Top 5 Kart Games of the 90’s – Twin Galaxies
How did Kart games become the it "thing" of the 90's?
The short answer is It had some help from some great racing games that paved the way from the 80's.
Racing games improved on so many levels throughout the 80's in comparison to what was available before that decade. The graphics were much improved, the sound effects really began to sound like an engine revving, and the gameplay was fun yet challenging. The best racing games of the 80s were technical and there was no room for error when navigating hair-pin turns at over 200 MPH. You just couldnt afford to make a mistake in games like Pole Position or Outrun because each poorly navigated turn would cost you another quarter at the arcade. One could argue that racing games began an evolution sometime around 1988, with the arcade release of Power Drift. Sega managed to bring many non-racing game enthusiasts into a new "hybrid" type of racing game genre. It had a different vibe than Segas other titles like Outrun.
Power Drift (1988)[Image Source Wikipedia]
Look no further than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to understand how profitable Kart games can be. It sold 52 million copies as of December 2022 and is currently the best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time. In addition to the classic GP circuits, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features a nice assortment of Battle-Modes and incredibly addicting online play with a community that battles it out on tracks like Mario Kart Stadium and Sweet Sweet Canyon at all hours of the day, every day of the week.Kart games are more successful than anyone in the Power Drift development team could ever have dreamed of and it has come a long way since. The Mario Kart franchise has currently cemented itself as the face or poster of the sub-genre.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Cover Art[Image Source Wikipedia]
What about those Kart Games of the 90s?
By the end of the 90s, the Kart game sub-genre was heavily over-saturated with many titles, most of which were not memorable at all. I mean, when was the last time you played Pac-Man World Rally or Smurf Racers?
Who Didn't Have a Kart Game?[Image Source YouTube]
Mario Kart (1992) Cover Art[Image Source Wikipedia]
Can you believe Super Mario Kart actually started as a prototype for what the development team dubbed a multiplayer F-Zero?Building upon the Mode 7 graphics used in F-Zero, Super Mario Kart used the same visual technique to create a 3D driving circuit, but in a Mario world environment for the very first time.The only issue was that the introduction of a multiplayer mode pushed the 16-Bit SNES to its hardware limitations, and as a result, game speed was affected. The developers also shrunk the length of the tracks in comparison to F-Zero. This is why they opted to make the vehicles into Karts. That should justify the slower speed and shorter tracks right?!?Long story short, the Kart gamble was a huge success. The birth of drifting AKA Power Sliding and the introduction of items used as power-ups during the race would now be a mainstay in Kart games going forward.Super Mario Kart went on to sell 8.76 million copies worldwide.
Crash Team Racing Cover Art[Image Source Wikipedia]
By 1999, it felt like every animated character and their uncle was now being considered for a Kart game and Crash Bandicoot finally got its own introduction to the fiesta.Crash Team Racing didn't "re-invent the wheel" when it came to gameplay, but it did have a great boost mechanic, and a nice adventure mode similar to that of Diddy Kong Racing. Each new Kart game was taking inspiration from its predessors.But in the end, I think the soundtrack probably held this title back, or maybe it was just me? I need some good tunes when Im Kart Racing.CTR went on to sell nearly 2 million copies which was very impressive considering it was Crashs first Kart game.
Diddy Kong Racing Cover Art[Image Source Wikipedia]
I remember playing Diddy Kong racing for the first time and it truly was a whole new type of beast. It took the Kart game concept, added airplanes and hoverboats into the mix, and featured an open-world concept where you could explore new areas that featured boss battles. Whoa.However, looking at this with 2023 prescription glasses, I dont think the game aged as well as some of the others from the 90s. The game's framerate speed is just not as slick when played today. No big deal, but it's hard not to notice it after playing Mario Kart 64.On a funny side note, the game featured a character named Conker the Squirrel. You might be thinking that name sounds familiar. Perhaps you recall a game titled Conkers Bad Fur Day?
