PixlBit

 Number 8

 

One of my favorite multiplayer games is Mario Kart. I’ve always liked these games. I remember the very first game in the series that I tried when I was a kid was Mario Kart 64. It was a new type of game for me, because when I thought of Mario, I always thought of him in a platformer game. I t was pretty neat seeing him in a racing game, and a fun one. Back then, racing games either involved cars racing on a race track, or being chased by the cops. I liked playing those types of games, but Mario Kart was different. Instead of just racing and passing your opponent, you used a variety of items from Mario games to hit your opponents to move up a position. I found it very fun. It was also neat seeing a racing game that allowed you to race on a variety of levels/tracks than just courses on tarmac.

Mario Kart 64 was also the game that got my mom and dad to play. It was really fun, and with my little brother, we had 4-player fun. It was such a great time when we played. My mom was really good at the game too and we had a hard time beating her when she grabbed a controller. My dad even played with us like I just mentioned, and while he wasn’t good at it, it was neat to see him play with us, and he’s never played a game before.

Years later I’m still attached to the series, whether it’s a handheld instalment or a console one. But here’s the thing, I have no idea which is my clear favorite. I like all of them for different reasons and everyone has their own version of their perfect Mario Kart. Like yesterday, I will be cheating quite a bit, so sorry about it. But here are my favorites:

Let’s start with the oldest entry in this post, Double Dash. Double Dash used to be my favorite in the series, when it came to console installments. When I first played it, I knew it couldn’t get any better. Or so I thought. The gameplay was improved and so were there graphics, at least I wasn’t driving a 2D model on a 3D course now. It also introduced new gameplay elements, most importantly, 2 characters on 1 kart. At the time, that was just mind-boggling to me. It was neat, you had one character driving, and the other handled items. But the real fun in that lies in the co-op modes. Rather than having 2 separate screens on tv, 2 playes can play in one if they use the co-op function. It neat because one player can drive, while the other handled the items, and you could switch positions too. It added an element of strategy to races and you had to work together with your partner during a race. It also added character exclusive karts too which was cool because it added individuality to a character. It even gave them their own special items, like a Fireball for Mario, or a giant shell for Bowser that travels throught the course. Though they might be unbalanced. It was a fun game with a pretty interesting concept, that I still don’t think Nintendo has toppled down. Who knows, we might see Mario Kart: Triple Boost at some point.

            
Next is one of the handheld titles. Mario Kart DS has always been a favorite of mine. It was the first 3D portable entry in the series and also the first to impliment online play using the now defunct Nintendo WiFi Connection. I loved the game, it was a really good game. It had a lot of cool tracks and some really neat Retro Tracks. It also featured a mission mode that has you complete objectives in different levels, from collecting coins to going against bosses. I think it might have the most replay value in any of the games in the series. It did everything that the console versions of the games did, and it did it well. The only real flaw I can think of now is that the steering controls might feel dated compared to Mario Kart 7. 

Mario Kart 7 is the most recent portable entry. It’s really more of the same but it does bring some new additions. You can now race underwater and glide in the air. It’s neat but they are sort of underused in my opinion. One new feature is a first person mode using the 3DS gyroscope controls. It’s neat and was the only way I was able to play this game when my analog on my 3DS broke. It also features customizeable karts which is one of my favorite features. As well as better online play.

Mario Kart 8 is the latest in the franchise. If it wasn’t for Double Dash, this one would clearly be my favorite. It combines all the elements from the previous games (except DD) and mostly from 7. It did everything 7 did, but better and further expands on the hangglider and underwater portions, and adds anti-gravity that allows you to race upside down, or on the side of sections of the course. It has a lot of tracks and they are really well detailed and have something going on during the races as well as providing with lots of playable characters. The game looks really good too and moves at a smooth 60 frames per second, thought some people say 59 but is anyone really going to spot the difference? It also features customizeable karts as well as having dlc for the first time and amiibo support. The online has been greatly improved too. I don’t think any game will shake up the formula the way Double Dash did, but I think this game comes close to. It’s really fun and feels like F-Zero in a way. The only gripe I can think of is the battle mode.

And that’s it. I know I cheated but I just couldn’t decide on 2, let alone 1. I love these games for different reasons and each one did something different that sets them appart from everything else. Double Dash and Mario Kart 8 are tied as my favorite console entries while MK DS and 7 are tied as my favorite handheld entries. The games are fun and are even more fun with more people. But as I said before, everyone has their own favorite version of the game, I have these. I haven’t played all of them, but would if I could.

So, which are your favorite Mario Kart Games? Thanks for reading and later.     

*Mario Kart 8 images courtesy of me, Mario Kart 8, and my Wii U*