Mario Kart 64: 3 Open Source Clones Compared
Mario Kart 64 for Dreamcast is explicitly a Dreamcast port of the Mario Kart 64 decompilation, reusing its code but rebuilding for different hardware; its README notes it's tested and confirmed working on physical Dreamcast hardware, with emulation known to have many issues. The base Mario Kart 64 project instead targets the original N64 platform, producing a ROM from source, and has one known unresolved limitation: some menu textures use a compression format (tkmk00) with no working compressor/decompressor yet. SpaghettiKart takes a different route, running natively on Windows, Linux, and macOS via SDL2 and adding official mod support (.o2r/.zip packages, GameBanana); all three still require the player to supply their own copy or ROM dump of the original game.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 6d ago
- Stars
- 2,348
- Contributors
- 61
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires a legally owned US 1.0 ROM dump of Mario Kart 64 to generate the game data.
- Modding support
- YesCustom assets can be packed in .o2r or .zip files and placed in the mods folder; official mod support via GameBanana.
- Multiplayer
- Multiplayer
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- N64
- Play in browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1mo ago
- Stars
- 1,297
- Contributors
- 36
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Dreamcast
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 22d ago
- Stars
- 67
- Contributors
- 34
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires extraction of assets from an original copy of Mario Kart 64 to build the Dreamcast version.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
| Title | SpaghettiKart | Mario Kart 64 | Mario Kart 64 for Dreamcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, OSX | N64 | Dreamcast |
| Play in browser | No | ||
| Mobile | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||
| Development status | Active | Active | Active |
| Last updated | 6d ago | 1mo ago | 22d ago |
| Stars | 2,348 | 1,297 | 67 |
| Contributors | 61 | 36 | 34 |
| Engine | SDL2 | — | — |
| Compatibility | |||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires a legally owned US 1.0 ROM dump of Mario Kart 64 to generate the game data. | — | YesRequires extraction of assets from an original copy of Mario Kart 64 to build the Dreamcast version. |
| Modding support | YesCustom assets can be packed in .o2r or .zip files and placed in the mods folder; official mod support via GameBanana. | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Multiplayer | — | Local Multiplayer |
| Preview | |
Known limitations
- compatibility: Some menu textures are compressed using tkmk00 format and a byte-matching compressor/decompressor does not yet exist.
- emulation: Emulation is known to have many issues; the game is tested and works properly on physical hardware only.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Mario Kart 64 clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
Do I need to own the original Mario Kart 64 to play these clones?
SpaghettiKart and Mario Kart 64 for Dreamcast require original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these Mario Kart 64 clones directly in a browser?
Yes — SpaghettiKart and Mario Kart 64 have a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Mario Kart 64 clone is the most actively maintained?
SpaghettiKart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart 64 for Dreamcast are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Mario Kart 64.