Conker's Bad Fur Day Cover Art[Image Souce Wikipedia]
Which begs the question, how did Conker go from Diddy Kong Racing, to Conker's Bad Fur Day? That would be like a side character in the Super Mario universe such as Warioluigi getting placed in his own Grand Theft Auto game. I always found that hilariously fascinating.
Diddy Kong racing sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide and even received a world record for the fastest-selling game at that time.
In Europe, it was known as Speed Freaks[Image Source Wikipedia]
What the heck is Speed Punks? Possibly the most underrated and least known Kart game ever. This one totally slipped under the radar which is such a shame. Unfortunately, Speed Punks just happened to be released around the same time as Crash Team Racing which really deflated its marketing ambition and prevented it from reaching its full potential given that CTR got all the hype.Speed Punks plays more like a traditional Kart game and has a well-designed power drift mechanic that allows the player to build up their Speed Boost meter as long as they drift, without interruption to that drift. The stages are really well designed, the graphics are vibrant, and it had a near perfect balance between skill and fun-game play that should suit any type of player.Yes it has the expected rubber-banding when it comes to item pickups, but it compensates for the skilled-players by allowing the player to use different techniques such as accelerator mashing or well-timed turns in order to avoid weapons being fired at them.Best of all, there are three unlockable characters and 12 unlockable bonus tracks which adds lots of replay value to the game.Speed Punks sold about 200,000 copies worldwide which might be why it just never gets the love it deserves.
In a League of it's Own - Mario Kart 64[Image Source Wikipedia]
No Shocker here. No seriously, what Kart game was better in the 90's?This game exceeded pretty much everyone's expectations in the 90's. How much do people love this game? Take a look at the speedrun community for this title and they collectively nearly maximized the lap times on every track in this game.The graphics were awesome. The levels and characters were instantly recognizable since we all played a Nintendo game at some point in our lives, even the music and sound effects were easy to listen to.
The replay value for Mario Kart 64 was second to none, with the usualset of challenging GP circuits 50-150cc, and an amazing multiplayer mode experience. Dont forget, multiplayer in the 90's was hit or miss on any gaming title no matter how good the solo player was. Mainly because the hardware was so limited. Four player Speed Punks for example just didnt play the same as the one player mode and it was noticeable. Mario Kart 64 on the other hand, was pretty smooth with 4-player action and the new concept of multiplayer battle mode was incredibly genius. Best of all, a skilled player could avoid weapons (but not all of them) with the right techniques which helped deflate the rubber banding effect.Mario Kart 64 was the viral sensation that the Kart game genre needed and it went on to sell 12 million units worldwide.
A great Kart game is one that has a nice balance of technical skill and casual type gameplay. Some that has the likes of "Power Drifting" and gives the player the ability to evade weapons with just the right amount of "rubber banding".A fun Kart game has some unlockable content and an excellent multiplayer mode that doesnt look and feel different than the one player mode. Lastly, a memorable Kart game is one that has some great tunes and eye-catching level designs.
