Super Mario Kart (SNES) Time Trial Challenge

e36Adz · 8 Oct 2017 at 11:08

With the release of the SNES Mini, I've found myself transported 20 years back in time and hammering Mario Kart once again (the greatest racer ever made imo) and it feels like I've managed to carry it on from where I left off, I've still got the 'skills'

I'm sure many others like myself felt they were untouchable back in the day on the time trial challenges with their fastest times and laps, on their fave circuits etc.

Screenshot required and I'll start up a leader board for each circuit but Mario Circuit 1, Ghost Valley 1 and Rainbow Road were the most popular I think. Rainbow Road is essential with it being the toughest one to master; to unlock it without completing the game simply go to time trial and move the cursor over Mushroom Cup and press: L R L R L L R R a

I'll put my times up this evening for the above 3 circuits, get racing folks...

e36Adz · 8 Oct 2017 at 11:08

Mario Circuit 1

1. nolan2993 1'00''88
2. e36Adz 1'01''22
3. ShiWarrior 1'11''61
4.
5.

Best Lap:
nolan2993 0'12''03

Ghost Valley 1

1. e36Adz 1'08''34
2. Ripper 1'15''86
3.
4.
5.

Best Lap:
e36Adz 0'13''53

Rainbow Road

1. e36Adz 1'30''70
2.
3.
4.
5.

Best Lap:
e36Adz 0'17''78

Zatoichi.uK · 14 Oct 2017 at 10:04

No challengers? Finally decided to unbox my mini so will have a bash. May take a while to get the skills.

Bazzards · 14 Oct 2017 at 10:09

The fact that you want people to use an actual SNES, will limit the numbers I would imagine.

Zatoichi.uK · 14 Oct 2017 at 10:28

Oh I assumed he meant SNES mini. Yeah that's not going to work, just do it on mini.

Kreeeee · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:29

Bazzards said:
The fact that you want people to use an actual SNES, will limit the numbers I would imagine.

Snes mini should be fine to use, but I think it runs faster.

Warbie · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:37

Makes more sense. There's probably 1 guy playing SNES MK at the mo and potentially a bunch on the mini.

Flibster · 14 Oct 2017 at 22:21

Kreeeee said:
Snes mini should be fine to use, but I think it runs faster.

Depends. We normally have 50hz machines in the EU. But modding to enable 60hz isn't that hard.
Snes mini runs the 60hz US rom.

Kreeeee · 14 Oct 2017 at 22:26

Flibster said:
Depends. We normally have 50hz machines in the EU. But modding to enable 60hz isn't that hard.
Snes mini runs the 60hz US rom.

Modded machines aren't allowed for competitions.

e36Adz · 15 Oct 2017 at 12:42

Sorry guys, I meant the snes mini, of course the snes original is okay too.

Uploading my times now...

Images were quite large so put them behind spoiler tags, played MC1 quite a bit getting those times but not so much the other 2 circuits yet. I figured the mini had to be running the US rom because it took me years to break 1'01 on the original SNES many moons ago, and I got it fairly quickly on the mini so I think I can hit 1 minute...

Sasahara · 15 Oct 2017 at 12:56

The Pal SNES version had the in game timer altered for 50 Hz so you can't compare times with the NTSC versions which includes the UK NES mini version.

Sasahara · 15 Oct 2017 at 12:59

Kreeeee said:
Modded machines aren't allowed for competitions.

Modding wouldn't affect the in game timer, but as in my previous post the timer was altered so you would always be behind on the PAL versions of the game what ever speed you ran it at.

e36Adz · 15 Oct 2017 at 13:09

To make things simpler, just use any SNES console be it UK/NTSC. I'm sure most of us are playing on the mini anyway. Let's see some times

Forgot to add lap times in, will do shortly.

Kreeeee · 15 Oct 2017 at 13:41

Sasahara said:
The Pal SNES version had the in game timer altered for 50 Hz so you can't compare times with the NTSC versions which includes the UK NES mini version.

Even if the times were adjusted to represent the same in game times, the difference in speed would then benefit the slower running system as you have more time (1/50th of a second compared to 1/60th of a second) to make frame-perfect inputs.

Sorry to be pedantic, but I used to have a world record on Mario Kart DS so I'm a bit into this sort of thing

Sasahara · 15 Oct 2017 at 15:08

Kreeeee said:
Even if the times were adjusted to represent the same in game times, the difference in speed would then benefit the slower running system as you have more time (1/50th of a second compared to 1/60th of a second) to make frame-perfect inputs.

Sorry to be pedantic, but I used to have a world record on Mario Kart DS so I'm a bit into this sort of thing

Unfortunately having a world record on Mario Kart DS doesn't make you good at understanding basic maths involved in this issue.

I'm also guessing you haven't worked out properly what adjusting the timer actually means.

The UK SNES timing were altered so when running at 50 Hz they representing real time. The 60 Hz NTSC game also represented real time when running at 60 Hz.
So the UK times have been slowed (16.66%*) to match the game. So when ran at the standard pal 50 Hz, the clock matches real time. Running this in 60 HZ will just make the clock run 20% faster, so your time will still be worse off compared to the NTSC 60 Hz game.

*But ...the from what I recall the PAL version was optimised to run faster than a standard PAL game so it's not actually 16.66% slower like most PAL games, but not enough to make up for the 20% NTSC increase. So that makes comparing times even more impossible.

This video shows the difference, but I they don't realise the PAL version isn't running 16.66% slower. Which is why there's only a 4 second difference, if it wasn't optimised you be expecting around 10 seconds difference for every minute played. (The 17.50% was a FUBR figure from gaming mags in the 90's, bad maths)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRabkygcUE

So the advantage of the game running slower only works if you are using the NTSC version at 50Hz, then you have the timing advantage you mentioned, but still get the same time as the clock will be slowed by 16.66% as well.

My experience isn't any world record claims, but just owning a UK SNES + Pal version of the game and a US SNES + NTSC version of the game.

(and being an old git)

Though tbf I'm not sorry for being pedantic.

Kreeeee · 15 Oct 2017 at 16:18

It's great that you're that passionate about something.

Back to the topic now.

e36Adz · 15 Oct 2017 at 16:30

Kreeeee said:
...I used to have a world record on Mario Kart DS

Not bad Kreeeee, give the snes version a bash and put some times up. I need something to aim for...

lakitu · 15 Oct 2017 at 21:18

Great idea! The only reason I didn't get involved was because whilst I have a SNES I don't have MK. So if we can use the SNES Mini which I have I'll get involved!!

e36Adz · 15 Oct 2017 at 22:10

Looking forward to others getting involved, getting very lonely on the leaderboard atm

Tip 1: Use DK or Bowser if you want to even compete for a good time.
Tip 2: Get a ghost and keep racing it to shave off milliseconds.

My God is it difficult to stay focused especially when you hear the sound for final lap and you know you're on for a decent time. Here's a short clip of me just now, was racing my ghost for the 1'32''26 time listed above and was a fair bit ahead but bottled it on the last lap. I reckon I can beat 1 min 30 seconds, just require time and PATIENCE!

Zatoichi.uK · 16 Oct 2017 at 07:02

Only played a bit of Mario circuit 1 so far and got a 1:02:xx. Will try on some others later.