It's no surprise that Luigi shares many of the same attributes as his brother, but their differences in the N64 racer are enough to give credence to the idea that Luigi may actually be better suited for some players than his genetic counterpart.Īlthough Luigi reaches upper and top speeds at longer intervals than the other middleweight, Mario, his key mark is his initial speed on the throttle. Even when Nintendo has given the reigns to the green-hatted, taller and slimmer plumber, they have placed him in situations of frights and terrors- Luigi's Mansion and its sequel, Dark Moon-but that doesn't change the fact that he is a decent option in ensemble cast games like Super Smash Bros. Poor Luigi, always overshadowed by his more famous brother. While avid Mario Kart enthusiasts ditch the titular Italian plumber after a few Grand Prixs and rounds of couch multiplayer, Mario remains the most well-rounded player for beginners and otherwise non-game players, and offers the most rewarding and reassuring ride because of his splendid and superb mediocrity. Mario is good, if not slow, around winding turns, but he is comforting for the novice player, especially when avoiding walls and falling off tracks like Rainbow Road. He isn't the fastest out of the gate, but he reaches his top speed in just over five seconds, and maintains his ease of handleability even after being subjected to a Koopa shell or a banana peel. He is one-half of the middleweight class in the game. He is easy to handle, has admirable acceleration and speed, and is one of the most balanced racers in terms of stats. The leading man in nearly all of Nintendo's most iconic games within the Super Mario canon is the best playable character in the N64 iteration of the Mario Kart franchise-for beginners, that is. Without Mario, there would obviously be no Mario Kart.