Mario Kart Arcade GP is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series. It is also the first arcade installment of Mario Kart. Unlike previous games, Mario Kart Arcade GP was released only for arcades. To develop this game, Nintendo teamed up with Namco to help release the game. Due to Namco's involvement, three playable characters from the Pac-Man universe are included in the game. Like the previous installments in the series, the game includes the three engine classes, but the game is only able to be saved with a magnetic card.
Gameplay[]
To play the game, the player has to insert a certain amount of money or tokens into the game or in some cases, swipe a special card such as a Timezone Powercard. First, they can adjust their seat within the time limit by moving a lever near their feet and sliding to any position on the arcade machine. After that happens, the player can choose a character to play with. Then they have to take a picture of themselves within the time limit: if the player didn't take the picture; a countdown starts to force them to take it. The Photo taken will frame the player's face with Mario's hat and mustache. When that is done, the player will pick a mode on the screen; "Grand Prix" or "Time Trial" again, within the time limit.
If the player picks "Grand Prix", they can pick any cup to play within the time limit. But if they pick "Time Trial", they attempt to beat a race-time record in one of the 24 courses in this game with the Triple Mild Mushrooms. If the player picks a cup, they cannot play a locked course: they have to play the available courses in the cup to unlock the other reversed courses. After that, a roulette of basic items comes up, and if the player stops the roulette, they receive the items in the rows whenever they get an Item Box. When that's over, the item descriptions show up, and the player attempts to learn how to use it.
Then, the racing starts. If the player places first, they will move on to the next course, and if they receive any lower rank, they must redo that same course. Either way, they have to pay the machine in order to race again.
Modes[]
Grand Prix[]
Players race in 24 courses in six stages with each stage having four courses and a challenge; the first two are forward, last two are similar but with changed gimmick and environment, (e.g. Mario Highway is set on sunset instead of daytime, Bowser's Castle has blocks that block several parts of the track) and a challenge that is specific to each stage. Each race involves a six-kart dash to the finish (one player and five CPU players). The goal of each race is to finish in first place within the time limit. Once the player wins a race for the first time, they are rewarded with the next race in the stage. When completing the fourth stage, the player is rewarded with an item. Afterwards, a "challenge game" stage comes up, and are just like Missions from Mario Kart DS which they must complete to earn a special item exclusive to the character and finish the stage. If the player is unable to complete the challenge, they won't receive the trophy of that stage. If so, the player must complete a race within the cup in first place to try the challenge again. In Special mode, "+ Items" are unlocked after each win, and in 150cc unlocking items goes back to the former, but the item unlocked is a "Triple item".
Coins can be collected through out races to increase top speed. Prior to Special mode, their effect helps in completing the race more quickly. During Special mode and beyond, the difficulty of the races outweighs the effect of coins giving them very minimal use.
Three items are set in each course randomly, but on the fourth course however, the player is given a chance to pick three items to use during the race from their collection. During the first three courses of the Rainbow Stage, the player is first given no items to use, then only able to use Thunder Sticks, and finally only able to use Dash Mushrooms. Three items of the player's choice are used during the fourth course. In Special mode, three items are chosen for every race including all races on Rainbow Stage.
Note: The Rainbow Stage can only be unlocked if the player finishes the first five cups (Similar to the Special Cup in Mario Kart: Super Circuit).
Once the player has completed the Rainbow Stage for the first time, Special mode is unlocked. In Special mode, the player can win "+ Items" which are upgraded versions of their weapons while still taking the same item slot. The rivals also become much harder and several courses will have much more gimmick. The first two courses on the Special mode are also changed to reverse mode (not to be confused with the Mirror engine class as the course in this mode is simply played backwards) while the last two courses are played normally.
Once Special mode is completed, 150cc mode is unlocked and all racers have gold karts. The character's last special item will be a "+ Item" after beating Robot Mario on Special mode. Difficulty is slightly easier and "Triple items" will be unlocked rather than "+ Items". This mode does not play like the usual 150cc mode in the main series, but rather like 200cc mode from Mario Kart 8 (which was not released until nine years after Mario Kart Arcade GP). Robot Mario and other challenges prior are not played on this mode, rather only six "Triple items" are unlocked after completing each stage.
Once 150cc mode is completed, 150cc Special mode is unlocked where the races are the same as Special mode, but on 150cc. Difficulty is the same as Special mode where racers are much more difficult and the final six "Triple items" are unlocked after the six stages are completed. Challenges, like before, are not played.
