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I've been on a Mario Kart kick lately and hopping between, well, all of them, so let's talk about them! And other kart racers too, that sounds cool to me!  MARIO KART is a series of arcade-ey kart racing games starring Mario and friends (and sometimes other Nintendo characters). You pick from a roster of drivers with different attributes such as speed, weight, and acceleration, and you race on Nintendo-themed courses and use wacky powerups to give yourself an advantage and totally screw your opponents. Oh yeah and there's battle mode, where you face off against your friends and smash each other up. The series has spanned a wide range of platforms from the SNES to now, and even mobile phones. The games have added and removed different features as they've gone along but the core gameplay has largely remained intact.  The original game in the series, Super Mario Kart came out on the SNES in 1992. It uses Mode 7 graphics and flat sprites to allow 8 Mario characters to race around 20 courses, broken up into 4 cups of 5 courses each. The game has 3 difficulty modes denoted by engine class, each one ramping up the kart speed and the AI's propensity to be a colossal piece of poo poo. Each AI opponent has a character-specific special attack they can field at any time, while the players are relegated to getting randomized powerups by driving over question-mark tiles on the track. There are also coins on the track which increase the kart's top speed to a maximum of 10 coins; getting hit by enemy powerups or ramming other racers costs you coins. The racers fall into 3 categories: "light" racers who have good acceleration but lower top speed, "heavy" racers who have slower acceleration but the best top speed, and "medium" racers in the middle. The game also has a battle mode, where two players face off in arenas and use powerups to damage each other - first to score 3 hits wins. The game is currently playable on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Online subscription, and supports online multiplayer for two players.  Mario Kart 64 came out on the Nintendo64 in 1996. It is the first game in the series to feature 3D graphics (although the kart racers themselves were cleverly-disguised 2D sprites). It also features 8 racers (although in a colossal lapse of judgment, Koopa Troopa was removed in favor of Wario), 16 all-new courses (4 each across 4 cups), 4-player multiplayer, and introduces slipstreaming as well as the ability to hold more than one item at a time. It also introduces a series staple: the blue spiny shell, which homes in on the racer in 1st place and is guaranteed to hit. The game is currently available on the Nintendo Switch + Expansion subscription.  Mario Kart Super Circuit came out on the Game Boy Advance in 2001. It returnes to the sprites and Mode 7 graphics, kept the same roster as Mario Kart 64, and boasts 20 all new tracks as well as the 20 “retro" tracks from the original Mario Kart as unlockables. The game kept the 4-player multiplayer, and even let 4 players play from the same cartridge.  Mario Kart Double Dash came out on the Gamecube in 2003, and was the first (and so far, only) game to introduce co-op play by putting 2 racers on each cart - one would drive and the other would assist with drifting and using powerups. The game features 20 racers and up to 16-player multiplayer via LAN, competing across 16 courses. This is the first game in the series to feature kart selection for their team which could affect overall stats, as well as the first to introduce series-staple "mini-turbos", where a racer can gain a quick turbo boost but executing a drift. A returning feature is that racers have special character-specific powerups, only this time they can be player-controlled. Most importantly, it features the return of Koopa Troopa as a playable racer.  Mario Kart DS came out on the Nintendo DS in 2005, dialing back the racer count to 12 and making several of them unlockable based on performance in the grand prix cups. It features 8 cups of 4 courses each, of which half of them are returning courses from prior games. It is the first in the series to support online play over wifi, and the first and only game in the series to feature "mission mode", where players are tasked with completing missions such as collecting coins or defeating enemies in a certain time limit.  Mario Kart Wii came out on the Nintendo Wii in 2008, and is the first entry to feature motion controls via the wiimote, and came bundled with a Wii "steering wheel" which could house the remote, although it is not necessary to play the game. It features 24 characters, introduces bikes as a vehicle option, and includes 32 courses (16 new, 16 returning from prior games) and supports 12-player racing. The game introduces "tricks" as a gameplay mechanic, where players can gain a speed boost by doing a stunt while going over a jump.  Mario Kart 7 returned to handhelds on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, and features online play for up to 8 players and is the only game in the series to feature 3D graphics. The game introduces automatically-deployed gliders used in certain sections of the courses as well as underwater sections, and also introduces kart customization by way of selecting a body, wheels, and glider, all of which can impact a kart's stats. The game features 17 characters, and 32 courses. Unlike older titles in the series, the multiplayer still works on the 3DS and there's still a pretty good selection of active players.  Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe originally came out on the Nintendo Wii U in 2014 and was re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The Deluxe version has a completely insane 41 racers and 48 courses, with another 48 remade "retro" courses in the pipeline via DLC through the end of 2023. The game maintains much of the gameplay additions from Mario Kart 7 but also features anti-gravity racing on walls and ceilings. The game is fantastic, any and all Switch owners should have it in their collection.  