Line #30 VideoGame/MarioKartArcadeGP


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/90a94e2e_62c4_47e5_94d3_a7bc87a1bf42.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:This ain't your father's VideoGame/DaytonaUSA, it's a just-as-great new breed of arcade racing!]]
3
4	''Mario Kart Arcade GP'' is a series of arcade games developed and published by Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment in partnership with Creator/{{Nintendo}}, acting as spin-offs to the ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series.
5
6	The series consists of the following titles
7
8	* ''Mario Kart: Arcade GP'' (2005)
9	* ''Mario Kart: Arcade GP 2'' (2007)
10	* ''Mario Kart: Arcade GP DX'' (2013)
11	* ''Mario Kart: Arcade GP VR'' (2017)
12
13	The games are largely identical to the console ''Mario Kart'' games in terms of gameplay, however, there are a few notable differences between these games and their console counterparts. The most notable of which is the inclusion of Namco characters, such as ''VideoGame/PacMan'' and [[VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin Don-chan]] as playable characters, acting as the first crossover titles in the franchise.
14
15	Another noteworthy difference is that items act very differently to the console titles. Unlike the console titles, you are given a random choice of specific items before a race, the likes of which you are stuck with until the end. Also, while some items have carried over, such as the Star, Banana and shells, the ''Arcade GP'' titles add a slew of new items to the mix, including a tornado that can throw racers in the air, a pie item which you throw backwards, trash cans you throw at other racers and square tires that make it harder to control, amongst other new items.
16
17	On top of that, tracks are far simpler than the mainline titles (fitting of the different format) in favor of kart speed, boss races are added (for the first two games), and there's [[AnnouncerChatter in-game commentary]] since the second game.
18
19	The Asian releases (and not the North American ones) of the first two games feature a card system for the first two games similar to ''VideoGame/InitialDArcadeStage'' or ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight Maximum Tune'' (the latter also developed by Namco), which saves the player's single-player GP mode progress, time attack times, and items unlocked for multiplayer matches. ''Arcade GP DX'' would remove the proprietary card system in favor of using the Banapassport cloud-based player data system.
20
21	Notably, these titles are historically not acknowledged by Nintendo and are currently the only games to not have any retro courses in the other entries. Likely due to Namco developing them as opposed to Nintendo.
22	----
23	!!The Mario Kart Arcade GP series contains the following tropes:
24	* AnnouncerChatter: The second and third arcade games feature an announcer who comments on the race. He (or she in the Japanese version) doesn't appear in any of the main games.
25	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
26	** Tired of getting smacked by homing items you can't avoid? The ''Arcade GP'' games exclusively have a shield that activates when you perform a drift, much to the joy of many players. This is likely due to there being many more homing items to use and these games not having any ability to drag items behind your vehicle to block attacks.
27	** The first ''Arcade GP'' locks your character choice to your card, meaning that if you want to play with another character, you'll either have to play without a card or use a different one. ''Arcade GP 2'' and following games and no longer tie character to card, letting you pick any character every time you start a new session.
28	** In ''Arcade GP DX'', if no pedal input is detected for the first few seconds of the race, [[GameplayAutomation the game will take over accelerator input]], which can help players too short to reach the pedals or those on cabinets with broken pedals.
29	** ''GP DX'' adds Mushrooms after ''GP'' and ''GP 2'' lacked them, thus making the RubberBandAI much more manageable, and if you still fail a race in ''GP DX'' repeatedly, you will be given three Mushrooms, which are much more powerful and useful in these games.
30	** Notably, all games in the series are missing the Lightning item, and the first two lack the much-hated Spiny Shell, which even in the third game can be blocked by the drift shield.
31	* AstralFinale: The Rainbow Cup in ''GP'' and ''GP 2'' feature both Rainbow Road equivalents in these games, Rainbow Coaster and Rainbow Downhill, as its only courses.
32	* TheCameo:
33	** VideoGame/RallyX, a [[VideoGame/DigDug Pooka]], and a {{VideoGame/Galaga}} flagship appear as special items for the Pac-Man characters in ''Arcade GP''.
34	** Pac-Man Stadium and Namco Circuit from ''GP DX'' goes out of its way to have sprites and illustrations from classic arcade games, including the above mentioned three as well as VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga, VideoGame/{{Galaxian}}, and VideoGame/{{Mappy}}, all a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' series.
35	* CanonDiscontinuity: The ''Arcade GP'' titles tend to be ignored by Nintendo and are largely not acknowledged in anything ''Mario Kart'' related, with none of the other entries featuring tracks or characters original to the arcade games. This is most likely due to Creator/BandaiNamco being the developers of the games as opposed to Nintendo.
