On the 24 November 1995, Nintendo finally presented the final version of the Ultra 64, (renamed “Nintendo 64” because of copyright problem) at the Shoshinkai Software Exhibition. Among the thirty titles shown in playable form or in video (including Star Fox and Wave Race) one of the most interesting was Super Mario Kart R, an early beta version of our favorite kart-game.
Compared to other games that were shown at the Shoshinkai that year, it could be said that Mario Kart R was almost complete, since there appears to be no particular changes in the track design, but the differences for the playable characters are interesting. You can notice that Kami Koopa (Magic Koopa) was a playable character in the game instead of Donkey Kong and the “Character Select” screen had different avatars. Also, the multiplayer split screen could have been set to horizontally or vertically, but this option was removed in the final version (but implemented in Double Dash). The “Item Boxes” were different too and various other little graphic details (like the HUD) were changed before the game was published,
Also, the Feather item from the original Super Mario Kart, was meant to be used in Mario Kart 64 too, as you can see from one of the screenshots in the gallery below (in the image with the 4 player mode, Toad has it in his item HUD). The Feather would have let the player to jump very high, to reach new shortcuts or to avoid obstacles.
Thanks to Princess Toadstool for the contribution!
Images:
Videos:
What do you think about this unseen game? Give your vote!
Would you like to add more info, screens or videos to this page? Add a comment below!
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Wow! That is a change XD well, only for the ” purple magician” (I don´t remember the name exactly XD)
—- comments about the page —-
The unseen 64 its really cool in this new version,
A week ago i visited the page in the old version and this is a great change!
I recomend unseen64 in my forum ;) this is a really good page.
PD: My forum language its in spanish XD
Use Google Traductor to see in english.
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=es&sl=es&tl=en&u=http://insertcoin.foros.ws/
His name is Magikoopa. Sorry I’m 9 years late :-)
well I Can’t Read Spanish But I Do Know About The Beta Of This Game.
P.S. U CANNOT UNLOCK MAGIKOOPA THE MARTY WAY!!!!
Kamek is a racer in the beta? Would’ve been nice to see him in the final release.
thx for recommending us Jeannuel the more the merrier
I doubt that the picture of magikoopa with the star cloak is real…
The “star cloack” screen looks weird, but it should be real, even if in the character selection Magikoopa / Kamek seems to have a plain blue cloak
I’m sure it is but he was replaced by DK But in mario kart 8 I would like to see him
This is in spanish and you expect the whole world to understand it? Am I missing something here?
Triforce64, our site was originally an Italian archive, and only from about a year we started to convert U64 in english… so there are still a lot of content that need to be translated and updated :P
Yes, you are. It is italian
XD
it is italian, but the article is very old (i wrote it in 2003 i think) and not very informative.
Zalo, are you the Zalo of TFP ? :)
I’m pretty sure the “star cloack” screen is fake. The quality is of some paint program, let alone every else is from the final game, when Kamek is only in Mario Kart R stage.Also i find it hard to believe that there would be DK Parthway in the game when DK was replaced by Kamek.
That’s horrible photoshop job on the second image. Geez… Magikoopas don’t even wear stars… Looks like Micky Mouse.
For those wondering still the second screen shot is 100% fake it’s a re-skin/texture that someone made that can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumR4FUvZKM&feature=related
Nice to see my video up here.
It was changed to Mario Kart 64 because Sonic R came before it, and it caused copyright problems. :)
It would be a nice theory, but its seems that MK64 was released on December 14, 1996, while Sonic R on October 27, 1997!
SA2lover probably got a little confused because Mario Kart 64 is a vastly superior game in nearly every regard. Not unlike one that would’ve come out years later, instead of nearly an entire year before.
Though Sonic R had really nice water effect in the background.
I find it quite surprising that Kamek was originally supposed to be in MK64 but later got kicked out so they could put in Donkey Kong. I mean, what would Kamek be saying now?
“If I get replaced at the last minute the next time I get the chance to be in a Mario Kart game, Miyamoto, I swear to God I’LL HUNT YOU DOWN AND CUT YOU LIKE A FISH!”
I don’t appreciate that much.
The beta billboards are still here in the Japanese final version of Mario Kart 64.
Jeannuel, it is Kamek.
I think the R stands for “Rokujuyon” (which is Japanese for sixty-four). Had it kept the title it would have probably been called “Super Mario Kart 64” in the West.
Here’s a bit more footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gY3uqX78cs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpcH8dmujo
So… How can i download this game?