Mario Kart Arcade GP

Mario Kart Arcade GP
Developer: Namco Publisher: Namco Platform: Arcade (Triforce) Released in JP: December 2005 Released in US: October 2005 This game has unused areas. This game has uncompiled source code. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has a prerelease article

The red-hatted stepchild of the Mario Kart franchise: a Namco-developed arcade racer in which Mario and Pac-Man meet for the first time. Snubbed by Nintendo in the numbering of Mario Kart 7 and later 8, the game and its sequel both feature cameras mounted above the screen and magnetic save cards for recording progress. It later got a sequel that's more or less the same game but with extra content.

Sub-Page

Prerelease Info

Unused Graphics

The file ezmenu.tpl contains early graphics for most of the menus seen in the final game.

An early mock-up version of the title screen, depicting Mario on an early version of Mario Highway. The logo is reminiscent of past Mario Kart games such as Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario is using an edited version of his artwork from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The text on the bottom translates to "Please press the start button", as opposed to the final version asking the player to insert 1 coin. The other version of this early mock-up is grayed out.

Graphics for an early version of the track select screen. These graphics include a preview image of an early version of Mario Highway, early text, some stars, and some text in Japanese translating to "Choose the course you want to play."

Graphics for an early version of the mode select screen, with two modes known as "Free Run Mode", and "Item Test Mode", depicting icons of a course, and a mushroom. In the final game, the two playable modes are Grand Prix and Time Trials. Aside from some early graphics for the text, the text on the bottom translates to "This mode uses the items "Boo" and "Ofuda" to verify the practicality and fun of the steering wheel reaction force. This mode allows you to run alone without any obstacles. If you want to end the mode, press the start button."

A early mock-up for the character select screen, with an early layout of the character icons in a circular fashion. The background uses a dark blue grid pattern, while the final one uses a bright-blue pattern. All the characters (excluding Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky), use artwork from different games such as Super Mario Sunshine, and Mario Party 4, with Bowser's artwork instead using his design from Super Smash Bros. Melee, interestingly enough.

Early character artwork, meant to go with the early character select screen. Notably, all the artworks used for each character (except Bowser, who uses his artwork from Super Smash Bros. Melee), all have their source artwork edited. Mario and Peach use their solo artwork from Mario Party 4, but without the Mega or Mini Mushrooms from said game, Toad uses his artwork from Super Mario Sunshine, edited to have a blue coat, and Wario uses his artwork from Mario Golf, minus the golf club. Bizarrely, Luigi uses an edited version of Mario's artwork, but with his proportions, stretched... The karts for each character are recolored versions from Mario's early kart design.

Early graphics for the character names, meant to go along with the character artwork and select screen. The character names are romanized versions of their Japanese names, hence why Toad and Bowser are known as Kinopio and Koopa respectively. And amusingly enough, Luigi's name is misspelled as "Luige".

NamCam Test Images

Three JPG images exist in the Arcade GP ROM: camtest00.jpg, camtest01.jpg and camtest02.jpg. It can be assumed that these were somehow used during testing for the NamCam player portrait feature. The EXIF data of all images shows they were processed with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 in 2004.

Possibly a color test. EXIF data shows it was modified on 10th October 2004 21:34:06.

The second image depicts the mascots of Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. While the EXIF data shows it was modified on 14th December 2004 20:00:51, this seems impossible, as the picture in question is from the following year.

The source of the third picture is slightly... bizarre. It is a picture of the Beslan school hostage crisis, a terrorist attack where over 1,100 people were taken hostage by armed separatist militants in a school in Beslan, North Ossetia (Russian Federation). Originally photographed by Yuri Tutov, and can be purchased from Getty Images. EXIF data shows it was modified on 9th September 2004 12:25:57 - as this is only days after the event, the image was likely copied from a news website.

(Source: verne94, Rapstah)

Unused Models

LOD Models

Unused LOD models for each character in lod_*character name*. Duplicates exist as well in mirror_*character name*.

• 

  lod_mario.dat

• 

  lod_luigi.dat

• 

  lod_wario.dat

• 

  lod_peach.dat

• 

  lod_kinopio.dat

• 

  lod_yoshi.dat

• 

  lod_koopa.dat

• 

  lod_donkey.dat

• 

  lod_pacman.png

• 

  lod_mspacman.dat

• 

  lod_monster.dat

obj

Models with the prefix obj_ are present, and many of them don't seem to be used anywhere. Some may be cut items, while some could be background characters or hazards on stages. The Toad model is curiously different than Toad's character model.

