Today’s game is Mario Kart Super Circuit. I’ve kind been making my way down the line of the Mario Kart game I suppose. So I figured this was the reasonable next stop.
I actually played this back when I was younger. Not on official hardware. But on an emulator for my phone. So while I didn’t get an authentic experience, ironically I still have nostalgia for it.
Looking at it now? It’s interesting. I know it wasn’t developed by Nintendo, so seeing someone else crack at the franchise is interesting. I personally like how each of the courses have unique artwork. Donkey Kong here is how I felt after a long day.
Of course, it’s old Mario Kart. It’s fucking brutal. Not only did I struggle to keep up with the bots but there was a jump on Cheese Land that was hard to make consistently due to the flat nature of the terrain. It made it hard to see.
Luckily on future courses I fared a bit better. Like this one I got 3rd place. I think without that jump messing me up it was a little easier.
Ultimately Super Circuit, if I had to describe, felt like more Mario Kart for the SNES. I think taking it out of its handheld environment didn’t help, but its art style and even half its identity feels like it. I know I didn’t touch on half of it, but that’s what it really kind of feels like to me. I guess after this though the only two games left for me to try are Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 7. Maybe the Arcade ones?
Super Circuit has a lot (all?) of the old Super Mario Kart maps too. They are quite a bit smaller than the new ones, so they added laps on them. I played a lot of MKSC on my original GBA back then.
Also F-Zero GP Legend. Not the first GBA one (Maximum Velocity, that was very clunky and SNES-like), the one based on the awful American localization of the not that good to begin with F-Zero anime. That shit is almost lost media, except the infamous mega-falcon punch clip from the ending that’s been a meme.
The story mode of the game was complete shit, but mechanically, the core game was very good, quite fast and feeling more like a flat X/GX than SNES.
There’s a third GBA F-Zero (Climax) that’s supposedly better, but it only released in Japan and last time I tried it was still kinda hard to emulate.
I knew the Super Mario Kart maps were in the game, but i wasn’t sure how to unlock all of them.
With F-Zero, I’ve actually never touched F-Zero, so hearing you bring that up makes me want to try it. I might try that after i finish the last few Mario Karts on the “List”
Original F-Zero (and GBA Maximum Velocity to some extent) is kind of an acquired taste, it was kind of a SNES tech demo (from launch, even) and it’s a bit abstract.
Like there were already 30 racers but only 4 are playable and the rest are identical brown machines, and there are rules just for the 4 main characters (you have to place at least 8th before lap 2, then 4th before lap 3 or you’re eliminated, or something like that).
The 3D episodes X and GX are awesome, incredibly fluid and with great zero gravity tracks in absurd shapes. X managed that on the N64 by looking rather rough, but speed and chaos from the 30 contestants make up for it IMO. They’re also very fucking hard, especially unlocking everything in GX. Which includes a lot of tracks, new characters and machine parts for the gimmicky but fun custom machine editor. Technically a lot of that extra content are the characters and tracks from AX, GX’s counterpart game on arcade machines.
3D F-Zero looks a bit like weaponless WipeOut (but still quite aggressive, because you are encouraged to take down your opponents with physical attacks. Especially your current rival on the scoreboard who the UI helpfully highlights).
The original game did have 5 lap races which were reused in Super Circuit.
On your other point, Maximum Velocity is indeed extremely clunky to me too. I very much prefer the two that came after. Although it seems like a ton of people love Maximum Velocity. It’s not bad. It’s just, in my opinion, entirely overshadowed by its successors.
I never got drifting down in this game. I can do it in every other Mario Kart including the original, but not this game. Was also the first game I ever got new as a kid so I hold it close. I still remember the absolute pants shitting that occurred when I realized you could race on the retro tracks. That opened my mind to older games, and is partly why I’m here today. The other two reasons are my grandparents Atari 5200, and AVGN.
I like that your daily games lately have been (very random) nostalgia, haha. That said, I say this as I boot up yet another underrated Wii game nobody heard of but is weirdly good (Arc Rise Fantasia).
Spread the retro joy!
Its ironic in a way as i grew up with almost none of these games, so i discovered them all myself later in life. It’s just ironic to me in a way i suppose. I saw someone mention a game for the Wii called Pandora’s Tower, so that’s another random (maybe not nostalgia) game that might show up at some point
Even more obscure, since it never got shipped to NA, but a South American friend suggested it to me saying it has Shadow of the Colossus vibes. Which is good, haha.
you’re a fucking inspiration!!!
I played so much Super Circuit on my SP back in high school. You nailed it when you said it felt like “more Mario Kart for the SNES.” I loved it for that very reason!
SNES was the greatest console ever. :-)
