Mario Kart 64^[a] is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game is the second main entry in the Mario Kart series and is the successor to Super Mario Kart (1992) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in Japan on December 14, 1996; in North America on February 10, 1997; and in the United Kingdom on June 24, 1997. It was released for the iQue Player in China in 2003. It was released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console in 2007 and 2016, and on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on October 25, 2021.

Changes from the original include the move to polygon-based true 3D computer graphics for track design, and the inclusion of four-player support.^[2] Players take control of one of eight characters from the Mario franchise, who race around 16 tracks (4 in each of 4 cups) with items that can either harm opponents or aid the user. The move to three-dimensional graphics allowed for track features not possible with the original game’s Mode 7 graphics, such as changes in elevation, bridges, walls, and pits. However, the characters and items remain 2D pre-rendered sprites. The game was commercially successful and was generally praised for the fun and high replay value of its multiplayer modes. The game is regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time.^[3][4]

Gameplay

Racing on D.K.’s Jungle Parkway, the first course of the Special Cup. Mario Kart 64 is the first game in the series to use 3D computer graphics.

Mario Kart 64 is a kart racing game in which the player controls one of eight selectable Mario characters in several racetracks that vary in shape and theme. During a race, the players can obtain random items from special boxes placed in different areas of the track that are used to impede the opposition and gain the advantage. For example, Koopa Troopa shells and bananas allow the player to attack opponents and slow them down, and Mushrooms grant the player a temporary boost in speed and jumping ability.^[5] In a change from the previous installment, players can carry more than one item at a time.^[6] Mario Kart 64 has 16 tracks and 4 battle stages.^[7] It is the first game in the Mario Kart series that supports slipstreaming.^[8]