• 

  obj_big_tire.dat

• 

  obj_coconut.dat

• 

  obj_dolfin.dat

• 

  obj_galboss.dat

• 

  obj_geso.dat

• 

  obj_kesa.dat

• 

  obj_kino00.dat

• 

  obj_ice.dat

• 

  obj_perfume.dat

• 

  obj_shark.dat

• 

  obj_shine.dat

• 

  obj_utubo.dat

Unused Items

To do: Can these graphics be ripped, in order to see them in higher quality?

In the credits, some other items otherwise never seen in the game appear in a 10x10 square, like the Golden Banana and the Golden Shell that wouldn't appear until Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, a coin, along with some other unrecognizable items.

Unused Courses

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.

To do: Try to load this in Mario Kart Arcade GP 1. The 2 videos shows it loading in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2.

test_course

A number of files in the ROM correspond to a so-called "test_course":

• test_course_bm.dat (model)
• grd_test.bin (collision)
• test_course_coconut.dat
• test_course_f_ship.dat
• test_course_ground.dat
• test_course_obj.dat
• test_course_road.dat
• test_course_start_gate.dat

The model and collision can be loaded in-game by replacing files in the ISO (or by applying this xdelta patch to Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and playing Mario Highway).

It appears to be an early version of Mario Highway / Mario Beach. The collision generally matches up with the walls of the model, but the floor is all at a single height. There is little to no modelling in the background, and the water is floating above a black void. Some of the guard rails look like blocks from Super Mario World. The shape of the course is similar to the final version, but has several differences and does not line up with the mini-map.

MR_highway_ground_C.dat

This file seems to be an early version of the model of Mario Highway / Mario Beach. This is the nighttime version. There are still several differences from the final version. Some of the guard rails look like blocks from Super Mario World, like in test_course. It notably also has gated off all paths, both for Mario Highway and for Mario Beach. These may be objects, able to be enabled or disabled when the course is loaded by the game. In the final game, Mario Beach and Mario Highway have their own separate sets of models. This course also does not align with the mini-map of the final version.

It doesn't follow the same naming conventions of the final files for this track:

• MR_highway_long_A.dat - Mario Beach Day
• MR_highway_long_B.dat - Mario Beach Evening
• MR_highway_long_C.dat - Mario Beach Night
• MR_highway_short_A.dat - Mario Highway Day
• MR_highway_short_B.dat - Mario Highway Evening
• MR_highway_short_C.dat - Mario Highway Night
• MR_highway_ground_C.dat - this file does not match the pattern.

MR_highway_demo

Two files in the ROM correspond to a so-called "MR_highway_demo":

• mr_highway_demo_a.bin (collision)
• MR_highway_DEMO_A.dat (model)

The collision can be loaded in-game by replacing some files in the ISO (or by applying this xdelta patch to Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and playing Mario Highway). The collision was seemingly unable to load when paired with the final course, so the xdelta patch also replaces that with the test_course model. A video of this patch can be found here.

These files seem to be yet another beta version of Mario Highway / Mario Beach. The main noteworthy difference is that the collision doesn't align with the mini-map.

Given the word "demo" in the name, it's possible this version of the course is used in the Attract Mode.

(Source: verne94 & Joe)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Development Text

Root

Some server information. This file can be found in an archive along with a file named Entries, which contains a full list of assets. Yamana refers to staff member Masami Yamana.

:pserver:[email protected]:/Users/kartuser/CVS

selist00.h

A header file with an index of defines for sound effects.

#define SE_ID_ENGINE1		0
#define SE_ID_SKID		1
#define SE_ID_ENGINE1_NO_LOOP		2
#define SE_ID_SKID_NO_LOOP		3
#define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_FIRE		4
#define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_VOICE		5
#define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_SMOKE		6
#define SE_ID_GOAL		7

公開シンボル.txt

"Jyugemu" is the Japanese name for Lakitu. "finalrap" is "final lap". Sorry to disappoint.

○表示
●非表示

------------------------------------------------------
jyugemu_start

○signal
○hari
●final_obj
●flag_obj
●reverse_obj
○sao
------------------------------------------------------
jyugemu_flag

●signal
●hari
●final_obj
○flag_obj
●reverse_obj
●sao
------------------------------------------------------
jyugemu_reverce

●signal
○hari
●final_obj
●flag_obj
○reverse_obj
○sao
------------------------------------------------------
jyugemu_finalrap

●signal
○hari
○final_obj
●flag_obj
●reverse_obj
○sao