Is Mario Kart: Super Circuit Bad?
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- čas přidán 24. 04. 2023
- Handheld Mario Kart games are some of the best in the series, but there's one handheld Mario Kart that people often forget about, Mario Kart: Super Circuit. In this video I take a deep dive into the game and see if the first handheld Mario Kart still holds up today. This is my Mario Kart: Super Circuit retrospective.
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#nintendo #mario #mariokart - Hry
![Mario Kart Super Circuit Unused Content | LOST BITS [TetraBitGaming]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xvTtiPJX8NM/mqdefault.jpg)
Super Circuit was my first GBA game, I remember my parents putting the game and console in a huge box for Christmas Day as a joke so I didn't know it was a GBA, fun memories.
Glad to see you hear here!
Also my first gba game! Spent many car trips chilling with that epic soundtrack lol
CZcams is such a small world, one of my favorite CZcamsrs commenting on a video I would least expect him to enjoy like me.
@@Waqooyi
True
:)
Once you master the controls, this game is a gem. I particularly love the soundtrack.
yeah I like the shy guy beach music
Don’t forget Gems like Sky Garden, Bowser Castle, Cheese Land (It was meh in MK8 though), Sunset Wilds, Boo Lake, and Rainbow Road
GBA ピーチサーキットの
原曲＆生演奏と
GBA リバーサイドパークの
原曲＆生演奏と
GBA テレサレイクの原曲と
GBA スカイガーデンの
DSアレンジ＆Tourアレンジ＆
生演奏と
GBA サンセットこうやの
生演奏と
GBA スノーランドの原曲と
GBA リボンロードの原曲と
GBA ヨッシーさばくの
原曲＆Tourアレンジと
GBA レインボーロードの
原曲が好き！
Ikr? Super Circuit is underrated.
Just got this game a few days ago. It’s been a few days of trying over and over but I finally got at least a star rank on every 50cc course. This game is definitely frustrating to get down, but once you do it’s a jam. Hell it kinda reminds me of F-ZERO. Gonna go for 100cc next
I personally think that Mario kart super circuit is a solid game
Regarding it's difficulty, I'd like to add that trying to ⭐⭐⭐ *_ALL_* cups is incredibly difficult in Super Circuit. Unlike MK8 which only requires all first place finishes or previous entries which are only a bit more difficult, SC requires first places, good times, a certain amount of coins, little to no item usage and perfect driving (no getting hit, avoiding off-road/shallow water/mud, bumping walls or other racers). Once you get real good most cups aren't too bad but the Retro Lightning Cup is notorious for being near impossible to ⭐⭐⭐.
Yeah the retro cups are way harder to 3 star. Specifically the lightning cup because koopa beach 1 is all water. Choco island 2 is all mud, and mario circuit 3 has a U turn that is borderline impossible to take without either playing as peach yoshi or toad, which give less points, brakedrifting (which docks points also), or hitting the offroad which of course docks points. Its a lose lose all around. Plus bowser castle 2 is really difficult to drive without hitting walls.
I think I remember doing it and the title screen changed. I have yet to do this in MK8D due to 200cc.
It took me days to get at least one on the 50ccs… Jesus what am I signing up for
This was my first ever game I owned. I played it a whole lot.
I remember trying to get 3-star rank on every GP map, including the SNES tracks.
I got enough that I managed to get the nighttime background during the splash screen intro.
I also remember that I got good enough on some tracks that I could outrun blue shells at 150cc. the shell would stick behind me and if I slowed down even a bit it would hit me. However, if I maintained spped long enough it would despawn. The track I remember in particular where I did it regularly was Luigi Circuit.
Some major nostalgia vibes. Now I want to play it again.
Indeed. The trick to just staying ahead of those spikey shells (they looked more grey than blue to me) as well as red shells, is gathering enough coins, because just like nowadays, more coins means more top speed. So therefore , you're sitting duck if you have a low amount, but eventually it keeps following you untill it gives up.
