Mario Kart

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File:Mariokartwii sslg3.jpg
A screenshot from Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from their trademark and highly successful Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games. At least one Mario Kart game is released for nearly every Nintendo console. To date, there have been five Mario Kart games for home consoles and two arcade games. The eighth and latest installment, Mario Kart Wii, is due to be released worldwide during 2008.

Gameplay

In Mario Kart, the characters from the Mario series of video games get together and race go-karts around a variety of tracks. Players can obtain items by driving through (or over in Super Mario Kart) question mark blocks, which can be used for either defense, offense or by powering up the engine for a short amount of time (boost). Each Mario Kart game hosts several gameplay modes, which can be played in both singleplayer and multiplayer.

In Time Trial the goal is to achieve the fastest time in the selected track. Players are usually given three mushrooms (speed boosts) which they can use any time during the trial. (There are exceptions, though. In Super Mario Kart, players receive no items, in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, players only receive two, and in Mario Kart DS one to three mushrooms are given depending on the selected vehicle's Item stat). Once a record is set, the game saves a "ghost", a replay of the set record, to compete against. In Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart DS, the developers put in their own "Staff Ghosts" for the player to race against. They must be unlocked by achieving a certain time which differs on each track. In Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS, it is also possible to download a ghost from friends. In Mario Kart DS, two ghosts (the player's own, and a friend's) can be saved.

In Grand Prix, the characters compete against each other in a themed Cup. There are usually four Cups: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup and Special Cup.

  • Super Mario Kart features the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup in the three engine classes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc), and Special Cup in the 100cc and 150cc. 150cc mode must be unlocked by beating the 100cc cups first, while the player must clear each of the other cups to unlock the Special Cup. Each cup in this game holds five tracks for a total of twenty tracks in the game. It is the only Mario Kart game where Princess Peach is referred to as "Princess Toadstool" outside Japan, although she was only referred to as a "Princess" in the manual and in the game (this was fixed in the strategy guide), though later Mario Kart games call her "Peach" in all regional releases.
  • Mario Kart 64 has the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cups available in all three (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc) classes. This game adds a Mirror Mode to the series (called "EXTRA" in this game) which is unlockable by beating the 150cc cups. This game also features four tracks to a cup, which has been repeated in each game since.
  • Mario Kart Super Circuit adds in a fifth cup (the Lightning Cup), which is between the Flower and Star Cups. The player must beat the four cups (Mushroom, Flower, Lightning, and Star) to unlock the Special Cup in that certain class. It also includes an "extra" version of each cup that features all the tracks from Super Mario Kart. There is no Mirror Mode in this game.
  • Mario Kart: Double Dash!! starts with Mushroom, Flower, and Star Cup, with the Special Cup unlockable. This game features an "All-Cup Tour" that has all sixteen tracks, which always starts with Luigi Circuit and ends with Rainbow Road, and the fourteen other tracks are mixed up in a random order. Like its console predecessor, it also features the unlockable Mirror Mode.
  • Mario Kart DS has two Grand Prix modes: The Nitro Cups (all-new tracks) and the Retro Cups (all classic remade tracks). Nitro Grand Prix features the four standard cups, Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special cups, while Retro Grand Prix features the Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning Cups. The Retro mode features tracks from all four previous Mario Kart games. This game features 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and an unlockable 150cc Mirror Mode. Players can also play mission mode.

The player wins the cup by receiving the most points throughout the Grand Prix. Points are allocated based on the position the player finishes in. The most a player can get is 40 points, or ten points in each of the four courses in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, there was a maximum of nine points for each race. In addition, Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS features a rating system, which, from lowest to highest, is E, D, C, B, A, one star, two stars, and three stars. In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, while racing on a track players are to pick up coins. Once ten or more coins have been obtained a player's car can reach maximum speed. However, if a kart is hit by any items, bumps into another car, or falls of the track, coins will be lost. These coins can also determine a player's score (3 stars, 2 stars, 1 star, A, B, C, D, E) and unlock other tracks.

Mission mode is only present in Mario Kart DS, and includes several levels, each of which contain nine challenges (one of which is a boss battle). These challenges range include collecting X number of coins, driving through X number of gates, destroying X number of enemies, etc. The player is given a grade upon completing a mission, with E being the lowest and three stars being the highest. There is only one mission level to start with, but by beating each mission level's boss players can reach level 6, and, by achieving a rank of at least one star in all missions, level 7.

In VS. mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a race. The one who crosses the finish line first wins. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. In Mario Kart DS, players can race against CPU opponents for the first time.

In Battle Mode, every player is assigned a set of balloons that can be popped. The aim of battle mode is to pop the opponent's balloons by attacking his or her with items. Once all balloons are popped, the player loses. There have been several types of Battle Mode games.

Some items do not appear in Battle Mode because of the sheer advantage they give their users. This includes Spiny Shells, Bullet Bills, Chain Chomps, Thunderbolts and triple red shells, Mushrooms were also removed before the stealing of balloons was introduced in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Mario Kart DS is the only game where players can battle against CPU opponents.

