August 29, 2001 - It was one of the first games announced for the system, but it didn't quite make the system launch -- Mario Kart Super Circuit is finally finished for the Game Boy Advance, and man, what a ride. This portable game brings the classic look and gameplay of the Super NES classic Super Mario Kart, and blends in features from the N64 Mario Kart 64 title, and also includes items that make it its own design. The result is one of the best games on the handheld system.

Features

• More than forty tracks
• Eight characters
• GP and Time Trial modes
• Link cable support for four players
• Single and Multiple cartridge link
• Only for Game Boy Advance

Mario Kart Super Circuit builds upon the original design of the SNES version, with multiple circuits of four tracks each in place for the single player mode. The only way to progress through the five Cups (four available, one hidden) is to place first in each of the game's 20 tracks in 50, 100, and 150CCs modes, each being a faster and tougher class than the one before it. You'll have your pick of one of eight Mario Universe characters, from Mario and Luigi to Bowser and Yoshi, each racer having his or her own driving attributes such as speed, acceleration, and overall weight to push around the other players.

The game is extremely challenging in single player mode, because the AI of the computer opponents increases the deeper you get into the game -- if you think the game's easy in 50CC mode, don't blink when you're bumper to bumper with the rest of the pack in the 150CC races. The challenge is even greater with the need to collect coins -- in the Super NES version, they were important in keeping your vehicle's top speed high, as well as creating a buffer from getting spun-out by an opponent's nudging. These tokens make a return in Mario Kart Super Circuit, but there's an added incentive in scarfing them up: at the end of a circuit, your score is tallied not only by how well you performed against the rest of the pack, but also by how many coins you grabbed in each of the tracks. Grab enough coins, and you'll unlock the classic four SNES tracks for each of the Cups. Now that's replay value.

Another outstanding feature that increases the replay value is Mario Kart's ghost mode -- the game will record the best time around every track as a "ghost" so you can see just what it was that made that time so fast. What's more, you can trade these ghost racers to another player through the link cable -- so, in other words, you can also race against a friend's best time on that track, too. It's a great feature that will definitely encourage the whole "practice makes perfect" thing.

But single player barely scratches the surface -- it's when you grab a friend (or two, or three) that Mario Kart Super Circuit really opens up. It's the fun of screwing the other person with power-ups like turtle shells and lightning bolts as you cruise around the course, making sure he's the one to get Thwomped!! as the last place racer. And, of course, you can put the race aside and just enter one of four battle arenas in a total grudge-match to see who's the last person still on wheels. The game is very inviting even to those without a cartridge, as the game supports single cartridge link -- giving gamers four unique basic tracks to see what the game's all about, without the expense of a game purchase.

Of course, Battle Mode makes a return in Mario Kart Super Circuit, and it's done extremely well on the Game Boy Advance. In this mode, it's all about driving around a closed arena, trying to pop balloons attached to the other racers in the game. If you hit them with a turtle shell, banana peel, or invincibility, they'll lose a balloon -- take out all their balloons, and they're out of the competition. But, like the N64 Battle Mode, tossed-out players become fully controllable bombs that can go after players still in the running...making their lives a bit more difficult. The Battle Mode in the GBA title is as good as it's ever been for Kart racing, but why they still haven't added the ability to play computer controlled AI opponents is a bit confusing...and the fact that you can't play Battle Mode over single player link is a little disappointing, too.

The game engine is very similar to the SNES version, with Mode 7-style effects used for the track's 3D look. But this game is far and away more technically advanced than the 16-bit console version, as player sprites are a lot more colorful and detailed -- they've been swiped out of the N64 version, so the imagery has a more rendered look to it. The game also excels in the audio department, with digitized audio (in stereo) of all the characters in the game...as well as extremely upbeat tunage that pushes the sound capabilities of the GBA beyond what other games are doing right now.

Closing Comments
Mario Kart Super Circuit is a perfect example of how a little extra development time can do a Game Boy Advance title wonders -- the game made its first playable debut almost a year before this review, and it's obvious that the additional time in development worked to the game's and developer's advantage. This title is an awesome Game Boy Advance game that shows off everything the system's capable of, from the single and multiple cartridge, four player link, to the digitized audio, to the hardware's pseudo-3D capabilities. It's a GBA game with very few flaws -- it's a shame that it didn't quite make the system launch, but the extra wait did the game wonders, and it shouldn't be missed.

Rating	Description
out of 10	click here for ratings guide
10	Presentation Really flashy front end that shows off the game's overall energy...while using
9.0	Graphics A fantastic use of the GBA's hardware capabilities...the only thing this game is missing is an overwhelming sense of speed.
9.0	Sound Brilliant use of digitized audio in stereo -- the happy music might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is nice.
9.0	Gameplay The controls are a little hard to grasp, especially on the Game Boy Advance's cramped configuration, but with a few spins around the course you'll catch on.
10	Lasting Appeal Single player, multiplayer, battle mode, hidden tracks, ghost trading...can a cartridge have TOO much?
9.5 Incredible	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)