Mario cart clones...why not?

[Fearless]

On the newer gen consoles, why arent there any mario cart type clones? Those games are a blast!:guitar:

[Snapple]

I think this would be better served in the Modern Gaming forum, but anyway.

I own a game called "Myth Makers: Super Kart GP" for the Wii, which is a Mario Kart clone. So there's definitely at least one. I haven't played it yet, because I have a few games I want to finish first, but I'll get around to it.

[punkoffgirl]

Moving thread.

[Jorpho]

You mean there aren't a bazillion of these already? If there aren't any coming out on newer consoles, then perhaps developers have concluded that more crappy Mario Kart clones will not be big sellers.

[exit]

There have been several Mario Kart clones, here are a few off the top of my head.

Crazy Frog Racer
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
Crash Nitro Kart
Jak X: Combat Racing

The best out of the bunch is probably Jak X, I played the demo at work once and it wasn't half bad.

[jcalder8]

Mini Desktop Racing:puke:
Edit: or should that be :puke:Mini Desktop Racing
Edit again::puke:Yaris:puke:

[spoon]

Konami Krazy Racers for GBA is pretty good. Was a GBA launch title and kinda hard to find now.

[Snapple]

Oh, if you just want to talk about Mario Kart clones, there are a ton. Remember Wacky Wheels for PC? Good times. And how about Merlin Racing for the NUON? Don't remember that one? Yeah, I don't blame you. I only mentioned Myth Makers because the TC was asking about next-gen Mario Kart clones.

[aaron7]

Wacky Wheels was a go cart game, yes... but not a clone of Mario Kart.

I think the OP means clones and bootlegs like for the NES and Famicom for newer systems... sprite hacks and the like.

[kataboom]

mario kart clones were a dime a dozen on the n64.

[Sudo]

Not really a "newer" console per se, but Crash Team Racing on the PSX is pretty awesome. I played the hell out of that game back when it came out, almost as much as Mario Kart itself.

[PentiumMMX]

One of the best Mario Kart clones IMO is the original N64 version of Diddy Kong Racing, followed closely by Crash Team Racing (PSX).

[wallydawg]

Oh, if you just want to talk about Mario Kart clones, there are a ton. Remember Wacky Wheels for PC? Good times. And how about Merlin Racing for the NUON? Don't remember that one? Yeah, I don't blame you. I only mentioned Myth Makers because the TC was asking about next-gen Mario Kart clones.

I loved wacky wheels!

[roushimsx]

Jak X: Combat Racing

Jak X is fucking awesome, with its one drawback being the "blue shell syndrome" that seems to plague the whole god damn kart racing subgenre. Other than that, it had fantastic race tracks, good music, a good framerate, and controls the way the buggies in Jak 3 should have controlled. I had very little interest in the game before playing it, fired it up just to see if the story in it somehow connected it to the rest of the series, and was quickly addicted.

Thread Hijack -> List some kart racers that don't suffer from "blue shell syndrome".

[Snapple]

Wacky Wheels was a go cart game, yes... but not a clone of Mario Kart.

I think Wacky Wheels is about as close to a direct clone as you can get. Cute animals in go karts shooting cutesy weapons at each other, and it was released a couple years after the original Super Mario Kart. They even have tropical levels and lava levels and everything from Mario Kart.

http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue21/flooks/wacky1.gif

You can't look at that screenshot and say Mario Kart isn't what they were going for.

[GrandAmChandler]

Skunny Karts > Wacky Wheels

http://www.softindir.com/image/20773.jpg

http://web.tiscali.it/squakenet/screen/skunny_kart.jpg

[PentiumMMX]

List some kart racers that don't suffer from "blue shell syndrome".

The original N64 version of Diddy Kong Racing. The only thing remotely similar to the blue shell is the Hummershot Missile, but it's more like a red shell than anything.

[The 1 2 P]

Crash Team Racing on the PS1 is arguably the greatest Mario Cart clone ever. I'd even go so far as to say it was better than the original Mario Kart on the Super Nes.

[Rob2600]

mario kart clones were a dime a dozen on the n64.

Really? You can name over a dozen Mario Kart clones on the Nintendo 64? I can only name three: Diddy Kong Racing, South Park Rally, and Mickey's Speedway U.S.A.

[Half Japanese]

Really? You can name over a dozen Mario Kart clones on the Nintendo 64? I can only name three: Diddy Kong Racing, South Park Rally, and Mickey's Speedway U.S.A.

What he should have done was expanded to include the consoles in the late 90s/early 00s, which would round out a dozen quite easily. Off the top of my head there were titles based on the following:

- Bomberman
- Final Fantasy
- Walt Disney World
- Nicktoons
- Crash
- Wacky Races
- Looney Tunes
- Smurfs

[theMot]

Really? You can name over a dozen Mario Kart clones on the Nintendo 64? I can only name three: Diddy Kong Racing, South Park Rally, and Mickey's Speedway U.S.A.

