Mario Kart 64 Video Review

Gaming Pastime reviews Mario Kart 64 for Nintendo 64.
Developed and published by Nintendo, Mario Kart 64 was released for the Nintendo 64 in February, 1997. Mario Kart 64 introduces several mechanics that have since become series staples but the cart handling has only gotten worse with age.
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[@Coldfire242]

I really appreciate that this channel does whatever the absolute fuck it wants to and reviews what it’s in the mood for.

[@harry1178]

He didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose him.

[@BlackiechanFu]

Ah yes. I have been waiting my whole life for someone to review Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64.

[@conformistbastard9842]

Well it was pretty good.

[@Se7enDsinSGaming]

I laughed hard but I also related

[@Rountree1985]

What kind of comment is this? There are plenty of reviews of this game.

[@BlackiechanFu]

@@Rountree1985 It's a sarcastic comment because this game is old af we basically watch these kind of retro reviews for the nostalgia trip not really for the review itself. That's the joke.

[@andy23r]

I'm legit excited you're doing the Mario kart series now

[@RichardArpin]

Having recently played Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, I was so disappointed in the Battle Maps being regular maps rather than specially designed maps like in MK64. The MK64 Battle Maps are awesome, especially block fort, and with screen watching back in the day the player that could process information the fastest typically won. The skyscraper level was pretty meh though.

[@Rountree1985]

They fixed that for the Switch version.

[@Grandmaster-Kush]

3 people playing on a 28 inch CRT in early 2000 with somewhat broken controllers, oh yeah!

[@kyledodson2992]

My issue with non MP racing games is the over reliance on RNG. I love racing games, but only those with MP

[@DanMcLeodNeptuneUK]

I remember playing this before local release at 7 years old. A relative of mine of similar age got the game and console from either Hong Kong or Japan imported months before the UK release! We had an amazing night! I recall being totally blown away by the graphics and 3d traffic on Toad's turnpike! After playing the original SNES version, Mario Kart 64 really made a huge impression on me. I loved it, and nostalgia may play a part, but I just can't get behind your negative experiences of the game. When it was released, there was nothing else like it.

[@kupokinzyt]

3:40 fun fact, some of these sounds used in this music, were later remade and sampled for the GameCube's media-menu UI.

[@firestarter6488]

Now I'm really curious of what you'll say about Double Dash, seeing as that was the most "different" style of the entire series.

[@RacerC45]

My question is why they changed Balloon Battle in later games from the last man standing format. Looking at you, Mario Kart Wii and 8 Deluxe.

[@X99R]

My take is, if the game runs for too long, the players that were already eliminated would sit still for too long and, in a online environment, would end up quitting the game

[@th3blackghost214]

I can feel the Nostalgia coming back to me 😁

[@yellowcard425]

I love your honesty with reviews most people give this game such great raving reviews. My opinion is always Mario Kart 64 is my least favorite too. I've always pissed people off saying CTR is way better than Mario Kart 64

[@Rountree1985]

Double dash is the worst game in the series IMO

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@rountreeeightyfive Objectively wrong, but whatever.

[@TheFissionchips]

Please do a review of all the F-Zero games, my favourite Nintendo racing titles.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

He did F-Zero X.

[@fictionalmediabully9830]

Mario Kart 64 was a favourite of mine when I used to play retro games on the Wii Virtual Console, but it definitely hasn't held up well. The handling is frustrating, despite the analogue precision being great overall. But the rubber band AI really ruins the gameplay. The AI is so shoddy and clunky that it completely defeats the purpose of getting good, and the tracks have seen much better days. It's not bad, but compared to later entries like Double Dash and 8 Deluxe, and even its predecessor, it can't help but pale as a whole. The battle mode is good fun though.

[@Rafathy]

Wow, my nostalgia glasses are on too tight. I love this game, but it was nice to hear a more unbiased opinion than that of my friends or my own.

