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Mario Kart Arcade GP is a 2005 kart racing video game.

Gameplay
The game plays and controls similarly to most entries in the Mario Kart series, except for the differing input methods; instead of joystick and buttons to steer, advance, and brake, the arcade cabinets control with a steering wheel, gas pedal, and brake pedal. The goal of the game remains the same; players must drive their go-kart through a given course in hopes of completing it faster than competing racers. Like prior Mario Kart games, Arcade GP features "rubber band" physics, a feature that generally makes the game harder for players who are doing well, and easier for players who are struggling, to help balance competition among players. The game consists of three different game modes - "Grand Prix", "Time Trial", and "Multi-player". Grand Prix works similarly to other entries in the series, where the player races against computer-controlled opponents in a series of four races, earning points based on what place they finish in. However, real-world money must be paid to participate in each individual race, or the Cup is ended in forfeiture. If the player completes all four races, they may play a special "Bonus Mission" similar to the "Mission Mode" from Mario Kart DS. For example, one mission required the player to push an oversized melon through a course across a finish line. Time Trial mode removes all other characters from the course, and the player simply races solo, aiming to achieve the fastest possible completion time. Multiplayer Mode involves up to four player competing against one another, but is played on four separate arcade machines, and is contingent on arcades having four connected machines.

The game features 24 separate race tracks; six sets ("Cups") with 4 race courses in each. Races grouped together in cups generally share a common theme of sorts, such as sharing elements from various franchies such as Super Mario or Donkey Kong. Selectable playable racers include eight characters from Nintendo's Mario franchise - Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Wario, Bowser, Toad, Yoshi and Donkey Kong - alongside three character's from Namco's Pac-Man series - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky.

Despite many similarities to the mainline Mario Kart titles, some key differences were implemented into Arcade GP. Rather than simply bumping into characters when colliding, characters now punch at one another. The game also uses Namco's "NamCam" system; once a player sits down in the arcade booth, it takes a photo of ones face. The photo, is altered depending on what player - for example, choosing Mario edits in Mario's hat on the photo - and the photo hangs over the player character, making it easier for other players to recognize real people from computer-controlled ones. While the game still involves the collection and use of item to either attack other players or help boost one's own place in the race, the game contains far more items than most entries, upwards towards a 100 different items, though not all are available in all races. It contains many staple items from Mario Kart games, such as Koopa Shells as projectile weapons to be shot at other racers to slow them down, and Mario mushrooms to give a speed boost. Many new items were implemented as well, such as a Dr. Mario virus that blurs the players screen, and tornado, oil can and "square tire" items that that can be fired an other players to disrupt and slow them down. Players may also purchase a rewriteable "memory card" that can be inserted into the arcade machine to save information, stats, save items, and submit information in contests.

Development
After losing third party software development support with the Nintendo 64, Nintendo executed a number of efforts to increase developer support with their follow-up, the Nintendo GameCube. One of these efforts was a collaboration with Sega and Namco to create the Triforce arcade system. Its creation was to benefit all parties; for Nintendo, it would help in the creation of home console versions of arcade games, as the Triforce hardware was very similar to the GameCube and easily facilitated ports. Sega and Namco, on the other hand, were allowed to create game's using Nintendo's IP. While Sega would develop and release F-Zero AX for arcades and its subsequent GameCube version F-Zero GX, Namco would develop Mario Kart Arcade GP. All of this lead to speculation that Mario Kart Arcade GP would receive a GameCube or Wii version as well, though no such version was ever announced.

The game was first announced in February 2005, with a Japanese release date of Q3 2005. It was later delayed to December 2005. While its initial announcement did not mention any plans for a Western release, in September 2005, it was announced for a North American release. The game was released in North America in October 2005.

Reception
Arcade GP was generally well-received from publications. IGN, GameSpot, and Nintendo World Report all generally praised Namco's translation of the Mario Kart formula to an arcade game format. IGN named it their most enjoyable game of the Japan Amusement Machine and Marketing Association (JAMMA) expo, asserting that "Namco certainly got the Mario Kart feel right, and it didn't have too much trouble with the look, either. The tracks in Mario Kart Arcade GP are bright and colorful, fitting in perfectly with the visual look Nintendo tends to go for with the series." Nintendo World Report similarly praised the game for being fun and having a lot of content for an arcade game, while GameSpot concluded that "a sharp arcade racer with an abundance of charm. The selection of characters should please fans, as will the solid gameplay." Both IGN and GameSpot found the graphics technically better than Mario Kart Double Dash on the GameCube, the most advanced title graphically at the time. Feelings on the controls were more mixed. Nintendo World Report found the pedals for gas and brakes "get the job done but aren’t overly interesting" and complained that the steering "feel[s] much looser than their console counterparts" and that due to "a much more sensitive analog wheel" the result was "over-steering constantly." Conversely, IGN was so positive that they concluded that it "controls so well through a steering wheel that going back to a controller may be hard once you've experienced it." The game is generally considered rare and difficult to find in Western regions, with publications lamenting that Nintendo has not released the game on any home video game consoles.