Evolution of Mario Kart
(Intro)
Since it’s debut in 1992, “Super Mario Kart” has been one of the most popular and best selling games of all time. One can’t deny the success Mario Kart has had, But one may ask why it’s so popular, and how the Japanese designers created a game that revolutionized the gaming industry and even shaped the culture not only in Japan, but North America and much of the world. And is now an icon of gaming.
There are many factors that contribute to the success of Mario Kart. The number one reason is it’s ingenious simplicity. Unlike many games of the time, you did not need to be a hard core gamer in order to have fun playing this game. Theres competition in Mario Kart wether you play it in your sleep, or it’s your first time holding a controller. I myself can relate to this because Mario Kart was in fact one of the very first games I played as a little kid, along with Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports (all by Nintendo). Many kids grew up playing Mario Kart all over the world, And there aren’t many people who haven’t played the game with friends or family. And this was no accident either. Satoru Iwata, who went from making games out of modified computer chips, to revolutionizing gaming forever when he introduced the Wii, realized that video games were becoming more exclusive meaning that inexperienced gamers couldn’t really play them. Iwata loved video games because they brought people together. And bringing people together is one of the things Nintendo is best known for, especially Mario Kart.
(The original)
The very first Mario Kart game “Super Mario Kart” was released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo platform, and became a favorite very fast. In fact it was the fourth most successful game of all time, selling over 850 million copies worldwide!
The game had a total of eight characters. You could choose between Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Kroopa Troopa, Yoshi, Bowser, or Donkey Kong. The game has a variety of different racing modes. In single player mode, you can do a grand prix, or a time trial. And each of these modes have three difficulty levels: 50cc, 100cc, and if your skills are sharp enough, 150cc. The abbreviation “cc” means “cubic centimeters”, referring to the size of the engine, and consequently how fast your go-cart is. The twenty different tracks come straight from Super Mario world.
(Mario Kart 64)
Mario Kart 64 got it’s name from the platform it was played on: the Nintendo 64. The number 64 actually means that the processor is capable of producing 64 bits. The game was released in Japan in late 1996, and came to North America and Europe in 1997.
As the second game in the Mario Kart series, Not a whole lot is different. Better graphics allowed for a better 3D feel to the game, and two more modes were added: versus mode and battle mode. But as far as characters go it’s still the original eight, except for Kroopa Troopa who was replaced by Wario. In this you see the different weight classes. Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser are heavyweights. Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Peach are middleweights. And toad is a lightweight. Lightweights are known for getting knocked around and even bumped off the track by heavyweight characters, though they have high acceleration and a low top speed. The heavyweights are a tradeoff because they have poor acceleration but a higher top speed. And middleweights are just a happy medium. Nintendo also decided to stick with 20 tracks, 16 of those 20 are for racing, and the last 4 are for battle mode.
(Mario Kart DS)
Let’s not forget about Nintendo’s handheld game console: The DS, especially because the game went through some significant changes with this version. The DS version was released in 2005, and won a number of rewards including best handheld game. And was the top selling game during the first two months of it’s release. The game runs at an impressive 60 frames per second, and received praise for it’s quality 3D display. There are still only eight characters, but a couple new modes are introduced. You can unlock “Mirror Tracks” were you race around the same tacks but backwards. And a “Mission Mode” was added to single player. In Mission Mode, the character has different tasks to complete wether it’s killing enemies on the track or collecting coins. And after 8 missions are completed, you are then given a “Boss Mission” to complete before you level up.
(Mario Kart Wii)
In 2008, Mario Kart Wii was released worldwide. This was a game changer with 24 characters, 32 tracks, and amazing music, this one is considered by many to be “the best”. Multiplayer mode was really stepped up allowing you to do up to four players split screen, and even live race other racers worldwide using Nintendo wifi. This game actually came with a steering wheel since the wii controllers had motion sensors! Also the racers can do stunts, slipstream, drift, and even pop a wheelie! That’s right, they added motorcycles for a total of 36 rides to choose from, all with variable top speed, acceleration, and handling. You also get to race through some of the greatest locations in Mario, such as Bowser’s Castle, down a mountain, and through a shopping mall. They also introduced some new characters: Baby Mario and Luigi, Donkey Kong’s “less professional cousin”, and dry bowser, to name a few. Nintendo even gave you the option of automatic or manual transmission! Obviously no corners were cut when making this game. Everything was taken into consideration, even Lakitu’s facial expression when he fishes you out of a gold mine. This is why the game is so appreciated, and has helped propel Nintendo forward in popularity.
