Editing Mario Kart 64
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At the beginning of every race, [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]] appears and gives a countdown signal. The positioning of the racers is dependent on their prior positions, though when starting a Grand Prix, players first start out in eighth place. In two-player Grand Prix, Player 1 by default starts out in eighth while Player 2 starts in seventh; in Versus Mode, all players start in the same positions. If players time their acceleration when the signal changes from red to blue, they can start out quicker or even perform a [[Rocket Start]], though if players press too early, they spin out and start slower than average. As opposed to a race in the previous game, a standard race now has three laps rather than five due to the much longer raceways compared to those found in ''Super Mario Kart''. Every time a player crosses the line to begin their second lap, Lakitu signals the player by appearing and holding a green 2nd Lap sign. When a player crosses the line to begin their third lap, a jingle is played, Lakitu appears and holds a blue Final Lap sign, and the background music speeds up as a result; this jingle does not play when succeeding players also cross the line. | At the beginning of every race, [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]] appears and gives a countdown signal. The positioning of the racers is dependent on their prior positions, though when starting a Grand Prix, players first start out in eighth place. In two-player Grand Prix, Player 1 by default starts out in eighth while Player 2 starts in seventh; in Versus Mode, all players start in the same positions. If players time their acceleration when the signal changes from red to blue, they can start out quicker or even perform a [[Rocket Start]], though if players press too early, they spin out and start slower than average. As opposed to a race in the previous game, a standard race now has three laps rather than five due to the much longer raceways compared to those found in ''Super Mario Kart''. Every time a player crosses the line to begin their second lap, Lakitu signals the player by appearing and holding a green 2nd Lap sign. When a player crosses the line to begin their third lap, a jingle is played, Lakitu appears and holds a blue Final Lap sign, and the background music speeds up as a result; this jingle does not play when succeeding players also cross the line. | ||
Integral to the ''Mario Kart'' series is its item-based system. In order to receive items, the character must drive through an [[Item Box]]. Once that happens, an Item Window<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction manual|page=10 and 13|date=1997|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us}}</ref> with an item roulette appears with medium sound, and when it stops, it "dings." Players can press the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}} during the roulette to stop the roulette early. Players can use items by pressing the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}}. Players can hold Bananas, shells, and [[Fake Item Box|Fake Items]] by holding the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}}, and they can pick up another item while one of those items is currently being deployed; releasing the trigger also releases the item. Items are dependent on the position the player is in, where further behind players are more likely to receive powerful items such as the [[Super Star]], [[Lightning|Thunder Bolt]], and [[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]], while first place generally receives Bananas and Green Shells. Unlike ''Super Mario Kart''{{'}}s [[? Panel|Question Blocks]], Item Boxes respawn very quickly as soon as a player drives through them. | Integral to the ''Mario Kart'' series is its item-based system. In order to receive items, the character must drive through an [[Item Box]]. Once that happens, an Item Window<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction manual|page=10 and 13|date=1997|publisher=Nintendo of America|author=Nintendo|language=en-us}}</ref> with an item roulette appears with medium sound, and when it stops, it "dings." Players can press the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}} during the roulette to stop the roulette early. Players can use items by pressing the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}}. Players can hold Bananas, shells, and [[Fake Item Box|Fake Items]] by holding the {{button|n64|Z}} trigger or {{button|n64|Cdown}}, and they can pick up another item while one of those items is currently being deployed; releasing the trigger also releases the item. Items are dependent on the position the player is in, where further behind players are more likely to receive powerful items such as the [[Super Star]], [[Lightning|Thunder Bolt]], and [[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]], while first place generally receives Bananas and Green Shells. Unlike ''Super Mario Kart''{{'}}s [[? Panel|Question Blocks]], Item Boxes respawn very quickly as soon as a player drives through them. | ||
[[File:MK64 Controller Pak Manager.png|thumb|Controller Pak Manager]] | [[File:MK64 Controller Pak Manager.png|thumb|Controller Pak Manager]] | ||
