List of Mario Kart 64 pre-release and unused content
This is a list of pre-release and unused content for the game Mario Kart 64.
Early builds[edit]
The working title of this game was Super Mario Kart R[1] (the "R" stands for "Rendered"),[2][3] also reported as Mario Kart 64 R. Kamek was originally intended to be one of the playable characters, but ended up being replaced by Donkey Kong. The Character Select screen was also different, the characters faced the player, and Kamek can be seen in Donkey Kong's space. Boos from Banshee Boardwalk had also a different look, the HUD was different from the final version, and item boxes were also completely black with colored question marks on them. The Cape Feather, which was in Super Mario Kart, was also intended to be included, as seen in a certain screenshot of Super Mario Kart R. This particular screenshot can be seen on the back of the packaging of the Nintendo 64 system. Additionally, Royal Raceway was originally named "Toadstool Turnpike".[4]
The track order of Mario Kart 64 was also arranged differently, with noticeable differences being Banshee Boardwalk being the first race in the Flower Cup, Bowser's Castle being the first race of the Star Cup, and Toad's Turnpike being the final race of the Special Cup.[5][6] Pre-release screenshots of Mario Kart 64 depict the Fake Item with a bomb inside of it instead of an upside-down "?". They were also originally named the "Bogus Box".[7]
Gallery[edit]
The original title screen of Mario Kart 64. It was named Super Mario Kart R at this point.
Kamek would have once been playable in Mario Kart 64 (he was replaced by Donkey Kong); note the rest of the players also look different in terms of both camera angles and model design.
A race at Mario Raceway in an early build. Note the presence of Kamek, the Nintendo sign, and the early HUD.
Early screenshot of Choco Mountain. Kamek can be seen in the distance.
Early screenshot of Banshee Boardwalk.
Early Boos. Note Bowser's blue kart.
The early start.
An early HUD.
An early build of Moo Moo Farm. Notice the use of the Japanese names for the track and the Mushroom (Kinoko) Cup. Also notice the track and cup name in the unused corner, instead of the level map.
The 1st through 4th icons face the opposite direction in the final.
Mexican Club Nintendo coverage
Unused data[edit]
- Chubby has a full body. In normal gameplay, though, only the top half is seen. Coincidentally, Mario Kart DS's remake of Moo Moo Farm would replace Chubby with jumping Monty Moles.
- Early promotional screenshots show the Cape Feather being a possible item. It presumably would have worked the same way it did in Super Mario Kart. Two different jumping animations for it still linger in the ROM. The Cape Feather would not legitimately be seen again until Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and then only in Battle Mode.
- At one point, it appears that it was possible to obtain Lightning in Battle Mode. However, using it would have caused all the other racers to lose one balloon, making it a very broken, overpowered item, so it was taken out. Lightning would not legitimately be obtainable in Battle Mode until Mario Kart DS.
- Code exists that allows CPU racers to drift, but it is never used. CPU racers would not be able to drift until Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
- There is a debug menu that remains in the game's coding. It has a few more options than the regular gameplay, and some are unused. It can be enabled with the Gameshark code
8818EDEF 0002and accessed by pressing the GS button at the title screen. On its content there is a bizarre vertical splitscreen that appears to be unfinished. If the users play in battle mode, on the vertical splitscreen the lap counter can be seen. Also when drifting in vertical splitscreen, there is no smoke shaped like V and Es. - Unused sprites for the Boos in Banshee Boardwalk show that they were initially going to cover their faces when facing the screen similar to their mainline appearances up to that point. The sprites exist in the game's ROM, but go unused.
- There exists a model of an unused track named "TOWN", which is a large city course. It was cut as it took too much time to race through.[8][9]
The debug menu appears at the title screen.
When going to the bottom of the menu there will be an extra option allowing the player to get all gold cups.
The vertical splitscreen.
No V and Es appears when drifting.
The lap number still appears in battle mode.
References[edit]
- ^ Gaming Mysteries: Super Mario Kart R Beta (N64)
- ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #42, page 40. "Super Mario Kart R (that’s ’R’ for ’Rendered’)[...]"
- ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #54, page 70. "[...]Originally called ‘R’ (for Rendered) this was dropped later for the highly original but clearly identifiable ‘64’."
- ^ "[...] and it also included a track called Toadstool Turnpike – a course that would be renamed as Royal Raceway for the final, published games." - Guinness World Records 2013 Gamer's Edition, page 134.
- ^ Mario Kart 64 track order on The Cutting Room Floor
- ^ Nintendo Magazine System, issue 51, showing a different track layout for Star Cup - archive.org
- ^ Mario Kart 64. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Development:Mario Kart 64. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Mario Kart 64 – 1996 Developer Interview. shmuplations. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
