Super Mario Kart: Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers

Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers has come a long way. This ambitious project began all the way back in 2003. Starting as a direct follow-up to https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/154/, this mod was dubbed The Impala Courses. Later that changed to Epic Battle, and finally the name became Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers.

This mod was intended to be some sort of tribute to the Stifu Board forum. Therefore you'll encounter members from back then. And no, Jesus himself wasn't a member of our board, but he was a nice opposite to the dark Loki. ;-)

Work on Epic Racers started in a time when only small parts of the SMK ROM were documented. There were no other mods, and only one, very limited, editor. Step by step the complete ROM was documented. Using Lunar Compress, graphics could be extracted and changed.

Stifu started working on the graphics, while Ok Impala! painstakingly worked on changing the track designs. Initially it proved to be too complex to change the A.I., so tracks were created with the old A.I. The results were far from ideal. With the help of smkdan, Stifu started working on a new track designer to fix all the issues with track design once and for all. https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/797/ saw the light of day and was shared with the world. Meanwhile work on Epic Racers slowed down, due to life changes. In 2016 it seemed like the project was dead.

Fast forward to 2020. Ok Impala! decides to start from scratch on the track design, ditching all the ballast of the old track designs. Stifu got on board again to work on the last graphical changes. In several months, revamped tracks and graphics were created, while a lot of bugs and A.I. problems were ironed out.

So, there you have it. 17 years later, Epic Racers is finally, proudly, presented to the world. Hopefully you'll enjoy all the work and love that went into this mod!

Features:

- 20 brand new race tracks, with unique gameplay elements!
- 4 brand new battle arena's!
- 8 new drivers are ready to start their engines!
- New points system. Every position receives points!
- New items and probability sets!
- New course themes!
- New objects!
- New items!
- New title screen!
- New character selection screen!
- Always continue to the next race in GP mode, regardless of your position!
- Play the special cup in 50cc!
- And a whole lot more!

For more info, please read the Readme.

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If you like this mod, consider leaving a review at RHDN
(http://www.romhacking.net)
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*Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers*
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Game: Super Mario Kart
System: SNES

Works with GOODSNES: Super Mario Kart (U) [!].smc
Header: No
File/ROM SHA-1: 47E103D8398CF5B7CBB42B95DF3A3C270691163B
File/ROM CRC32: CD80DB86
Size: 524.288 bytes

Patch: Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers v1.0
File/ROM SHA-1: 0A957E5860B33B3E844BFFE63EA9582CCDA667BE
File/ROM CRC32: CDC398F4
Size: 1.048.576 bytes

Producer: Ok Impala!, Stifu, smkdan

Release: v1.0: 6 November 2020

? 2020 Ok Impala!, Stifu, smkDan
http://www.okimpala.net
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******
*Info*
******
Super Mario Kart - Epic Racers has come a long way. All the way back in 2003 we started this ambitious project. Starting as a direct follow-up to The Impala Battles, this mod was dubbed The Impala Courses. Later we changed that to Epic Battle, and finally choose Epic Racers.

We intended this mod to be some sort of tribute to the Stifu Board forum. Therefore you'll encounter members from back then. And no, Jesus himself wasn't a member of our board, but he was a nice opposite to the dark Loki. ;-)

Work on Epic Racers started in a time when only small parts of the SMK ROM were documented. There were no other mods, and only one, very limited, editor. Step by step we documented the complete ROM. Using Lunar Compress, we were able to extract and change the graphics.

Stifu started working on the graphics, while I painstakingly worked on changing the track designs. Since we initially couldn't figure out how to change the A.I. of the computer, we tried to work around that by reusing the original track layout in different designs. The results were far from what we'd like. With the help of smkdan, Stifu started working on a new track designer to fix all the issues with track design once and for all. Epic Edit saw the light of day and was shared with the world. Meanwhile work on Epic Racers slowed down, due
to life changes. In 2016 it seemed like the project was dead.

Fast forward to 2020. Epic Racers had always been in the back of my mind, and one day I decided to make a new Mario Kart track, just for the fun. My inspiration grew, so I started working on new track designs and decided to start from scratch, ditching all the ballast of the old track designs. Thanks to the simplicity of Epic Edit, I was able to make fast progress. I grew confident that we could still finish this
project. Stifu was also motivated to work on the last graphical changes. In several months, we revamped tracks and graphics, while ironing out a lot of bugs and A.I. problems.

So, there you have it. 17 years later, we are proud to finally present Epic Racers to the world. We hope you'll enjoy all the work and love that went into this mod!

**********
*Features*
**********
- 20 brand new race tracks, with unique gameplay elements!
- 4 brand new battle arena's!
- 8 new drivers are ready to start their engines!
- New points system. Every position receives points!
- New items and probability sets!
- New course themes!
- New objects!
- New items!
- New title screen!
- New character selection screen!
- Always continue to the next race in GP mode, regardless of your position!
- Play the special cup in 50cc!
- And a whole lot more!

*********
*Drivers*
*********
Jesus
The one and only man of the ages. The oldest guy in the room is going to teach those youngsters how to drive!
In spite of his holy status, Jesus is just your average Joe when driving. Pick him when you need a balanced choice.

