Super Mario Kart vs Mario Kart 64

[Grapple Convoy]

It's a debate that has gone on for years now, but which in your opinion is the better of the two?

I think, just about, it has to be Mario Kart 64 that is better of the two. It feels like a racing game, SMK is too soporific these days I find, and the slide-y boost feature is a really compulsive gameplay element. Still, I don't regard Mario Kart as much of a classic, as it seems so full of imbalances and glaring gameplay design faults, things which I don't normally expect from Nintendo's AAA titles.

[Ouenben]

I'm not too sure, I'm really torn between the 2. Probably go for Mario kart 64 in the end, its the one i played most.

Overall Single player: Super Mario kart
stages: Super mario kart
computer AI: Super mario kart (Mario kart 64's computer could catch up even if you had unlimited boost/stars etc)
Rewards: Mario kart 64 (Extra mode etc, new title screen)

Multiplayer: Mario kart 64
players: Mario kart 64 (coz of 4 players duh)
characters: Mario kart 64 (Gotta love wario)
Items: Super mario kart
- in Mario kart 64, I will constantly find myself beaten by my
cousin, not because of skill but because he got 3 stars in a
row and then red shells, while i mainly get banana's and those
annoying bomb blocks. There isn't much chance of winning
against someone who mostly gets red shells, when I am lucky
to get a green.
Also hate the blue shell
VS Racing: Super mario kart
- for starters no bloody blue shell, in MK64 it's quite possible for
someone who's not played the game before to beat someone
who has put more hours into it than their school life due to
the items playing a large part on who wins.
I could be a great deal ahead of the other player/s coming up
to the finishing line, but wait they have 3 red shells and a star.

VS. Battle: Mario kart 64
- despite the items being unfair at times, nothing beats a 4
player romp between friends or family on 'double decker' ' block fort' or 'big doughnut' (personal fave), hours can be lost in this mode, it's just so much fun.

Others:
Music: Super Mario kart
- lovely memorable tunes, some on N64 are okay but don't feel
like they are from a Nintendo game.

Controls: Mario kart 64
- went back to Super mario kart a while ago and found the
controls loose and had difficulty steering, Mario kart 64's
controls are much tighter.

replayability: Mario Kart 64
- more single player modes, upto 4 players in multiplayer,
etc, spent alot more time on MK64.

Gotta say I prefered Mario kart 64, probably because I spent more time on it and just for the 4 player battle mode. I'm expecting most people to prefer Super Mario kart though

As for ones after that.
I loved the DS one, didn't like double dash at all to be honest.

Loves from Future MKs: Online play, wireless play, more characters, mission mode,

hates: the blue shell!, snaking, multiple carts/stats, quiters,

[MarioMark]

I hate this question. I think at the time of their releases I'd go for the original Mario Kart, it was such a good game in its day.

But if you asked me now, now they're both old and retro, I'd go for Mario Kart 64.

Hope that makes sense.

[Skull Commander]

Snes version every single time without a shadow of a doubt.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Snes version every single time without a shadow of a doubt.

Quoted for truth, honour, prosperity and great justice.

Simply the best 2 player game of it's generaton. MK64 was just too unbalanced in my opinion, where as to master SMK, it took real skill.

[Max P.]

Ha Ha! Skull Commander said it all. I doubt the original will ever be bettered - perhaps some are getting caught up in the old confusion over better graphics makes a better game...

The playability, balance, structure etc, etc of two player SNES Mario Kart is unbelievably superior to any other version. End of argument. Sorry. Anyone who says otherwise must be a casual gamer...

PS: One thing that never seemed to get much mention in reviews was the deletion of the coin collecting to increase speed, a terrible omission - getting caught chugging away from a collision with zero coins while your opponent's kart was flying around the circuit, engine screaming at full revs with a full compliment of coins on board was just infuriating...

[Team Andromeda]

I like the N64 version more , I think some of the coruses inthe N64 are the best inthe series , and its still one of the best multi player games I've ever played .

[Roddie]

Quoted for truth, honour, prosperity and great justice.

Simply the best 2 player game of it's generaton. MK64 was just too unbalanced in my opinion, where as to master SMK, it took real skill.

great justice

SNES version is king. Diddy Kong Racing always felt like the spiritual sequel to me; it was what MK64 should've been.

[Champloo]

I assumed that the general opinion amongst most people on these boards would be that the snes version is best, hands down. I've got fond memories of the MK 64 as it was the first I played and I was pretty young at the time so you can imagine how amazing it seemed to me. The cheap AI or apparent poor course design wasn't something I noticed in any case! Multi-player was where it was really at but i'd still sit there doing time trails or 1p grand prix for hours on end.

Still, I always liked DKR more.

[Pilotwings]

I like both! but when you look at the snes version it's easy to see that its one of the best games nintendo made for the snes.

And then when you look at the n64 version it just seems so weak compared to the other great games nintendo made for the 64.

You really need 4 player for MK 64! -can't believe there is no music when you do 4 player though.

EXCITEBIKE 64
Kinda off topic but i like this on the 64 the best.

[rmoxon]

Ive always thought Mario Kart 64 was pretty much the second worse Mario Kart game (after Double dash)

So its obviously Super Mario Kart for me, I was a young un when I got it and it had been out a couple of years, my dad played hell at me for spending 40 pound on a "old" game but its the game I played more than anything on my snes.

Its also the only Mario Kart game that is a fun single player experience really (though the GBA game comes closer than the others)

Also, I personaly think that Mario Kart DS is the most overated in the series, but thats just me.

[Brad]

Super Mario Kart is the best of the two (Mario Kart DS is actually he best Mario Kart to date). My friends and I would still play SNES Mario Kart even though we had the N64 version plugged in and ready to go. Trying to shave 1/100th second off yout lap time... happy days.

[Kubrick]

Super Mario Kart>All other versions

[Leon Retro]

Mario Kart 64 made me feel ill


It was not only a big disappointment, and nothing like the original, but it's also a very weak game.

It has good art direction, and the Nintendo vibe, but apart from that it's a very lame title.


I simply can't understand why anyone would rate it highly? ... The vehicles look poor, the tracks are mostly too long and tiresome, and it lost all the true karting feel of the original.

Karting in real-life takes place on smallish tight tracks, which makes the experience fun. SuperMarioKart got the feel right, and at times, say on Bowsers Castle, you really feel like you're on the edge of your seat, as you speed around the tight corners.

MarioKart64 is more of a plain racer. It's not what I'd class as a true karting game, or anyway near what I want from a karting experience.

Nintendo decided to make things bigger and more extravagant, but they lost the tight gripping gameplay in the process. Whilst MK64 has fans, lots of people share my opinion that SuperMarioKart is still by far, the best MarioKart title.

I'd love an update of SMK, with modern visuals. Not extravagant nonsense, just the same tight experience, but with a visual make-over.

Karting games started with SMK, and it's very strange that no other title has come close since.

[EvilBoris]

I never had a Snes when MK came out, so I was more of the N64 nintendo generation. MK64 is the one I played with my friends and that is the one that holds the best memories for me. I can't even play MK, I really can't control it.