Mario Kart Tour is a mobile game from 2019; it is free to play and supports microtransactions. While there is an obvious stigma around free to play mobile games as being shameless lovely cash-grabs, I'll actually step up to bat for this one - the game doesn't pull any bullshit like "race tickets" where you can only race a certain number of times per day without spending money, or really much pay-to-win nonsense. It has "fake" multiplayer against bots with human-sounding names, but does feature limited live multiplayer support. Karts auto-accelerate and the player handles turning, drifting, and using items, and there's a silly number of racers, karts, and gliders to unlock via loot boxes and progression, and all karts and drivers handle the same. Yeah the game is simplified but there's still some luck and skill involved, and getting "high scores" is kind of contingent on using rarer racers, karts, and gliders, but none of that hampers your ability to get first place in a race and have a good time racing across a pretty good selection of courses right out of the gate without spending a dime, and "rubies" (the in-game currency) are unlocked at a pretty decent clip without spending money. For a free mobile game, they could have made it WAY worse.  Ever wanted to drive a real life Mario Kart? Well Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for the Nintendo Switch kinda does this by putting you in control of a little remote controlled kart with a camera on top, which links to your Switch and overlays everything with augmented reality as you drive the kart around your house. I haven't actually played this one yet, but I've got it coming in the mail tomorrow. We'll see how much my cat likes it! Let's talk about stuff! Favorite games, favorite drivers (Daisy, Koopa Troopa), favorite courses, kart builds, pro tips and strats, let's see where the discussion goes! I don't know much about other kart racing games so I'll leave that up to other people, and I'm happy to link to "secondary" OPs about other games if people want to write stuff up. OTHER KART GAMES! Diddy Kart Racing Xenomrph fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Mar 16, 2022 |
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Mar 10, 2022 02:42
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Let's swap friend codes and poo poo, so we can race and play games together! I'll try to amend this list with friend codes as other people post theirs. Nintendo 3DS Xenomrph - 3454-3182-4497 Nintendo Switch Xenomrph - SW-6039-5183-3618 100YrsofAttitude - SW-5181-2261-0743 Rupert Buttermilk - SW-0647-4375-9598 jackhunter64 - SW-2353-8340-5534 Mario Kart Tour Xenomrph - 670671278945 Xenomrph fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Mar 16, 2022 |
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Mar 10, 2022 02:50
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I think my favorite course in MK8 so far is Thwomp Ruins, and it’s almost entirely due to the music. https://youtu.be/yCYUkablczI
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Mar 10, 2022 16:14
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Speaking of mini turbos, for the life of me I cannot do mini turbos in MK DS, I get a couple sparks and then nothing. I’m trying to hit left and right repeatedly and it doesn’t do anything. Another control problem, how do you do wheelies in MK Wii using the steering wheel? I’ve tried tilting it back, raising it up (even above my head), nothing works. 
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Mar 10, 2022 16:34
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A Cup of Ramen posted:Hello I'm here to post, I started with MK64 and played it a ton as a kid but that's only cuz I had friends who hung out a lot back then, I never actually felt like I understood how to play good till Double Dash and even now 64 still feels janky to me. Sampler? It’s doubling the course count, it’s more like a buffet.  Coaaab posted:Before the DLC on March 18, I've been trying to reach 10,000 VR online (bought MK8D on release but went through periods when I didn't play for years and now started again over the past month or so) and now I'm less than 200 points away, but those Worldwide rooms can be brutal I am profoundly lovely at online play in MK8D, at first I thought it was my kart build but after watching some “meta” videos on YouTube and trying some of their suggestions and still getting stomped, I think the problem is I suck.
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Mar 10, 2022 16:40
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A Cup of Ramen posted:Back in the day I just mashed left/right like I was playing a Mario Party mini game and it worked out for me, you're not trying to press them at the same time right? Nah, I’m alternating them. If I press it too many times does it screw up the turbo?
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Mar 10, 2022 16:47
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:Couple things: One reason I’m basically playing all of the MK games at once is so I can see the different iterations of each course over time, too.
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Mar 10, 2022 18:21
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Omnikin posted:On a side note ask me about how much I loving hate items in Mario Kart and wish there was an online mode that prohibited those (standard, non-tourney or whatever)
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Mar 10, 2022 18:29
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b_d posted:specifically, super, double dash, and 7 are just being brutalized here. They’re the first ones I found on a Google image search! Speaking of Double Dash, in my shotgun replay of every game in the series right now I think the one I’m enjoying the most so far is Double Dash (and not because it was the most expensive one to get   ). Having two characters per kart is fun, and the races feel hectic without feeling like the AI is being unfair.I wonder if there’s a way to do faux LAN stuff and get that game’s multiplayer going. I am playing on a Wii though, I dunno how/if it handles LAN stuff. Simsmagic posted:Hell yeah Mario Kart is one of my all time favorite series. At some point I'll try to do a write up of the Sonic kart racers cause they're good and unique in their own right. Do a write up and I’m more than happy to link it in the OP.  Just for laughs I should do a write up on the Burger King Pocketbike Racers game, it’s kart-adjacent .