Follow this link:
Top 5 Kart Games of the 90's - Twin Galaxies
- Orphan articles: The 'dark matter' of Wikipedia - Tech Xplore - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- Ethereum researcher alleges Wikipedia of biased Solana coverage - Crypto Briefing - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- Link Rot and Digital Decay on Government, News and Other Webpages - Pew Research Center - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- El Paso librarian takes love of knowledge to Wikipedia - El Paso Inc. - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- Assassin's Creed Shadows 'critics' have started vandalising IRL protagonist Yasuke's Wiki page - GAMINGbible - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- People Are Vandalizing the Wikipedia Page for Assassin's Creed Shadows Protagonist Yasuke - GameRant - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- Assassin's Creed Shadows sparks Wikipedia edit war over Yasuke - Niche Gamer - May 22nd, 2024 [May 22nd, 2024]
- Made J. Cole look like he died in the war: Drake vs Kendrick Lamar Rap Battle Gets a World War 2 Styled Wikipedia ... - FandomWire - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Five Jokes from the First Season of The Simpsons You Now Need Wikipedia to Understand - Cracked.com - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Mastodon Play 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?' - Loudwire - March 30th, 2024 [March 30th, 2024]
- Wolff contacted Verstappen to explain Wikipedia statement - GPblog - March 30th, 2024 [March 30th, 2024]
- Tulu Wikipedia more than doubles in size in seven years - The Hindu - March 30th, 2024 [March 30th, 2024]
- File:Tony Gwynn Hall of Fame exhibit.jpg - Wikipedia - Rethnea.gr - January 24th, 2024 [January 24th, 2024]
- George Washington Masonic Memorial photo honored in Wikipedia photo competition - ALXnow - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Ruwiki, the Russian Wikipedia to launch on Monday - New York Post - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- In the War for Narratives Iran's Regime Takes to Wikipedia - NCRI - National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- We need to embrace AI, says Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales - CNBCAfrica.com - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- People are only just realising what the Wiki in Wikipedia actually means - The Mirror - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Kayla Braxton furious over wrong Wikipedia update, shares reaction - Sportskeeda - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy given hilarious nickname on Wikipedia page - On Tap Sports Net - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Is Wikipedia struggling to maintain neutrality in times of political unrest? - The Spectator Australia - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Top 25: Here are the most-read Wikipedia articles of the year - NewsNation Now - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- India's Jawan, Pathaan, IPL among Wikipedia's most read articles; ChatGPT tops the chart! Here's the full list | Mint - Mint - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Victoria Atkins' Wikipedia page edited after 'doctors in training' remark - indy100 - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Top 25: Here are the most-read Wikipedia articles of the year - KXAN.com - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Wikipedia, wrapped. From ChatGPT to Cricket World Cup, here are 2023's most-viewed articles on the internet's encyclopedia - WPVI-TV - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Why Wikipedia's highway editors took the exit ramp. - Slate - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Wikipedia, wrapped. From ChatGPT to Cricket World Cup, here are 2023's most-viewed articles on the internet's encyclopedia - KGO-TV - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Wikipedia asks: Have you gotten $2.75 worth of info? Consider donating - The Ledger - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Dive into the weird and wonderful Depths of Wikipedia - WBUR News - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- ChatGPT, Taylor Swift: The top 25 most viewed Wikipedia pages of 2023 - USA TODAY - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- The 25 Most Popular Wikipedia Pages of 2023 - Mentalfloss - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- ChatGPT is Wikipedia's most-viewed article in 2023 - CoinGeek - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- These are the most read entries on Wikipedia in 2023: atomic bombs and much more. - Softonic EN - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Oppenheimer and Matthew Perry rank as two of the most viewed Wikipedia pages in 2023 - Gamereactor UK - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Wikipedias Most-Viewed Articles of 2023 Revealed - Greek Reporter - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Watching the Napoleon Movie? Don't Forget to Read His Wikipedia Page. - Slate - November 24th, 2023 [November 24th, 2023]
- Crowdsourced fact-checking fights misinformation in Taiwan ... - Cornell Chronicle - November 24th, 2023 [November 24th, 2023]
