Mariokart Arcade GP

[Phil Bond]

By request, here's my review. I'll start with problems that wouldn't have affected a home port, then move on.


The game was designed to work with a wallet card save system like other currently successful arcade games, but in most of the machines purchased by arcades, they didn't buy that option, which deleted the potential for long-term replayability.

The steering wheel was of an uncommonly small size, and was made of solid plastic with excessive texture and poorly trimmed mold lines, when the other popular racing games in arcades used facsimilies of padded racing wheels, including ones from the same developer.

Developed by Namco, not Nintendo.

No vehicle selection. All characters drive the standard go-kart.

Notably slower than other Mario Kart games, and no option to play at a faster speed.

There was a ridiculous number of items in the game's arsenal, most of which were stupid, and you only had access to three in any given race, chosen by a slot machine, so if you randomly got stuck with a bad one, or worse, as many as THREE bad ones, well then, you were stuck getting only those for the entire race.

Examples of stupid items: the paintbrush that paints a moustache on your rival's face, and the item that makes your opponent's steering wheel rumble more than normal.

Items could not be trailed or thrown backward unless that was the one and only thing they were designed to do.

The coin system from the original Mariokart was reinstated.

And worst of all: though there appeared to be a full 16 courses, there were actually only four. In each "cup", you would have one course with strategically placed walls, followed by the same course with differently placed walls, then the first map backwards, then the second map backwards.

With all of those faults, there's nothing on the other side of the balance except that it is in an arcade. Nothing is outstandingly positive about it. The graphics are somewhat polished, but it doesn't reach into any provocative design directions.

[Smashchu]

Yeah. It looked so pretty to.

Of course, the fact thats there is only one kart isn't to bad. It's all good if the characters have some difference.

[Fryguy64]

Good to finally hear an unbiased review! I've never seen the game about so never given it a go.

I'm typing this on the Wii browser, so won't comment too much.

[wanderingshadow]

I hate to hear that it's so terrible.

Still, I wish I could try it out at least once.

[Dances in Undergarments]

philbond said:

The game was designed to work with a wallet card save system like other currently successful arcade games, but in most of the machines purchased by arcades, they didn't buy that option, which deleted the potential for long-term replayability.

This doesn't add to the discussion at all, but I have one. I got it at the first place I saw the Mario Kart Arcade machine, but at the second place that had one, there was a message that the card can't be inserted or something. I'm not sure why this was, as I have a suspicion its the same machine - I'm thinking perhaps the card feature was removed as it would cause confusion at the second arcade, where you paid with a prepaid card? I dunno.

The steering wheel was of an uncommonly small size, and was made of solid plastic with excessive texture and poorly trimmed mold lines, when the other popular racing games in arcades used facsimilies of padded racing wheels, including ones from the same developer.

Yeah, probably, I didn't really notice though, but I'm not an Arcade enthusiast.

Developed by Namco, not Nintendo.

Thats not necessarily a problem in itself - if Namco had done a good job it would have been a good game, just like if Nintendo did a bad job it still would have been a bad game.

No vehicle selection. All characters drive the standard go-kart.

Wasn't a problem in Super, 64 or Super Circuit. The different characters have different attributes anyway, so thats no problem.

Notably slower than other Mario Kart games, and no option to play at a faster speed.

Ya. Thats a problem with it, definately. Could have been fixed easily in a home console, but I'll stay away from the 'could of's.

There was a ridiculous number of items in the game's arsenal, most of which were stupid, and you only had access to three in any given race, chosen by a slot machine, so if you randomly got stuck with a bad one, or worse, as many as THREE bad ones, well then, you were stuck getting only those for the entire race.

Examples of stupid items: the paintbrush that paints a moustache on your rival's face, and the item that makes your opponent's steering wheel rumble more than normal.

Nothing wrong with a ridiculous amount of items in my opinion, but yeah, the 3-items-only slot machine feature wasn't a good move. Definately a negative. I don't see a problem with the 'stupid weapons', though, they're meant to be stupid.

