Is This Game Better Than Mario Kart!? | Nostalgia Obscura

SUBSCRIBE & JOIN THE SHARK TANK! 🦈 - bit.ly/2VDaxT2
Welcome to the first edition of Nostalgia Obscura, the series that shines a spotlight on the hidden gems from gaming's past. This time we look at Muppet RaceMania, a kart racer that was far better than it had any right to be. We discuss why it innovated and improved on its contemporaries, and arguably outperformed Mario Kart.
Subscribe for more videos all about video games, movies and more!
#muppets #muppetracemania #videogames
🔈Listen to Upside Down Shark Radio! 🔈
🔘iTunes: itunes.apple.c...
🔘Spotify: open.spotify.c...
🔘Stitcher: www.stitcher.c...
🔘Castbox: castbox.fm/cha...
🔘TuneIn Radio: tunein.com/pod...
-----------------
Want to be on the show? Let us know!
🔘Twitter: / udsradio
🔘Facebook: / upsidedownsharkradio
🔘Instagram: / upsidedownshark
🔘Email: [e-mail]
🔘upsidedownshar...
-----------------
Who are we?
We are Craig, Dobbie, Neale, Drew & Tom, and together we are Upside Down Shark.
We get together every week to talk about the goings on in pop culture, what we've been up to and generally have a chinwag. We also have our creative friends on to talk about their projects and hobbies, so we sound cooler by proxy!
Expect film, music, comics, art, books and a whole lot more!
Transcript
Everyone has that game that they played to death back in the day, which no one else seemed to check out, or at the very least, doesn’t get the love and appreciation it deserves.
Our series Nostalgia Obscura looks to shine a light on just this sort of game. Those hidden gems that are hard to play outside of their original hardware, that never got a remaster and yet still helped to shape a generation’s taste in gaming…
...I’m starting with Muppet RaceMania.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Muppets, but being a 90s kid, the films of that era will forever be my favourite. Muppets Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island… Muppets From Space!? Art, every single last one. That’s why I couldn’t wait to get my grubby, six year old mitts on Muppet RaceMania.
This game is so hard to get hold of now. I had to pick up an old Blockbuster rental copy not to crack 25 quid. At least I’ve got the Powerline number if I ever need instant game help.
Originally released in 2000 for the PS1, it’s a kart racer featuring characters and courses from the first 20 years or so of Muppet movies, including Muppets From Space, the most underrated film in the franchise.
Around this time, it felt like every major entertainment property was trying to shoot out a Mario Kart clone, even M&Ms, Antz and the slightly spoiled cream on top of the crop, Star Wars Super Bombad Racing. God I love that game! Sidebar, we also have a Star Wars list of the best games, so check that out if you have the time. But Muppet RaceMania was different. It had 25 playable characters compared to Mario Kart 64’s paltry 8. Sure, most of them had to be unlocked, but that makes everything you do feel important and satisfying with constant rewards. Plus who wants to play as Toad when you can play as Dr. Bunsen?
It saw the first appearance of some more obscure fan favourites like Janice, Scooter and Link Hogthrob since the death of Jim Henson and voice actor and Muppeteer Richard Hunt. It also proved to be the last time Frank Oz would voice all his characters before retiring from the show, making it a surprisingly important entry in the history of the Muppets.
As for game modes, most of your time will be spent in the straight races. Each course is preceded with a great FMV from whatever movie it's based on. It really helps to frame the track in the context of the movie, giving it a real sense of authenticity, whether or not you’ve actually seen the film.
But if you haven’t seen Muppets From Space, you’re really missing out. It has Hulk Hogan playing an evil bodyguard and David Arquette playing an even evil-er scientist, it’s great.
Each track is chock full with secret shortcuts to find, fruit to give you a speed boost and weapons to blow up your opponents. Speaking of the latter, although there are only four items you can use, they’re littered all over the track, much more so than your regular kart racer, with two slots available to bank items a whole three years before Mario Kart Double Dash would give you the luxury.
Much like Mario, there’s also a hilariously chaotic battle mode, where you have to blow up everyone else before they blow up you. Rather than the multiple lives you might find in other games, RaceMania uses a health bar in a similar style to Destruction Derby...

[@UDSGaming]

Did you play Muppet RaceMania? 🤔

[@panasonicyouff666]

I did, can recommend

[@JonClarke]

Nope!

[@UDSGaming]

I guess you were more of an M&Ms racer kinda guy?

[@williampeters1736]

lol yes a lot

[@arcticfirefly5777]

My first ever game. My parents bought it for me when I was 5. I got soppy one day, and sent Traveller's Tales an email/message and thanked them for making the game and how much it impacted my gaming. I actually got a long response from one of the creators of the game, who thanked me for the support and appreciated that someone else found the game a masterpiece, as they did.

[@superawesomechannel5984]

What the heck is a Link Hogthrob?

[@imsethtwo]

boom

[@TadIGuess]

It always makes me happy to see people talk about this game. Shockingly good for what it was, I can't believe a Muppet racing game shaped my entire taste in video games.

[@berylmcberylface4572]

I’m so gutted I didn’t have this as a child 😭 I missed out, dude.

[@UDSGaming]

At least we can all enjoy the feminist icon that is Miss Piggy

[@morbidicus3565]

til today the day i stil play this game hours a day mariokart what is that????? that game is ace it is nostalgia and i simply cant let it go!!!

[@craigbandicoot]

Why do you have so many PlayStation controllers and such small scissors?

[@UDSGaming]

My hands are just very very big

[@Alberto_Tellez]

You know I got the game and I still love playing it no matter what ANYONE says about it. Just like ANY kart racer but THIS is just a lot of fun to race around anywhere themed around Muppet movies. The Race courses, battle derbies, stunt courses, and best of all, the characters and vehicles for those characters you choose to play with are what say it all. It's just plain AWESOME! That is rather fans of kart racers like it or not.

[@BlastoiseToiseGabriel]

I love this game! thanks for this video