When driving through the muddy bit in Sunset Wilds, it will definitely catch you out.
MK Super Circuit was my first hand held game. I remember getting it new with my game boy in 2001. One of the best Christmas presents I ever had.
11:53 the yoshis neck is in pain rn
It's interesting that you prefer SMK's controls over Super Circuit's. For me, it's the exact opposite.
Technical correction: With single-pak link, your main system is not actually treating the other GBAs as "additional screens"; it is sending program code and data into the (albeit limited) memory of the other systems. You'd still have up to four copies of Mario Kart Super Circuit operating, but given the RAM limitations, that leads into why the limited selection of tracks, characters, and animation frames. It is trying to squeeze a 4MB game into 256KB :-)
You'll probably notice similar limitations with Nintendo DS games that do have download play. Mario Kart DS has severely limited single-pak multiplayer too.
A much simpler game, Mario Bros (included in all the Super Mario Advance carts), was able to pull off this trick without compromises.
Should they’ve run off the entire game on one console and only download a simpler input client?
@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4 One GBA wasn't powerful enough to render the graphics for multiple devices. I'm also sure that the data connection wasn't fast enough for that, too.
@@lhb82 it can send input data though, they can have the graphics rendered separately for each console from the cartridge running the game
@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4 The gba is running the game, and it is not powerful enough to run multiple instances at one.
Plus it is pointless, it is much easier to transfer a small copy of the game and run each copy on the different devices.
@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4 Why would these cpus and numbers relevant here?
I definitely appreciate this game more now that I’m older and find it easier to get a grip on the controls. At the time MK DS was the newest handheld entry to me so it was easy to see super circuits as outdated. Though I’ve appreciated it a lot more over the years and it ranks above some of the other fan favorites for me due to the skill needed to race and it’s fast paced gameplay.
I tried this game and i love it i also love how many shortcuts you can make up yourself in the rainbow road
One of my fav CZcams series atm, keep it up!
seeing this channel grow so fast is crazy! honestly when i first found you i though you mustve had hundreds of thousands of subscribers! glad to see you gaining traction and popularity!
I think it’s okay imo, but that’s mainly influenced by how much the series has grown and been made easier to control and maintain leads as opposed to then
Keep up the bangers
Peace be upon you! The Music from Mariokart: Super Circuit is really nostalgic for me, especially Snowland :]. Glad it made it back in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s DLC. This episode made my day~
I love your content bro keep it up! It’s funny that you posted this today because I was gifted this game for my birthday a few days ago😅
Great video as always. It would be interesting if you made a video ranking all the Mario kart games!
This was one of my first video games. So nostalgic for me!
I have it on switch online, the tracks in this game are very good, controls in this game aren't so good but it's still a great game!
Nice review on Mario Kart: Super Circuit, I used to play this game when I was a kid on my Uncle’s Game Boy, those were fun times! 😁😁😁
It’s a great game. I like it more than Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64. I wish Mario Kart Double Dash has all of the N64 tracks like Mario Kart Super Circuit having all of the SNES tracks.
Amazing vid, as always. Btw waluigi kart
It's like if Mario Kart SNES and Mario Kart 64 mixed together.
I'm a huge fan of 2D Mario kart games, and Suoer Circuit is basically the entire first game but 2×
I absolutely love this game
I don't know if you knew this but this is the only MK (at least to my knowledge) with a lot of cool features, for instance:
-If you slip with a banana, crash on a mouse (cheese land), go through a puddle of water or a frozen puddle you can skip the damage by just braking the cart
-You can plant red shells and blue shells by aiming backwards. Red shells will attack any player, even you and blue shells, of course, the one at first place
-You can HONK the horn by pressing SELECT, no matter if is at the character select screen or in game, at the race!
Really changes the way you approach item use in the game.
I'm currently trying to complete this game 100%. it was amazing for the first handheld Mario Kart game.
