Mario Kart Super Circuit
SCORE: 86
I have had quite the hankering for some retro gaming lately, and Mario Kart Super Circuit on the Gameboy Advance (GBA) certainly fits the bill. I found this game for under twenty bucks under the Player’s Choice label. For those that have played the Nintendo DS version this is a very nice way to see the roots of the series, since the GBA version has much more in common with the Super NES (SNES) version (editor: hence the retro gaming crave). Mario, Luigi, Toad, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Princess Peach and the rest of the gang have gotten together for another installment of kart racing. Cartoony weapons are used to slow down competition, or speed up the player. The different players also have different stats.
In a lot of ways I felt the graphics were primitive, but I had to remind myself this was on the Gameboy Advance. It really feels like a scaled down SNES version to me. There are plenty of bright and colorful graphics. There is also the cartoon violence as players can shoot one another with turtle shells, and bump light characters off the track.
The sounds are well known and established Mario sounds. The music also fits into the same boat. In some ways I felt like the game was pretty quiet. I was not distracted from the kart racing action, but more sounds would have been appreciated. Of course this is another way to see how the series has improved over the years.
Nintendo has done a very good job with replay value in many of their games, especially their Mario Kart series. MK Super Circuit exhibits the tried and true formula. There are plenty of races to keep the player busy for quite a long time, and then the speed is increased. The easy 50cc, harder 100cc, and finally difficult 150cc are present and accounted for. A link cable can then be used for four players to play at once. Only one game cartridge is needed, four Gameboy Advances, and the Game Link cable. The party style games that are included are impressive for a Gameboy Advance cartridge. In my opinion this game is worth your extremely hard earned dollars. If you are into any retro gaming, or video game history then this is a must have for your video game collection.
Mario Kart Super Circuit has very nice controls. In fact turning on a dime has never been easier. The power sliding on those U-turns handles perfectly. The layout, and design of the controls also works from a very intelligent design. The design of the different tracks is also extremely intelligent. I had a lot of fun playing Mario Kart Super Circuit. The one gameplay problem I had was having to finish in the top four for every race. I had enough points to win the circuit, and had to finish within the top four to win it. Even losing that one race meant winning the entire circuit.
The ESRB had no
descriptors for this game with cartoon violence. This is a classical
example of how long the ESRB has been failing families. Thankfully FFG
let me review this game so families will get enough information to
determine if a purchase is warranted.
- Sam
Graphics: 81%
Sound: 80%
Replay/Extras: 98%
Gameplay: 85%
Family Friendly Factor: 84%
System: Gameboy Advance
Publisher: Nintendo
Rating: 'E' for Everyone
Want more info on this
product,
or the company that made this product?
Set web browser to:
Link
Got a question, comment,
or a concern regarding this
review?
Email them to:
GameReviews@familyfriendlygaming.com