MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Mario Kart: Speed Strife, by DJ Coco
Review Author	VinnyVideo
Created	Jul 6 2015, 5:09 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Mario Kart: Speed Strife is the sequel to DJ Coco's 2014 Mario Kart fangame, Blazing Wheels. As the first truly 3-D Mario Kart fangame, Speed Strife is quite an amazing technical achievement. But is it fun to play?

Full disclosure: I helped beta-test this game, which means that I was able to make Coco fix the things that bugged me most.

Pros	+ It's an impressive technical feat + Good engine + Good graphics + Solid soundtrack
Cons	- Drifting is weird - Difficulty level isn't always balanced - Not many original track ideas - Lack of sound effects - No multiplayer

Impressions

Gameplay 9 / 10	Speed Strife offers all of the things we've come to expect in the official Mario Kart games. There are 12 characters, 16 courses, and a nice variety of items and power-ups. You can race the computer in Grand Prix or Vs. mode, and you can also compete against your own records in Time Trial mode. Speed Strife has everything you'd expect a Mario Kart game to have, which is both a strength and a weakness. No important features seem to be absent from the game. On the other hand, there isn't much that makes the game really stand out. Most of the tracks are based on the same concepts we've seen in the older Mario Kart games, and the characters and items don't offer a lot of new ideas either. The only new character is a girl from one of DJ Coco's indie games. It's tempting to bash this character as a generic self-insert, although Coco made it clear that this character is designed to link together Coco's fangame and indie games. Still, this connection would've made a lot more sense if Coco had included a Cliax Codec-themed track as well. The karts' handling is... strange. I didn't have a major problem with it, but the drifting is unlike anything I've seen in any Mario Kart game - or in any racing game, for that matter. Basically, drifting is used only for making sharp turns - of which there are many. This handling isn't what you'd expect, but the controls work OK once you understand how they work. Speed Strife is actually one of DJ Coco's easiest games, but that's not saying much. Some of the courses are quite difficult the first time you play them, although you'll get the hang of them once you run through them a couple of times in Time Trial mode. Mushroom Avenue is still pretty sadistic on 150cc, though. Also, the difficulty is sometimes unbalanced. If the official Mario Kart games are NASCAR, where leaders can change constantly, Speed Strife is Formula One, where the leading driver (probably Lewis Hamilton) can speed off into the distance with no opposition. If you don't get a good start off the grid, you may be unable to catch up even if you drive perfectly for the rest of the race. Fortunately, the unpredictability of computer drivers' performances means you can still win the gold trophy in Grand Prix mode even if you have an off race, though. While Speed Strife's gameplay is not without its share of irritations, overall it's a great experience, and the pros outweigh the cons. I had fun, and that's ultimately what counts.
Graphics 8 / 10	The game's graphics are generally pleasing, especially when you consider the constraints that DJ Coco had to deal with. Game Maker, even the latest version of Studio, isn't well-suited to 3-D development, and the limited selection of models is another obstacle. The graphics obviously aren't going to be as good as Mario Kart 8, but they're higher-quality than some official Mario Kart games, such as Mario Kart 64. The graphics get the job done, and I'm happy with that.
Sound 7 / 10	I haven't played any of the newest Mario Kart games, but as my understanding goes, most of the music in this game comes from Mario Kart 8. The soundtrack is pretty good and is well-suited to the courses. The Choco Mountain/Block Fort music from Mario Kart 64 also makes an appearance. This is one of my favorite Mario Kart songs ever, although it's a very different style from Mario Kart 8. A remix with better soundfonts would've given it a fresh coat of paint and made it even more awesome. The sound score takes a hit because of the sound effects. Some important sound effects are missing - for example, you don't hear anything when you hit another kart or when your kart lands from a high jump. Worse, there are no engine sounds. Even the original Super Mario Kart for the Super NES had engine noises, and the silent engines are rather jarring. I'm not a big fan of the Mario Kart 8 voices, either.
Replay 7 / 10	Since it's a racing game, you can always go back and try to break your previous Time Trial records or experiment with different characters. The replay value would've been higher if Coco had implemented a multiplayer mode or online high scores.

Final Words

There are definitely some bumps in the road, but Mario Kart: Speed Strife deserves a spot in Victory Lane.

Report This Submission

Comments

	DJ Coco Jul 6 2015, 6:23 PM
Thanks for the review, Vinny! Drifting can also be contained for long curves, like in Stadium Circuit, to get a nice mini-turbo. Anyway, great review, and I'm not just saying that because of the fantabulous score :P


	VinnyVideo Jul 6 2015, 11:28 PM
Thanks! I'm glad you liked my review. I'm aware that there is a Mini Turbo feature in this game, but I never was able to get it to work. It's obviously not necessary for beating the game in Grand Prix mode, although I could probably use it to improve my Time Trial records.

Pages: (1) 1 | Last Unread