I played so much of this game but hard to go back to it in 2023
I love this game I think it's absolutely amazing this was one of the first games where I challenged myself to master the controls and I did il never forget the many super circuit sessions I had while in the back seat of the car with my mom driving to the grocery store and back I loved the learning curve this game has
I got a gba yesterday. I don’t have super circuit yet but i played it on a friend’s switch and it is already my 2nd favorite mario kart game. After wii of course
Thanks for this review. SC was the first Mario Kart I owned (technically my younger brother owned lol we both played it to death) and holds a lot of charm and nostalgia. I think it has some of the most creative tracks out there esp Cheese Land and Sky Gardens!
Love this game
Cheep cheep Island and Sky Garden= best tracks
Very fun game, played it on my DS today
This game was my childhood. It may not be perfect, but when you get used to the controls, it actually runs smoothly compared to the SNES counterpart.
My younger self getting Casually getting Confused with mario circut thinking it was mario kart 64
great graphics, great ost. i played this game so much that even when i wasnt playing i saw mario kart in my eyes a la tetris effect.
I used to play it a lot on my gba as a child. It's my main Mario cart nostalgia
My favourite MK and feel-good game of all time. I still boot it up when I'm going through a rough patch. It helps a bit :)
This is the only Mario Kart that ive never played, let alone owned. I had a GBA back in the day and for some reason didnt even realize this game existed, despite becoming a huge fan of MK DS. Still have an old GBA, if i could find this game cheap id totally pick it up. Something tells me it would be a nostalgia BLAST.
I just played through this game for the first time and it's better than I remembered. Once you get used to the slidey controls its actually pretty fun and it fixes everything I hate about super mario kart
I have the exact oposite opinion on the controls. I have an easier time with the controler than with both previous games
MK64 was the first game I've ever played but this was the first Mario Kart game I truly played growing up if that makes sense. I got it with the red GBA SP and would play this for hours with Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, Super Mario World and the Pokemon games. I'm glad Super Circuit is getting the recognition as it's really underrated.
When I was a kid with a gba I played the hell out of this. I didn't play any more recent mario kart games until the switch and for a long time I didn't know SC was considered the black sheep of the series, I always thought it was good and didn't get the dislike when I did find out.
Btw little Easter egg for the rainbow road, the bowser castle in the back is actually the same one in paper Mario 64
Bro this game was my childhood bro one of the first games I've played.
This video made me grab my gba and copy of super circuit qnd fish out the charger from my bag of cords!
I also found it interesting that this game’s version of Rainbow Road also has Bowser’s Castle from Paper Mario floating in the background.
You can obliterate trees with a star by running into them AND it makes a cartoon slip sound. Best game ever
Easily the most underrated game in the series
This was my first Mario Kart game and Mario game ( Weird one to start with I know. )
It's nothing special at all but I really like it and sometimes replay it every now and then.
It was the first handheld Mario Kart that you could take on the go. It has many great tracks that would return in many future titles including 8 DX. The Rainbow Road in the game has a Paper Mario reference. It was the first to include Retro tracks. Also it was the first not to be developed in house by Nintendo and instead being developed by Intelligent Systems, who did Paper Mario, Warioware, Fire Emblem, and many other games.
this was my first mario kart game. i could never being myself to hate it. it’s so charming and the music is so good for a GBA title, and it holds some great childhood memories for me. IS made a solid game on such limited hardware and you really have to commend them for that.
The single pak multiplayer here actually works very similar to DS download play! It uses a feature of the GBA called multiboot, which allows the GBA to download a program over the link cable when it boots up and run it, just like the DS can do. There are obviously strict limitations, as the GBA has only 256 KB (yes, kilobytes!) of RAM to store a game in memory.
This was my first Mario Kart game that I ever played
honestly i’ve grown to like this game, it’s interesting that mario kart 8 used the beta version of the circuit theme
Super Circuit was my childhood. I loved it when I was a kid. It was a hybrid of the first two Mario Karts, and especially for a portable title, it was incredible, especially for the time.