Camy
Her background is a mystery to all the drivers in the field. Her classy car gives her a head start. Beware of the mysterious pills she throws around. They say you won't feel the same when you touch them...
Camy is a quick starter, but as a payoff her overall speed is severely limited. She is a good choice if you expect to
use the brakes a lot.

Don
Straight from Russia with love. It's Don Miguel, famous for his RPG Maker 95 / 2K translations in the past. He's a force
to be reckoned with, as he will knock you sideways whenever he gets the chance. When you need absolute top speed, then Don is your choice.

Sasori
The man from Japan enters the driveway on his speedy motorbike! This versatile guy is capable of securing a last minute victory. So, pay close attention when he appears in your rear view mirror. One moment of inattention might be fatal. This driver is a really solid choice when you are looking for a good combination of top speed, acceleration and grip.

Loki
This dark god has some tricks up his sleeve. Loki is all about chaos, so he feels right at home in the battle of Epic Racers!
Being the dark mirror image of Jesus, Loki is just as balanced.

Impala
Ok! The Impala likes to play around on the Savanna! This playful creature is all over the place. Watch out for
the spikey balls he throws around. You won't be the first one to ruin your tires on his thorny surprise! Just as Camy, Impala has a high acceleration and low top speed.

Troll
He's dirty and reeks of swamp gasses. It's better to stay far away from this monster. And even then, he will try to hit you with things better not discussed.
Troll is a racing monster. So for top speed, he is a good choice.

Stifu
Back from the future. It's Stifu in his futuristic SSF pod. His smart driving makes him often the first guy to pass the finish line.
Stifu has a well-balanced combination of top speed and acceleration, combined with excellent grip.

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*Courses*
*********
Impala Savanna
The yellow fields of the Savanna. Home to the Impala. Watch out for the Meerkats grabbing you!

SSF Pod Park
This is Stifu's home turf. In this futuristic city you might want to park your vehicle and take in the fascinating surroundings. Fun fact: SSF stands for Stifu's Special Forces, an extensive RPG Stifu used to work on.

Mount Fuji
Sasori gets all warm and fuzzy feelings when driving around his home country. Don't get too relaxed however. You wouldn't want to bump into an antique lantern!

Fishy Beach
At sunset you might spot Camy at this mesmerizing beach. Though, contrary to a popular saying, fish are not friends here!

Lucid Dream
Loki's twisted mind is better left unexplored. Be very careful while driving in his Lucid Dream.
Dark pitfalls are everywhere, and other strange things might happen. But those are better left untold...

Mother Russia
Ah! Don welcomes you in his freezing climate. Slip past your opponents, but try not to drawn in the deep cold water. And what's that on the horizon?

Troll Swamp
Stinky and dirty. The Troll Swamp isn't an enjoyable location. Technical driving is key on this track, as a minor error might get you stuck in the mud.

Holy Skyroad
Jesus invites you up in heaven. Drive with your head in the clouds and enjoy the view from above!
Although generally considered a good sign, the angels on this track are bad news...

Epic Battle 1
Battle it out at the foot of Fuji Mountain! This course consists of islands, connected with bridges. Will you become the champion of Japan?

Epic Battle 2
In this futuristic setting it's your choice to make. Choose the highway or fight it out in the sand! Clever usage of jumps is key on this track.

Epic Battle 3
You'd rather like the cold? Take your battle to Mother Russia! One-way jumps make for a tricky environment. Can you reign victorious on this slippery plain?

Epic Battle 4
The Impala Savanna is the decor of our last battle. Grab an item and head for a small arena to fight your opponent. Be warned though, your rival might await you there...armed and dangerous!

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*Items*
*******
- Spiked Disc (Gray): Throw it in a straight line towards your opponent to stop him temporarily in his tracks.
- Spiked Disc (Yellow): Fully automatic opponent targeting.
- Magic Bottle: You become invincible, no driver or object can stop you!
- Lightning Sword: Everyone shrinks! No opponent is save when you have this weapon at your disposal!
- Silver Coins: Collect at least 10 to reach top speed.
- Spring: Jump high over any object or pit to use short cuts.
- Whirlwind: A short speed boost might give you the advantage at the right time.
- Dung: No one likes to slip on this dirty thing. Make your opponents slip and shiver.
- Hand: Steal your opponent's item in Battle Mode.

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*How to play*
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1. You'll need a SNES emulator that is able to play Super Mario Kart. SNEX9X is a good emulator that runs on most platforms.
2. Download the correct Super Mario Kart ROM (see the start of the ReadME)
3. With http://www.romhacking.net/hash/ you can check whether you have the correct ROM.
4. Go to: https://www.romhacking.net/patch/ to patch the ROM.
5. Start the patched ROM in your emulator.
6. Have fun!

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*Version History*
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v1.0: First release.

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*Special Thanks*
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DutchGameCreations: For playtesting the game. (Check out his amazing RPG "The Lost".)
MrL314: For the NoFail patch
FuSoYa: For Lunar Compress
Dirtbag: For the idea used in the first Mother Russia track
@MKDSmaster91: For the 150cc and special cup unlock patch
Members of the SMK Discord: For a warm welcome and kindness

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*Contact*
*********
Site: http://www.okimpala.net
Mail: impala@okimpala.net

Database match: Super Mario Kart (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20180813-062835)
File/ROM SHA-1: 47E103D8398CF5B7CBB42B95DF3A3C270691163B
File/ROM CRC32: CD80DB86