracks include 90-degree turns and flashing Thwomps (Super Mario Kart), Chomps (Mario Kart 64), steep drops (Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii), speed boost panels, jumps, storm clouds (Mario Kart Super Circuit), a teleporting pipe (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), and a corkscrew and looping elements (Mario Kart DS). Mario Kart: Double Dash!! features a set of hairpin turns, and also is the only game in the series to feature stars that occasionally land on the track and become a star power up for anyone who touches them.
Since Mario Kart 64, Rainbow Road is the only track to have the same music theme in every game, each arranged slightly different. The Rainbow Road in Mario Kart Wii has some elements from the game Super Mario Galaxy, such as star bits floating in the background and dash panels with sling stars around it. Part of the course's soundtrack was taken from Good Egg Galaxy, a galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy. Another noticeable feature is a giant Launch Star with a rainbow that transports the player upwards, similar to the giant pipe featured in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
Recent Mario Kart games have included backrounds to set where Rainbow Road specifically is in the Mario Kart world. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Rainbow Road is located directly above the urban Mushroom City stage. In Mario Kart Wii, Rainbow Road is located above Earth, usually showing the Northern Hemisphere.
[edit] Merchandise
Mario Kart has also had a range of merchandise released. This includes a Scalextric style Mario Kart DS Figure-8-Circuit. It came with Mario and Donkey Kong figures, while a Yoshi and a Luigi are available separately.
A line of remote-controlled Mario Karts are available in stores. Each kart has a Game Boy Advance-shaped controller, and features forward driving and rotates when put in reverse, instead of steering. The current line-up of karts are Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. There are three large karts that depict the same trio. These karts are controlled by a GameCube controller shape.
Japanese figurines of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser exist.
For Mario Kart 64 figures of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Yoshi were made by toybiz
[edit] Release delays in New Zealand
In New Zealand the game's release has been continually delayed, pushed originally from 24 April 2008 to 29 May 2008, and subsequently to an estimated date of 20 June 2008. EB Games in New Zealand sold limited stocks of the game from the original release date, having secured stock directly from Australia. The local distributor Softprint Interactive, did not make any formal explaination behind the reasons for the continued delays, but it was soon revealed that Softprint had gone into receivership [2].
[edit] See also
- Diddy Kong Racing series
[edit] References
- ^ Smash Bros. DOJO!!
- ^ Brianemone (2 June 2008). NZ - The Land with no Nintendo (HTML). Geekpulp.
[edit] External links
- Official Mario Kart Web Site
- Mario Kart DS official UK Microsite
- Mario Kart at Nintendo of Japan
- BTG RADIO #13 Mario Kart Podcast
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