Items could not be trailed or thrown backward unless that was the one and only thing they were designed to do.

Another problem, you're right. I did quite like the ability to aim weapons though - that could potentially be a good feature for a Wii Mario Kart. (drive with nunchuk, aim weapons with Wiimote).

The coin system from the original Mariokart was reinstated.

Uh, I'd put this solely under the 'good things about MKAGP' category. All Mario Karts should have coins, IMO - I'm really sad that the 3D Karts killed them off.

And worst of all: though there appeared to be a full 16 courses, there were actually only four. In each "cup", you would have one course with strategically placed walls, followed by the same course with differently placed walls, then the first map backwards, then the second map backwards.

I'd count that as 8 courses ('differently placed walls' = different course design, regardless of whether the courses are set in the same place). But yeah, that wouldn't be nearly enough for a home console port, though at the Arcade thats plenty.

With all of those faults, there's nothing on the other side of the balance except that it is in an arcade. Nothing is outstandingly positive about it. The graphics are somewhat polished, but it doesn't reach into any provocative design directions.

Certainly, the biggest draw of it is that its in the Arcade, but I do see some postives with it - I like the high amount of weapons, I like the use of coins, and it does look rather spiffy. If a home console port was made it would need to be fleshed out more, but it certainly wouldn't have been that hard to do, and could have potentially been a nice 'very good' level game to tide us over while waiting for something - ANYTHING - to release on the GCN. And hell, when has a game being bad ever stopped it from being released anyway, which is what started the discussion (I said that I was baffled why there was never a home console version).

Overall, its the worst Mario Kart in terms of content, for sure. But as an arcade game its not all that bad.

[kirbychu]

philbond said:

Developed by Namco, not Nintendo.

Sorry... that's a bad thing? Namco aren't a bad company. Not by a long shot. They also made StarFox Assault, which I think is one of the best in that series.

[Dances in Undergarments]

Oooo, forget to mention on really bad thing - its AU$2 a pop, which wouldn't be too bad if when you won you got to go on - but no, its $2 per race regardless. Oh hell no. You should at least get to go through the whole Cup for that.

[Phil Bond]

kirbychu said:

philbond said:

Developed by Namco, not Nintendo.

Sorry... that's a bad thing? Namco aren't a bad company. Not by a long shot. They also made StarFox Assault, which I think is one of the best in that series.

That's true, I love Namco. They made some of my absolute favorite games, but when they get their hands on a Nintendo license, it always feels muddled to me. The same goes for Capcom. I love Minish Cap, Four Swords and Oracles, but they're nothing compared to the composure and pioneering of Link to the Past, etc.

[Fryguy64]

Flagship are excellent. I shall hear no bad words said about them. Minish Cap is more polished than a lot of Zelda games, and Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is possibly my favourite 2D Kirby game (haven't played Squeak Squad yet, so can't comment).

Namco did Donkey Konga which, while I think it's sucky, sold very well for a GC game. StarFox Assault is teh awsm!1 and Mario Baseball was... not quite sure yet

[Dances in Undergarments]

Donkey Konga is chock full of win and you can't deny it.

[Fryguy64]

Yeah. but when you have the coordination of a retarded monkey (Retardy Kong!) then it loses its sheen. I know it's awesome - but I'm so crap at it that I think it sucks

[Phil Bond]

Donkey Konga is too simple, the judging frame is questionable, you can hit both bongos for anything but a clap, the music selection feels like I'm being punished for something, and the different available sound effect sets are like a smoke detector, piercing my brain.

[Manspeed]

Donkey Konga was meh for me, as was Jungle Beat.

[kirbychu]

I wasn't too fond of Konga... but Jungle Beat was great.

[Fryguy64]

Jungle Beat was indeed teh awesome!!

Once you've managed to play an entire level without touching the ground once, you realise just how beautifully the game has been put together.

And punching gorillas in the face is always an excellent past time.