Mario Kart 64 as You've Never Seen It Before - Low Poly - Episode 6

[@AStartShow]

Hey guys, Andy here For a year and half, I’ve been inundated with requests for new Low Poly, and this is the first of many planned. If you’re one of the hundreds of people who wanted this series to return, please support this episode by sharing it and liking it, show that algorithm we mean business. Thanks for the support guys. Andy

[@GalaxiePerfect]

Hey Andy! Glad to see more content from you.

[@sitkinator]

Good this is back

[@braindeadstreams]

YAY

[@therandomgamer9631]

You should do kingdom hearts 3 glitches

[@kybayon5479]

YEEEESSS I AM SO GLAD ITS BACCKCK

[@vi891]

Conspiracy theory: mario kart 8 models are also sprites only they're extremely elaborate sprites.

[@jaquaviousquanwatchesprn]

Theyre actually 3d models

[@solysteri]

@@jaquaviousquanwatchesprn no shit Sherlock

[@ThatOneSuperCircuitGuy]

@@jaquaviousquanwatchesprn the j

[@Creeps097]

@@jaquaviousquanwatchesprn r/wooosh

[@jaquaviousquanwatchesprn]

@@Creeps097 shut up

[@dark0ssx]

They didn't use sprites instead of models for space reasons. A model wouldn't have taken up more than all the sprites needed for one racer. A sprite is less taxing on the cpu and can have more detail

[@xl2k2008]

Exactly what I was about to write. Sprites take way more memory than a 3d model, the "they used sprites because of memory limitations" doesn't make sense at all. It's all about performances and this game has a really really low polygon count

[@ShinoSarna]

Yeah, models are actually very small because at their basic, they're just a collection of numbers. Like, a single vertex is basically just 3 numbers (its coordinates). Much smaller than a bitmap, where every single pixel is a number. Of course that doesn't include textures and animations, but generally sprites are more intensive in memory, but much less for CPU.

[@yellowblanka6058]

This - it had everything to do with fillrate limits and little to do with cartridge space - in fact, 3D models and some lower res textures that could be reused across carts would have arguably taken less space than elaborate sprites needing individual frames of animation, but of course the pre-rendered sprites looked smoother and more detailed and it's far less taxing to draw 8 sprites onscreen than 8 3D models.

[@mzxrules]

@@ShinoSarna on the N64 it was a little more than just three numbers since vertex data also stored texture coordinates, alpha and either a normal vector or a color

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

@@xl2k2008 Although way less than a model and it's textures, these sprites probably didn't take up that much space (assuming some compression?)....but it was a huge weight off the processor to save the 200+ (x8) polygons required to show even the most rudimentary kart models with sprites for wheels, any frame bars, etc... then for characters, add to that the ~300 (x8 again) polys needed just for equivalents to that ugly low detail version of the Mario 64 model on top of it. so 4,000 extra polys...and that's only IF you redesigned them with fairings......otherwise for 8 similarly-normal-looking karts, with all the intricacies, probably about a total of 10,000 extra polys needed (1,000+ each kart) absolute minimum....and they'd be ugly.

[@lorenzotaz]

I remember being like 5 years old and actually noticing that every item, object and character in the game was like a cardboard plane that always faces the camera. Even though I wasn’t aware of any technical aspects I was impressed by the optical illusion

[@Mugen_YG]

When I was five I was still trying to convince myself that purple crayons could be grape flavored

[@dan_loup]

The 2D sprites actually take more cartridge space than if the carts were 3D models. But the game wouldn't run as nearly as smooth (see Diddy kong racing)

[@NotPython]

that seems a little off, surely a low-def sprite slapped onto an 8 tri model would take up less than a higher-def texture uv mapped onto a model with a high poly count

[@dan_loup]

The thing is that it's not one low-def sprite, it's 64 of em, per character.

[@IrishmanAC]

@@BlueAizu_ That is simply because a polygon model and uv mapping are stored as just simple text files. You get rid of having a fully prepared sprite to render in exchange for asking the system to draw the model and texture every frame or so using that information. Out of all of the files for a model the texture itself would still probably be the largest space wise in that, far less than 64 separate drawings.