Super Circuit walked, so DS could run.
I’m surprised you haven talked about this game yet!
20k soon 👀
It has the best star theme and most intense star theme outta all of them
This is my favourite Mario Kart Game!
Unfortunately, another GBA game copied it in pretty much every way possible, that game is called “Antz Extreme Racing.”
Make a video on which is better.
i always thought this game came before 64 until a few years ago lol i was shocked
Imo, Super Circuit and Tour are the most underrated Mario Karts. Super Circuit turns people away since it’s a 2D game even though it’s a great Mario Kart. And Tour is judged for how it was pay to win at the beginning, despite the pay to win aspects being removed and the game being a nice Mario Kart game.
"Super Circuit turns people away since it’s a 2D game"
In the early 2000s, 2D games on handheld devices were completely normal, nobody had a problem with that. SC is just a flawed game, and most people recognized that. We already had Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64, and SC didn't hold up against these two. It was nice to have a handheld Mario Kart game, but what is that good for, if the game isn't that much fun?
I bought the same shortly after release, and it is still my least favorite Mario Kart game. And to be quite honest, I never even had a conversation about this game outside online forums, most people I talked too couldn't even remember it. I guess later games overshadow it, especially Mario Kart DS.
@@lhb82 Yes they were normal in the early 2000s, but that's not my point. Yes, the game has flaws but so does literally every other Mario Kart game. The game TODAY is underrated and looked away cause its 2D. Yeah there's better Mario Kart games out there, but that doesn't mean this one should be given the cold shoulder cause it has issues all other Mario Karts have.
@@mailpaper7754 As said, I see SC as mostly forgotten, and that is for a reason. It is an ok kart racer, but nothing more. Without the Mario Kart name, I'm sure most people would have just ignored it, like so many other kart racers of its time. There is a good reason why Nintendo waited so many years waited before they fully outsource a Mario Kart game again. I don't think it is underrated. It is right were it belongs.
@@lhb82 how is Super Circuit worse than Super Mario Kart? (Only issue I could think of is way less accessible multiplayer, but that’s about it)
I don’t know if it’s just me, but unlike 2D, sprite-based platformers/action-adventure games/RPGs, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point in ever going back to making 2D, sprite-based racing games when 3D ones are pretty much unanimously better in every way
Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit having completely flat tracks with no elevation changes (which I know is because of hardware limitations) is honestly enough of a reason to have them as the “least good” Mario Kart games
Do you happen to be aware of the discovered super circuit prototype?
One thing you neglected to mention about the items is despite the fact the game introduces no new items, it DOES still mix things up.
As well as having some of the most chaotic item tables in the series (you will very commonly pull stars in 2nd or 3rd) this game also has a recovery mechanic if you get hit by a banana where you can brake with good timing to avoid spinning out.
The game also removes i-frames so you can hit a spun out opponent multiple times, and running into a spun out opponent will cause them to spin out again.
But my favourite favourite FAVOURITE mechanic that was ONLY in this game comes when you throw a red shell backwards. Instead of just flying backwards like a green shell, it sits on the track and then hunts the first person to drive past it.
There was so much strategy when you got into the meat and potatoes of this game which is why I ignore every review calling it bad.
god I loved that red shell it was so deadly for defense
The blue shells seem quite rare in this game compared to later entries.
It was so satisfying to hit opponents with a shell, then ram into them to make them spin out TWICE! Considering how common triple shells are in this game, it makes absolute chaos!
Helo
Edit: I’ve never played super circuit but this seems like a good watch :)
wasnt it possible to fire homing red shells backwarts or have them wait for prey or something like that?
I always thought this game was called Mario Kart Grand Prix for some reason lol
I appreciate you using the HD GBA settings for scaling.
