Mario Kart 64 v1.1 ROM – Nintendo 64 (N64)

Mario Kart 64 is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 (N64). It is the second main entry in the Mario Kart series and is the successor to Super Mario Kart (1992) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on December 14, 1996; in North America on February 10, 1997; in the United Kingdom on June 13, 1997; and in Europe on June 24, 1997. It was released for the iQue Player in China on December 25, 2003. It was released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console in 2007 and 2016, and on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on October 25, 2021.

GAMEPLAY

Mario Kart 64 is a kart racing game in which the player controls one of eight selectable Mario characters in several racetracks that vary in shape and theme. During a race, the players can obtain random items from special boxes placed in different areas of the track that are used to impede the opposition and gain the advantage. For example, Koopa Troopa shells and bananas allow the player to attack opponents and slow them down, and Mushrooms grant the player a temporary boost in speed and jumping ability.

In a change from the previous installment, players can carry more than one item at a time. Mario Kart 64 has 16 racing tracks and 4 battle stages. It is the first game in the Mario Kart series that supports slipstreaming.

Game modes

Mario Kart 64 has four game modes: Grand Prix, Time Trial, Versus, and Battle. Grand Prix mode supports both single-player and competitive multiplayer gameplay, while other modes only support one or the other.

Grand Prix mode has one or two players participate in four consecutive three-lap races, each on a different course, on one of the four selectable cups (Mushroom, Flower, Star, or Special against seven (or six) computer players. When the player completes a race, points are awarded based on the rank they finished ranging from first to eighth, and the placement order gets carried over to the next race as the new starting lineup. If the player ranks 5th or under, the player must restart the race. Unlike the original Super Mario Kart, the player can restart an unlimited number of times, instead of only being allowed three restarts. After finishing all four races, trophies are awarded to the players who scored the highest accumulation of points: bronze for third place, silver for second, and gold for first. Difficulty level is measured by engine size: 50, 100, or 150cc. There is an additional unlockable difficulty called “Extra”, which allows players to race at a speed of 100cc on tracks that are inverted left-to-right. This is the first game in the series to provide this feature. Later installments call this feature “Mirror Mode” in which players race on horizontally flipped tracks at a speed of 150cc.

Time Trial is a single-player-only mode with the objective of completing a three-lap race on the selected track in the fastest total time. There are no opponent racers or item boxes, though the player will always begin each race with a Triple Mushroom in reserve. For any given course, the top five fastest total times are saved, and the fastest single lap time of any race is also saved. The player can select to race against a ghost character, who will mimic the movement of the player from a previous race. Ghost data for up to two different courses can be saved permanently only on a Controller Pak device. However, the Virtual Console version of Mario Kart 64 released on the Wii is incompatible with the device and is thus unable to save ghost data.

Versus mode has two to four players competing in single races on any track without any computer players. With two players, the total number of wins for each player is tracked, and in three- or four-player matches, the number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place wins is tracked for each racer.

The battle mode supports two to four players, and the last man-standing objective has players attack each other with items inside one of four selectable arena courses. The players begin a match with three balloons attached to each of their karts. A player will lose one balloon each time their character is damaged by coming into contact with one of the other players’ offending items and is eliminated from play upon losing all balloons. The match ends when one player remains, who is then declared the winner. In three- or four-player matches, the first two players’ characters to lose all their balloons will transform into mobile “Mini Bomb Karts” and forfeit the ability to win the match. The Mini Bomb Kart is still maneuverable by the player and can collide and inflict damage on another player only once, after which it can no longer participate.

The racetrack map with players’ locations can be viewed as a miniature map, rectangular progress bar (“Rank Data”), or a speedometer can be shown instead. On Yoshi’s Valley, the rectangular progress bar does not identify characters due to the vagueness of the course’s paths.

Playable characters

Mario Kart 64 features eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, Wario, and Donkey Kong. The characters are divided into three weight classes: lightweights, whose karts have the highest acceleration and top speed in trade for low weight; heavyweights, whose karts have higher weight to knock around players and lose less speed while turning, but suffer from slightly lower top speed and acceleration; and middleweights, who have mediocre acceleration and the same top speed as the heavyweights, but have much better control of steering. The game was originally to feature the character Kamek, a villainous character from Yoshi’s Island, before being replaced by Donkey Kong.