This is the game that both launched and set the standard for the kart racing genre. There had been racing games like it (F-Zero) but none that took racing in a more fun-loving and casual way. Meant to be played with two players simultaneously as opposed to F-Zero's single player only, it was the start of what would soon become one of Nintendo's hallmark multiplayer showcases.

Graphics: 9

The Mode 7 graphics are what's on display here, with Nintendo showing off the power of its hardware, its ability to create pseudo-3D graphics with the scanline by scanline rotation and scaling made possible by the Mode 7 graphics mode. It was an early attempt at 3D graphics that did its job well. While it is difficult to have a real sense of depth and plan your route to pick up coins or dodge hazards, the Mode 7 graphics give the game a great sense of speed, of rushing forward as opposed to running or platforming from side to side.

Sound: 9

The music is standard Mario fare, with the background music not overpowering and yet you still find yourself humming it from time to time. The roulette music that plays while waiting for an item to be chosen in particular stands out as it is used in every single Mario Kart game after it, and when I here that music, I immediately know that someone's about to get the turtle shell smackdown.

Addictiveness: 9

The tracks can be played on your own, which is all fine and dandy, as there are a good number of tracks. But this game was really meant to be played with a friend, and with the addition of a buddy to compete against, this game could keep you coming back for quite a long time.

Story: NA

There is no story, unless you want to count Mario getting his buds together for some serious kart action. That could be a story.

Depth: 9

Similar to the addictiveness of this review, it all hinges on the multiplayer. Having someone to play this game with extends its depth immensely as each race will be different from the ones before. And the battle mode, though difficult, is always a blast. There are few times I feel so much satisfaction as when I land a green turtle shell upside Bowser's head.

Difficulty: 7

This only applies to the single player. I didn't really have too much trouble beating the CPU racers with a fair amount of space between myself and second place. Where the real difficulty lies is in the auto drift that kicks in when you turn. More often than providing realistic drifting mechanics, it just sends you squealing into the wall on the other side of the turn. But once you get the hang of dropping the gas on a turn to cancel the skid, it almost negates the drift problem.

Gameplay

This being the start of the kart racing genre, it's amazing how many of the mechanics were so spot on. The items used are varied and playful, and that has lived on. The ability to drift, though tweaked slightly in later versions, remains intact as well. The environmental hazards have been ramped up in later incarnations, but it all started with oil slicks and Thwomps in this game. The one mechanic I wish they would bring back is the coin system. In this game, as you collect coins, your top speed increases slightly. It brings the coin collection so key to many Mario games into kart racing in a manner that makes sense. But no other Mario Kart game has kept that mechanic. Granted, in Super Mario Kart, it didn't seem to make a huge difference, but with a few modern tweaks to it, I think it could have a huge impact on the way races played out in modern Mario Karts.