Yeah that looks quite nice! The GBA's rotation and scaling have limited precision and no antialiasing, so things end up looking quite crusty at a distance.
This game was released the day that I was born. We came out on the same day 😁
I'm happy this game is getting back into peoples minds. Would I technically call it my least favorite Mario Kart? Yes, but only due to circumstance of how great the others are! So even at it's supposed worst, Mario Kart Super Circuit is still a quite fine game! Plus it has the Japanese MK64 voice cast that I love so much with Julien Bardakoff's Luigi and Thomas Spindler's Wario!
I feel like Luigi sounds so bad tho 😂
I like Super Circuit more than DS.
What are you gonna do, arrest me?
I still stand by the fact that super circuit invented retro tracks, DS built upon that idea
I think that the weird one is Double Dash for Nintendo Game Cube, Super Circuits feels like a middle point between Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64
What makes Double Dash weird for you? It was a clear evolution from MK64, with a lot of its own charm and ideas.
I didn't even know it had Mario kart... Honestly if you had this Tomb Raider and street fighter alpha 3 you literally had the perfect line up of impossible ports.
I’ve only heard Nathaniel Bandy talk about the star ranking system for this game. For those of you who don’t know how the star ranking system works, it’s based on how many skill points you have by the end of the cup. There are a ton of variables that cause an increase and decrease in the skill points.
Here are the basics, the character you pick will award you certain amounts of skill points.
Bowser: 45
DK and Wario: 40
Mario and Luigi: 30
Peach and Toad: 10
Yoshi: 0
This is based on how easy they are to control, so there’s some risk and reward factor here. It also depends on what cc you’re playing at. The higher the difficulty, the less skill points you’ll get. What happens in the race itself can drastically affect your rank.
Here are the variables that earn you skill points:
Collecting coins: +4 pts per coin
Hitting item boxes when your slots are full: +15 pts per item box pass
Hit by lightning: +40
Going fast as heck: depends
These four variables are the only things you can use to get more skill points. And most of them are completely arbitrary, like why does it matter if I’m holding on to items or not? And it’s more cryptic than that, because not all items that are held count as being held. Triple green and triple red shells do not count as a held item because you’re technically not holding the item button. So it’s actually really bad when you get those two items. And then there’s the factor of getting hit by lighting. Getting hit by lightning is a rare occurrence in Super Circuit which is so unfair because you actually get a ton of skill points from something that happens at any random time.
Now let’s talk about things that take away your skill points. Well I hope your ready because I have a long list of variables so here we go.
Being off road: -.25 pts per frame
Not accelerating: -.25 pts per frame
Braking: -2 pts per frame
Using triple red shells: -5 pts per frame
Using lightning: -5 pts per frame
Using Stars: -30 pts per frame
Hitting enemies or items on the road: -15 pts per frame
Spinning out: -15 pts per frame
Bumping into walls: -20 pts per frame
Using a rocket start: -25 pts per frame
Lakitu Rescue: -25 pts per frame
I kid you not, all of these variables can make you lose skill points. I mean heck, no wonder it’s so hard to get 3 stars. Let’s just go over some of these like not accelerating, using my brakes are you kidding me? Why should that matter at all? This is a racing game. Every race is different so naturally I’m gonna be forced to play every race slightly differently. And then there’s the matter of the items. Using lightning, stars, or triple red shells as a detriment is completely stupid because you have no control over what items you receive. I’ve gotten stars in 2nd place tons of times when playing Super Circuit. So what am I supposed to do about that? And then there’s hitting enemies or items on the road, spinning out, and Lakitu rescuing you. I think those factors are fine, although bumping into walls is so petty if you ask me, then there’s using a rocket start. That is so contradicting considering the game wants you to finish laps fast. How am I supposed to do that when I’m discouraged to use the rocket start? And what’s crazy is I have never seen anyone talk about how evil this system is other than Nathaniel Bandy. So I’m glad to be sharing it with everyone watching this video now.