[@Imgema]

@@NotPython Each character needs a lot of sprites for the animations. So they take up more space.

[@ZelosSama]

Well they went with the tactics at the time. They nusnt have thought it through completely , and when diddy kong racing came up , they fixed it. Well thats my theory

[@ElectrikStatik900]

*YESSSSS LOW POLY IS BACCKKKKKKKK!!!!!! I LOVE THIS SERRIIEEESSSS* Also please do low poly on Link :D

[@Chaossandra]

What he/she said

[@pinkfreak7686]

Me too

[@nintendoninja9976]

Yes. Please.

[@renzometalwolf]

yeah!! we need it!

[@sirbillthe30th78]

Me to

[@Westile]

I refuse to believe that people didn't know they were sprites back in the day.

[@linguicaguy]

Hey, I was like 3 when I played this game. Cut me some slack lol.

[@sparexcalibur]

I suspected it but I wasn't sure, I knew before the video though

[@OfficialCyaned]

Hey, as you grow up, you learn more about your favorite video games. This is honestly cool tbh

[@oaka5639]

In my defense, i only played it once at my neighbors house

[@lemons2300]

I havent played this game back then, but Ive played enough games to know that there are always and will always be limitations in the technology to make/force/encourge ppl to create games in certain ways, but that was never something I was particular interested in as a child. So I don't think I would've cared even if I did notice, and it'd most likely end up being an afterthought that would last about a second or two. Im more fascinated as to how ppl are getting all anal about this.

[@lamelama22]

I remember realizing they were sprites back when I was playing this as a kid... still amazing how good it looked. It stood out b/c of the pixelated edges of the characters. I may have had it easier than most at the time in noticing it though since I had watched a Donkey Kong Country making of / Behind-the-scenes VHS tape which explained the technique. Pre-rendered sprites were usually much better looking than the extremely low-poly primitive 3D graphics available on consoles of the time (N64, PSX, Saturn).

[@jakubpalinowski123]

When Low Poly becomes literal.

[@BojoJuniorOG]

Can you do Spyro the Dragon next? If you have the time?

[@dragon-tamer7956]

Ooh, good idea!

[@Smileyreal]

it would be cool if he was able to compare the original models and the Reignited ones!

[@creamdream5255]

YEESSSS

[@MrMarinus18]

Yeah, that would be neat since he changes designs so much. I really like is DOD design, I think it's where he looks the most like a dragon. All the cutscene's are in engine and so I would think it would be quite high poly. I do wish there were more video game characters like Spyro. Ones who are quadruped and absolutely not human. I really like Amatarasasu from Okami for the same reason.

[@dritoc6947]

A-am I dreaming..? A new low poly episode?..

[@kirbypop-tart708]

You're not dreaming this is reality :D

[@dritoc6947]

@@kirbypop-tart708 And another one!

[@Octo4533]

*slap* YOU ARENT DREAING, SHIA.

[@trash_lol]

4 poly

[@basicallysnake]

Oh boy this comment didn’t age well

[@awwtizem4173]

I don't know if anyone else is like me, but playing MarioKart 64 for the first time, I could instantly tell that it was using 2D sprites.

[@leeguest9133]

Me too. It was even more obvious when Diddy Kong racing came out WITH polygonal racers.

[@vicviper5009]

Same here, it was obvious to me. Still the best Mario Kart in my heart, I love the drifting physics !

[@tmack729]

Yeah, it's one of the first things I noticed about it.

[@ChadMojito]

Same

[@ShinoSarna]

Probably because they were blurry, and all sprites on N64 are blurry because of texture filtering. Polygon models, on the other hand, are nice and sharp.

[@gordonfreakinfreeman2018]

Oh golly another episode of low poly!

[@DSolymanH]

Im really glad to see a new episode of this series.

[@SS2LP]

I remember actually figuring out they weren’t 3D as a kid. I thought it was really neat how they did that even if I had zero idea what everything was back then.

[@MhxAir]

I've known this for probably 15 years. I always thought Mario Kart was built off a DOOM type engine. The trees and piranha plants really gave it away.

