Mario Kart 64 - Nintendo 64

Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64 is the second entry in Nintendo's beloved kart racing series and one of the greatest multiplayer games ever made — the title that transformed couch co-op racing from a two-player experience into a four-player event and introduced tracks and items that remain iconic to this day. Eight playable characters from the Mario universe compete across 16 courses spanning four cups, with Rainbow Road standing as the franchise's most legendary and punishing circuit.

The jump from the SNES original's Mode 7 graphics to full 3D environments was a landmark leap — courses now feature genuine elevation changes, tunnels, bridges, and sweeping mountain roads instead of flat sprite planes. Drifting earns Mini-Turbo boosts for the first time in the series, and slipstreaming behind rivals builds a speed burst that rewards smart positioning. The Blue Shell — arguably the franchise's most controversial invention — debuted here, pursuing the race leader relentlessly. Battle Mode supports up to four players simultaneously on dedicated arena stages.

The Ghost feature lets players race against a transparent replay of their own best lap — a then-novel concept that added serious replay value for time attack enthusiasts. Four-player split-screen brought genuine living room chaos to the series for the first time.

Released in North America on February 10, 1997, Mario Kart 64 became the second-best-selling game on the Nintendo 64 with 9.87 million copies sold — topped only by Super Mario 64. It received a Player's Choice budget reprint and has since been re-released on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online.

Language: English
Rating: E (Everyone)
Platform: Nintendo 64
Genre: Kart Racing
Players: 1–4 players (split-screen)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Year: 1997 (North American release: February 10, 1997)