Mario Kart 8 Deluxe vs Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, easily, unless you specifically want nostalgia. It has 96 tracks with the Booster Course Pass, the best handling in the series and proper online. Mario Kart 64 matters historically and is still fun in a room, but it plays much rougher than people remember.

What They Have in Common

The same fundamental design — items that punish the leader, drift boosts, and four people on a sofa.

Pick Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Anti-gravity, 200cc, an enormous track list and online that works. The definitive version of the series.

More like this: games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Pick Mario Kart 64 only for the memories.

Battle mode is genuinely excellent and Rainbow Road is a landmark. The item balance and the AI rubber-banding are brutal by modern standards.

More like this: games like Mario Kart 64.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Mario Kart 64 first?

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, easily, unless you specifically want nostalgia. It has 96 tracks with the Booster Course Pass, the best handling in the series and proper online. Mario Kart 64 matters historically and is still fun in a room, but it plays much rougher than people remember.

Is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe better than Mario Kart 64?

Better is the wrong question for these two — they are close enough that the answer depends on what you want from the next twenty hours. Pick Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Pick Mario Kart 64 only for the memories.

Are these comparisons based on review scores?

No. There are no scores anywhere on this page. This is a written opinion about what each game is for, so you can judge whether it matches what you are after.