SuperMario Kart

Game: Super Mario Kart

System: SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)

Developers: Nintendo

Wow! Has it really been 20 years since the release of arguably the most popular video game of all time? That said, i'm not just talking about for Nintendo, I'm talking about for any computer, or console ever created.

This game is legendary, with so many further releases on just about every Nintendo console since, it certainly had the durability to stand the test of time. There have been many takes on this game. Some of those have been good, some have been almost as great, and some, unfortunately have been pretty dire (MarioKart 64, I'm looking at you...), however the best of the rest in my opinion has been MarioKart Wii. The quality of the races, the online activity, the sheer number of drivers you can select from (Dry Bones, and Diddy Kong being my two personal NEW favourites) and, yes, the playability.

In the original however, one thing stood out, apart from the since unrivalled battle mode in the SNES version, and that is Originality.

MarioKart has been the inspiration behind so many other games, for other consoles, starring other characters, but really in retrospect, none of them have as yet matched the quality of game of this legend.

There have been decent efforts with the likes of "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing", and "ModNation Racers", and more recently "Little Big Planet Karting", and CodeMasters "F1 Race Stars" all being great games for various reasons. BUT...and this is a big but... none of them have the (to quote a certain hated reality TV show), X-Factor to make it stand apart from their predecessor.

MarioKart SNES for me will always and forever more be held in the top 5 ranking of all time best games, in my personal opinion, and still having it in my retro games collection in my cupboard, I think now, in honour of its Birthday, would be as great a time as any to dust of the cobwebs and fire up the Old Skool greatness that is within.

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