Finally, we can feel every red and blue shell in the palms of our hands three decades after the game came out. It's taken a while, hasn't it, and I find it so strange that Nintendo added native rumble to games like Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64 in Japan. These Japanese-only releases were referred to as Shindō Pak Taiō, which translates as Rumble Pak Compatible. But Mario Kart 64 never got the same treatment.
It's mad to think that Mario Kart 64 never had rumble. It's one of the things that we've come to associate with pretty much every game these days: that haptic support that lets you know when you're being attacked or that there's a secret nearby. Or that you've crashed, when it comes to my Mario Kart career.
A new ROM hack called the Mario Kart 64: Shindou Edition Restored (Shindou being an alternative way of writing Shindō) finally brings rumble to the game. The patch adds native rumble to the game and 'executes official low-level Ultra64 motor commands.' There's an in-game option where you can turn the Rumble Pak feature on or off, and it works for all four players in multiplayer races/battles too.
You'll get a rumble on the initial speed boost at the start of the game, as well as boosts when using items like mushrooms. Shells will give you a strong rumble jolt when they hit, as will lightning.
There are two versions of the patch: one with a lot of rumble over surfaces like sand in Koopa Troopa Beach, and one with a smooth sand experience for all those players who don't want to get white-knuckle syndrome from gripping the controller while playing this level on repeat.
Head to the official ROM hack page to download. You'll need a legally acquired ROM of Mario Kart 64 to get started!
