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I Replayed The Classic Mario Karts… It Was Brutal

StrawHatMidas

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Midas has very strong opinions on Frappe Snowland :D

Long before anti-gravity tracks and massive online lobbies, two retro racers defined an entire genre. I replayed Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 to find out which classic actually holds the crown.

Before the massive roster of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the new era introduced in Mario Kart World, the kart-racing formula started with Mode 7 flat-plane scaling on the Super Nintendo and the leap to 3D on the Nintendo 64. In this retrospective, I am diving back into the cockpit to replay both foundational titles and see how their physics, handling, and battle modes hold up today.

We are taking a close look at the tight turning, punishing rubber-banding, and visual sound effects of the 1992 original, then putting it head-to-head with the floaty drift mechanics, 3D elevation, and iconic four-player split-screen madness of Mario Kart 64. Did our childhood memories lie to us about how these games feel to control, or do these foundational retro entries still deliver timeless arcade perfection? Let's burn some rubber across the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cups to deliver the definitive verdict.

Whether you grew up popping balloons in Block Fort on the N64 or you are looking back at the lineage that led directly to modern entries like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World, this deep dive analyzes the rosters, track layouts, and mechanical evolution of Nintendo's greatest racing series.

If you enjoyed this retro racing breakdown, make sure to Subscribe for more Nintendo deep dives! Which classic did you log more hours into growing up Super Mario Kart on the SNES or Mario Kart 64?

#MarioKart #MarioKart64 #SuperMarioKart #MarioKart8Deluxe #MarioKartWorld #Nintendo #RetroGaming #StrawHatMidas

20 Comments

@GrouchMan21 11 days ago

Fun fact:

According to the instruction booklet for Mario Kart 64, Wario stole Koopa Troopa's kart and painted it purple so he could race with Mario and friends.... Yes really

@thedallin 12 days ago

Before this video, I never really realized how much I enjoy the little historical context you give at the top of most videos. There’s so much about Super Mario Kart’s development that I had never realized before and it was seriously fascinating to learn about. Keep up the great work!

@de-fault_de-fault 10 days ago

I still think of MK64 as “the new one”

@CoachSippingJambaJuice 12 days ago

From about 1996-2001, I was obsessed with Super Mario Kart.

@PresbyGreg 8 days ago

My friend had MK64 and everyday I would walk to his house, play MK for half an hour, walk to school. Then after school I would stop at his house and play it for an hour or two before going home.

@Jerbsinator 8 days ago

Anyone else get emotional hearing that rainbow road theme? It is timeless.

@edmg7 11 days ago

You’ll definitely never figure out what happened to the 63 Mario Kart games between these two because there’s only 62 between 1 and 64.

@nothingsacred8684 9 days ago

28:52 If you boost at the start (using the trick, not an item) you can get past the train as everyone else gets stuck behind it, which is a great feeling. And then you never have to get stuck behind the train a single time.

@lukeshoo 12 days ago

Lots of history here that I didn't know about. Thank you

@EWOODJ 12 days ago

I love both games.
I guess I’m a psychopath because I love the bottom map screen in SMK. I also love the character icons circling the screen in MK64.

Bowser wasn’t invited, he forced his way in. He’s also one of the sponsors. It’s competition, just like the Olympics.

Feather’s are great for dodging items.
Drifting is great for losing those cpus in SMK and yes, SMK has a drift boost. Your engine goes up an octave for a split second.

The Pipe Frame is the best kart and I want a mode with all racers driving them in future games.

@leecroft1983 12 days ago

Mario Kart 64 is still my favourite of the franchise.

@danieldowney7621 12 days ago

The character select screen in Super Mario Kart reminds me of the TV banks they had at simulcast race betting venues. My grandpa owned a bunch of harness racing horses when I was small and I remember going to the races with him and seeing the huge banks of TVs with different races from all over the world playing.

@pinkspider28 12 days ago

no one was talking about super Mario kart???

everyone at my school couldn't wait for it.....

@RyuHayabusa06 10 days ago

SNES SMK is still the best game in the series to me. I love how short and compact the tracks are. The races are quick and fun as hell. I've played thousands of races on SMK over the years. I still play this game with my cousin along with Street Fighter 2 Turbo regularly almost 35 years later. One thing I love about the original SMK is the rubber banding isn't nearly as bad as the later games. The losing player might get a star or lightning bolt occasionally but it's not guaranteed to happen over and over again to screw the better player.

@itsa-itsagames 8 days ago

well you have to put into context, we didnt have much to compare it to and to have THESE lengends drop , it was phenomenal.
now mario kart is like the super ultra Mecha version where everything is made to illicit immediately reactions, more flashing lights, more noise, MORE MORE MORE and they fill every single millisecond.
there are periods of mario kart 64 where it drops and its quiet. You have time to think, plan, look around etc
the courses arent even insane, some are just loops but new levels i couldnt tell you the lay out

@chiefbeefASMR 10 days ago (edited)

Bro... THANK YOU for reviewing Mario Kart 64. It will forever be a childhood treasure to me. Back in 1997, I was 6-7 years old and seeing this for the first time was MIND BLOWING! The colors were vibrant, 3D Karts with wacky competitive racing... loved it. The developers and all who worked on Mario Kart 64 deserve their flowers.

@katt-the-pig 9 days ago

Drifting in Mario Kart 64 is not based on how long you drift, but how much you waggle the analog stick. If you're good at waggling, you can get multiple drift boosts in a single turn.

@Strazzman 7 days ago

At home sick watching all your vids. I’m enjoying your takes and humor haga

@miahthorpatrick1013 2 days ago

Just discovered your channel. I like your approach to your videos. The little skits are welcome additions. I laughed out loud at the bit when you were getting pulled over!