Dive into the thrilling multiplayer modes of Mario Kart 64! Learn the ins and outs of Grand Prix and VS Mode to dominate your friends on the track.
Mario Kart 64 is a beloved game by many, but not necessarily for its single-player mode. While playing Grand Prix against computers or challenging yourself in Time Trials is nice, playing with friends is often much more fun. There are three different modes of play for multiplayer. Battle Mode is much more complex than the other two, and so this section is devoted only to Grand Prix and VS Mode.
Grand Prix
This is a very fun mode that can be played only with two players. The screen is divided into halves, and two players compete to bring home the Gold Cup in Mario Grand Prix. Yes, you're practically doubling your chances of winning (if you're both good). The smaller screen does add challenge by giving you a smaller view of things, but that's what they do in multiplayer. There's really no reason to delve into this since I have several sections devoted to Grand Prix and the courses it's played on. However, note that there is no map of the course. To see who's leading, you'll have to look at the bar in the center of the screen that shows each player moving forward. However, if you want to, you can press C (Right) to show a map of the course for you. But no speedometer for you...
VS Mode
Playable with two to four players, this is a race amongst human players only. However, to make things more interesting, Mini Bomb Karts appear at random locations. They are simply bombs mounted on karts, and driving into one causes you to crash (like a Fake Item). This makes some courses like Toad's Turnpike much more difficult, while others you'll hardly notice it on (I refer to Wario Stadium with its wide tracks). Human players are far less predictable than computers, and they will use their items more often. The only bad thing I can see is that the screen is chopped up into four sections (two if you're playing with two players). I hope you're playing on a big television set...
I don't have a lot to say about these multiplayer modes of play, but I have plenty to say when it comes to Battle Mode. It gets its own section, and it is well-deserved. Although I like Mario Kart: Double Dash!! better in general (it's my favorite MK game in the series), my favorite Battle Mode is in Mario Kart 64 without a doubt.
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