The Mario Kart Thread

[Mirby]

That is something that definitely SHOULD be in the next one.

[Hypershell]

My dear DW, I assure you that you are not only in your wish for a Rainbow Cup of sorts.   

I actually kind of envisioned a single Rainbow-warping course, where at every lap a warp pipe takes you to another version of Rainbow Road, eventually crossing every one.  It could be the final course of the highest Retro Cup.

Oh Jelly, it's easily yet another thing that makes MK64 that much more superior.  The ability to completely [tornado fang] over your opponent on a Wario Stadium type jump is precisely what the new games are missing.  That's what made the previous games so great.

DAMN STRAIGHT!

Unfortunately, I think that's one more side-effect of attempting to balance a broken item system.  With so much out there now that targets the leaders, the likelihood of the player getting knocked off, say, the jump in Waluigi Stadium, is that much greater.

[Protoman Blues]

DAMN STRAIGHT!

Unfortunately, I think that's one more side-effect of attempting to balance a broken item system.  With so much out there now that targets the leaders, the likelihood of the player getting knocked off, say, the jump in Waluigi Stadium, is that much greater.

Oh of course it is.  They know how unfair an item system they made, so instead of fixing it, they just took one aspect of the game away, an aspect that once again went towards item strategy and just overall item douchebaggery.

[DarkWaltz]

I actually kind of envisioned a single Rainbow-warping course, where at every lap a warp pipe takes you to another version of Rainbow Road, eventually crossing every one.  It could be the final course of the highest Retro Cup.

That would be an interesting twist, I have to say. It would definitely keep your focus on the track when it shifts. And if such a retro cup were to be done, they better put Royal Raceway in it, heck I'm surprised it wasn't in MKWii, instead you get three Bowser based tracks. I liked 64's Bowser Castle but the other retro one they had... not so much. 

DAMN STRAIGHT!

Unfortunately, I think that's one more side-effect of attempting to balance a broken item system.  With so much out there now that targets the leaders, the likelihood of the player getting knocked off, say, the jump in Waluigi Stadium, is that much greater.

I remember that on Wario Stadium, when I get that string of bananas and I'm in the lead, I try to plant them all near the edge of the final jump in the chance that the AIs would drive into them and fall off the edge. It was hilarious when it happened to three of them at around the same time in one game I was playing.   

[Protoman Blues]

I remember that on Wario Stadium, when I get that string of bananas and I'm in the lead, I try to plant them all near the edge of the final jump in the chance that the AIs would drive into them and fall off the edge. It was hilarious when it happened to three of them at around the same time in one game I was playing.   

Exaaaaaaaaaaaaaactly, DW.  That's what I'm talking about! 

[Mirby]

Am I the only one who puts droppable items right where item boxes are? It's an awesome trap!

[DarkWaltz]

I do that with the fake item boxes for the most part.  Mostly I keep items stuck behind me as a safeguard against red shells, although MKWii, the fake box doesn't protect you like they used to. O.o

[AquaTeamV3]

I do that with the fake item boxes for the most part.  Mostly I keep items stuck behind me as a safeguard against red shells, although MKWii, the fake box doesn't protect you like they used to. O.o

Fake item boxes seem to get more and more useless as time goes on.  At least they looked similar in MK64; now they stick out like a sore thumb, even if you do place them near other item boxes.  They've been reduced to a poor man's banana, and that doesn't say much considering how much bananas have been nerfed.

[Protoman Blues]

The power of bananas have been nerfed, but the defense of them has been improved, which makes them so much worse.

[STM]

The last time item trap boxes were fine with me was setting them at the apex of the loop in Mario Kart DS' Rainbow Road. Using psychological tactics, I set the box right in the middle of the road since people like to stay in the center of the road whenever possible. Usually, that's enough to hit them and set them back a really large distance. If I have the opportunity to again in a future lap, I set them more on the sides as now the other player will be expecting it in the center.

I've screwed over many a racer with tactics like that.

I would like to see something like Mario Kart 64's track handling. I'm glad Jelly mentioned it as I was thinking about how much I missed springing traps like Wario Stadium's jump or the massive Royal Speedway/Rainbow Road jumps. While they put other races who can't pull off the tricks at a huge disadvantage, the level of expertise needed to pull them off is so high that, as mentioned, one miscalculation in your velocity or trajectory and you're doomed to never see the top three unless you're racing a bunch of idiots.

Even then, the items in Mario Kart 64 had enough of a damage devastation that they could pretty much be the most balanced in the series. Even the Blue Shell is more than just a "Kill the bastard in First Place" weapon. Since it doesn't fly and instead travels along the ground, that homing beacon of death will nail EVERYONE who dares get in its way, making it so much more potent.