[@missingno2401]

late but doom type engines dont have slopes and doom type engines arent the only engines with billboarding. super mario kart or mario kart super circuit would work in a doom engine

[@MhxAir]

@@missingno2401 you must not know anything about Sonic Robo Blast 2

[@missingno2401]

@@MhxAir u right i don't

[@MhxAir]

@@missingno2401 Basically a super old Sonic game coded in the Doom engine, and mods for it have Sonic Robo Kart and Sonic Riders. It has slopes. Mario Kart 64 could have definitely been done in the Doom engine, and has been proven possible by modders in the past.

[@missingno2401]

@@MhxAir im sorry mate your right

[@literallymalware]

Can you do a Zelda episode next? It would be really interesting

[@berrymuffin420]

PLEEEEAAAASE

[@specticulrtainment1809]

would be cool to see him look at a link between worlds.

[@lilac9346]

I *need* a Link low poly

[@safs1213]

Ocarina! Er, maybe Majora because it was also in the trailer I think, but STILL. Bring it back to how it was with Crash, Mario, & Sonic! Oh well, bread & butter was ALSO in the trailer, but still..

[@narudyholmesie]

@@lilac9346 Me too!

[@BAIGAMING]

5:10 No, games WERE made by wizards, not anymore. Any stories of how Donkey Kong or Doom or maybe that Resident Evil N64 port, etc, show how smart developers were under technical limitations. But nowadays developers don't care, they'll happily make you download a 40GB+ game and then another 20GB day one patch.

[@bosscrafty]

Let’s not forget ridiculous loading times...

[@Nikku4211]

I already could tell they were sprites, but I've never seen them without interpolation. Thank you.

[@GraveUypo]

they honestly look much better without that gross bilinear filter, don't you think?

@@GraveUypo true. That's why I like those sharp pixelated PS1 games more than the blurry N64 ones. Even when I play Quake and... Why wouldn't I still play it, I disable filtering because those pixels are pretty!

[@ZX3000GT1]

@ If you don't care about playing ps1 games the way it originally look, increasing the resolution + bilinear filtering can make games look much better. Case in point - imgur.com/a/nvNhwcS

[@piratesephiroth]

Who didn't see that it was all 2D sprites? I could tell that back in the day, they were a blurry mess even in old CRTs.

[@gameking8809]

as a kid I had no idea how the technology behind it worked

[@gars129]

Playing these games in the Wii era, I honestly didnt mind it since 3D games from the N64 looked dated anyways.

[@TrailerguyGotStolen]

Low Poly? I haven't heard that name in a long time.

[@luissantiago5163]

Looking forward to more Low Poly vids in the future. Keep up the great work!

[@MegaLazygamer]

1:05 30 fps is only possible on cartage? Lots of CD based games ran at 30 or even 60 fps. 3:31 Eight, not sixteen. 3:45 Sprites are used because of CPU limitations, not memory. These spires used in this game are actually fairly memory intensive. 3:48 Technical mastery? That is a very, very, very common effect. Nearly every game of the generation did this. No exaggeration: nearly every one. 4:49 I count seventeen.

[@yellowblanka6058]

Yeah, this is why people shouldn't take the work of some random KZbinr as gospel.

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

Woefully inaccurate video... plus who ever thought Mario Kart 64 used 3D models for the racers haha?

[@iqbaltrojan]

i see where, but it's apart of the triangle above it so that one is slight off on the x/z axis

[@tom_4270]

He's right at 3:31 coz you double the tri count by adding a drop shadow - agree with your other points tho

[@tom_4270]

Oh he's also right at 4:49, there are only 2 tris on the ropes, they're textured so it looks like 5 (Come on dude they're not even triangles)

[@WaxxyOne]

How is this news? If you played Mario Kart 64 and didn't notice that all the characters were pre-rendered sprites, you clearly weren't paying attention. Also, you act like billboarding (rendering a flat model so it's always perpendicular to the screen) was somehow new or advanced tech, when games had been doing it for years by that point. Everything from Super Mario 64's trees to all of Doom's in game sprites were programmed to do something similar. It's not like they invented the technique.

