Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play a Mario Kart game using static camera angles? Probably not, as that sounds awful. But if you are curious, a modder has created a devious ROMhack that will let you satisfy your morbid curiosity.
As first spotted by GamesRadar, Twitter/X (whatever we call it) user, MrL314, recently posted a video clip of what say is the “worst thing” they have ever created. And I’m inclined to agree. The ROMhack swaps out the standard camera from Super Mario Kart and replaces it with a Resident Evil-like static camera system. That means you’ll be forced to navigate turns and tricky tracks using cameras placed around the map. Good luck!
The self-described “Super Mario Kart expert” and SNES Hacker explained on the download page for the mod that this “troll hack” came about as they were researching how the camera system in Super Mario Kart functions. They’ve dubbed the hack: “Resident Evil Kart.”
For those who might not remember, in the original Resident Evil games, static camera angles were used by the developers partially because of hardware limitations at the time. They also added an extra layer of fear to the games, since you had no idea what was around a corner until you moved close enough to see what was around the corner. And that meant you had to sometimes take blind turns into possible zombies. Scary stuff! MrL314 has applied this system to Mario Kart, creating a challenging and strange way to play this classic kart racing game.
“Instead of the camera following you around like normal, the camera is in predetermined locations around the track and provides fixed perspective shots of the track as you drive around it,” MrL314 explained. “This absolutely makes the game a lot harder to play, and provides an interesting challenge to those who wish to take it on!
Previously, Kotaku covered the first tease of this ROMhack when its creator posted about it being in the works back in July 2023. But now it’s fully finished and can be downloaded and played by anyone.
According to the modder, they have also added support for Battle Tracks in Battle Mode, meaning you and another player can take each other on while dealing with these static camera angles.
MrL314 is hopeful that folks will use the mod and stream or record themselves while they play as the creator is curious to see how folks “stand up” to this new challenging mod.
Updated: 1/25/2024, 3:45 p.m. EST: We previously covered this hack when its creator originally teased it last year. This story didn’t originally reference that earlier article and has been updated accordingly.
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