36	* CollisionDamage: Other than the Super Star, the Wild Top, Heavy Mushroom and [[WreathedInFlames Flame Pepper]] grant Collision Damage.
37	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: While also present in the main games, the RubberBandAI is ''utterly merciless'' in these games, particularly ''GP'' and ''GP 2'', where any time when they're not in your view, will reach impossible speeds (in games that lack Mushrooms) to stay right behind you. The FakeDifficulty is likely due to the games being Arcade-only, thus making it harder to win to make players retry.
38	* CosmeticAward:
39	** Completing both Normal and Special 100cc in ''GP'' turns all racers' karts gold. If you also complete 150cc after that, you'll obtain a PrestigiousPlayerTitle for unlocking every item.
40	** In ''GP 2'', collecting a total of 4,000 Mario Coins will unlock the View Change mode, allowing the player to race [[POVCam in a first-person perspective]].
41	* {{Crossover}}:
42	** The game notably features various Namco characters, most notably the likes of VideoGame/PacMan, with Ms. Pac-Man and Blinky appearing as drivers is ''GP'' and ''GP 2''. Several courses are also based on Namco characters, with Pac-Man getting his own set of tracks in every installment and [[VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin Don-Chan]] having two tracks of his own in ''GP DX''.
43	** ''GP 2'' gets Mametchi from ''Toys/{{Tamagotchi}}'' of all things appear as a playable driver.
44	** Diamond City from ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' appears as the main location for both of the courses in the Wario Cup in ''GP'' and ''GP 2''.
45	* {{Cumulonemesis}}: While not as dreaded as its ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartWii Wii]]'' incarnation, the Lightning Cloud makes an appearance in the ''GP'' series, and it brought friends. The Snow Cloud makes the racer hit by it lose traction and slows them down while the Rain Cloud makes their kart harder to control.
46	* DeflectorShields:
47	** While performing a powerslide, a shield will cover your kart, protecting you from enemy attacks.
48	** Shields and Reflector Shields appear as items throughout the series. Both will create a barrier around the user that either protects or reflects any items that touches them and last longer than the temporary shield earned when doing a powerslide.
49	* DevelopersForesight: In ''GP 2'', the final mission of the Bowser Cup is a fight against Bowser where the player must destroy the pillars that support the platform he is standing on. If the player is using Bowser for this mission, then the player fights the [[RobotMe Mecha Bowser]] seen in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''.
50	* TheDinnermobile:
51	** Ms. Pac-Man's alternate kart in ''GP 2'' resembles a slice of cake.
52	** The Sweets Party and Hamburcar karts in ''GP DX'' resemble food items, a slice of cake (which is different to the one used by Ms. Pac-Man) and a hamburger respectively.
53	** The Pie Kart is an item that turns the user's kart into one that is literally a pie on (donut) wheels. The item itself made the user have greater protection against others.
54	* DownloadableContent: Other than {{Palette Swap}}s, players can use Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Daisy, Lakitu, Metal Mario and Rosalina as drivers and the Turbo Dolphin and Hunter Bee as karts through DLC for ''GP DX''.
55	* ExtendoBoxingGlove: The Stretch Punch (or Extendable Glove in ''GP DX'') is an item that can only be used by Wario in ''GP'', but is available to everyone in ''GP DX''. When used, the user will repeatedly extend it for five seconds, with anyone being hit getting forced to stop.
56	* {{Fartillery}}: One of Wario's Special Items in the first game is the Fart Gas, which has Wario let out a fart cloud that slows down opponents behind him.
57	* FryingPanOfDoom: A Frying Pan appears as one of the items introduced in ''GP DX'' that the player can throw forwards.
58	* FusionDance: ''GP DX'' introduces the Fusion Kart. If two players are playing in adjacent cabinets and opt to play in co-op mode, they can activate the fusion kart for 17 seconds so long as one player obtains a special power-up in a race. When activated, the player in a lower place is teleported to the other player. While the player who didn't activate the fusion kart drives, the player who did controls a cannon that can shoot an infinite amount of green shells in any direction. The Japanese version lets the player level it up and shoot stronger items and level 6 (the maximum level) allows the player to shoot ''Bowser Shells''!
59	* GrenadeHotPotato: The TimeBomb can be thrown forwards and, when it hits another racer, will hover over their heads and explode after 15 seconds. Much like the Lightning Cloud in ''Wii'', the racer can pass it on by bumping into another racer.
60	* HealThyself: ''GP'' has special items that automatically remove all bad status conditions from your kart such as a slice of Strawberry Cake for Princess Peach and a Melon for Yoshi.