[@SFX_200]

It's news to people that only played the limited number of Nintendo stuff that used those techniques and never ventured out to any other system or computer.

[@GraveUypo]

it's news for these teenager youtubers though. we kinda forget there are people that were born AFTER the 90's. hard to believe, but they do exist.

[@justinchannel128]

GraveUypo I’m a teen, but I knew that they were sprites (well to be fair, spriters resource kind of gave it away for me before I actually played the game for real. Plus I’m a nerd for this kind of stuff)

[@goro205]

LOW POLY IS BACK! I love this series so much!

[@kavo101]

Same here I thought it was done forever

[@JSosaOfficial]

I kinda noticed the “Low Poly” Thing you speak of, as a child on Peach’s Castle Road , everytime I’m off the half bridge.. in the air the camera would have a *overhead look* but I actually can’t see no more detail over the characters head, theyjust remained flat But amazing breakdown tho 💯

[@amphioxusanniversary]

Thanks for the video! You explained well-enough for my mother, who knows nothing about video games and still asks my help for basic computer stuff, was able to follow along. (We did have a bit of trouble, as we both heard 'wrong' instead of 'rom' at 0:49, which means we were thrown down the wrong train of thought and missed what you were explaining, alas. The subtitles thankfully have the correct word in there.)

[@BGlevelextreme]

Even as a kid, on a CRT I could tell it's not 3D, many games in that time used similar techniques

[@youhaveayds8975]

The way they move too looks like animations you would give like a sprite especially when the camera turns around on a character

[@sebastiankulche]

Like a good old youtuber said, they are not even convincing sprites, they are not well cropped out and the animation makes the gameplay harder for not being perfectly in sync with your movement contrary to DKR or CTR.

[@ad964]

"I could always tell they were sprites"

[@SethJV]

"Yeah I was 3 when I played the game for the first time but I still knew it, as I am a genius"

[@malo6748]

I actually didnt know that. That was quite interesting. Also i kinda feel dumb now. Never played MK64 tho.

[@gooseguy9148]

Your not dumb if you've never played

[@SammEater]

It still amazes me how they made the sprites work in replays, with all those camera angles, they basically had to design every angle for 2D sprites.

[@BanjoKazooie0]

You gotta love pre-rendered sprites man!

[@DouglasThompson]

I have never been fooled by the sprites. It was a good choice on Nintendo's part to keep things smooth and recognizable. Good video.

[@NextinHKRY]

LowPoly, after 10 thousand years in development hopefully it will have been worth the wait

[@mcqueenspartyisinhell2013]

Mario: Let's a go Luigi: Yahoo! Yoshi: (Yoshi's sound) Peach: Let's go Bowser: RAWRGGH D.K: (Gorilla sounds) Toad: Yeehoo! Wario: Waahaha

[@SpinnR_FX]

Yoshi: Yoshi! D.K: auhehuaha

[@spongefan155]

Wario: Doh I Missed

[@roninb4826]

Toad when he crashes: auaouaouaoa

[@deadgrass1631]

@@roninb4826 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂(sorry for the crying emoji)

[@mirabilis]

I knew since day 1 (in 1997) that they used 2D sprites. It's quite obvious.

[@frikipulpo3000]

*when Andy is finally able to release a Low Poly video* A+Start subs: GUYS!! Andy's coming!!! Also A+Start subs: *they proceed to fall to the floor like inanimate toys* xD

[@renewings]

LOL

[@thepiemaster477]

I've loved low poly and am very excited to see more of it.

[@deepmind5318]

Modern video games still use similar techniques. As you get farther away from characters and environments, they start to lose detail. And once they're out of view, they instantly disappear. In racing games like Mario Kart 8, once the characters are out of view and too far that you wouldn't see them, they disappear and the game is just calculating their movements, items, and positions, so they essentially go from character models to mathematic calculations. That's how Mario kart 8 is able to run at 60 frames per second without almost ever dipping below that and look incredibly detail once the models are in view.

[@Angultra]

The tracks were 3D most importantly, so light years ahead of Super Mario Kart.