Playable characters

Racer Super
Mario Kart		 Mario
Kart 64		 Mario Kart
Super Circuit		 Mario Kart:
Double Dash		 Mario
Kart DS		 Mario
Kart Wii		 Series
Baby Daisy Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY[1] Mario
Baby Luigi Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Yoshi
Baby Mario Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Yoshi
Baby Peach Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Mario
Birdo Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY[2] Mario
Bowser Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Bowser Jr. Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY[3] Mario
Daisy Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Diddy Kong Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Donkey Kong
DK Jr. Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Donkey Kong
Funky Kong Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Donkey Kong
Dry Bones Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Mario
King Boo Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Mario
Koopa Troopa Green tickY Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Mario
Luigi Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Mario Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Mii Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Wii series/Mii Channel
Paratroopa Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Mario
Peach Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Petey Piranha Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Mario
R.O.B. Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Robot/NES accessory
Rosalina Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Mario
Shy Guy Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Mario
Skeletal Bowser Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Mario
Toad Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Toadette Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Mario
Waluigi Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Mario
Wario Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Wario
Yoshi Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Yoshi

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Main article: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

This mode was introduced in Mario Kart DS. Abbreviated as WFC, this mode allows players to use Nintendo's online gaming service to match up against other players elsewhere in the world, nationally, or with comparable skill levels. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Mode also includes a "friends roster" which allows a player to play with a group of people he or she knows. Wi-Fi gameplay follows the same scoring as multiplayer VS matches, except with a limit of 4 players instead of 8. Mario Kart Wii will make use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, in which up to twelve people can race online via Wi-Fi.

Other appearances

In Nintendogs, players can find a remote-controlled Kart during walks. There are three different karts, the Mario Kart, the Bowser Kart, and the Peach Kart. Each version of Nintendogs has only one type of kart.

Several Mario Kart-related items appear in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a trophy of a kart from the Mario Kart series is available. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a new item, mushroom, which is from Mario Kart, was introduced and one of the stages is themed after the series' leading stage, Mario Circuit, with a look based on Figure-8 Circuit from Mario Kart DS. The stage is in the crossover of the circuit, and Shy Guys drive from both sides. A heads-up display shows their current location. [4]

Recurring tracks

There are several types of tracks that have been featured in many of the Mario Kart games.

Circuits

Every Mario Kart to date has included several "circuit" courses, one of which serves as the starting course for the Mushroom Cup. Circuit courses are built to resemble actual raceways, with paved track, loose gravel or sand sides, and (in the 3D games) grandstands with onlookers, as well as signs and billboards scattered throughout the course advertising various imaginary racing products. These tracks range widely in difficulty, from simple turns to complex hairpins and banked curves. Particularly memorable circuit tracks are the Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, which is designed in the shape of a large Yoshi (resembles one if seen from air) and Royal Raceway from Mario Kart 64. In Mario Kart 64, Circuits are referred to as "raceways".

Beaches

In every Mario Kart game so far, there has been at least one beach stage. Super Mario Kart on SNES and Mario Kart: Super Circuit on Game Boy Advance had two beach courses. In Mariokart 64, "Koopa Troopa Beach" became popular due to its infamous cave jump which allows players to skip a large portion of the course. It has also been called "The Koop" and "Beach Front Property." The others (excluding the GP versions) had only one beach course. These beach courses consist of rising shore waters (in the 3D titles), deep waters to drown in, crabs, Cheep Cheeps, and other beach-themed obstacles.

Public roads

In all 3D Mario Kart games, there are tracks that include other traffic to avoid. Mario Kart 64 had Toad's Turnpike, which has huge vehicles that go the same direction as the karts. (In the Extra mode, they come toward the karts, making it one of the most unpredictable and most difficult tracks). Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City. They featured different kinds of cars, such as Mushroom trucks, the Wiggler vehicle, and Bob-omb cars. Mario Kart DS has Shroom Ridge, in which vehicles travel on the left-hand side of the road, much like the road system in Japan, Australia and the UK (in Mirror Mode they go on the right-hand side), set on road which winds around a mountain, and a slightly modified version of Mushroom Bridge. Public roads usually come in the middle of the Flower Cup or Star Cup.

Deserts

There has been a desert track in each Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64 (except for Arcade GP). Deserts usually feature quicksand and long stretches of bumpy terrain. In Mario Kart 64, there is the Kalimari Desert, in which a train crosses the track in two places. For Super Circuit, Yoshi Desert makes an appearance (the Sphinxes have Yoshi heads), and Double Dash!! with Dry Dry Desert has a tornado that makes characters fly into the air, plus an area with quicksand and a hungry Piranha Plant living at the bottom. There are also several Pokeys that bend back and forth impeding drivers. The desert in Mario Kart DS (Desert Hills) includes Pokeys, which move from left-to-right, the Angry Sun, who rains fire down on the track, and a Super Mario Bros. 3 desert level-like theme.

