For my money, Mario Kart is the greatest racing series in the world, with nary any competition. And that's not just because I've a vested disinterest in realistic racing... it's because it's the most fun you can have pretend-driving a car (or bike, or train). And it stays fun even when you become really good at it due to its unpredictable nature. (Sometimes, in this context "fun" equates to "nut-bustingly unfair", but that's just the way it goes...)
You could be the best pure racer in the room (being completely hypothetical here, guys), and still end up losing because some joker got the right item at the right time. While sometimes frustrating, it's a key part of the experience, and ensures you never reach a level of skill that breeds complacency. There's always some way to better yourself to minimize the damage of such an occurrence, and a little resistance never hurt anyone. It's kept the series fresh and exciting for the better part of 20 years.
Though a minor level of skill (motoric or otherwise) is needed to fully enjoy Mario Kart, the various difficulty levels provided ensure that unless you're completely hopeless, you can still win at it. With a variety of tried-and-true Nintendo characters to choose from, and a number of classic genre levels, there's a little something for everyone. And with the variables provided by different weight class systems and kart models, with some effort you can find the perfect vehicle for your particular playstyle (Daisy Train, go!).
If there's a weak point, it's the series' continuing obsession with often needless innovation. For every good one that comes along, odds are there'll be a couple of mechanics or gameplay eleements accumulated from past games that get the axe. It isn't strictly a Mario Kart-relevant problem—Nintendo has displayed these troubling tendencies in nearly everything made during the past decade; innovation for innovation's sake, basically—but it really shows in this series.
For all the nitpicks and niggles though, fun and excitement has always been a constant factor in the series' continuing and evolving success. It's hard to screw up such a sound basic concept (though copycats have tried and succeeded), and you can basically pick up any game in the series and receive a certain base level of satisfaction. Let's-a go!
Virtual racing personified!
For my money, Mario Kart is the greatest racing series in the world, with nary any competition. And that's not just because I've a vested disinterest in realistic racing... it's because it's the most fun you can have pretend-driving a car (or bike, or train). And it stays fun even when you become really good at it due to its unpredictable nature. (Sometimes, in this context "fun" equates to "nut-bustingly unfair", but that's just the way it goes...)
You could be the best pure racer in the room (being completely hypothetical here, guys), and still end up losing because some joker got the right item at the right time. While sometimes frustrating, it's a key part of the experience, and ensures you never reach a level of skill that breeds complacency. There's always some way to better yourself to minimize the damage of such an occurrence, and a little resistance never hurt anyone. It's kept the series fresh and exciting for the better part of 20 years.
Though a minor level of skill (motoric or otherwise) is needed to fully enjoy Mario Kart, the various difficulty levels provided ensure that unless you're completely hopeless, you can still win at it. With a variety of tried-and-true Nintendo characters to choose from, and a number of classic genre levels, there's a little something for everyone. And with the variables provided by different weight class systems and kart models, with some effort you can find the perfect vehicle for your particular playstyle (Daisy Train, go!).
If there's a weak point, it's the series' continuing obsession with often needless innovation. For every good one that comes along, odds are there'll be a couple of mechanics or gameplay eleements accumulated from past games that get the axe. It isn't strictly a Mario Kart-relevant problem—Nintendo has displayed these troubling tendencies in nearly everything made during the past decade; innovation for innovation's sake, basically—but it really shows in this series.
For all the nitpicks and niggles though, fun and excitement has always been a constant factor in the series' continuing and evolving success. It's hard to screw up such a sound basic concept (though copycats have tried and succeeded), and you can basically pick up any game in the series and receive a certain base level of satisfaction. Let's-a go!