- The Sunday Read: 'Wikipedia's Moment of Truth' - The New York Times - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- 'The more vibrant the society, the more actors seek to influence Wikipedia' - Ynetnews - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- SOMEONE Keeps Editing Joshua Wright's Wikipedia Page To Downplay The Whole 'Sleeping With 1Ls' Thing - Above the Law - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- Why Wikipedia is so imperative for public relations - PR Daily - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- More Wikipedia taunts as Max Verstappen erases a Lewis Hamilton World title - Yahoo Eurosport UK - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- Local Teacher Becomes First Malaysian To Win Wikimedian Award ... - The Rakyat Post - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- Wikipedia's Moment of Truth - The New York Times - September 11th, 2023 [September 11th, 2023]
- The shocking truth about Wikipedias Holocaust disinformation - Forward - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- New Mall-Based Minnesota Kohls Store Coming in 2024 | Joel ... - NewsBreak Original - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Open Access Makes Research More Widely Cited, Helping Spread ... - Techdirt - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Russia fines Wikipedia owner for failing to delete Azov battalion content - Ifax - Yahoo News - June 7th, 2023 [June 7th, 2023]
- Interviewing Jimmy Wales, Cofounder of Wikipedia - Reason - June 7th, 2023 [June 7th, 2023]
- Purple Speedy Boyfriend Wikipedia: Who Is Purplespeedy Dating? - PKBnews.in - June 7th, 2023 [June 7th, 2023]
- How Conflicts and Population Loss Led to the Rise of English ... - Political Science Now - May 29th, 2023 [May 29th, 2023]
- Research Article: Wikipedia and Open Access (preprint) - LJ INFOdocket - May 29th, 2023 [May 29th, 2023]
- Who Was Kuaron Harvey Cousin Paris Harvey? Wikipedia And Age - PKBnews.in - May 29th, 2023 [May 29th, 2023]
- Opinion | The Impossible Math of the Debt Deal's Detractors - The New York Times - May 29th, 2023 [May 29th, 2023]
- Wikipedia Grapples With Chatbots: Should It Allow Their Use For ... - Techdirt - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Stephen Joness deleted rugby 7s article leads to hilarious wikipedia update | RugbyDump - RugbyDump - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Bradley Dack is the kind of football hero that cannot be judged on a ... - Football365 - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Who is Roxy Horner? Jack Whitehall's Girlfriend Age, Wikipedia And ... - PKBnews.in - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- The Unspeakable Death of the 'Almighty Dollar' - Resilience - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- WikiBias: How Wikipedia erases fringe theories and enforces conformity - Minding The Campus - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Online Safety Bill age checks? We won't do 'em, says Wikipedia - The Register - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Russian court fines Wikipedia over Ukraine invasion article - Verdict - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Wikipedia names Howie Roseman 'master of all the draft' - Yardbarker - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Don't rely on sites like Wikipedia to write verdicts: Madras HC - Times of India - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Amazon, Bing, Wikipedia make EU's list of 'Very Large' platforms - The Register - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Who Is Patty Raynes? Net Worth 2023, Wikipedia And Age Details ... - PKBnews.in - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- What After Xi Jinpings Overture to Zelensky? - IDN InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- New study rejects research suggestions that Wikipedia content shapes High Court judgments - The Irish Times - April 19th, 2023 [April 19th, 2023]
- The Wikipedia fight over Poland's role in the Holocaust sparks death threats against an Ottawa professor - The Canadian Jewish News - April 19th, 2023 [April 19th, 2023]
- Who were March's most newsworthy celebrities, according to the ... - KTVZ - April 19th, 2023 [April 19th, 2023]
- Twitter using Wikipedia to decide what is 'government-funded media' - Business Insider - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Practical Apps: Wikipedia Looking Smart To Go | Spotlight ... - highcountryshopper.com - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Rob Kearney receives Wikipedia edit after Joe Biden's All Blacks blunder - Rugby OnSlaught - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Editor's notes: Nut drivers - Bryan County News - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Things to do in the UAE this week: Ramadan shopping festival ... - The National - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Wikipedia had the wrong Vatican City flag for years. Now incorrect flags are everywhere - Catholic News Agency - April 11th, 2023 [April 11th, 2023]
- Texas ruling to ban abortion pills nationwide gets basic facts wrong: experts - Business Insider - April 11th, 2023 [April 11th, 2023]
- Hashtag Trending Apr.5th- Wikipedias new logo, $20 billion to revive Intel, Fake ransomware attacks - IT World Canada - April 11th, 2023 [April 11th, 2023]
- ChatGPT and GPT4: Wikipedia 2.0 or a fresh starting point for society? - IT-Online - April 11th, 2023 [April 11th, 2023]