Jungles

All games from Mario Kart 64 onwards featured at least one jungle type track. Mario Kart 64 had DK's Jungle Parkway, set atop a waterfall with a steamboat patrolling the river. Mario Kart Super Circuit had both Riverside Park and Lakeside Park, the latter featuring volcanoes which shot out lava balls that spun players out when hit. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had both DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle. DK Mountain's centerpiece was a gigantic DK Barrel which shot players to the top of the mountain. They would then have to drive down the mountain, avoiding massive boulders and traversing a swaying bridge over a fast flowing river. Dino Dino Jungle, as the name suggests, had several dinosaurs stomping and flying around the course. Mario Kart DS had Yoshi Falls, set in a large valley and circling a lake. Yoshi Falls has also been seen in the Mario Kart Wii E3 video suggesting that it may have Retro Cups Similar to Mario Kart DS.

Haunted tracks

Most Mario Kart games have had some courses with a spooky theme. Common themes in these 'haunted' tracks have included dark lighting, Boos, or (in the 2D games) railings which break upon impact. Boo Lake and Broken Pier (both from MKSC) are two examples of all these things. Luigi's Mansion in the Mario Kart DS (based on the GameCube game with the same name), includes a muddy swamp in which traction is lessened. While not strictly haunted, Airship Fortress (in MKDS) takes place in a crumbling castle. It is the only track in the game that includes Bullet Bills firing at players as a part of the level. Also in Mario Kart 64 there is a track called Banshee Boardwalk, which was later revamped in Mario Kart DS as a Retro Cup stage and is a haunted boardwalk and castle.

Snow Tracks

All of the games have at least one snow track included. Common themes of these courses are icy surfaces with little or no grip, water that would freeze the racer if fallen into and snow-themed obstacles such as snowmen (Frappe Snowland from Mario Kart 64), penguins (Snow Land from Mario Kart Super Circuit), ice-skating Shy Guys (Sherbert Land from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) and rolling snowballs (DK Pass from Mario Kart DS). DK's Snowboard Cross in the upcoming Mario Kart Wii is set in a ski resort and features ramps and a half pipe for racers to perform stunts.

Stadiums

In three of the games, there has been a stadium track, which takes place in a dirt arena surrounded by grandstands, similar to a Supercross track. Typically associated with Wario and Waluigi, they contain many jumps, bumps, turns, and (more recently) fire and oil. Stadium tracks are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty, although the stadium in Mario Kart DS is among the most challenging tracks.

Since the introduction of Waluigi in the Mario Kart series, there have been two stadiums in the game. The alternate stadiums, instead of being dirt tracks, are mostly made of metal, with a definitive superstructure. The two metal cage tracks are Wario Colosseum and Waluigi Pinball.

Bowser Castles

Bowser Castles are particularly well known for unforgiving and straight 90-degree turns, lava pits, and Thwomps. Super Mario Kart features three Bowser Castle tracks, while Super Circuit has four; the rest only have one (Mario Kart DS has two but one is taken from Super Circuit). They are usually the penultimate tracks of the game, with the only track afterwards being Rainbow Road. Due to their stiff turns and obstacles, they are technically demanding. The name has also been spelled as Bowser's Castle; this name appears in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

Rainbow Road

Rainbow Road is the name for the final track in the last cup (the Special Cup) of every Mario Kart game to date. It is one of the toughest tracks to master, as the track is suspended in space and generally has few or no rails to prevent the player from falling off of the edges during a turn. Mario Kart 64 is an exception, where guardrails are used for the entire track, but it is still relatively easy to jump over them.

Other features of the Rainbow Road tracks include 90-degree turns and flashing Thwomps (Super Mario Kart), Chomps and steep drops (Mario Kart 64), speed boost panels, Jumps, Storm Clouds (Mario Kart Super Circuit), a teleporting pipe (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), and a corkscrew and looping elements (Mario Kart DS) that might either provide a helpful edge or cause a player to lose control and careen off the track. Double Dash!! features a set of hairpin turns, and also is the only game in the series to feature stars that occasionally land on the track and become a star power up for anyone who touches them. Since Mario Kart 64, Rainbow Road is the only track to have the same music theme in every game, though each one is remixed differently.

Merchandise

Mario Kart has also had a range of merchandise released. This includes a Scalextric style Mario Kart DS Figure-8-Circuit. It came with Mario and Donkey Kong figures, while a Yoshi and a Luigi are available separately.

A line of remote-controlled Mario Karts are available in stores. Each kart has a Game Boy Advance-shaped controller, and features forward driving and rotates when put in reverse, instead of steering. The current line-up of karts are Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. There are three large karts that depict the same trio. These karts are controlled by a GameCube controller shape.

Japanese figurines of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser exist.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/?v=news&p=25251 Baby Daisy, King Boo revealed - Aussie-Nintendo.com
  2. ^ http://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_Wii#Unlockables
  3. ^ http://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_Wii#Unlockables
  4. ^ Smash Bros. DOJO!!
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