61	* {{Intangibility}}: ''GP'' and ''GP 2'' have the Slimy Mushroom and the Ghost Morph, the latter of which can only be used by Blinky. Depending on which item is used, the user's kart either turns into yellow slime or become light blue and translucent and can pass through rival karts.
62	* InterfaceScrew: Many items in the series have this effect, ranging from obscuring the player's vision to distorting their screen. The smokescreen, [[PieInTheFace pies]], pump and dizziness virus are just a few examples.
63	* InvincibilityPowerUp: ''GP'' has separate items for each character such as the Wario Car for Wario and the Star Mark Banana for Donkey Kong. ''GP 2'' has everyone using the Super Star instead.
64	* JungleJapes: Any track that is in the DK Cup in ''GP'' or ''GP DX'' is this.
65	* LargeHamAnnouncer: In ''GP DX'', both the English announcer (Jack Merluzzi, the [[VideoGame/FZero F-Zero GX]] announcer) and the Japanese one (Rica Matsumoto, [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Ash Ketchum]] and [[Anime/YuGiOh the second voice of Yami Bakura]]) are both really excited, '''especially''' the Japanese one who shouts every single word and reacts hammily to everything such as a racer getting hit by an item.
66	* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Diamond City from ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' appears as a course in ''GP'' and ''GP 2''. However, likely to avoid any potential legal issues (given that they don't have the rights to use the ''[=WarioWare=]'' IP), there are no direct ties or references to the ''[=WarioWare=]'' series in the course outside of some of the buildings from that series appearing (which, even then, have been altered to distance themselves from their ''[=WarioWare=]'' counterparts) and a "blink and you'll miss it" sign promoting Diamond Taxi.
67	* LevelInTheClouds: Both of the tracks from the Bowser Jr. cup in ''GP DX'' take place on an airship fleet in the clouds.
68	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Using one of the healing items also activates a shield that protects your character for a few seconds. Turning the item into its + version will extend the duration of the shield.
69	* MissionPackSequel: ''GP 2'' is largely an expansion to ''GP'' as opposed to a full-fledged sequel, featuring all of the pre-existing content from ''GP'', while adding several new courses, items and characters (such as Waluigi and [[Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} Mametchi]]).
70	* MultiplayerOnlyItem: The Fusion Kart in ''GP DX'' can only be obtained when two players in adjacent arcade cabinets opt to play in co-op mode, which is understandable since it requires one player to drive and a second player to use its cannon.
71	* OilSlick: Sticky Oil serves this role as an item the player can throw backwards. Anyone that touches it will have a decrease in traction.
72	* OrbitingParticleShield: The Invincible Urchin item summons three spike balls that circle around the user's kart in a similar vain to triple shells, but they disappear after a few seconds and not when another driver is hit by it.
73	* PaletteSwap: Most prominent in ''GP DX''.
74	** Some of the game's DownloadableContent gives the playable racers alternate outfits.
75	*** Toad can be switched out into a blue variation.
76	*** Don-chan can be switched out to him wearing his Strawberry and Hero outfits.
77	*** Yoshi can be switched between red and black variants.
78	*** Mario has two costumes that resemble his Fire Flower and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 Tanooki Suit]] powerups. In contrast to the other outfits, the Tanooki costume is the only unlockable palette swap.
79	*** Luigi has an outfit that resembles his appearance when picking up an [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii Ice Flower]].
80	*** Dry Bowser is relegated to an alternate costume of Bowser in ''GP DX''.
81	*** Just like in ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart8 8 Deluxe]]'', Metal Mario has a Gold Mario palette swap.
82	** Some karts in ''GP DX'' have alternate colors. For example, the Vacuum Star's primary colors are green and blue, but it also has a "Type S" variation that changes its colors to red and gray and a "Type X" variation that changes its colors to yellow and black.
83	* PalmtreePanic: The tracks used for the Mario Cups in ''GP'', ''GP 2'' and ''GP DX'' take place on a beach.
84	* PieInTheFace: One of the exclusive items is a pie that you can throw backwards to slow down a racer. ''GP DX'' introduces the Pie Bazooka, which lets the player shoot a pie forwards.
85	* RobotMe: The opponent you race in Rainbow Cup's challenge game is Robo-Mario, a robotic duplicate who is built by E-Gadd. Mecha Bowser from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' also reappears as the opponent of Bowser Cup's challenge game if you decide to play as Bowser.
86	* ThrowABarrelAtIt: The Barrel item can be thrown both backwards and forwards at opponents. If the player wants to be able to use it in ''GP'', they have to be playing as Donkey Kong as the item is exclusive to him.

Context VideoGame / MarioKartArcadeGP