[@phantom4060]

Great video. Ur reviews are very entertaining to watch

[@DannyBenS94]

It's good to know I'm not the only one who couldn't really get into this game very much. I'm sure if I grew up playing this game, I'd love it still, but since I've only played it on rare occasions growing up, I'm not blinded by nostalgia. Not saying you have to have nostalgia to get any enjoyment out of it, but when I hear people comparing this game to Diddy Kong Racing and CTR and even later Mario Karts and then say 64 is better, I'm 99% sure they play the game with nostalgia goggles on. Now I grew up playing CTR, so of course nostalgia has a hand in me loving that game, but I can admit when a game does it better, such as CTR Nitro-Fueled. Pretty good video (not just because I agree with you on the game lol)

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

I grew up with Mario Kart 64_ and I can confidently say it doesn't hold up. Crash Team Racing I didn't get to play until much later, and it's a masterclass in kart racing game design.

[@Venom3254]

Yea, MK64 didn't age well. Even in the 90s Diddy Kong Racing was superior with the controls and depth to it. Nostalgia carries this entry hard.

[@sebastianaliandkulche]

@@Venom3254 Or even the original Mario Kart on the SNES.

[@malachor5ve]

Hey Gaming Pastime, you didn't review Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS?

[@willdill4987]

omg. after all these years I've never noticed that the CPU never uses red shells.

[@cyrus2546]

It was great in 1997 but hasn’t aged well. Diddy Kong Racing came out the same year and was/is a far better game.

[@ptbunz2501]

The fact that you say "it's not that bad" means that it is lol

[@azn1011]

i don't remember the terrible handling, then again i haven't played this game in like 20 years lol

[@jakeybarra4015]

I rented mario kart 64 n64 game at blockbuster when I was a kid.

[@Sammykyt]

WELCOME TO MARIO KART

[@nicolemonrue]

I just bought this on WiiU.....you're right, the handling is horrible!...to me this is the worst one in the series

[@rmtheg234]

The very 1st game I ever played on my new n64 back in the day.

[@Turok1134]

For me, I've been playing MK 64 for so long that every newer game just feels less than ideal. I dig the handling and there's a certain pace to the game that the other ones don't really match.

[@leemar1978]

I just don’t remember having the negative experiences you have in MK64? It has been sometime since I played it though, so I may think differently now. I had the Japanese release back in the day when it released on import in the boxed edition with the black controller. I used to play this game to death and absolutely loved it. Just don’t remember any handling problem’s? Yes MK64 can be frustrating but that is MK for you, love or hate it!

[@pushon10]

are you from new jersey?

[@s31ACE1252]

Love Mario 64. My bro and I played the crap out of this game. I never found the handling to be an issue. I still play it to this day and can breeze through the 150cc cups.

[@brunolike8631]

I just got recommended this channel and my opinions of it are simple: IGN with curse words lol

[@Ricardo-bf6zj]

This guy: This game is bad because it's old and the mechanics were not very good compared to modern ones. Literally everybody else: This thing is fun!

[@tvgamerstan6180]

This game hasn't really aged well tbh. I feel like the reason crash team racing wasn't the bigger game is because mario is more mainstream than crash. But if you ask me the original crash team racing is way better than mario kart 64. Same thing is happening now with mario kart 8 and crash team racing nitro-fueled. Crash's game is overlooked while mario kart 8 is beating it in popularity. I like crash team racing nitro-fueled more. When it comes to mario kart wii, I love that game. That's my favorite kart racer. It has ctr nitro-fueled beat. It sucks how underrated it is though. It should've blew up.

[@markcooperartcom]

I hate how Nintendo wont release anything on pc.

[@andy23r]

Dude it's called emulation if you Want to play these games again you can easily download them and download yourself an emulator Hell there on ios and android

[@ncrikku]

ikr?! get it together, nintendon't!

[@markcooperartcom]

@@andy23r I have all of the emulators and games. I have my own server with 10 terabytes. I'm talking about proper pc releases of new Nintendo games on Steam with 4k capability!

[@markcooperartcom]

@@ncrikku Yeah, at least Genesis games are on Steam. lol.