Penny Racers.

Still short a few though :D

[Jorpho]

Snowboard Kids also qualifies, I suspect. And maybe Beetle Adventure Racing?


Skunny Karts > Wacky Wheels

Didn't much care for Skunny Kart; it seemed so gaudy and unpolished. Anyway, it did in fact use almost exactly the same engine as Wacky Wheels did; the original programmer accidently let some of his code get away.

[boatofcar]

There's a kart racing game called...wait for it...."Kart Racer" that's huge here in Korea. Some of my students are even swearing off Starcraft to play it!

[TwinChargers]

Wacky Wheels was great, and dare I say it, better than the original Mario Kart.
As for other "Kart" games you must not for get Atari Karts for the Jaguar, and S.C.A.R.S for the PlayStation and the 64.

[Rob2600]

I own a game called "Myth Makers: Super Kart GP" for the Wii, which is a Mario Kart clone. So there's definitely at least one.

There's also M&M's Kart Racing for the Wii and DS, which are supposedly horrible wastes of money.


Penny Racers.

Penny Racers is a toss-up. According to IGN's review, "Unlike Mario Kart, which concentrates on battle elements, Penny Racers focuses more on racing and customization." However, it does feature weapons. I'm undecided.


Snowboard Kids also qualifies, I suspect. And maybe Beetle Adventure Racing?

Beetle Adventure Racing is definitely not a Mario Kart clone. It's a standard, albeit very good, racing game with big jumps and lots of shortcuts. No weapons.

I agree with you about Snowboard Kids and Snowboard Kids 2. They're basically Mario Kart on snowboards.


Still short a few though :D

Right. :) Five or six Mario Kart clones on the Nintendo 64 is definitely not "a dime a dozen," as kataboom stated.


Anyway, I'll add one to the list of previous-generation Mario Kart clones: Chocobo Racing. According to IGN's review, "Square's attempt at mass-marketing works on a cutesy level, but it's no Mario Kart. ... Little lasting appeal here, unless you're a diehard Square fan who's never known the delight of Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, or Diddy Kong Racing."

[CosmicMonkey]

What are the two Sonic Drift games on the GameGear like; any good?

[kainemaxwell]

Does that Star Wars title for the PSX count as one? Don't forget the Mega Man kart racer too. I take it "blue shell syndrome" is any kart racer with a blue shell-type item to knock the 1st place racer out of position?

[SegaAges]

Lets not forget the Burger King game Pocketbike Racers.

And yes, I got all 200 acheivement points and that. That game sucked, but to be honest, it really didn't suck for $4 new, besides the fact that for the 1st 2 days, my case smelled like bk fried (gross)

[Fuyukaze]

Being as how Penny Racers was part of the Choro-Q franchise which predated the whole Super Mario Kart series, I'm not sure it would qualify.

[Jorpho]

Let's not forget Shrek Swamp Kart Speedway.

Remember that April Fool's gag presenting Lord of the Rings Racing? In some ways it was quite believable.


Choro-Q franchise which predated the whole Super Mario Kart series

Wow, really? Does that mean it started out as an overhead racer?

[Julio III]

What are the two Sonic Drift games on the GameGear like; any good?

I've tried the 2nd one out on the PS2 Sonic Gems Collection and its horrible. Utterly utterly horrible.

[jcalder8]

How come no one has mentioned WWE Crush Hour?

[Snapple]

What are the two Sonic Drift games on the GameGear like; any good?

It's eh. The mechanics of the Sonic Drift games are really strange. Guys who are behind get to go faster to catch up, so you get cars looping around each other. The tracks and such are pretty uninspired. Back in the day, it was still a decently fun way to kill time on the go, because how many kart racers could you play on a portable in 1995? Not stupendous games though.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Thread Hijack -> List some kart racers that don't suffer from "blue shell syndrome".
How about Looney Tunes Space Race? Not because it doesn't have weapons that can devastate the leader, but because those weapons are so great that the game doesn't suffer form them. In fact, they make the game in my opinion. There is nothing funnier than being way out in front and then suddenly hearing an elephant trumpet and noticing that your character is covered by a rather large shadow...dodge to the left! But too slow, you're a pancake. That's just classic.

Looney Tunes Space Race is definitely the most enjoyable Mario Kart style game I've ever played, including Mario Kart.


...word is bondage...

[Fuyukaze]

Let's not forget Shrek Swamp Kart Speedway.

Remember that April Fool's gag presenting Lord of the Rings Racing? In some ways it was quite believable.



Wow, really? Does that mean it started out as an overhead racer?

I'm still trying to buy some of the famicom Choro-Q games but every damn time I see one listed on e-bay from the sellers I trust they always get pumped so high I cant justify spending so much.

[The 1 2 P]

How come no one has mentioned WWE Crush Hour?

Because it sucks. And that's the bottom line...because 1 2 P said so8-).