This is going to be a more personal review for me than most others. Mario Kart: Super Circuit was one of the first announced titles for the Game Boy Advance that I was looking forward to. It released shortly after launch to big fanfare. It also helped me through a really tough time. I received it for Christmas 2001, right before my grandmother passed away. I didn’t know how to deal with loss at the time because I was a teenager that had not yet experienced it on this scale.
Video games were a form of escapism for me, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit provided me comfort I needed at this time. Every time I hear the title screen music it brings me instantly back. That’s why I haven’t played this one in years. Today we’re going back for a fresh perspective and review. Let’s take a look.
At the time of release we had not seen a new installment in the Mario Kart franchise since the Nintendo 64. Fans were eager, as was I, to see what Nintendo would do next with the series. I was disappointed with Mario Kart 64. It didn’t hit the same notes as the original, and I think the move to polygons had something to do with it. There was truly something special about the mode 7 graphics in the original.
That’s why Mario Kart: Super Circuit looked amazing to me. It used the same rendering method as well as sprites. It looked like more of a direct sequel than Mario Kart 64 did back then. That’s just my perspective. Like it’s predecessors Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 3D kart based racing game using characters from Nintendo’s biggest franchise. There’s a little more to it than reaching the finish line however.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit, like it’s predecessors, is an arcade style racing game based on weapons and rubber band AI. You drive laps around a variety of different courses and are awarded a set number of points based on your placement upon crossing the finish line. In a typical race you’re up against seven other opponents controlled by the CPU. Unfortunately they rubber band to the leader. What this means is that the AI enemies may be easy to overtake, but will easily keep up with you in the race no matter how well you perform.
This has always been a huge problem with the franchise and it’s just as big a problem here especially given how much victory is left to chance. I found myself losing races I should have won with perfect rounds but just one wrong move. It’s just something you have to accept with Mario Kart.
Unfortunately the character roster is identical to that of Mario Kart 64. Well, mostly. If you play multiplayer with one cartridge then the other players are simply different colored Yoshis. Aside from that there are no new faces. You have both Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Toad, DK, Wario and Bowser. I would have liked some new faces but the roster is large enough and has enough diversity that this isn’t a huge issue.
Each has their own handling characteristics and this has been fleshed out a bit more from the previous installment. You’re given star ratings for each in two different categories; speed and weight. Mario and Luigi are identical in this, as are Peach/Yoshi and DK/Wario. Bowser is the outlier. Despite the lack of new faces I didn’t have any real issue with the character roster. Having such similar stats is a a slight bummer however.
Mario Kart titles live and die by two elements. These are course designs as well as items. I’m happy to report that Super Circuit has more than its fair share of new tracks. These take great advantage of the hardware and feel like a definite step above the original SNES release. There is also a lot of variety in these with different enemies and hazards. Shy Guy Beach is one of my favorite stages in the entire franchise.
I also really like Ribbon Road and Cheese Land. They’re all thoughtfully designed and perfectly fit in the franchise well. What’s really interesting is the fact that after you complete the main game all of the courses from the Super Nintendo game are unlocked. These were wonderfully created, and with great care to the source material. All in all there are forty tracks to race on which is very impressive.
So now we arrive at the items. Unfortunately Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a bit weak in this regard. Not only does this one not provide anything new in this regard, but even the feather (which wasn’t present in Mario Kart 64) is absent here. You have the ever popular turtle shell which not only comes in two varieties, but also singular and as a trio. Then there’s the super mushroom offering a speed boost or three, banana peels, and more.
Unfortunately once more you only get the good stuff when you’re near the end of the pack. This includes the star which offers invincibility, and the lightning bolt that shrinks all other foes. Unfortunately the worst of the bunch makes an appearance here. I’m speaking of the blue shell that targets the first place racer. It’s annoying and I really wish Nintendo would forget about it.
Power sliding was an absolute necessity in Mario Kart 64. Prior to that it wasn’t nearly as important. Thankfully Mario Kart: Super Circuit is more like the original game in this regard. Instead of offering speed boosts this instead just offers you sharper turns by holding the shoulder buttons down while steering. Personally I like this method better because it’s not only more difficult to master, but also harder to cheese.
The courses are designed around this fact and it feels more natural. You can actually ignore this feature should you choose. Sure, the main game will be more difficult but at the same time it’s refreshing to not need to rely on it. This is one major advantage Super Circuit has over the Nintendo 64 iteration. It just feels more natural here, and at the same time, pays homage to the superior SNES title.
Multiplayer has always been a huge part of the franchise. I’m happy to report that this first handheld installment keeps with the tradition. I find it amazing that you can play with just one cartridge for multiple units via download play. Sure, you have a more limited roster to choose from with multi-colored Yoshis being the sole character, but it shows that Nintendo put a lot of effort into it. If you want to play the full game with a friend you’ll need multiple copies of the game, and of course, other Game Boy Advance consoles. With these pre-requisites you can enjoy the full experience complete with battle mode. In this you eliminate your foes balloons using items, and the courses are very well designed. Having multiple copies of the game is really the only way.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit is one of the best looking, and technically impressive GBA titles. In screenshots it doesn’t look like anything special, but in motion is a completely different story. The mode 7 graphics engine allows for incredible rotational effects and a faux 3D style that is completely believable. Unlike the SNES original this game takes up the entire screen which really makes the graphics shine.
The character sprites also feature a lot more detail to them as well as animation. Super Circuit is clearly a generation above Super Mario Kart. The soundtrack unfortunately doesn’t fare quite as well. The music has an odd goofy style which in my opinion is inferior to that of both the SNES original and 64 bit sequel. There are however a ton of voice samples that all sound great even despite the limited hardware.
