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Prerelease:Mario Kart 64
This page details prerelease information and/or media for Mario Kart 64.
 | This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes. Notes: Still need to add more content. |
 | To do: Add pics/vids |
Internal Material
On 25th July, 2020, a large amount of internal data owned by Nintendo was leaked to the public, apparently originating from either iQue-owned servers or a backup of them. This was a result of an earlier server breach in 2018, which resulted in the leaking of other assets, including but not limited to the Spaceworld 1997 and Spaceworld 1999 demos of Pokémon Gold and Silver and data for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. The 25th July, 2020 leak included a portion of Mario Kart 64's source code, with previously unseen assets.
 | Internal Material |
Shoshinkai November 1995
The only known prototype build of Mario Kart 64 was shown at the Shoshinkai Software Exhibition on November 24, 1995, under the working title of Super Mario Kart R (the "R" standing for "Rendered"). While the game looked complete for the most part, there was still lots of content that didn't make it into the final game.
| Prerelease | Final |
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Magikoopa
A Magikoopa, presumably Kamek from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, was originally planned to be playable before being replaced by Donkey Kong.
Koopa Air Billboards
The Koopa Air billboards were originally Good Ear, but Nintendo changed them before release to avoid legal trouble with Good Year.
| Prerelease | Final (Japanese version) | Final (International version) |
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Banshee Boardwalk
The 'Welcome' sign was moved further along the track, closer to the castle.
| Pre-release | Final |
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Beams with lanterns were added at various points along the boardwalk.
| Pre-release | Final |
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Title Screen music
| To do: Replace the videos with .ogg files. |
The title screen music was very different than in the final version, but this was probably a placeholder, the music being used in a Silicon Graphics tech demo.[1][2]
| Prerelease | Final |
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Pre-release Differences
It was not uncommon for screenshots from different builds to be used in a single publication, so figuring out which build a given image is from can prove difficult, if not impossible. The images in this section may be from any build prior to the final release.
Item Boxes
At one point during development, the Item Boxes were opaque black cubes with colored question marks on them instead of the more transparent, rainbow-colored box seen in the final release.
Cape Feather
The Cape Feather item from Super Mario Kart was originally going to reappear, only to be scrapped in the final (it would eventually return in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a battle mode-exclusive item). However, the code is partially still within the game, and a cape feather sprite was found in the July 25, 2020 leaks.
Shoshinkai 1995.
Title Screen
| Pre-release | Final |
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The logo says "®" instead of "TM".
Luigi Raceway
| Pre-release | Final |
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| Pre-release | Final |
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| Pre-release | Final |
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There are a number of differences that can be seen here. The "64" sign was moved from the beginning of the last turn to behind the start line, a wall was added to the right side of the track, the Luigi sign was added, the "Koopa Air" sign was added to the barrier, and the item boxes were removed.
Moo Moo Farm
| Pre-release | Final |
|---|---|
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The "Moo Moo Farm" gate was added, and the skybox appears to have been changed from an evening sky to a midday sky.
Kalimari Desert
| Pre-release | Final |
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The railway crossing signs have been added.
| Pre-release | Final |
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Smoke emission from the train was added.
Early Themed Bombs
- Originally, the bomb hazards would be themed, according to the level. In Frappe Snowland for example, a winter-themed bomb was present. The multiplayer HUD is also different, as players 2 and 4 share the same layout used by players 1 and 3. In the final version, the layout was mirrored.
- The bomb hazard in Mario Raceway has colored stripes.
Bowser's Castle
The second room in Bowser's Castle was going to have four Thwomps in front of the archway at some stage in the game. In the final game, the amount varies between one and three depending on difficulty.
Battle Mode
| Pre-release | Final |
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At one point, the text 「バトルモード」 ('Battle Mode') was displayed on the middle of the screen during a match. Additionally, the item icons were positioned at the top of the players' screens rather than the bottom.
Early Fake Item Box
The Fake Item Boxes had bombs instead of upside-down ?s inside, and the Mini-Bomb Kart had colored stripes. The early Fake Item Box can also be seen in the Wario Stadium screenshot, and the feather is seen in a Mario Raceway screenshot.
Track Order
The track order was originally different at one point.[3]
| Proto | Final |
|---|---|
| Mushroom Cup | |
| Luigi's Raceway | Luigi's Raceway |
| Moo Moo Farm | Moo Moo Farm |
| Koopa Troopa Beach | Koopa Troopa Beach |
| Kalimari Desert | Kalimari Desert |
| Flower Cup | |
| Banshee Boardwalk | Toad's Turnpike |
| Frappe Snowland | Frappe Snowland |
| Choco Mountain | Choco Mountain |
| Mario Raceway | Mario's Raceway |
| Star Cup | |
| Bowser's Castle | Wario Stadium |
| Sherbet Land | Sherbet Land |
| Wario Stadium | Royal Raceway |
| Royal Raceway | Bowser's Castle |
| Special Cup | |
| DK Jungle Parkway | DK Jungle Parkway |
| Yoshi Valley | Yoshi Valley |
| Rainbow Road | Banshee Boardwalk |
| Toad's Turnpike | Rainbow Road |