[DarkWaltz]

I love how well handled the items were in 64, and the banana-brake defense if you hit one except if you're in a turn. Even the blue shell as you mentioned was handled well. At least you weren't the only one getting smacked around with it.

I played MKWii last night, 50cc on the last cup featuring the new tracks. Guess how many blue shells I got on the first track? Three of them, not to mention I also get double hit with a POW box or a lightning before or after the shell. A bit too excessive to be honest, because even in 64 Blue Shells seemed that much rarer.

[STM]

I don't think the computer was ever capable of drawing Blue Shells. I never remember having one used on me in single player at any point, even in Mirror Mode... though, to be fair, I don't even remember red shells. The biggest annoyance in those games, which still exists in the newer titles, is how 2nd and 3rd place will always rubber band up to you.

[CephiYumi]

The biggest annoyance in those games, which still exists in the newer titles, is how 2nd and 3rd place will always rubber band up to you.

Oh I know this one, it's always the same two people for the whole cup too ^^;

[Jericho]

Another thing I really liked about MK64 although I don't know anyone who really uses it a lot is the fact that when you are launched or smacked with any really potent item, you can tap A while in the air so that when you've recovered, you haven't lost all of your speed. In some occasions, doing this right actually nets you a start up at near top speed. My mind was blown years after the fact when I first discovered this and it still leads me to believe that the designers for MK64 knew what balancing was all about.

Oh I know this one, it's always the same two people for the whole cup too ^^;

Nothing like picking Toad and knowing that Yoshi & Peach would ALWAYS be tailing your ass.

[VixyNyan]

Or Bowser and Toad chasing you when playing as Peach in Super Mario Kart. ^^;

Oh, and Luigi's star power when playing as Koopa Troopa.

[CephiYumi]

Nothing like picking Toad and knowing that Yoshi & Peach would ALWAYS be tailing your ass.

Oh mine are way worse x3  Usually if I pick a light kart I get Bowser or DK after me   The other one seems to be almost exclusively Yoshi o.o

Or Bowser and Toad chasing you when playing as Peach in Super Mario Kart. ^^;

Actually like that yeah ;;

[Protoman Blues]

Another thing I really liked about MK64 although I don't know anyone who really uses it a lot is the fact that when you are launched or smacked with any really potent item, you can tap A while in the air so that when you've recovered, you haven't lost all of your speed. In some occasions, doing this right actually nets you a start up at near top speed. My mind was blown years after the fact when I first discovered this and it still leads me to believe that the designers for MK64 knew what balancing was all about.

They clearly did.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with MK64.  It's why every MK afterwards has let me down!

[Hypershell]

I liked 64's Bowser Castle but the other retro one they had... not so much. 

Hey, don't be dissing my GBA Bowser Castle!

Granted, SNES Bowser Castle is superior, but I'll take whatever consolation prize I can get.

[Ike-Mike]

I hope Mario Kart 3DS will tone down the number of racers to a reasonable amount.
Yeah, 'more players' might mean 'more fun' but it also means 'more items flying around at you'.

Though then again MKWii is my favorite next to the original Super Mario Kart exactly because it's on the other side of the spectrum: While the latter requires you to be skilled even in driving the kart the latter us just pure mindless kart-racing fun.

[Protoman Blues]

Mario Kart Saves Child's Eyesight

Touching.

[STM]

I think at this point, Sonic and Sega ASR was a much better party racer at least compared to Mario Kart DS and Wii. Everything there just felt right. Cars could snake, but with three levels of boosting, stringing level one boosts would slow you down heavily. Bikes had the speed up quality from doing wheelies and could string boosts faster, albeit not as potently.

I think the game's only flaw was that if first place gets too far ahead, items won't affect him or her anymore. This is only a problem in online mode where the great equalizer All Star Weapons aren't in effect.

It at least should have smacked Nintendo awake to actually put effort into the titles like Sumo Digital did.

[AquaTeamV3]

0_0  Something like this could only happen in MK64:

[Protoman Blues]

I think at this point, Sonic and Sega ASR was a much better party racer at least compared to Mario Kart DS and Wii. Everything there just felt right. Cars could snake, but with three levels of boosting, stringing level one boosts would slow you down heavily. Bikes had the speed up quality from doing wheelies and could string boosts faster, albeit not as potently.

I think the game's only flaw was that if first place gets too far ahead, items won't affect him or her anymore. This is only a problem in online mode where the great equalizer All Star Weapons aren't in effect.

It at least should have smacked Nintendo awake to actually put effort into the titles like Sumo Digital did.

If Sonic & Sega doesn't, then ModNation Racers hopefully has to, because it's insanely good.

[Akira]

Talking about Mario Kart, I like so much those Commercials

[Mirby]

That... was... AWESOME! Nice find, Aqua.