Part of me was dreading replaying this. I have a lot of fond childhood memories of Mario Kart 64, but is it’s something that still holds up today? I did find a texture mod that makes the game look incredibly crisp (they re-created the original models the sprites were based on and took cleaner images of them), yet still retains its look, but it’s all about the gameplay. Mario Kart has changed so much since then.

After actually playing Mario Kart 64 again, the amount of changes to Mario Kart over the years actually keeps Mario Kart 64 still hugely enjoyable – the newer games aren’t simply better, they’re all quite different. The simplicity of Mario Kart 64 really helps it stand out from the others, and the handing still feels great.

My biggest criticism of Mario Kart 64 is the lack of singleplayer modes, just GP races and time trial, you can’t even pick single races, but most Mario Karts have similar issues. There is a mirror mode to unlock (which has the true version of Toad’s Turnpike) by completing all GPs on the highest difficulty, but that’s about it.

Mario Kart 64’s true wonder is in the multiplayer mode, which is still a lot of fun. The weapons make it hectic, but also allow people to catch up. You can spend hours and hours just playing races and I really like that you just pick a race and play, you’re not forced to do a tournament or anything like that.

Battle mode was also amazing in this game, and has not been properly replicated since (with newer games favouring points-based rather than elimination). When a player has been eliminated, they turn into a bomb and can try and screw over a player of their choosing. This wouldn’t work in a more serious setting, but for Mario Kart, it’s perfect.

Mario Kart 64 is still an immense joy to play, and is still worth going back to due to how different other Mario Kart games are. It really does deserve a re-release similar to the version I ended up playing: widescreen and with nicer textures, but without changing too much.

Fave

I’ve played it more than all the N64’s other games put together, and, six months after plugging it in for the first time, I still love it as much as ever. It’s great.

- Jonathan Davies, N64 Magazine #1. Review Score: 91%

Remake or Remaster?

A remaster with new sprites similar to the texture pack would be great for Mario Kart 64.

Official Ways to get the game

There is no way to buy a new copy of Mario Kart 64, the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak.

Re-releases

2003: iQue

2007: Wii Virtual Console

2016: Wii U Virtual Console

2021: Nintendo Switch Online (subscription only)