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Mario Kart 64

Last Updated: June 1st, 1999

Name: Mario Kart 64
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Sports/Racing
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release date: February 12^th, 1997
Age rating: K-A
Players: One to four, simultaneous
Memory size: 96 megabits
Peripherals: Controller Pak

• The racers
  • Bowser
  • D.K.
  • Mario
  • Luigi
  • Peach
  • Toad
  • Yoshi
  • Wario
• Obstacles
  • Bat
  • Chomp
  • Chubby (Monty Mole from SM64)
  • Crab
  • Egg
  • Falling Rocks
  • Mini Bomb Kart
  • Porcupine (possibly Porcupo from SMB2)
  • Snowman
  • Thwomp
  • Train
  • Penguin

Official Time Records

(according to Nintendo Power's MK64 Players' Guide)

Secrets

• Guest Ghosts
  On selected courses in the Time Trials Mode, you will race a preset Course Ghost if you beat a set time. On Luigi Raceway, you must finish faster than 1:52 to activate the ghost. On Mario Raceway, go faster than 1:30. And on Royal Raceway, you must beat the time of 2:40.

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• Mini-Turbo Extra
  Mini-turbos boost your speed, but they have a second benefit, too. For a short time after activating the mini-turbo, you can turn your Kart without losing speed. Normally, turns drain some power, and it all adds up. This is one more reason to power slide through every corner.

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• Cruise the Castle
  On Royal Raceway, there is a dirt road splitting off from the track after the double booster jump. That road leads to Peach's castle (from Super Mario 64), the site of the award ceremonies in Mario Kart 64. Although you can drive around the castle grounds, doing so will cost time, so don't go there during a race if you want to win.

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• Bombs Away
  Fake Item Boxes effectively blow up opponents anywhere you leave them, except in the air. On the two courses with turbo boosters (D.K.'s Jungle Parkway and Royal Raceway) you can activate the Fake Item Box while soaring through the air. If you do, the box will remain floating there, but it won't explode when hit. Of course, opponents startled to see the box may lose their concentration.

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• Scroll for Speed
  For the fastest experience in Mario Kart 64, turn to the Vs. Mode in D.K.'s Jungle Parkway, which has the fastest scrolling track in the game (the split screens of the Vs. Mode seem faster than the single screen views). If that's not fast enough for you, add even more of a thrill by using one of the lightweight characters: Toad, Peach or Yoshi. You can increase the speed of the scrolling even further by switching to the wide-angle view during the race.
• Maximum Time
  Try to see how slow you can finish a course! Mario Kart 64's timer counter keeps clocking until it reaches 99:59.99. Any time over this amount isn't clocked, but the subsequent lap counters will continue.

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• Piranha Peril
  Running into a Piranha Plant at anything over 40 KPH will usually result in a wipe-out. If you jump just before you hit, there's a good chance you'll bounce off instead of spin out (a second hit will knock you down, though). This trick also works with other hazards, including walls and Thwomps.

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• Record Setter
  To see your record for Mario Raceway on the title screen, press the R Button when the title is displayed. But before you activate this code, you must have completed the course in the Time Trials mode.

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• Jammin' through the Jungle
  For a shortcut in the first or second lap of D.K.'s Jungle Parkway, turn around at the Starting line and head into the cave. Once inside, head toward the wall just to the left to the exit. Jump just before you hit. If you aim just right, you'll fall into a dark space. Lakitu will then pick you up. If he brings you back to the cave, drive through the Finish line to advance to the next lap!

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• Screen Test
  Luigi Raceway and Wario Stadium have a big screen showing the racing action. The screen normally shows the Kart nearest to the screen, but in Vs. Mode, it shows the Kart nearest to the starting line.

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• Mirror Mode
  If you win all four gold trophy cups in the Mario GP using the 150cc Karts, you'll get a new option: the Mirror Mode. In the Mirror mode, you'll race on a mirrored version of each track.

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• Extra Bounce
  If you jump on a Kart that's directly in front of you, you'll often get an extra bounce that will put you in front of that Kart. Just get very close and press the R button to jump. This becomes useful when you find yourself trailing in the pack. You can use extra bounces to hop back into a leading position.

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• Rocket Jump
  This maneuver combines the Rocket Boost with the Extra Bounce trick. If you're at the back of the pack, get a Rocket Boost off the starting line and hop just before you hit the Kart in front of you. If you time things right, you'll bounce off the back of the Kart and soar over your opponent's heads.

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• No Butts about it
  Some creatures you meet in Mario Kart 64 will have the interesting characteristic of having no backsides. No matter what angle at which you approach them, they always face you.

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• Spin Out
  Using a 150cc Kart, begin by holding the Control Stick to the left or right. Then, while pushing the R Button, move the Control Stick in the opposite direction. Your Kart will spin around and lose most or all of its speed. This technique can be useful in Battle Mode when you want to reverse direction quickly.

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• Defuse the Mini-Bomb
  In Battle or Vs. Mode, you can jump over the Mini-Bomb Karts. Timing is critical. Jump just as you are about to collide to sail safely over the bomber.

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• Slip-Streaming
  Move in as close behind another Kart as you can. After a while, if you maintain the proximity, you'll see smoke. For a few seconds after the smoke appears, you can pass your opponent with an extra boost of speed you get.

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• Small and Equal
  Weight differences no longer matter when Karts have turned small from a Lightning Bolt. If two Karts crash while shrunken, they each sustain the same level of damage.

Course Distances

Characters

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