This list of variables misses out on one key factor that also makes a big difference. And that is drifting. Because yes you can drift in this game, but it’s incredibly awkward to do and takes a ton of practice to get used to. It’s similar to the other games where you have to jump and turn and then hold that pose for a bit to get a speed boost, but I do not have the skills to properly integrate it with my gameplay. It’s hard to master because everything feels so slippery. Drifting can be to sharp or too narrow which can cost skill points. And the computers do not help matters either. While they technically don’t rubber band, they are extremely aggressive and are still very difficult to deal with.
So there you have it.
A lot of these things are not per frame
I would love to play this with a friend but, I don't have a friend to play with 😢
NO
When the GBA Nintendo Switch ONline games came out, i think the first one i tried was Super Circuit
I think it's actually one of my favorite Mario Kart Games, better than the Original and i'd even say 64
The controls are janky, but i actually really love them and the increased difficulty they provide
In fact, the game as a whole is harder than any Mariokart i've played, and i love that
Plus, really unique tracks for it's time i think, at least in the theme
Super circuit was great you got a large amount of track and more creative than 64
Honestly, Super Circuit I was able to adjust better than Super Mario Kart or 64. Idk why, but the SNES and 64 Mario Kart felts weird, but Super Circuit somehow just clicked for me.
Never trust Wario (aka me) in battle mode.
Can you please do a video on Mario kart double dash.
This game is freaking brutal to get 3 stars on every track in
Lies! I never forgot this game. Very good interesting information.
does someone remeber mario kart double dash?
If you take it at face value, it’s pretty unremarkable. It’s better than SMK, but not as fun as 64, in my opinion. BUT, the incredibly strict grading system is what makes it truly special. It’s the only MK game that bases its grading on the technique of the player’s driving (as far as I know), and that offers a really unique challenge for the series, especially with the unusually slippery controls.
I just wish drifting were a tiny bit more practical, since not being able to utilize it most of the time can make races feel pretty samey.
I'm amazed that a different company that this game made a vs mode, it's embarrassing that Nintendo didn't give vs mode to Double Dash and the most embarrassing 7
Seven does have a versus mode. Single cart or multicart play. In fact, super circuit introduced single cart play in via link cable.
yes
Don't forget, Namco developed Mario Kart Arcade GP 1 & 2 so this isn't the ONLY MK game Nintendo outsourced.
But these were arcade games, so not quite the same.
I think they made a sensitivity too high
This was always my least favorite Mario Kart game. It didn’t help that, as a kid, I already had a racing game on my GBA in Cartoon Network Speedway. My first Mario Kart game was DS, which sparked my love for the series
Mario Kart DS is a fantastic game, and a great start for new Mario Kart fans at its time. It brought me be back to Mario Kart, after SC was such a let down :/ But DS was perfection, just so much fun. Great controls, great tracks, good graphics. Fun in all aspects.
keep posting good content
The frame rate is too smooth, from what I remember.
I’d play the shit outta this tbh!!
I don't know how to feel about this guy sneezing out every four words
it's my least favorite. almost done 3 starring mirror mode for wii, and then on to super circuit to 100% every mario kart game. u can play absolutely perfectly and not get 3 stars bc they punish u for using certain characters (I main toad) and not somebody like bowser or wario who control like ass. I don't look forward to it, might even have to shave the dpad for zzmt. sigh...
easily my most played mario kart of all time so no it wasnt bad
Don’t Forget This Game Is The Highest Rated Mario Kart Game On Metacritic With 93%!!
I played this game to death. Next to Mario Kart 64 this game IS Mario Kart to me.
I love Super Circuit but the pure sole existence of Snow Land makes it the worst Mario Kart
2:04 also THANK GOD they recycled the 64 sprites instead
For those with problems with controls, a trick to avoid slipping away the track you can hop in the opposite direction you were drifting/turning to
My first ever game bot game ever
Solid game but bad controls
This game is stupidly underrated.