Mario Kart - Retro Racing at its Finest!
Racing games, be they car or motorcycle are almost always fun but some really stand out. These are the genre bending games, the ones that really extend what the gamer thought was possible in a racing franchise. Every game that breaks the mold is special and we’re going to revisit some of the best in class during today’s post. We’ll do this by system and start with the oldest on up the newest in our classic division. So without further adieu let’s get to the NES’s contribution to this category.
When it comes to video game motorcycle racing there’s a special place in the history books for Excite Bike. This 8-bit classic was a dirt bike super star and included head to head racing and even the ability to build your own course! This game had time trials, exciting racing, challenging courses and the course builder as a bonus. When it comes to motorcycle racing it’s hard to beat this one. That is, of course, until the Sega Genesis came along… Which brings us to our next classic, Road Rash.
This game was a lot more mature but if you were playing Excite Bike when it was new chances are you were ready for the more violent Road Rash by the time it rolled out. This game featured a system of cash prizes leading to newer, faster bikes. The races got harder making winning and upgrading a must. This was all great fun but the real treat was the violent take downs you could do. Using chains, bats, even tire irons you could smack your opponents – and be smacked – clean off the bike. This allowed for some interesting overtaking dynamics and really fun playing experience but also meant it was pretty inappropriate for younger players… oh well! There was another game on another system that was appropriate and fun for all ages.
The Star Wars connection
Super Mario Kart! Everybody loves this one and the franchise continues to this day –
This is the same 3d effect the Star Wars intro uses.
unlike the classic retro racers mentioned above. The Super Nintendo version was particularly fun though and featured the novel scrolling screen 3-D effect where you drove your vehicle directly into the screen and objects grew to simulate forward movement. It also had the fun mini-cup race structure which allowed for limited play time to still be extra fun and competitive. The four race structure took about a half hour, a good length of time for most players to stay focused and having fun. The cartoon violence of this series was not nearly as egregious and was more like your typical cartoon violence that is suitable for all but the youngest children. These three racing titles stand out across the classic gaming world as superior, super fun racers. I recommend them for all collectors and retro game enthusiasts.