Mario Kart 64 Rules

These are the rules for MK64, some of which are more specific and maybe less well known

Submissions

-The official Nintendo 64, Wii VC, and iQue versions are allowed and only allowed to be played on their respective original console, both PAL and NTSC versions.
-The original Wii VC release that can be accessed through the Wii Menu of the Wii U is allowed.
-The Wii U VC and Switch releases of the game are allowed until your times start breaking into the top 200 non-shortcut or top 100 in shortcuts. The savestate features of these consoles are not allowed to be used. Be prepared to provide video evidence of times driven starting from track reset to the end of the race. If you wish to move further up the ranks we will recommend switching to original hardware.
-Use of EverDrives or Passports to play a region (PAL or NTSC) of the game that is not the same as your console is not allowed. You may use an unmodified ROM on an Everdrive as long as it is the same region (PAL or NTSC) as your console.
-Use of emulators and tool assisted speedruns are not allowed.
-Grand Prix mode times are not allowed (except on the separate 150cc site). Times must be driven in time trials.
-Times are expected to be submitted by the time of the weekly update. Do not hoard new times.

Time Trials

Shortcuts

What is considered a shortcut (disqualifying the run from the non-shortcut category)

General
-Jumping over vertical/tumble walls.
-Using Lakitu to make large forward progress (wrong warps).
-Using the Lakitu effect to cross over out of bounds sections.
-Jumping past barriers on off-road sections of track
-Ending a race by doing any of the above (even to no benefit or only to the benefit of lap "4")

This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Luigi Raceway: Jumping over walls. Doing lap skips at the finish line.
Kalimari Desert: Jumping over the train track fence. Clipping through the train track fence. Full lap skips at the finish line.
Toad's Turnpike: Jumping down to the track below or getting warped there. Doing lap skips at the finish line.
Frappe Snowland: Going out of bounds to trigger the lap skip or warp across the track. Using the Lakitu effect to skip the canyon section.
Choco Mountain: Warping to other parts of the track using Lakitu. Using a wall jump to skip parts of the track. Skipping a lap with the wall clip ("Weathertenko").
Mario Raceway: Jumping over or clipping through walls.
Wario Stadium: Jumping over walls other than the standard gap jump.
Sherbet Land: Using Lakitu warps to skip sections of the track. Doing lap skips at the finish line.
Royal Raceway: Using Lakitu warps to skip sections of the track.
Bowser's Castle: Clipping through walls to skip sections of the track.
D.K.'s Jungle Parkway: Clipping through the wall in the cave to skip a lap. Hopping the side of ramp jump to skip the loop. Driving off-road next to the water to skip part of the track before the bridge.
Yoshi Valley: Crossing the finish line through the canyon section. Triggering lap skips or wrong warps through the canyon section.
Rainbow Road: Jumping off the track from one section to another. Doing full lap skips using Lakitu.

Pausing
-Pausing during any 3lap attempt or the lap of an active flap attempt is not allowed.
-Any pauses made while in motion of entering a lap or for the purpose of setting up a position to enter the lap are not allowed.
-All runs requiring videos must have proof that no pause setups were done.
-Exceptions may be made for pausing to prevent a ghost save in non-sc as long as the analog stick remains neutral for the remainder of the run.


Non-shortcut
Commonly questioned paths and strategies that are not considered shortcuts:
-The tunnel on Koopa Troopa Beach
-The hairpin jump on Yoshi Valley
-Using a ghost to distract the thwomps on Bowser's Castle


Disallowed Tactics

-Any glitch to obtain a time that wasn't done within the run is not allowed (a time being saved as 0'00"00 or a replay/ghost desync for example).
-Splitting controller inputs to multiple consoles (using 1 controller with 2+ consoles at the same time)
-Having another person drive any part of your race (even if it is before a lap attempt)

Timer Rounding Abuse
-NTSC laps completed after 34'00"00 will not be allowed.
-PAL laps completed after 8'32"00 will not be allowed.

Proof

The community can and will likely want video proof of times driven. As you get higher in the ranks, expect to deliver video proof for the times that you drive.
-All top 10 times require video proof (both shortcut and non-shortcut) and potentially times that would have been top 10 recently. End-screen videos will not be accepted.
-Always record your personal records and record runs live or stream online to make sure your records aren't lost.

Wall Clip Shortcut Proof

Kalimari Desert
Any successful Kalimari Desert fence clip attempts should be immediately reported after completing the race in order to properly confirm the time before leaving the endscreen. Proof requirements for the Kalimari Desert fence clip are all of the following:
-A ghost is required for verification. It is recommended to use a DexDrive to save your ghost and share it.
-A video showing console setup during the endscreen and running the replay.

Because of these requirements, runs must be done on an N64 console in order to save the ghost. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the time not being allowed.


Mario Raceway and Bowser's Castle
Any successful Mario Raceway wall clip or Bowser's Castle stair clip attempts should be immediately reported after completing the race in order to properly confirm the time before leaving the endscreen. Proof requirements for the Mario Raceway and Bowser's Castle wall clips are one of the following:
-A ghost for verification. It is recommended to use a DexDrive to save your ghost and share it.
-A video showing full console setup including the entire controller cable and then showing you pressing the buttons to select and run the replay.
-A full session video starting from the game being booted up (from power on, not with reset button).

Failure to meet these requirements may result in the time not being allowed.

If you intend to save a ghost as proof, make sure you are not racing against a ghost that you might not be able to beat. You can only save a ghost if you finish the race faster.

Controllers

We recommend using the original N64 controller, but third party controllers are allowed as long as additional functionalities are not used.
Use of rapid-fire functionality on third party controllers is not allowed.
Use of controllers that map buttons to analog stick inputs is not allowed.

Hardware Modifications

Controllers
-Controller modifications and repairs are allowed as long as the changes do not break the controller rules above or allow for any other new functionality.

Game and Cartridge
-Modifying the game ROM or memory is not allowed in any way. Replacing the back of a cartridge to circumvent region lock for NTSC is allowed (playing NTSC-J on NTSC-U or vice versa).
-Changing how the game runs by tilting the cartridge in the game slot is not allowed.

Console
-Overclocking consoles is not allowed.
-Modifying your console to allow for RGB output is allowed.
-Removing the plastic region lock piece is allowed.

Ghosts

-Ghost sharing (through use of a DexDrive for example) is allowed.
-Ghosts created through use of tools such as GameSharks, modded ROMs, or emulators are not allowed.

Cheating

If a person is determined to have cheated or violated the rules, the following actions may be taken:

1) Simple situations of misunderstanding such as console region confusion or other nonmalicious mistakes
- Removal of times in question

2) Submitting fake times
- Removal of times in question
- Suspension from Players' Page for minimum of 2 years
- Increased proof requirements and potentially cleared timesheet in the event that a return to the rankings is allowed