Why Four-Player Racing on Cartridge Hardware Changed Gaming Culture As a history teacher from Phoenix, I have been studying for years why certain games become cultural phenomena while others fade into obscurity. Mario Kart 64 is the perfect case study. Mario Kart 64 is Nintendo’s seminal 1996 N64 racer that transitioned the kart series to full 3D, selling nearly 10 million copies worldwide as the platform’s second best-seller. But the sales numbers don’t capture what…