Xenomrph fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Mar 10, 2022 |
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Mar 10, 2022 21:05
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100YrsofAttitude posted:Koopa Troopa was my dude as well and I get the pain. Hell yeah, Koopa Troopa for life, ride or die all day every day. Although I’m also a big fan of Daisy, even if her voice acting in Double Dash gets old real fast since she shouts “HI I’M DAISY” every time you switch to her or she does anything. I’m spoiled because I have a ton of retro consoles hooked up to my TV so I can fire up pretty much any console Mario Kart I want at a moment’s notice, and I’ve got a hacked 3DS with Mario Kart Super Circuit and then physical copies of MK DS and 7, so I can play whatever MK I want other than, like, the arcade games lol.
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Mar 10, 2022 23:17
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Trip report: I got Mario Kart Home Circuit up and running, and I've got my cat chasing the kart around the house. 10/10 A+++++ would kart again
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Mar 11, 2022 04:09
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Did some housekeeping, linked the Diddy Kart Racing secondary OP in the main OP, updated the list of friend codes.
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Mar 16, 2022 02:38
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Are they only out for people with the Switch Inline Expansion Pass? I have the DLC pass purchased separately and it was showing the courses but wouldn’t let me play them.
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Mar 18, 2022 06:23
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Maple Leaf posted:I loved the Mario Kart threads back when 8/8D were initially released. I'd love to get some more goon rooms going sometime. My FC is SW-0237-3075-2140 That’s loving amazing, holy poo poo. 
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Mar 18, 2022 16:26
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Maple Leaf posted:Also, I did this eight years ago and I'll take every opportunity I can to repost it. Lemming still hasn't forgiven me, and rightly so I was racing 150cc Flower Cup as Koopa Troopa, Luigi was apparently my “rival” destined to be the biggest pain in the rear end for the whole cup. First race, last lap, Luigi blows past me on the home stretch to the finish line. What he doesn’t know is I’ve got a red shell in my back pocket. I dunked on him just before the finish line and took 1st place, he ended up taking 5th and it totally jacked up the point spread for the AI players for the rest of the cup. By the last race, as long as I got 4th or better I couldn’t lose lol
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Mar 18, 2022 21:33
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Ninja Hideaway is the best of the new DLC tracks in this wave, it felt like a wild journey of exploration the first time I played it where it got progressively crazier over each lap. Like my first lap was like “okay let’s feel this out… where am I going? Was that a shortcut?” The second lap was like “let’s experiment a little and see where some of these paths go” The third lap was like “okay I’ve got this, let’s see what this course can do” It was a lot of fun.
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Mar 20, 2022 00:23
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susan b buffering posted:The Nintengoons discord has MK8 nights a couple times a month. We've got one tomorrow to commemorate the new DLC!
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Mar 20, 2022 00:53
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Pungry posted:I really like it because it's stolen straight out of a segment from Paper Mario: The Origami King. Oh that’s awesome, do you have a YouTube clip of it for comparison? I’m curious to see it.
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Mar 20, 2022 23:33
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If you want wild Double Dash tracks, DK Mountain is bonkers and I really hope it gets a remake. https://youtu.be/zdlIU9etxYc
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Mar 21, 2022 23:30
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I’m garbage at 200cc, it feels like wayyy too much engine power for me. Then again maybe I’m just not used to it yet, I’m barely working my way through all the cups at 100cc right now.
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Mar 23, 2022 21:20
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Something that’s impressive with the Mario Kart Home Circuit thing is it’s actually got 50cc/100cc/150cc settings for raved, which govern how fast the RC kart goes. It’s pretty neat how it conveys stuff like getting hit by shells or bounced around by obstacles, or hitting speed boosts like mushrooms, into the physical kart’s performance.
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Mar 23, 2022 22:23
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Is Team Sonic Racing worth getting for under $20?
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Apr 22, 2022 18:20
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My body is ready.
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Jul 28, 2022 16:24
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I dunno, I experience the same thing even on 50cc. I just expect to be playing defensively all the time and to be hit with random bullshit. It does feel good when I have a horn in my back pocket and can use it to counter a blue shell. 
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Apr 7, 2023 00:51
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I’ve been getting back into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a bit and I couldn’t remember if I’d ever shared my Switch friend code so I could play with goons. I don’t have my code handy right now, but if other people have theirs and want to share I’ll probably edit them into the OP to keep them all in one place.
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May 1, 2024 18:54
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