Super Mario Kart v0.3

The “Raycasting” Engineering Marvel

One of the most technically impressive projects in Scratch history, Super Mario Kart v0.3 by Finlay_Cool is famous for replicating the Super Nintendo’s “Mode 7” 3D effect entirely within Scratch. Unlike most Scratch racers that use top-down 2D sprites, this project uses complex math (raycasting) and the “Pen” tool to draw a pseudo-3D track frame-by-frame, creating a sense of depth and speed that was thought impossible on the platform at the time.

Key Features

• Mode 7 Emulation: Uses a custom rendering engine to simulate the flat, textured 3D floor of the original SNES game. The track rotates and scales around the player in real-time.
• Pen Rendering: There are no traditional “sprites” for the track. The entire road is drawn using the Pen extension, scanning lines across the screen hundreds of times per second to generate the image.
• Controls: Features a unique control scheme due to engine limitations: Z to accelerate, X to reverse, and Arrow Keys to steer.
• Legacy Status: While newer Scratch projects (like those by TheGreenFlash) have since surpassed it in graphics, version 0.3 remains a historic benchmark that proved complex 3D math was possible in a children’s coding language.