Is the original Super Mario Kart a hard game?

[crooky]

...or I am rubbish at it?

Because I've been trying for at least a dozen attempts to do the star cup on 100cc now but have come up short every time. I just blew my biggest chance yet, despite having a massive 14 point lead coming into the final two races I bottled it by getting a pair of 4th's and lost by two points.

Most of the time I don't even get a shot at the championship because I struggle with the last three tracks so much:

There's tiny blocks of ice that stop your kart on two parts of the track, hit these on the first lap and your likely to go from 1st to 8th very easily. The only time I managed to win there is when I had a decent grid position and didn't hit a single one.

The walls that slow you down so much are close to the edge of the track so any lines too tight or too wide get severely punished plus there's 4 thwomps around the back half of the track that can block the entire track (for you only not the AI!) if your're unlucky.

There's nothing massively hard about this track apart from the pipes dotted around the track but the AI is very quick here so again any small mistake will be punished.

Has anyone got any tips for these tracks or the game in general?

 

[Fappy]

This game is pretty hardcore and is definitely the hardest Mario Kart title. It's been awhile since I played it... the only advice I can really give is get good and hairpin turns. If you get knocked of the track your fucked for the whole race.

 

[aguspal]

It is ANNOYING more then hard actually, and I also dont really get how someone thougt this game was actually any good at all because IMO its such an horrible game. You just have to get used to the fake difficulty of the game. Hasnt aged well.


*Flame Shield on*



... On the other hand, if it wanst for this game then the other legimatly good Mario Kart games wouldt probably exist, so I dont dislike it completly. I just think its impressive how much people were capable of enjoining it. Pretty intersting, In fact.


In short: Its hard for a whole lot of BAD reasons.

 

[crooky]

Phew.. Glad it's not just me then.

Tbh I haven't got anywhere near to mastering drifting in the game that apparently speeds you up so much. It feels so hard that the risk of making mistakes feels like it would over weigh the risk of performing proper drifts.

Also is it true that picking up coins speeds your kart up? Just asking because I've found it no quicker perhaps a little slower when I actually go for lots of coins because of speed lost going off line.

 

[Fappy]

Also is it true that picking up coins speeds your kart up? Just asking because I've found it no quicker perhaps a little slower when I actually go for lots of coins because of speed lost going off line.

I'm not so sure on this one. I know bananas speed you up in Diddy Kong Racing, but I don't remember coins having the same effect in this game.

It is ANNOYING more then hard actually, and I also dont really get how someone thougt this game was actually any good at all because IMO its such an horrible game. You just have to get used to the fake difficulty of the game. Hasnt aged well.


*Flame Shield on*



... On the other hand, if it wanst for this game then the other legimatly good Mario Kart games wouldt probably exist, so I dont dislike it completly. I just think its impressive how much people were capable of enjoining it. Pretty intersting, In fact.


In short: Its hard for a whole lot of BAD reasons.

It's definitely not the best Mario kart, but I can still get enjoyment out of it... even if I do want to break the controller half the time.

 

[crooky]

Thought I'd stop being lazy and actually Google it:

"More specifically, each coin makes you go a tiny little bit faster up to 10 coins. More than 10 coins don't make you go any faster anymore. You gain coins by driving directly on them and from item boxes.

You lose 1 coin everytime you hit another driver. You lose two coins if Lakitu has to go get you if you fall off track. You lose 4 coins if you hit an item (banana peel, green/red shell, bowser's fireballs and these moving black thingies in match race ; not sure about lightning)... I think you also lose 4 coins when driving over an oil patch. Hope I didn't make a mistake or forgot anything.

You also spin out if you hit another driver when you are out of coins."

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/588738-super-mario-kart/47450346

What is the best MK for you then Fappy? The only ones I haven't played a lot are MK64 and MK7 and this is how I'd rank the ones I've played:

Mario Kart DS (Shame about the snaking though...)
Mario Kart DD
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Super Mario Kart
MK Wii

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

Mario kart 64 will likely be my favorite until the end of time, but I liked the others I have played too.

Honorable mentions are Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. I played Super Mario Kart before any of them though, so it will always have a place in my heart... despite how frustrating it is.

 

[aguspal]

-Snip-

Mario kart 64 will likely be my favorite until the end of time, but I liked the others I have played too.

Honorable mentions are Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. I played Super Mario Kart before any of them though, so it will always have a place in my heart... despite how frustrating it is.

Agreeded 90%. The one diffference is that I dont particulary like Super Mario Kart (nor I played it before any of the others, whitch may be the reason of why I dont really like it that much)

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

Mario kart 64 will likely be my favorite until the end of time, but I liked the others I have played too.

Honorable mentions are Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. I played Super Mario Kart before any of them though, so it will always have a place in my heart... despite how frustrating it is.

64 is good but I feel that MKDS is the best of the lot, the game is polished to perfection.

I never played any of the handheld titles. I spent too many hours to count playing Battle Mode with 4 players, so it'd be tough to trump the nostalgia there.

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

Mario kart 64 will likely be my favorite until the end of time, but I liked the others I have played too.

Honorable mentions are Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. I played Super Mario Kart before any of them though, so it will always have a place in my heart... despite how frustrating it is.

64 is good but I feel that MKDS is the best of the lot, the game is polished to perfection.

I never played any of the handheld titles. I spent too many hours to count playing Battle Mode with 4 players, so it'd be tough to trump the nostalgia there.

Well the DS version has it too either with bots or with other DS's so it could equal the nostalgia. Not only that but it has a version of coin rush too where you try and get the most shinies out of everyone.

I hear the DS version of Super Mario 64 is also supposed to be really good.