Once 150cc Special mode is complete, a unique credits screen is shown with a message at the end saying "Grand Prix Mode complete! Thank you for playing!!". Afterwards, both 150cc and Special mode are able to be replayed with all weapons unlocked.
Time Trial[]
In this mode, the player races on any of the 24 tracks as they compete for the fastest time and appear on the top ten.
Versus[]
Upon inserting credits, the game starts an opponent search for a limited time (something like Bark Mode in Nintendogs) which, when other players start opponent searching, thus linking two people together for a VS. Match. Up to four people can link together. Unlike Grand Prix, a VS. race takes place with four karts per race and each player gets three items at random. If less than four people gather for a race, then CPU players are added to make up four karts.
Characters[]
Mario characters[]
Pac-Man characters[]
Stages[]
Mario Stage[]
Donkey Kong Stage[]
Wario Stage[]
Pac-Man Stage[]
- Pac-Mountain
- Pac-Labyrinth
Bowser Stage[]
Rainbow Stage[]
The Rainbow Stage is only unlocked if the previous five stages are completed.
Items[]
- Banana Peel
- Basin
- Big and Small Tires
- Boo
- Cream Pie
- Driver Wheel
- Green Shell
- Spike Bomb
- Square Tires
- Sticky Oil
- Tacks
- Thunder Stick
- Tornado
Trivia[]
- This is the first Mario Kart game to not be released on a Nintendo console.
Gallery[]
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To view Mario Kart Arcade GP's image gallery, click here.
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| Characters | Playable | Blinky • Bowser • Luigi • Mario • Pac-Man • Ms. Pac-Man • Peach • Toad • Wario • Yoshi |
| Non-playable | Baby Mario • Baby Luigi • Bill Blaster • Bowser Jr. • Bullet Bill • Cataquack • Cheep Cheep • Princess Daisy • Diddy Kong • Dry Bones • Expresso • Hammer Bro • Kamek • Koopa Troopa • Koopa Paratroopa • Lakitu • Mecha-Bowser • Mechakoopa • Ghost • Pianta • Piranha Plant • Podoboo • Professor E. Gadd • Rambi • Robo Mario • Squawks • Toad • Thwomp • Ukiki • Waluigi | |
| Courses | Mario Cup | Mario Highway • Mario Beach |
| DK Cup | DK Jungle • Banana Ruins | |
| Wario Cup | Diamond City • Snow Panic | |
| Pac-Man Cup | Pac Mountain • Pac Labyrinth | |
| Bowser Cup | Bowser's Castle • Castle Wall | |
| Rainbow Cup | Rainbow Coaster • Rainbow Downhill | |
| Items | Basic items | Absorbing Mushroom • Banana • Banana Shot • Basin • Big & Small Tire • Black Shell • Boo • Dash Bazooka • Dash Mushroom • Dizziness Virus • Fire Cracker • Green Shell • High Beam • Horn • Item Seal • Jump Seal • Laughter Bag • Magic Hand • Mustache Pen • Needle Bomb • Off-Key Speaker • Pie • Rain Cloud • Shield • Smokescreen • Snow Cloud • Square Tire • Sticky Oil • Tack • Thunderstick • Thundercloud • Time Bomb (L) • Time Bomb (S) • Tornado • Triple Bananas • Tox-Banana Shot • Trash Can • Triple Basin • Triple Black Shells • Triple Boo • Triple Green Shells • Triple Needle • Triple Pen • Triple Pie • Triple Smokescreen • Triple Square • Triple Tack • Triple Tornado • Wheel Virus |
| Special items | 10T Hammer • Barrel • Block • Bob-omb • Bowser Shell • Bullet Bill • Cake • Chain Chomp • Conga • Delicious Banana • Egg Body • Fairy • Fart Gas • Fine Mushroom • Fireball • Flaming Tender • Flare Ball • Frying Pan • Galaga Boss • Garlic • Ghost Morph • Giant Banana • Hammer • Heart • Meat • Melon • Miracle Mushroom • Monster Pill • Monster Shield • Monster's Hammer • Mushroom Hammer • Mushroom Powder • Mystery Egg • Peach's Bird • Petit Monster • Piranha Plant • Poison Mushroom • Pooka • Power Pill • Princess's Drink • Quack Hammer • Rally-X • Rolling Egg • Shell Body • Sick Mushroom • Snot Bomb • Special Coin • Star • Star Mark Banana • Stretch Punch • Thwomp • Tongue • Wario Car • Whacking Fan | |
| Miscellaneous | Techniques | Drift • Hop • Mini-Turbo • Rocket Start |