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Lightweight drivers have the highest acceleration and highest top speed in the game. They receive the most speed from [[Mini-Turbo]]s and lose the least amount of speed when off-road. Additionally, lightweights (and the heavyweight character Bowser) get the greatest benefit from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} acceleration recovery technique (tapping the gas button three times and then holding it to accelerate more quickly after spinning out or otherwise losing speed).<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> A major downside to lightweight characters is that they spin out more easily from contact with heavier characters, which puts them at a disadvantage in Battle Mode. Toad, in particular, spins out when "bumped" by any other character. Another downside is that lightweights have the widest turning radius on or off-road and they lose the most speed from turning without drifting,<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 6">{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|page=6|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=1997}}</ref> which gives them the worst handling in the game. As with their weight, however, this disadvantage is negligible outside Battle Mode. | Lightweight drivers have the highest acceleration and highest top speed in the game. They receive the most speed from [[Mini-Turbo]]s and lose the least amount of speed when off-road. Additionally, lightweights (and the heavyweight character Bowser) get the greatest benefit from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} acceleration recovery technique (tapping the gas button three times and then holding it to accelerate more quickly after spinning out or otherwise losing speed).<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> A major downside to lightweight characters is that they spin out more easily from contact with heavier characters, which puts them at a disadvantage in Battle Mode. Toad, in particular, spins out when "bumped" by any other character. Another downside is that lightweights have the widest turning radius on or off-road and they lose the most speed from turning without drifting,<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 6">{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|page=6|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|author=Nintendo|date=1997}}</ref> which gives them the worst handling in the game. As with their weight, however, this disadvantage is negligible outside Battle Mode. | ||
Middleweight drivers are described in the instruction booklet as having no "extreme pros or cons,"<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 7">{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|page=7|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=1997}}</ref> but they actually have the slowest acceleration of all the weight classes and have the same top speed as the heavyweights. Their acceleration diminishes at a constant rate as they approach their top speed, unlike for drivers in the other weight classes, whose speeds change more erratically. They also get the same increase in speed from Mini-Turbos as heavyweights. They are faster off-road than heavyweights, however. They can also turn corners better than the other characters without drifting, losing less speed than lightweights while covering the least ground of all weight groups. This can be useful in Battle Mode or Versus Mode on tracks with hairpin turns, and it allows middleweights the best overall handling in the game. Lastly, Mario is slightly heavier than Luigi and will thus win head-on collisions.<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> | Middleweight drivers are described in the instruction booklet as having no "extreme pros or cons,"<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 7">{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|page=7|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|author=Nintendo|date=1997}}</ref> but they actually have the slowest acceleration of all the weight classes and have the same top speed as the heavyweights. Their acceleration diminishes at a constant rate as they approach their top speed, unlike for drivers in the other weight classes, whose speeds change more erratically. They also get the same increase in speed from Mini-Turbos as heavyweights. They are faster off-road than heavyweights, however. They can also turn corners better than the other characters without drifting, losing less speed than lightweights while covering the least ground of all weight groups. This can be useful in Battle Mode or Versus Mode on tracks with hairpin turns, and it allows middleweights the best overall handling in the game. Lastly, Mario is slightly heavier than Luigi and will thus win head-on collisions.<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> | ||
Heavyweight drivers have slower acceleration than the lightweights, and initially have lower acceleration than middleweights, but reach their velocity faster than the latter after 2.8 seconds. Their top speed is tied with the middleweights. Heavyweights lose the most speed off-road but lose the least when cornering (even when they are not drifting).<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 7"/> They also have a tighter turning radius than lightweights. Of the heavyweights, Bowser is the heaviest and largest. As mentioned above, he is also the only non-lightweight that gets a maximum recovery from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} technique, although his rate of acceleration is slightly different. D.K. is the "smallest" but is slightly heavier than Wario. D.K. and Wario receive the least acceleration from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} technique, but they still will reach their top speed faster than Mario or Luigi, albeit in a smaller window.<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> | Heavyweight drivers have slower acceleration than the lightweights, and initially have lower acceleration than middleweights, but reach their velocity faster than the latter after 2.8 seconds. Their top speed is tied with the middleweights. Heavyweights lose the most speed off-road but lose the least when cornering (even when they are not drifting).<ref name="Mario Kart 64 Instruction Booklet, Pg. 7"/> They also have a tighter turning radius than lightweights. Of the heavyweights, Bowser is the heaviest and largest. As mentioned above, he is also the only non-lightweight that gets a maximum recovery from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} technique, although his rate of acceleration is slightly different. D.K. is the "smallest" but is slightly heavier than Wario. D.K. and Wario receive the least acceleration from the triple-tap-{{button|n64|A}} technique, but they still will reach their top speed faster than Mario or Luigi, albeit in a smaller window.<ref name="TASVideos Mario Kart 64 Document"/> | ||
