The mere change of controllers manages to fix a lot of this game's initial errors.
[i]How a different controller managed to restore lost love[/i]
Mario Kart 64 has always been a game I've had mixed feelings about. When I first played it in 1997 I thought it was terrific, but it was one of the first genuine 3D gaming experiences I ever had, so the novelty may have been enough to intrigue me. When the novelty wore off, however, and especially when Diddy Kong Racing hit the shelves later that year, my interest in the game gradually declined. Mario Kart's (even for N64 standards) primitive graphics and clunky controls became increasingly more obvious as more Nintendo 64 games appeared on the market. My good memories of the game didn't fade, though: I just stopped playing the game regularly, while my fixation on it knew no boundaries at first.
We all know what happens to good memories once they're left untouched for several years: they become better. In the case of Mario Kart 64 (and games in general), this meant that, in my mind, I idealised the game more than it probably deserved. This process even got a slight boost (no pun intended) when Mario Kart: Double Dash was released for the Gamecube in 2003. Having exhorbitantly high expectations (partially caused by my romanticised memories of Mario Kart 64), I was a bit disappointed to see that the classic arcade feel had been largely exchanged for a rather chaotic, near Mario Party-like experience. The game was still fun, but the good times I had with it just didn't compare to the seemingly endless joy I destillated from its N64 predecessor. As a result, I considered Mario Kart 64 to be the vastly superior game in relation to Double Dash.
That is, until I started replaying both games, especially Double Dash, intensively, about a year back. I came to view Double Dash with newfound appreciation, while, having not played the game seriously in years, the huge flaws in Mario Kart 64, that were partially uncovered by the brilliant Diddy Kong Racing, became fully exposed at last. A kind of sloppy game with bad controls, subpar graphics, and what probably is the most unfair AI I ever experienced in a videogame. And with Mario Kart Wii and DS offering me the best Mario Kart experience to date, Mario Kart 64 was basically dead and buried.
Until I dug the game up by means of downloading it onto my Wii's Virtual Console last week: having always suspected that the incredibly bad N64 controller played a huge role in the desilusion I had with the game a year earlier, I was curious on how the game would play with the trusted Gamecube controller. The answer? LOADS better. Not only did the analogue stick allow me to make a decent turn without having to move mountains, I also finally managed to powerslide on a regular basis, a technique that involves sliding in a turn and then moving the analogue stick back and forth twice in order to obtain a small speed boost. The result was nothing short of stunning: I managed to beat about half of my old records in just one or two tries. Mind that I spent years on perfectionising my time trials in Mario Kart 64 on its original console, and I just polished full seconds off of my old times without even trying too hard on the Wii.
I even got to win GP races without having to blow away my opponents with weapons every 10 seconds (although this still is relatively scarce comfort), and I managed to finish Rainbow Road two times in a row, performing the legendary shortcut successfully in each lap on both occasions. It just astonishes me how much switching controllers can improve the gameplay. Now don't get me wrong, I won't be going back to worshipping this game zealously: it's still a technically inferior game, even for its time, and it can't even touch Mario Kart Double Dash, DS, or Wii, but it definitely has its rightful place in the Mario Kart series. Apart from that, the fun factor is undeniable even 12-13 years after this game hit the shelves, which is an achievement in itself.
As a reader, you will probably want to know whether this game is worth the 1000 points (€10) it costs to download. As someone who still owns both a N64 and an original copy of Mario Kart 64, I say: yes. As long as you don't expect the quality of a Wii game (such as Mario Kart Wii!), Mario Kart 64 is a good investment for whenever you have some friends over and you want to play a fun game without things getting too complicated. It's not only the comfort of not having to plug in your N64 all over again: it's the comfort of knowing you won't have to choke on the deception that is the N64 controller. Bottom-line: a relaxing game to play once in a while, and a good back-up for if you are not in the mood to game intensively, but would like to kill some boredom the virtual way.
Report Card*:
Graphics: 5/10
Sound: 8/10
Technique** 7/10
Lasting Appeal: 8/10
+ Finally Mario Kart 64 can be experienced with good controls
+ Retro boost is sure to charm old-school players, while newcomers to the series have a chance to explore its roots
- The graphics were bad, and they didn't improve over time
- Won't last long without some friends willing to play
* The game is judged within the context of the time in which it was released.
** Technique is a grade for originality, controls, and some other related aspects.