I love the Video Game History Foundation; they always uncover the coolest stuff from yesteryear so that it can be preserved for future generations. They've recently discovered some B-Roll from E3 1996 that has been digitised by VGHF and shows some early footage from Mario Kart 64, then referred to as Super Mario Kart R. I bet you didn't know that, huh?
The clip, posted on the VGHF X account, shows some stark differences to the game we ended up getting, with a new title screen and different character icons that look more like the SNES icons. There's also another difference too... can you spot it without looking at the text in the post below?
Part of Nintendo's E3 1996 B-Roll (recently digitized by VGHF) includes early footage of Mario Kart 64, then known as Super Mario Kart R! In this clip you'll find a different title screen, different character icons, and Kamek the Magikoopa as a playable racer. pic.twitter.com/DHSEryULX0
— Video Game History Foundation (@GameHistoryOrg) August 16, 2026
Yes, in this early footage, Donkey Kong has been ousted and Kamek, Bowser's Magikoopa henchman, takes his spot. It's weird not seeing the Simian superstar racing around Choco Mountain, especially as I grew up with this game - seeing another character in his spot feels so alien!
The item blocks also look different; I much prefer the blocks we got in the final version of the game, and I'm glad Nintendo went back to the drawing board with them. The title screen is cool, but you just can't beat the one we all know and love. I do wonder whether this could have been Kamek's big break here, though; we might have Kamek Bananaza on the Switch instead, or Kamek 64 dropping on NSO - it's weird to think how things could have turned out!
