STACK #150 Apr 2017

GAMES FEATURE

visit stack.net.au

Believe it or not, there was once a time when kart racers on consoles were non-existent. One of the first tastes of this high-octane environment was Nintendo’s Mario Kart series, which went on to become one of the company’s best-known franchises. A series the whole family can enjoy, the Mario Kart games have been a mainstay of Nintendo consoles since the SNES days. To celebrate the launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch this month, we take a look at the series’ rich history. Words Alesha Kolbe

Start Your Engines

1992

Super Mario Kart The first instalment in the series was on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Super Mario Kart allowed you to buddy-up and race against a mate as one of a roster of eight; Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad, Koopa Troopa, and DK Junior.

1997

Mario Kart 64 Five years later, Nintendo released Mario Kart 64 on – you guessed it – the Nintendo 64. Without the hardware limitations of the Super Nintendo, Mario Kart 64 was able to include things like elevated courses and pits in the track. Wario replaced Koopa Troopa on the roster, and Donkey Kong became his upgraded version following the release of DK that year.

2001

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Making its way to handheld consoles, Mario Kart: Super Circuit was a Game Boy Advance title, retaining many of the stylistic quirks from the original game on the SNES. It did, however, use the same roster as Mario Kart 64 .

48

APRIL 2017

jbhifi.com.au