After finally convincing my wife to let me play the new Mario Kart: Super Circuit for a bit, it's fairly easy to say that this is just like the SNES version of old (complete with Mode 7 track rotation) but with some of the gameplay refinements that made Mario Kart 64 so much fun.

The control isn't nearly as precise as we're used to with the N64 variant, and I quickly found Yoshi unbearable to play with. Luigi was much more suitable. It's a damn shame too, considering that Yoshi is the only available character in Single Pak multiplayer.

Speaking of which, Single Pak multiplayer is very simple ... small tracks, one character, and little sound. Still, it's enough to get a taste and enough to convince your friends to buy the whole game for full-on racing action.

I've only managed to finish the first circuit in the Mario GP 50cc class thus far. I've had some close races, but won with little difficulty thanks to some timely pickups. I'm pretty impressed overall on how well the game has translated to the small screen of the GBA.

The sound is quite good, not home console quality by any means, but great for a handheld. Horns honking, engines revving, racers squealing their trademark phrases ...

Go get it. That's all there is to it. It's a terrific little diversion, and an excellent title.