| Kart Fighter | |
|---|---|
 Cartridge art ofKart Fighter | |
| Developer(s) | Hummer Team |
| Publisher(s) | Ge De Industry Co. |
| Platform(s) | Famicom |
| Release | 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Kart Fighter (Chinese:瑪莉快打;pinyin:Mǎlì kuàidǎ, "Mario Combat," punning on the Chinese title ofMortal Kombat) is anunlicensed2Dfighting game produced for theNintendo Famicom by Taiwanese studioHummer Team. The game features unauthorized appearances byNintendo's mascotMario and the rest of the cast ofSuper Mario Kart in aport ofStreet Fighter II.Kart Fighter has received some media attention, including mostly positive reviews, in part because of its perceived similarity to the laterSuper Smash Bros. series.
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Kart Fighter follows many of the rules and conventions already established for thefighting game genre by the time of its release. The player engages opponents in one-on-one close quarter combat. The object of each round is to deplete the opponent'svitality before the timer runs out. Because it is an adaptation ofStreet Fighter II,[1][2] the game controls resemble those of theStreet Fighter series. The player uses theD-pad to move the character towards or away from the opponent or to jump. The A and B buttons perform punches and kicks, as well as jump punches and jump kicks when combined with movement. Additionally, each character has a selection of special moves performed by inputting a combination of directional and button-based commands. UnlikeStreet Fighter II, nearly all characters have some form of projectile attack available as a special move,[1] but the blocking system is more limited.[3]
Fivedifficulty levels are available forsolo play.[4] A second player can also select a character, allowing fortwo-player matches. However, because no indication of this feature appears in game,[3] it can be easily overlooked.[5]
All eight playable characters fromSuper Mario Kart appear inKart Fighter, although several have been renamed or are Japanese versions of names–Mari (Mario),Luigi,Peach (Princess Toadstool),Yossy (Yoshi),Kupa (Bowser),Donkey (Donkey Kong Jr.),Nokonoko (Koopa Troopa), andKinopio (Toad).[1][6] Many of the characters' appearances are closely adapted fromSuper Mario Kart sprites, although they are not to scale. However, Donkey Kong Jr. has a substantially different appearance and Princess Peach appears in a miniskirt and boots, similar toChun-Li ofStreet Fighter fame.[3][7]
During the 1980s and 1990s, production ofpirateFamicom games inEast Asia was commonplace, aided by the Famicom's absence of the10NESlockout chip included in North American versions of the Nintendo Entertainment System.[8] The commercial success ofStreet Fighter II made it a particularly frequent choice for unauthorizedports and adaptations.[2]Kart Fighter was a resulting game made from this craze, developed by ateam known as Hummer Team or Gouder, andpublished byHong Kong–based Ge De Industry, likely in 1993.[5][9]
Kart Fighter emulated the general look of the characters from the 1992Super FamicomSuper Mario Kart. The limited hardware of the8-bit Famicom would have forced the characters to look far worse, especially when the source material was on a16-bit platform, being limited to four colors instead of 16. Hummer Team overcame this by combining two separatesprites to utilize more colors for each character.[2] Material from other games were also stolen, including astage background taken fromLittle Nemo: The Dream Master.[5]
Hummer Team also created other unauthorizedStreet Fighter II adaptations. One such game was included on the1998 Super HIK 4 in 1 12Mmulticart,[5] in which Mario appeared alongside characters from the Street Fighter franchise.[10] The same engineKart Fighter used was alsomodded to create theSailor Moon-themedAV Bishoujo Senshi Girl Fighting.[9][11]
Several years after its release,Kart Fighter received critical attention for its similarities to theSuper Smash Bros. series.[6] Reviews were generally positive, especially in the context of fighting games on the NES[1] or unauthorized NES games,[2] categories viewed as having typically poor quality. Reviews cited its originality,[2] music,[5] and relative lack of bugs,[3] with several considering it one of the best unauthorized games of its era,[5][7] meeting or exceeding the quality of similar licensed games such asTMNT: Tournament Fighters.[1][2]
However,Complex consideredKart Fighter the worst fighting game ever made.[12] Other reviewers remarked negatively on thescreen flicker resulting from the game's sprite system,[2][3] poorAI,[3] missing menu options, and lack of a proper ending.[5]
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