General tournament information
- Game: Mario Kart 64
- Game mode: 150cc Versus Mode
- Players per race: Maximum 4
- Tournament capacity: 4–16 players
- Recommended registration sizes: 4, 8, 12 or 16 players
The format depends on the number of registered players: a Four-Player Cup Series or a Group Tournament for 8–16 players.
Format A: Four-Player Cup Series
- Number of players: 4
- Tournament system: First to two Cup wins
- Players per race: 4
- Estimated duration: Approximately 1–2.5 hours
All four players compete together. The first player to win two complete Cups becomes champion.
Cup selection
Before each Cup, all players anonymously vote for Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup or Star Cup. The Cup with the most votes is played in full and in its original track order. A tied choice is resolved randomly. Once played, a Cup is removed from the selection.
Cup points
| Position | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 5 |
| 2nd | 3 |
| 3rd | 2 |
| 4th | 1 |
The highest score after all four races wins the Cup. Race points reset before the next Cup; only Cup victories count toward tournament victory.
Special Cup championship round
If Mushroom, Flower and Star Cups have three different winners, the Special Cup is played: DK’s Jungle Parkway, Yoshi Valley, Banshee Boardwalk and Rainbow Road. A player who adds this Cup to a prior Cup win becomes champion.
Final tiebreaker: Balloon Battle
If all four Cups have different winners, all four players enter one Balloon Battle with three balloons each. The last player with a balloon wins.
The arena is selected randomly from Big Donut, Block Fort, Double Deck and Skyscraper. All standard items are allowed. Stalling or continuously hiding is prohibited. Players must participate actively. A simultaneous final elimination triggers another battle; the organiser decides unclear situations.
Format B: Group Tournament
For larger tournaments, players are divided into groups of four. Each group plays one complete Cup and the best players advance. The Grand Final is always played on the Special Cup.
Anonymous Cup selection
Before Qualification Rounds and Semifinals, each group independently votes for Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup or Star Cup. A tied vote is resolved randomly by the organiser. Groups may play different Cups; players are ranked only within their own group and all points reset before the next stage.
Group points
| Position | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 5 |
| 2nd | 3 |
| 3rd | 2 |
| 4th | 1 |
After all four tracks, the players with the highest total scores advance.
Eight-player tournament
Two groups of four each play one anonymously selected Cup. The top two players from each group advance.
Grand Final
The four qualifiers play the complete Special Cup. Qualification points reset, and the highest score after Rainbow Road wins.
| Stage | Groups | Players/group | Cup | Advancing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification | 2 | 4 | Anonymous vote | Top 2/group |
| Grand Final | 1 | 4 | Special Cup | Final ranking |
Twelve-player tournament
Three groups of four each play one anonymously selected Cup. Each group winner advances along with the best second-place player across all groups.
Wildcard qualification
Second-place players are compared by Qualification Round points. A tie is settled by one race, recommended on Mario Raceway.
Grand Final
The three group winners and Wildcard play the complete Special Cup. All prior points reset; the highest score after Rainbow Road wins.
| Stage | Groups | Players/group | Cup | Advancing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification | 3 | 4 | Anonymous vote | 3 winners + 1 Wildcard |
| Grand Final | 1 | 4 | Special Cup | Final ranking |
Sixteen-player tournament
Four groups of four each play one anonymously selected Cup. The top two players in every group qualify for the Semifinals.
Semifinals
- Semifinal A: A1, B2, C1 and D2
- Semifinal B: B1, A2, D1 and C2
Each Semifinal group anonymously selects a Cup. The top two from each Semifinal advance.
Grand Final
The four finalists play the complete Special Cup. Semifinal points reset; the highest score after Rainbow Road wins.
| Stage | Groups | Players/group | Cup | Advancing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification | 4 | 4 | Anonymous vote | Top 2/group |
| Semifinals | 2 | 4 | Anonymous vote | Top 2/group |
| Grand Final | 1 | 4 | Special Cup | Final ranking |
Tiebreakers
Qualification group or Semifinal
If a points tie affects qualification, only the tied players race separately. The recommended track is Mario Raceway; finishing order decides the group ranking.
Grand Final
If players are tied after Rainbow Road, the tied players enter a Balloon Battle in a randomly selected arena. The last player remaining wins.
General rules
- All races use 150cc Versus Mode and every selected Cup follows its original track order.
- Characters are freely selectable; duplicates and changes between races are allowed.
- All standard items and standard shortcuts are allowed.
- Lap skips, major track-skipping glitches and out-of-bounds glitches are prohibited.
- Controllers must be tested before the first race.
- Players must be ready when called and report results immediately after each race.
- Interfering with the console, controller or game is prohibited.
- The tournament organiser makes the final decision in disputes.
Estimated duration
Four players
| Tournament length | Duration |
|---|---|
| Two Cups | 50–70 min |
| Three Cups | 75–105 min |
| Four Cups | 100–140 min |
| Four Cups + Balloon Battle | Up to 150 min |
Recommended slot: 2 hours plus a 30-minute buffer.
Eight players
| Consoles | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.5–2 hours |
| 2 | 1–1.5 hours |
Twelve players
| Consoles | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5–3 hours |
| 2 | 1.5–2 hours |
| 3 | 1–1.5 hours |
Sixteen players
| Consoles | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4–4.5 hours |
| 2 | 2.5–3 hours |
| 4 | 1.5–2 hours |
Recommended tournament capacities
Registration should preferably close at 4, 8, 12 or 16 players so all Qualification groups contain exactly four players.