SF: (14) Mario Kart 64 v (31) Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

[Lee]

Originally seeded at 31 Majora's Mask has defeated World's Apart, GTAIV, Super mario 64, Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World.

Fun fact: The Happy Mask salesman does have a Mario Mask on his backpack.

Mario Kart 64 was orignally seeded at 14 and has defeated Links Awakening, Pokemon B/W, twilight Princess, Goldeneye and Metal Gear Solid3.

Fun fact: Did you know that Kammy Koopa was orignally slated to be a character in the game?

MK64 has defeated more Zelda games than any other. Majora's Mask has defeated more Mario games than any other. This also marks the second time we've had an all N64 Semi final, the last one also involved a Mario and Zelda game on the N64 but Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 have both fallen.

 

[Serious Jones]

The game that took out 3 of the best, most iconic Mario games ever vs. a game that's not even the best in its series (if you think it is, you need to take off the rose-colored glasses).

To put it simply, Mario Kart is a party game. Majora's Mask is an in-depth, fleshed out story (that's still fun as hell). There's no way that a fairly generic racer that just has characters from a beloved series is better than an experience like Majora's Mask. Mario Kart is popular of course, but that doesn't equate to being better. Can anyone give me a way in which Mario Kart Wii didn't improve upon Mario Kart 64? Mario Kart 64's formula (which isn't all that original) has been improved upon in tons of games since, and the only reason it's so revered to this day is that we all played it when we were little.

I remember Mario Kart fondly, but it's a very hit-miss game if you actually remember. Everyone loves Koopa Troopa Beach of course, but every cup had at least one level that was dreadful to play through. Kalamari Desert, Frappe Snowland, Sherbet Land, and Rainbow Road (search your heart, you know it to be true), to name a few. You can't say the same for Majora's Mask. From the start of the game, every temple and side-quest is original and fun. Not only that, but there's a degree of difficulty in many of the quests, which you really can't say for Mario Kart. When you've gone back to play it, did you really have a hard time not getting first place every race?

There's no reason why a racing game that has been improved upon numerous times should go over a game that hasn't been replicated since. A genuine masterpiece like Majora's Mask is better than a simple party game like Mario Kart 64.

 

[The Doctor]

Mario Kart? Really?

Look, guys, Mario Kart was fun and all, but it's since been surpassed not only by other games in its series, but by other racing games outside of it. Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Double Dash all had features and fun that Mario Kart 64 did not. Games like Wipeout HD Fury have since been released that surpass Mario Kart in game modes, weapons, and speed. Hell, Mario Kart 64 was surpassed on its own system with Diddy Kong Racing coming out only a few months afterwards. DKR had better AI, more game modes, and much nicer graphics than MK64, and it came out in November 97, 9 months after MK64.

Majora's Mask has not been surpassed by any other Zelda game in terms of atmosphere, of exploration, of character development. While other games in the series have been great fun and brilliant in their own ways, none of them have captured the innovation of Majora's Mask. I've said it again and again in this tournament why I love the game and consider it the best ever. Read those posts, and hell - Play the game yourself on an emulator or Virtual Console. Tell me that it isn't brilliant.

Majora's Mask has aged better than Mario Kart 64. Majora's Mask is bigger than Mario Kart 64. Majora's Mask is better than Mario Kart 64. And that's all there is to it.

But hey, there are 9 votes for Mario Kart and no written votes. If Mario Kart is really that good that it deserves to go into the finals for the best game ever, tell me why. Was Block Fort really that great of a level?

 

[Smooth Sexual Chocolate]

Allow me to do a little white knighting for Mario Kart, though I'm going to warn you, this will not bode well for Zelda:MM.

First let me start off by saying that I have been voting for MK the entire tournament up until last round, where I voted for Goldeneye. The thing about MK is that it's so much more accessible to a much broader range of audience than Zelda, pretty much the same problem the other Zelda game is facing against Pokemon. While MM may be a helluva lot more in depth than MK, MK makes up for it with extreme playability. MK64 was the biggest technology leap in the series, MK SNES had planted the seeds for and MK64 polished and refined the SNES platform and expanded all forms of play, from multi player, to single player , to co-op. I've already stated that MK64 was surpassed in every which was by the current version of MK wii, but just because the current version is better doesn't mean it's garnered as much of a fan base as the N64; lets face it, the N64 holds a special place in many gamers hearts around the world.

A couple point's I'd like to address from the Docster.

- Diddy kong racing isn't even qualified to hold Luigi's jockstrap. It was a weak spinoff, while I'm not denying it had some fun aspects to it, it wasn't nearly as deep as MK and became stale pretty quick. Graphics where comparable, but nothing to run home to mother about, and more game modes doesn't equate to more fun.

