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Mario Kart

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Mario Kart
File:Mariokartwii sslg3.jpg
A screenshot from Mario Kart Wii, early in development.
Genre(s)Racing game
Developer(s)Nintendo
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Original releaseAugust 27, 1992 (1992-08-27) – Present

Mario Kart (マリオカート, Mario Kāto) is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games. The series debuted in 1992 with critical and commercial success.

To date, there have been four Mario Kart games for home consoles, two portable games, and two arcade games. The ninth game of the Mario Kart series will be Mario Kart 3DS.[1]

Gameplay

In the Mario Kart series of video games, various characters from the Mario universe race on a variety of Mario-themed tracks using go-karts and, in the case of the Wii version, motorcycles. Players obtain items by driving through (or over in Super Mario Kart) item boxes or coins, which can be used for either offensive or defensive attacks, or to power up the engine for a short burst of speed. Each Mario Kart game features several gameplay modes, which can be played in both single player and multiplayer:

  • In Grand Prix, players compete against each other in a themed cup. There are usually four to eight cups and three speed levels, the latter of which act as difficulty levels. Some games include a mirror mode in which the courses are mirrored along their vertical axis. The player wins the cup by receiving the most cumulative points throughout the Grand Prix. Points are allocated based on the position the player finishes in, and vary by game. In addition, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii feature a rating system.
    In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit, players can pick up coins along the track. 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 rating and unlock other tracks.
  • In Time Trial (or Time Attack) the goal is to achieve the fastest time in the selected track. Players are usually given up to three mushrooms (speed boosts) which they can use any time during a timed solo race. 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!!, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii, developers included unlockable "Staff Ghosts" for the player to race against. Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii allow for the downloading of ghosts from external sources.
  • In VS. mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a single race. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. Racing against CPU opponents was for the first time an available option in Mario Kart DS. The number of races, teams, items, CPU difficulty, and more can be set.
  • In Battle Mode, there is at least one battle scenario. Battles can be fought in teams and, in all games excluding Mario Kart Wii, in a free-for-all. Various types of battles have been available throughout the series, the most prominent being Balloon Battle, which involves removing other players balloons by hitting them with items.

Series

Mario Kart WiiMario Kart DSMario Kart Double DashMario Kart Super CircuitMario Kart 64Super Mario Kart

Mario Kart Arcade GP Series

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2Mario Kart Arcade GP

Appearances in other games

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, Lightning, 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. It features arranged versions of the music that accompanies Super Mario Kart's Mario Circuit, Mario Kart 64's Luigi Raceway, Mario Kart DS's Waluigi Pinball, and the original score of Mario Kart Double Dash's Rainbow Road.[4]

The Mario Kart 64 version of the Rainbow Road track makes a cameo in F-Zero X, also for the Nintendo 64. The stage is similar, only missing rails on many straightaways. The N64 Disk Drive also allowes the F-Zero X Expansion, which added the music that accompanies Mario Kart 64's Rainbow Road, remixed in F-Zero-style rock.

The Dream Ski Cross course in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Wii is Mario Circuit (from Mario Kart Wii). It is modified with a snow covered track, snow ramps, a few branches, some new track layouts, and the ending of the track is a pipe that shoots players to the finish line.

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

In Animal Crossing: City Folk for Wii, players can get several of the items and a kart from Tom Nook's shop.

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 Wario 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, Toad, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser exist.
  • For Mario Kart 64, figures of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi were made by Toybiz.

Reception

Nintendo Power listed it as being one of the greatest multi-player experiences, citing the diversity in game modes as well as the entertainment value found.[5]

Because of the tremendous success of the Mario Kart franchise, Guinness World Records awarded the series with 5 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These awards include, "First Console Kart Racing Game", "Best Selling Handheld Racing Game", and a mention of Mario Kart Arcade GP as the only Mario Kart game to feature guest appearances by non-Nintendo characters, with Pac-Man, Blinky, and Ms. Pac-Man available as playable characters. Guinness World Records also named the original Super Mario Kart number 1 on the list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[6]

Playable characters

Characters are listed in alphabetical order. Shaded cells denote unlockable characters.

Racer Super
Mario Kart		 Mario
Kart 64		 Mario Kart
Super Circuit		 Mario Kart:
Double Dash!!		 Mario
Kart DS		 Mario Kart
Arcade GP		 Mario Kart
Arcade GP 2		 Mario
Kart Wii
Baby Daisy Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Baby Luigi Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Baby Mario Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Baby Peach Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Birdo Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Blinky Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN
Bowser Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Bowser Jr. Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Daisy Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Diddy Kong Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Donkey Kong Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Donkey Kong Jr. Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN
Dry Bones Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Dry Bowser Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Funky Kong Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
King Boo Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Koopa Troopa Green tickY Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Luigi Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Mametchi Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN
Mario Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Mii (Outfits A and B) Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Ms. Pac-Man Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN
Pac-Man Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN
Paratroopa Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN
Peach Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Petey Piranha Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN
R.O.B. Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN
Rosalina Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Shy Guy Red XN Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY[7] Red XN Red XN Red XN
Toad Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Toadette Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY
Waluigi Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY
Wario Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Yoshi Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY

References

  1. ^ a b Harris, Craig (2010-06-15). "E3 2010: Mario Kart 3DS is Looking Slick". IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  2. ^ "Virtual Console バーチャルコンソール" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  3. ^ "Download New BIT.TRIP Kicks, Speeding Karts, Magic Castles and More". Nintendo of America. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  4. ^ Smash Bros. DOJO!!
  5. ^ Nintendo Power 250th issue!. South San Francisco, California: Future US. 2010. p. 47. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ Ivan, Tom (2009-02-28). "Guinness ranks top 50 games of all time". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
  7. ^ Shy Guy only appears in the Simple DS Download play mode and is only controlled by players who do not have the Game Card. Players who use their card to join a simple match can not play as Shy Guy but choose their characters normally.
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