[@andy23r]

@@markcooperartcom I absolutely agree with you

[@peter-w]

Wait.... where is the Super Mario Kart Review?!

[@Gamingpastime64]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWS2aX-VfZmBgbM

[@peter-w]

@@Gamingpastime64 thanks 🙈

[@TobeyStarburst]

Never had a 64 says it all

[@33Dannyb]

I gotta be honest MK64 is the only Mario Kart game I really enjoyed. I like how there is not too much emphasis on power sliding but it’s there if you want to. I loved the sense of speed and openness of the tracks. The newer Mario Karts focus too much on track obstacles and items.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

It's hardly a game if you're not given something to avoid, or at least anything that engages the player into its systems. This is ignoring the horrid rubber band AI that makes getting good completely pointless.

[@Splozy]

@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 IMO it's the best multiplayer game because it relies on racing lines more than any of the others. I don't really play MK for the single player.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@Splozy Do what makes you happy, but a game at the bare minimum needs to have fun single player content. If Multiplayer is the only thing holding it, then it still fails because any game is fun with friends regardless of quality. Give me Diddy Kong Racing instead.

[@Splozy]

@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 Not for me, I don't play MK for the singleplayer, so it doesn't matter to me. It's my favorite MK and the one I think is the best. It's the 3rd best kart game imo, 2nd being CTR and 1st being SRB2K.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@Splozy You're just repeating yourself, and it's fundamentally the worst.

[@Lycan3303]

Diddy Kong Racing was better ..... YAH I SAID IT !!!!

[@ncrikku]

As a long time Mario Kart enjoyer, you ain't wrong. DKR was supoib.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

12 Year Old Me: BEST GAME EVER! Now: Meh.

[@Splozy]

MK64 is still my favorite MK game. It's fast, slick and the courses are great. I like the handling and don't think there is anything wrong with it being unwieldy. It forces you to pick your racing lines wisely and set up for maneuvers. It's not any harder to handle than the classic wipeout games or some other arcade racers of the time. I only enjoy playing these racing games multiplayer though, many of them have the same problem with F-Zero style rubberbanding that puts AI on your backside for the entire race.

[@greatlegacy]

Mario kart 64 is the goat man.

[@1300l]

I agree about the cart handling and RainbowRoad But later MarioK games got so bloated that i just love it's still circuits with a Mario World coat and Karts

[@DarthMarino]

It's hands down the worst game in the series but expect a ton of negative comments because people had fun on 2 of the 4 battle courses 25 years ago. One thing I hate in this game that never gets mentioned is that the mushrooms don't really make you go faster. The CPU basically stays with you when you're rapidly using a gold mushroom.

[@Gamingpastime64]

Yeah, they're basically useless.

[@mitchellgoldstein1573]

okay youngie, we understand it doesnt work for you

[@DarthMarino]

@@mitchellgoldstein1573 True, I've only been playing the series since 1992.

[@TKsh1]

It's a decent game, but there's absolute no reason to play it when CTR and Diddy Kong Racing exists. MK64 is just subpar compared to those in almost everything.

[@mitchellgoldstein1573]

your young age is showing

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@Mitchell Goldstein Age doesn't change anything.

[@markusk3015]

Better than pitstop from C64, hahaha

[@RETROBOB7890]

My least favorite mario kart is super mario kart, I don't have any fun when I play it it sucks. I had more fun playing mario kart tour then super mario kart. There we're effort put into that game but it wasn't fun

[@MrMichealHouse]

Lol gaming pastime reviewing Mario games. I'll get my popcorn ready for the triggered Nintendo fans sperging out.

[@Stefandorf]

I never liked mk snes with his stiff controls and flat boards. Same with mk gba. Mk64 plays way better. long and boring courses? Sure, i guess. But double dash courses are way too short (and karts are way too fast), music is too catchy and voices are too kiddy. Never liked the art style and double kart gameplay. Mk8 is my fav, then mkw, mk64 and mk ds.