[@pikabluebear9941]

Can you do Low Poly on Mario Kart Arcade GP series? A Triforce Build of Dolphin can run Mario Kart Arcade GP 1 and 2 TeknoParrot can emulate the Japanese version of Mario Kart Arcade GP DX

[@Alex-tq4jd]

YES YOUR BACK!!! ITS BEEN SO LONG I MISSED LOW POLY VIDEOS! (I know this one isn't requested as much but could you do mario kart ds? It was my childhood game)

[@silverslider562]

This game was fcn epic. The split screen 4 person battles for supremacy were crazy good

[@matthewbarabas3052]

i knew they were sprites the entire time. theres a visual difference between sprites and 3D models.

[@MrYoYoBoBoChaddyInsaneZhangII]

Matthew Barabas Yea it does looks kind of funky.

[@chooseymomschoose]

I remember being disappointed by the sprites after all the hype Nintendo trumpeted about its SGI technology. I was expecting something closer to the characters in Super Mario 64. It looked weird to me and still does. To me, Double Dash was the first "real" poly Mario Kart. It's interesting that the DS version of Mario Kart uses real poly models. Of course the resolution of that screen was lower...

[@HappyTimesWithHank]

Yeah same

[@AnthonyFlack]

I'm pretty sure most everybody knew.

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

Did anyone honestly think they were 3D models haha? Apart from the guy making this video apparently.

[@Schmidty030]

So what you're saying is that I used to play a visually realistic version of Paper Mario.

[@ALDONueve]

I knew this was the technique used, is identical to the one in Super Circuit.

[@molo-molo5103]

ALDO Nueve nope, mk super circuit uses mode 7, all the game was made with sprites

[@ALDONueve]

@@molo-molo5103 .............i was exactly talkin of the spirtes.......are exactly the same ones than Mario Kart 64......

[@ProfessionalismTrash]

@@ALDONueve No, he's talking about EVERYTHING being sprites... Not just the characters. According to him, the whole track is a 2D sprite, same for the objects and stuff. That's what Mode 7 means, the track is flat, but looks 3D because of a number of tricks. Mario Kart 64 has actual 3D modelling though.

[@thefacebiters]

Yeah, more depth on this please. Really enjoyed this, very inspiring.

[@adamadamm6996]

Yay, love this series! So glad it returned, because never saw anything like it

[@CS-rk6fu]

" A very blury CRT!" A CLOWN COMMENT !

[@Superminecraftsonic]

I always knew that the characters in the game were just sprits and not fully 3d models.

[@Cyber_Akuma]

Yeah, I mean, even back when this game was new it wasn't hard for me to tell, and I was barely a teenager back then, it wasn't some brain-breaking moment to find out they were sprites.

[@GabiN64]

@@Cyber_Akuma yeah it was obvious. there were other full 3d games you could compare it to.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Cool! I thought this series was long dead!

[@VJ4rawr2]

Great video but I think most people knew they were 2D sprites rather than 3D models.

[@Bffsforever220]

I didn’t know it

[@goblinmcgameface]

Nice to see the return of this series! I wanna see Luigi models next11!!!

[@thelenny2772]

Okay, this is absolutely epic!

[@irritatedmushroom2]

Mario Kart 64 like we've never seen it before, and yet it's the Mario Kart that's been right in front of our eye for over 20 years. Great video by the way!

[@ChaoticMushy]

when I was younger I thought they weren't 2D sprites but as I got older, it was kinda obvious.

[@hadinaser312]

Can you make a low Poly Mario Kart Double Dash Please 💯🔝🤩👏🏼

[@Jellykrop]

Isn't MKDD a high poly game?

[@hadinaser312]

Aaahhh💡🤔

[@mrc14_2]

*we need every mario kart*

[@hadinaser312]

Yes💡👌👏🏼👏🏼🔝💯🔝

[@joeyanimations20]

@@Jellykrop The character polygons look very low poly compared to other gamecube games like Super Smash Bros melee.

[@vincent5436]

At 2:57 If you look at the model a certain way it looks like Mario's head is rotating in the other direction

[@artition735]

Wow that’s so creepy it also looks like Mario’s head has turned fully backwards

[@aidenmonkey3149]

Finally, this series is back!

