Mario Kart Arcade GP
Mario Kart Arcade GP is an arcade game featuring Mario characters and Pac-Man characters in the same game. It has received numerous amounts of criticism. The most widely used point of criticism it has received is the special story mode cards and its high price for seemingly every place it can be played.
A sequel has been announced for Mario Kart Arcade GP, called (fittingly) Mario Kart Arcade GP 2.
Gameplay
Controls
- Streering Wheel, smaller than the average car wheel.
- Accelerate and Brake pedals.
- Item Button, at the center of the steering wheel.
- VS Cancel Button - Used to cancel opponent searching
All controls are used to select in-game menu options.
Playable Characters
How to play
To play the game, the player has to insert a certain amount of money or tokens into the game; when that happens, the player can choose a character to play with. Then the player has to take a picture of him or her within the time limit, if the player didn’t take the picture; a countdown starts to force the player to take it. 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”, the player can pick any cup to play within the time limit. But if the player picks “Time Trial” instead, the player attempts 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, the player cannot play a locked course; the player has to play the available courses in the cup to unlock the other reversed courses. After that, a roulette of basic items comes up, rolling down… If the player stops the roulette, the items stop each row as the player receives these items when the player gets an Item Box. When that’s over, the item descriptions show up, as the player attempts to learn how to use it. Then the racing starts as the player has to be in 1st place. If the player gets a lower place, the player has to do it again to unlock the course by giving the game certain money or some tokens. If the player got 1st place, the player will move on if the player pays the game another token or dollar(s).
Items
As the game states: "There are more than 100 items!". Here are some of them.
Basic Items
- Basin: A normal tin pan; it locks on to another racer and bashes them in the head.
- Boo: Causes whoever is hit by it to slow down for a brief period.
- Needle Bomb
- Square Tires: Makes whoever hits it slow down and lose control.
- Big and Small Tire
- Time Bomb: a time bomb, It goes off in a 15 seconds. Hit other drivers to transfer the bomb to them.
- Green Shell: A normal shell, it can be thrown in a straight line to knock over other karts.
- Tornado
- Banana Peel: Mario Kart's classic item, it is left on the track for other racers to slip on.
- Tacks: When run on, lets one of the rival's tires get flat temporary.
- Sticky Oil
- Cream Pie: A pie, tossed backwards. The screen of the target is covered in whipped cream, obscuring vision. Similar to the Blooper in Mario Kart DS.
- Thunder Stick: A rod used for close combat, it does not shrink other drivers like in other Mario Kart games.
Prize Items
- Rain Cloud: This cloud locks onto another racer, raining on the track and making it harder for the driver to steer. It looks somewhat like Mallow from Super Mario RPG.
- Thunder Cloud: Stronger than the rain cloud, it causes a massive thunder storm.
- Snow Cloud: This cloud freezes the unfortunate racer.
- Off-key Speaker
- Trash Can
- Laughter Bag
- Mustache Pen
- Banana Shot
- Tox-Banana Shot
- Dash Bazooka
- Jump Seal
- Item Seal
- Black Shell: A shell that explodes on impact.
- Fire Cracker
- Smokescreen: Makes players go blind when they pass the item by.
- Shield: Makes the player be protected from the rivals attacks.
- Reflect Shield
- Absorbing Mushroom: A special item that lets the player get items from rivals.
- Giant Mushroom: Makes the player grow into enormous size
- Invisble Mushroom
- Slimy Mushroom
- Heavy Mushroom
- Horn
- High Beam
- Magic Hand
- Dizziness Virus
- Wheel Virus
- Time Bomb (L)
- Triple Shell
- Triple Basin
- Triple Boo
- Triple Square
- Triple Needle
- Triple Pen
- Triple Tornado
- Triple Black
- Triple Banana
- Triple Smoke
- Triple Tack
- Triple Pie
Other (which doesn't belong or something)
- Driver Virus: A virus that causes whoever is hit to slow down. The virus can be transferred to other drivers. Looks like the blue virus from the NES game Dr. Mario.
- Mushroom: Gives the player's kart a small boost
.
Modes
Grand Prix
Players race in 24 courses in 6 stages with each stage having 4 courses; the first two are foward, last two are reverse (not to be confused with Mirror Mode) to win items and use them in other races. After the 4 courses are completed, a "Challenge Game" comes up, and are just like Missions from Mario Kart DS which they must complete to earn an item and finish the stage. Note: The Rainbow Stage can only be unlocked if the player finishes the first 5 cups (Like the Special Cup in Mario Kart Super Circuit).
Time Trial
The name says it all. The player races on one of the 24 courses and see if the player is one of the top 10.
Note: The Rainbow Stage is automatically available in Time Trial, regardless of the players Grand Prix stats.
VS
When the player inserts credits, the game starts an opponent search for a limited time (something like Bark Mode in Nintendogs) which, when other players start opponent searching, links the 2 people together for a VS Match. Up to 4 people can link together.
Courses
Mario Stage
DK Stage
Wario Stage
Bowser Stage
Pac-Man Stage
Rainbow Stage
The Rainbow Stage is only unlocked if the player completes the first 5 stages.
Trivia
- A billboard for this game appeared in Shroom Ridge of Mario Kart DS.
