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Super Mario Kart comes to Virtual Console
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It's often games are called "revolutionary" when they are merely good or very good. Super Mario Kart, however, fully lives up to such a distinction. Not only did it sell millions of copies as released on the Super Nintendo, but it inspired a host of imitators and pretty much put video game-based kart racing on the map. With Super Mario Kart being released tomorrow for Wii Virtual Console in North America, let's consider what has made the game (released in 1992!) an enduring classic and easily distinguishable from other games before it:
Personality: Super Mario Kart features more than just cars with nameless drivers. Owing to the idea these are actual drivers in actual karts, you get to play with identifiable racers. What's more, these manipulators of the kart are your favorite Mario characters – Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool (none of that "Princess Peach" garbage) , Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr. (Yes!), Toad and Koopa Troopa – and they vary in top speed, acceleration, handling and weight. Even better yet, as CPU characters, they can use character-specific items (e.g. Toad and Poison Mushrooms that make your racer shrink), and you even get character-specific music when you win a race. Instantly, you realize SMK inspires a lot of heart.
Creative items: When you're not being shot at by Yoshi's eggs or Bowser's fireballs, you can inflict damage on other racers with inventive weapons relating back to the Mario series. Mushrooms give you a boost. Stars, as you might imagine, speed you up and make you invincible. Red Shells home in on the racer in front of you. There's even a Feather à la Super Mario World that makes your kart do a spinning hop into the air. Super Mario Kart's roulette-style item selection is one of the calling cards of the franchise and arguably the best item system to date in any racing game.
Smart level design: Super Mario Kart establishes its types of courses well. There are uniquely challenging obstacles for each "world." Ghost Valley has gaps in the course you can fall into. Bowser's Castle has ominous lava pits and Thwomps. Choco Island has thick chocolate "rough" that will slow down your kart's movement. The array of courses makes for a literally colorful racing experience, and if you are a fan of Super Mario World, your recall-based affection will be sent into overdrive.
Fun Battle Mode: A racing game in which you can have fun without actually racing? Super Mario Kart makes it happen, and in a totally ingenious way. Each player starts with three balloons, and tries to cause their opponent to spin out with Shells and other items, making them lose balloons. The last player left with balloons wins. With a simple item set and compact stages, familiarity with the stage quickly gives way to good tactical strategy, and self-control quickly gives way to Battle Mode addiction.
Overall presentation: Graphical prowess is always relative to the age of a game's release. Super Mario Kart was highly touted for its innovation in the realm of Mode 7 graphics, essentially 3-D effects created by moving, rotating backgrounds that allowed for smooth animation of foreground sprites. By today's standards, of course, it is primitive. Still, touches like the split-screen rear-view mirror in one-player mode, the miniature racers on the bottom-half race map, and even things like the Cheep Cheep blimp that houses the trophy at the Cup's end being shot out by a champagne cork: they are unbelievably amusing and gosh-darn cute. SMK just succeeds on so many levels, and is one of the most worthy titles of a place on your Virtual Console mantle.
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