[@VixxieVamp92]

Oh god I haven't seen a Low Poly video in a while! Also you don't really think about how much brains and techniques goes into making good video games. Delving this far behind the scenes blows my mind and really makes me appreciate the hard work that Nintendo puts into making their games.

[@meltednoodlez6551]

I’m really glad to see this series is back. An episode on Link would be amazing!

[@larshmallows]

Okay but like can we get a low poly with comparisons between games again

[@undefined7206]

I’m so happy right now, I should be sleeping but instead I’m watching an episode of a series that i never thought would come out!

[@davidkonevky7372]

Series i've been waiting to return: Petscop 2 and Low Poly. Thanks!

[@androssgamedev4614]

Such an amazing and interesting series! Thanks for the hard work. I would love to see how F-Zero GX holds up its framerate and speed with the number of polygons.

[@TriStain]

I knew that the characters were sprites for the longest time lol

[@coltonk.3086]

I love the use of 2d sprites, I think it not only makes it look better in general but adds to the charm. Plus I ADORE those old 90’s renders.

[@SnowyFoxlinn]

I have waited 100 million years for Low Poly to come back.

[@gets0410]

It was obvious back then, that the characters were sprites, when I was a kid... even with CRT.

[@gameking8809]

obvious to you, but not everyone had that technical understanding.

[@buincqv67]

Gameking read these comments lmao yes they did

[@BGlevelextreme]

Gameking Even as a Kid you can tell the difference between 3D and 2D. I mean it's flat vs not flat.

[@bradbailey5481]

I thought it was kinda obvious that everything was just sprites... Playing the GBA version helped me realize that lol

[@Vezon2121]

Love this series. So interesting to watch

[@shadexao]

I actually do enjoy the Low Poly episodes you do, I hope you continue this series

[@mortimermcmirestinks]

You should do a Low Poly of Link in Zelda!

[@neonblack4516]

I agree entirely

[@broomer0]

Wrong, sprites take more cartridge space than static textures and 3d models + animation data, they used sprites due to technical limitations, like having high enough polly models to look good could drop the frame rate bellow 30 and could be a real strain in split screen

[@Eli_Santin]

I thought these guys were 2d sprites for a while. Thanks for proving me right!

[@itsmematthew]

Many people are commenting they already knew the game used sprites but it was still very interesting to see the mechanics behind it. I'd love another MK64 video!

[@skateboardhaver9493]

The sprites were for performance issues, not memory issues. The 64 frames are because 64 is the smallest power of two that looks smooth. It's why the N64 is called N64 as well. The N64 is 64-bit, and 64 is the smallest power of 2 that's efficient in a processor. Edited, because these butthurt stereotypes keep misinterpreting everything I say.

[@dragontamer1341]

that's total bs. Nintendo used a 64 bit mips cpu, ,which is why it is named that. not because they liked some random power of 2

[@skateboardhaver9493]

@@dragontamer1341 ...and why is it 64-bit? Because: 2^3 = 8 bit 2^4 = 16 bit 2^5 = 32 bit 2^6 = 64 bit POWER OF 2

[@dragontamer1341]

@@skateboardhaver9493 what does it have to do with 64 being a power of 2? They could have used 40 frames and it would still work. 32 and 64 bit refer to the way the cpu handles data, with 32 bit only being able to have integers, memory addresses etc which are 32 bits wide. it also doesn't mean there are 2 32 bit processors or whatever other bs you think

[@skateboardhaver9493]

@@dragontamer1341 Because powers of 2 make the most sense from a programmers perspective.

[@dragontamer1341]

@@skateboardhaver9493 there you go, they didn't choose 64 because they just liked the number.

[@Philosopher06]

Finally! I love your videos ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@skywardsammspeedruns6479]

I love this series! I've been subscribed for a long time for Son of a Glitch, but Low Poly has already taken it's place as my favorite series on your channel!