- I don't agree that MM has aged better than MK, if you compare the most recent wii versions to their N64 versions you'll see that MK64 and MK wii aren't really that different. The graphics of course are crisper, and the level selection is twice that of N64, but the gameplay, the most important of features is almost exactly the same as MK64, and there no more important aspect in gaming that the physical game play, and the formula was perfected on the N64. Now if you compare the Zelda from wii and N64, well, it doesn't even come close. Zelda has had far more room to expand with recent technology, being the deeper of the two games; but because of that it really shows the age of the MM, at least from a graphics standpoint.

-MM being bigger than MK, I can't agree with that either, this goes back to MK reaching the bigger audience, as it's a game that targets all ages and all genders, it marketed as a family game, and it is in fact a game that the whole family can sit down and enjoy. MM on the other hand is anything but accessible to the masses, as with all games in the Zelda series it's something you have to sit down and invest time in, it's not a game your going to pop in a play with your friends, it's a game you're going to lock yourself in your room and play it for 36 straight hours. Zelda is perfect for the single player with time to kill, MK64 is perfect for anyone, your mom, your dad, your sister, your friends, your enemies, it's just that damn accessible, and considering the casual gamer makes up for more of the video game market than the hardcore gamer it's easy to see why so many people have voted for Mk64.

Keep it simple casual gamers, vote MK64.

 

[Derf]

MK is a super duper fun game, I spent alot of hours as a kid playing this game. Me and my friends would gather together and curse up a storm on Banchees Boardwalk.

When my friends were gone, I'd play some MM. At first, I wasn't a fan. I got through it for the sake of getting through it, and left it at that.

Eventually I went back to MM, and gave it a 2nd go, and somehow this time was much better then the first, probably because I gave the sidequests a shot, and that alone is massive. I played it again and again, eventually got all the masks, all the hearts, etc.

At this point in my life, me and my friends all played video games alot. So we went through alot of multiplayer games like Pokemon Stadium, Goldeneye, Super Smash Bros, and several other fun multiplayer games. But Mario Kart wasn't always one of them, because as fun as it was, with only 16 levels, 8 charecters, and no unlockables, it got VERY repeatative, very quick. And it is this repeatative nature that causes me to give my vote to Majoras Mask. (Which I will admit shouldn't even be in the final 8, let alone 4)

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I have voted for Mario Kart simply because of personal preference. I love the pick-up-and-play aspect of it, its just simple, harmless fun which I think is great.

Anyone can pick it up and be racing pretty at an acceptable level pretty quickly, its great to play with friends after you have had a few beers and just want an easy game to have a laugh with. You don't have to spend hours working your way through it, and anyone, even people who arent serious gamers can enjoy it.

Zelda is a more detailed absorbing game, but Mario Kart for me is just alot more fun. That's its appeal, thats why its so successful and thats why it has my vote.

 

[Fizzy]

Both appeal to different gamers and different people in general. Most casual gamers wouldn't dare pick up a game as detailed and time consuming as Majora's Mask and would play Mario Kart with their friends and families. Majora's Mask is more for hardcore gamers who enjoy tough dungeons and puzzles. I won't resort to insulting either game or saying it isn't the best in the series. I'll just say, I had a ton of fun playing both games. Which have I spent more time playing? Mario Kart without a doubt. Which did I have more fun playing? Mario Kart for the simple fact that I played it with my cousins and friends and had such a fun time playing it. Which game would I rather play right now? Mario Kart. It gets my vote because I had more fun playing it than I did Majora's Mask. Majora's Mask is my second favorite Zelda game, but Mario Kart is my favorite racing game.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

In other Mario vs Zelda match ups, I have used Mario's appeal as to why it is a better game.

Not this time. I actually voted right (as oppose to the other SF ) when I voted for Majora's Mask.

- The story itself is very haunting that. As a player, I felt like shit when I couldn't do anything about the Moon until the end of the game. All of the quests and side quests were sad but had a relatively peaceful ending because it is the player's job to help people.

- The game itself isn't just a play on and on and on til you get to the end. You try to get as much accomplished as you can within 72 hours. That means you need to move quickly to get the important items or you are stuck in an never ending cycle. You can't blame faulty AI if you can't get shit done. (Yes, that counts the alien side quest)

- There is just so much to do in this game. Almost every character has a purpose; almost every interaction alters possibilities. This isn't some happy go lucky kid game; this is a game that questions your conscious as you either feel like a piece of shit for not helping or you are shit for choosing not to help.


The only thing wrong with this game is the bias towards it. It is a shame that there are people who view this as "another Zelda game" or think that the company who makes it wouldn't appeal to them.

 

[Lee]

Mario Kart 64 wins.