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Driven to Perfection
A clean driving record won't get you squat in Mario Kart 64. Instead, Nintendo's incredible racing game for the N64 rewards drivers who teeter on the edge of control while ambushing their opponents. One, two, three, or four Karters hurl insults, bananas and Koopa Shells at each other as they careen through wild and challenging 3-D road courses. Those Karters driven to total mayhem may prefer to battle each other in arenas. And purists may just want to set the fastest time on the planet. Only the Master himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, could be behind this sequel to the best-selling Super NES Kart. From the green light to the checkered flag, the new Mario Kart 64 is perfection and without a doubt the best multi-player game ever.

Behind the Wheel
The great debate over which driver is the best in Mario Kart 64 will rage for years, but the truth is that every character can win it all. It's really a matter of control and personal preference. The light-weight characters (Yoshi, Toad, and Peach) have quick acceleration by may be harder to handle in the corners. Heavyweights such as Wario, DK and Koopa may be slower off the line, but they lose less speed in the corners when they are in a power slide than the lightweights. Mario and Luigi have balanced abilities. Consider how you drive to make your choice. If you cut corners and go off the track a lot, use a heavyweight. If you have no trouble keepiong the lightweights on the track when you power slide, then use one of them. Mario and Luigi provide the greatest challenge.

Items Mean War

• Green Shells: Green Shells travel in straight lines and bounce off walls. Fire them in narrow corridors where they ricochet.
  
• Mushrooms: Regular Mushrooms give your Kart fiery power boosts.
  
• Fake Items: These are actually bombs disguised as Item Boxes. When Karts touch them, they blow into the sky.
  
• Super Mushrooms: Super Mushrooms give you prolonged boosts to push your Kart to maximum speed.
  
• Super Stars: Invincibility allows you to blow through any item without damage or to weather a Thunder Bolt attack.
  
• Bananas: Bananas cause Karts to spin out. When placed on corners, the victims may slip off the track.
  
• Red Shells: Three Red Shells rotate around your Kart. You can fire them at opponents, forward or backward.
  
• Boos: The best time to put Boos to use is when an opponent has a super item such as the Thunder Bolt. If you steal the Thunder Bolt, you ensure that you won't be hit, plus you slow down the pack.
  
• Spiny Shell: The Spiny Shell chases the leader, and it can take out others, too. Use it when you are fairly close to the front.
  
• Thunder Bolts: The Thunder Bolt strikes every opponent's Kart, shrinking them and lowering their speed dramatically.
  

Four Roads to Fun

• Mushroom Cup: The first stop on the Grand Prix circuit is the Mushroom Cup. From the relatively simple Luigi Raceway to the hair-raising tracks in the Kalimari Desert, this first challenge will hone your skills for the tougher races ahead.
  
• Flower Cup: This is where things start to get interesting. Big Rig traffic, falling boulders, exploding snowmen and hairpin turns are just the frosting on the cake.
  
• Star Cup: There's a little of everything in the Star Cup. The Stadium is wide-open while the Castle is like a maze. In Sherbet Land, you need to stay on the ice, but on the Royal Raceway, you'll take to the air.
  
• Special Cup: The most challenging foursome of courses remains if you win your way to the Special Cup by placing in each of the previous cups. Prepare for peril!
  

Battle Arena
Now it's really time to earn your balloons. Battle Mode, for two, three, or four Karters, takes place in one of four battle arenas. You each have three balloons, which can be knocked off or shot off with shells. The last driver with a balloon wins.