Boring, but a toss-off between SMK and SMK64 for me. Diddy Kong Racing had some brilliant elements but was marred by a janky framerate and Rare aesthetics. It certainly offered a lot of game though.
Street Racer on the Saturn was impressive and the SNES version was very slick. I just didn't like the Amiga-y feel to it all, and some of the music sounds like it's outta early 90s German watersports porn.
This is my favourite of the list, despite being quite a controversial title.
I remember not liking it much at first, due to the severe change in feel of the racing over the SMK, but I did warm to it and ended up thinking it was pretty good overall.
Though I expect many to choose SMK, a classic though it aged a long time ago
It's a retro game I play quite often - either on my own or with someone else. As much as it feels ancient in all areas by modern standards, I still like the graphics, sound, and especially how it plays. It's easily still one of my favourite games.
None, Power Drift one of the 1st and still the best!!!
I like Power Drift for a few reasons: Big chunky vibrant graphics; rocking memorable music; design flair. But as much as I can find fun in the gameplay, it's quite a bit too clunky to feel truly satisfying to play.
The first one is more fun than all of them, basic looking though it may be, and more fun than anything else mentioned.
I also think SMK is still a lot of fun to play. It still feels like you expect Karting to be, so the tracks are tight and you get a great sense of racing on the edge having to think quick.
So as much as I've enjoyed modern Mario Kart games, I still think the original game is a joy to play.
Never did like DK Racing... something about it that just didn’t click with me.
I remember loving everything about it back in the day, as it looked stunning at the time and the gameplay was compelling. I haven't played it for many years, so I will have to see if it stands up today.
Ibut MK8 allows more of a workaround for item management, track dynamics and fighting your way ahead.
There's a reason the game is played competitively, and why high-ranking players in each lobby always come out on top. Three or four blue shells per race don't make a difference (although well coordinated lightning bolts and boos/ghosts can).
I love Mario Kart 8. Nintendo managed to fine tune the gameplay to make it far more satisfying and fun than previous MK games in the modern era. When I eventually get a Switch, I'll definitely buy the Deluxe edition.
I have strong faith that MK9 will be another great racer.
I played it a few times back in the day, then forgot about it. I really need to play it again, as I know lots of people really rate it. It's one of those games that I regret not getting into.
I just didn't like the Amiga-y feel to it all, and some of the music sounds like it's outta early 90s German watersports porn.
Yeah, very much an Amiga-esque experience in all areas. Music inspired by German porn
I remember thinking the gameplay was dodgy compared to SMK, but I liked the colourful graphics. It's not a very good game really, but I would still play the SNES version. I haven't played the PS1 and Saturn versions, so I'll give them a go sometime. I'm quite curious to see if they made the tracks easier to negotiate, because you could get a headache with the stress of playing it on the SNES.
I always found Crash Team Racing to be like the Crash Bandicoot platformers. To a generation of gamers who came in with them they defined their introduction to the genres to they cherish them, for everyone else they're mostly just competent titles. CTR was that, a competent Kart racer but no rival to Mario Kart.
Fingers crossed you like them. I think the SNES version is decent enough - and some people say the Saturn/PS1 edition is good.
The Saturn version is novel because I believe it's 8-player split-screen. You need two multi-taps.
Unfortunately though you also need 7 other people who will answer "yes" to the question "Do you want to play Street Racer". To my knowledge, this is less common than an alignment of the frickin planets.
The thing that makes me laugh about kart racing games is how unusual some of the licences are.
Some lend themselves to the theme, but others seem so random. F1 karting, fair enough, but Konami Krazy Racers, that sees Dracula (Castlevania) racing against the Easter Island head from Gradius and Goeman!
Antz Racing, a forgotten classic?! Konami Krazy Racers actually was brilliant. I loved that on GBA, although I didn't know most of the characters actually were at the time.
I loved Wacky Wheels too. Apogee games tended to be really well made.
Yeah, I found Antz Racing to be particularly tenuous!
Toy Story Racing is another one, but actually pushed the GBA pretty hard, graphically, which used pre-rendered 3D courses to create quite a convincing effect.
The thing that makes me laugh about kart racing games is how unusual some of the licences are.
Some lend themselves to the theme, but others seem so random. F1 karting, fair enough, but Konami Krazy Racers, that sees Dracula (Castlevania) racing against the Easter Island head from Gradius and Goeman!
Konami Krazy Racers was a pretty good game, though. I mean it pales next to Mario Kart Super Circuit but MKSC came out a long time afterward. For a reasonable length of time, KKR was the best title of that sort on the GBA.
I suppose there are so many licensed kart games because seeing the characters is important in a licensed game, and karts are open racers, whereas if it was, say Konami Touring Car racers, the characters would be hidden inside the cars, and the only reerence to them would be on the cars.
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