[@Char-kd6bl]

I knew the trees and certain obstacles were flat, those were like dead giveaways but I could never tell if the character sprites were truly flat. They did an amazing job at the time making flat character sprites look 3D.

[@MetalPopka]

Please do the in-depth breakdown of all the tracks of MK64.

[@dekudow7190]

Dear Andy, If you do Link next episode... I will make 50,000 different accounts to like that video.

[@Nov-5062]

Idk man, sounds doubtful.

[@dekudow7190]

@@Nov-5062 sshhhhh... im tring to convince him.

[@brandon-butler]

It’s probably 64 frames because it’s a power of two. Probably fits very nicely in memory.

[@sixstanger00]

Maybe I was just gifted as a child, but to me it was painfully obvious they were 2D sprites. The grainyness was a dead giveaway.

[@braindeadstreams]

YAY MAYRO KART LOW POLY THANK U SO MUCH

[@ItPutsTheLotionOnItsSkin]

This video is incorrect and misrepresents history. I don't know how old you are, so maybe you're too young or whatever, but Mario Kart 64 certainly wasn't some kind of clever technical achievement as you're _trying_ to make out here. Quite the opposite... On this games UK release in 1997, UK N64 gaming magazines wrote that it's a shame this game doesn't use 3D character models and were pointing out the technical downsides of using 2D sprites. The same thing happened with Doom 64, which also used 2D character sprites. So when similar N64 racing games later came out, like Diddy Kong Racing, they were _praised_ by magazines AND gamers for using *actual* 3D models. For example - I bought this game on the UK release day, and even as a 13 year old kid with a tiny 14" "blurry" CRT TV, myself and friends could easily see that these characters were "flat 2D". We used to joke about how crap it looked, especially considering how we also had Playstaions/Saturns, which were less powerful consoles in many ways, but here was the mighty N64 using 2D sprites. It looked bad. None of us were impressed or fooled by it, and gaming mags certainly weren't either. It probably isn't intended, but this video comes across as an attempt to rewrite history because you're saying things as if they're facts... Things like no one noticed the 2D sprites on a "very blurry 90's CRT" and "now we know very differently"... Simply not true, because we already knew ALL of this on the games release.

[@ItPutsTheLotionOnItsSkin]

​@Sean Mondout This is a time when 3D was making very big strides within a very short amount of time. For example, Doom from late 1993 with it's 2D sprites, which was released just a few years earlier and had completely cutting edge graphics for the time, was already looking very dated by 1997. When Doom 64 came out it was very disappointing to see a game in 1997 that was _still_ using 2D sprites, *especially* on the most powerful console at the time. Doom 64 and MK64 got lots of flack for doing this. So i can only conclude that you're an immature fan boy because no rational person would say that MK64's 2D sprites looked good in 1997. I have no more time for you emotional immature types. It's like arguing with a brick wall.

[@bosscrafty]

I won’t pretend that I was alive in 1997. I have no first hand experience with the time period. But I’m confused as to what you mean by “looked bad in 1997” when they should be looking even worse today compared to stuff like Mario Kart 8? Maybe people did hate them in the past, but that doesn’t make them “bad.” Lot’s of games, like Earthbound or Zelda: Wind Waker got hate for not having graphics that people wanted at the time, but those same games are held in higher esteem today, and their graphics are considered “charming” and “unique”. It’s not the games that changed, its people’s perceptions of them. I’m sure that reviewers and magazines looked down upon MK64, but it was only because they didn’t like what was, in a way, a stylistic choice. Of course the N64 was limited, but some games did pull off quality 3D models, and the devs of MK64, had they so chosen, could have used models as well. And to this day, there are still people calling MK64 the best Mario Kart. (I don’t know if you’ll respond to this, but if you do, please don’t give a hateful reply about my naiveness. I’m trying to be reasonable and I’m hoping you can too.)

[@yeettom3968]

*just enjoy the video you nerds*

[@C_Corpze]

I find the techniques still impressing to this day, I used to think that those good looking “3D” sprites were drawn by hand but seeing how that’d take ages I see why pre-rendering is so efficient.

[@bosscrafty]

Yes I knew they were 2D, BUT! They still look so freaking convincing! The animations are SO FLUID, the angle to the camera is PERFECT, I am so amazed at it that I can pretend that they ARE 3D without any trouble at all. I can only imagine how hard that must have been to line EVERY SINGLE THING up so perfectly while making the sprites and camera! I agree that the technique they used is still incredible to this day.

[@bosscrafty]

Argh, I’m on mobile so I can’t really edit, but I do want to clarify this: I AM aware that almost every N64 game used this technique as well. What I mean in my previous comment is HOW WELL the developers used the technique, and how difficult it must have been for them to make it almost perfect.

[@JackOfEverything]

4:41 “Luigi Circuit.” You know it’s called Luigi Raceway, right?

[@missingno2401]

you ever heard of region specific names?

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

All Raceways are called Circuits in the Japanese version. Not sure about the European version.

[@latheredtrillionaire5701]

Shut the fuck up, nerd.

[@SlightlyCreative]

Wow, who cares?

[@Ostnizdasht206]

I think the game has aged very well because of the 2D sprites.

[@tonysan1859]

I feel like a majority of the N64 games have aged alot better then the PS1 games and multiconsole variants.

[@ABCodeX]

Knuckles1859 The hell are you smoking? PS1 and Saturn had a high amount of 2D games which aged better than most N64 games combined, you also cant beat that sharp look that 3d PS1 and Saturn games had.

[@tonysan1859]

@@ABCodeX I disagree, a majority of the framerates in the ps1 games were almost unbearable. Obviously not every game that's the case, but theres alot.

[@ABCodeX]

Knuckles1859 I can already tell you’re spitting a bunch of bs. You’ve clearly never played a PS1 game or only played bad ones. From personal experience, PS1 games stay at a consistent 30fps while N64 games struggle to stay above 25 fps.

[@tonysan1859]

@@ABCodeX And you're welcomed to your opinion, I only know from the games I've played personally, I haven't played every multi console variant in existence. I also don't know why your acting all offended, its not that serious.

[@Choom2077]

Ok, I won't pretend to be a know-it-all snob. When this game first launched, I had no idea how the tech worked, behind the visuals. I didn't know if the characters on karts were sprites or 3-D models. I didn't know anything about this stuff except that I loved it and thought it was amazing. About a couple of years later, I began to understand how these games were developed, reading about it and only then knew that the characters were pre-rendered sprites (like in DKC). It didn't take away from my enjoyment though. I still thought it was a clever way to go about adding great depth of detail to each character, as opposed to trying to render actual limited 3-D poly count models. They wouldn't look this good on screen. They (not "we") have come a long way since then. I appreciate this video for actually breaking it down in detail.

[@DeLisi.]

He could make a Low Poly video on birds and id still be so happy. I love this series.

[@avriil6446]

A+start... i... i thought Low Poly died in Zanzibar!

[@MrDrvideogame]

god tier joel meme, my friend :^)

[@Vasquezz28]

Ita funny to me because I already knew they were sprites since the old n64 days.

[@louispalko691]

WOOOOO!!! my favorite series on A+Start. I never see videos like this anywhere else so I'm so happy to see you posting them again.

[@lorenzotaz]

I remember as a kid comparing Mario Kart 64 to Mickey’s Speedway USA, which is a very technically impressive n64 game, and noticing that Mickey had 3D models up close and flat models for far away characters. It’s a pretty game but it has some sacrifices compared to Mario Kart, like only having 6 players per race. Now that I think about it, it’s cool to see how much power Rare managed to get out of the 64. Not only it had great models and textures but it also had 5 cups, battle mode and every track had a unique soundtrack.

[@James2t3]

I always thought the character model/sprites looked really bad In Mario kart 64. It was always obvious to me it was a 2d cheat.

[@raytracemusic]

That's cool but it was hardly unusual and it is how DooM sprites work (though admittedly with way less frames)

[@potocto]

FINALLY YESS THE MOST INTERESTING SERIES THAT IVE EVER SEEN HAS FINALLY RETURNED TO ME!!!!!!

[@jesusvalenzuela2945]

Been waiting for low poly to return :) thanks it’s awesome