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- Yes
If you know of SRB2Kart, then you might also have heard of its original predecessor, Super SRB2KartZ, which runs in an older version of the SRB2 engine. If you are even older than that (or investigated further than KartZ), then you might even know of SRB2Riders 2.0 and how KartZ originated as a modification of that mod's Mario Kart mode.
(And FYI, no, the 2.1 port floating out there does not include the Mario Kart mode)
But perhaps you have tried getting Super SRB2Kart Z before and couldn't get it working. Or maybe you did get all the files and everything, but it seems a bit difficult to configure to be in windowed mode or to show properly at all.
Well, this guide should help you with both the basics to installing these, and some useful bullet tips from my own experience wrestling with these to get high-quality footage out of them.
---
Where to begin with
Of course, if you want to try out KartZ, you need to download their files first and foremost. The Riders version linked is for SRB2 2.0, but there's a version for 1.09.4 as well that I will describe later.
Super SRB2Kart Z
Download SRB2KART.121029.Required.rar and music1.zip, music2.7z.001, music2.7z.002, music3.7z.001, music3.7z.002
While SRB2Kart includes the SRB2 2.1 resource files to load, KartZ and Riders's downloads don't include the 2.0 srb2.srb, so you will also need to downlod SRB2 2.0 itself and extract it, then extract the KartZ/Riders files in there. Since they have separate executable files, you can extract both in the same SRB2 folder without any issues.
SRB2 2.0.6
When you have your SRB2 2.0 folder ready, have the files you downloaded in one same folder and extract them all into the SRB2 2.0 folder. Make sure to have music2.7z.001, music2.7z.002, music3.7z.001, music3.7z.002 in the same folder for the to excract properly.
If all the KartZ files were extracted properly into the SRB2 2.0 directory, it should look like this- make sure that the 246.kart, chars.kart, misc.kart, and the three music.kart files along with the srb2kart.exe are present. It is possible to run the game without the music.kart files too, but obviously there will be no music playing.
If you want to try Riders 2.0, then you can download the files for it below. It is possible to have both Riders and KartZ installed in the same SRB2 directory as they have separate exe files.
SRB2 Riders 2.0
Download ridersfiles.zip and music.zip
---
Making things smoother
Normally, to run the game in windowed mode, you need to use a parameter while launching the exe, which can be cumbersome either because you don't know how to, or because if running the game in the default Software renderer, the Windowed mode will always be limited to a tiny 320x200 size.
But you can use DxWnd to force the game in Windowed mode without the native parameter, which also means you can run it in whatever resolution you want. This is extremely handy for recording, since alt-tabbing while fullscreen to configure OBS to record makes the game glitch out in colors, which makes it impossible.
If you aren't used to DxWnd, you download it from the website, extract it anywhere (doesn't have to be necessarily in the game folder), launch, then click Edit > Add to add a new game. Then select the Path to the game's exe and then change the W and H parameters in "Window initial position & size" to whatever you want the window size to be. If you would like to run the game at 1280x800 for example, you'd set that there, launch the game, and then change the resolution inside the game itself to 1280x800 for it to fit the window size and not look stretched.
After you're done, you can launch the game either from DxWnd or just launch the EXE normally while DxWnd is open in the background for it to launch in this windowed mode.
---
The SRB2Kart Beta
Back in April Fools Day 2020, this KartZ-based in-development build of SRB2Kart all the way back from 2014 was released to the public as a joke, and with KartKrew's permission, I had reuploaded it for anyone to be able to check it out as well. So...yeah, you can even take a look at this yourself as well.
SRB2Kart 2.0 in-dev build
Unlike KartZ and Riders, this was released with the 2.0 files included within the package, so this one can be downloaded and extracted into its own folder to execute at once.
But there's still a few details to take in mind.
However, also unlike KartZ and Riders, you want to run this one with the batch files included to load the files including new characters and maps for the build. Not loading the new maps will leave you with the unchanged KartZ selection of maps, but not loading the new characters won't allow you to use the resprited Sonic/Tails/Knuckles/Metal Sonic...and using the old characters will result in broken sprites.
If the files were loaded properly, you should be able to find some familiar maps not present in KartZ like Sunbeam Paradise, Eggman's Nightclub, Grand Metropolis and so on, and also being able to change to the new characters in the setup player screen.
Running this one with DxWnd is also possible if you have gripes with the Software/OpenGL native windowed modes by configuring its EXE into DxWnd, and then launching the fullscreen batch files while DxWnd is open in the background.
---
And...that's all?
At the moment, yes, that should be everything. Running the game and configuring the controls should be easy to figure out, specially if you did setup DxWnd to have an easy time playing in Windowed mode.
But hey, sometimes just knowing where to get all the stuff you need and even wondering how to have a painless way to play in Windowed mode is all what got in the way between you and an archeology session with the now decade-old KartZ, so...enjoy! And if there's something I missed or that you think would be good to address here, let me know and I'll update this
(And FYI, no, the 2.1 port floating out there does not include the Mario Kart mode)
But perhaps you have tried getting Super SRB2Kart Z before and couldn't get it working. Or maybe you did get all the files and everything, but it seems a bit difficult to configure to be in windowed mode or to show properly at all.
Well, this guide should help you with both the basics to installing these, and some useful bullet tips from my own experience wrestling with these to get high-quality footage out of them.
---
Where to begin with
Of course, if you want to try out KartZ, you need to download their files first and foremost. The Riders version linked is for SRB2 2.0, but there's a version for 1.09.4 as well that I will describe later.
Super SRB2Kart Z
Download SRB2KART.121029.Required.rar and music1.zip, music2.7z.001, music2.7z.002, music3.7z.001, music3.7z.002
While SRB2Kart includes the SRB2 2.1 resource files to load, KartZ and Riders's downloads don't include the 2.0 srb2.srb, so you will also need to downlod SRB2 2.0 itself and extract it, then extract the KartZ/Riders files in there. Since they have separate executable files, you can extract both in the same SRB2 folder without any issues.
SRB2 2.0.6
When you have your SRB2 2.0 folder ready, have the files you downloaded in one same folder and extract them all into the SRB2 2.0 folder. Make sure to have music2.7z.001, music2.7z.002, music3.7z.001, music3.7z.002 in the same folder for the to excract properly.
If all the KartZ files were extracted properly into the SRB2 2.0 directory, it should look like this- make sure that the 246.kart, chars.kart, misc.kart, and the three music.kart files along with the srb2kart.exe are present. It is possible to run the game without the music.kart files too, but obviously there will be no music playing.
If you want to try Riders 2.0, then you can download the files for it below. It is possible to have both Riders and KartZ installed in the same SRB2 directory as they have separate exe files.
SRB2 Riders 2.0
Download ridersfiles.zip and music.zip
---
Making things smoother
Normally, to run the game in windowed mode, you need to use a parameter while launching the exe, which can be cumbersome either because you don't know how to, or because if running the game in the default Software renderer, the Windowed mode will always be limited to a tiny 320x200 size.
But you can use DxWnd to force the game in Windowed mode without the native parameter, which also means you can run it in whatever resolution you want. This is extremely handy for recording, since alt-tabbing while fullscreen to configure OBS to record makes the game glitch out in colors, which makes it impossible.
If you aren't used to DxWnd, you download it from the website, extract it anywhere (doesn't have to be necessarily in the game folder), launch, then click Edit > Add to add a new game. Then select the Path to the game's exe and then change the W and H parameters in "Window initial position & size" to whatever you want the window size to be. If you would like to run the game at 1280x800 for example, you'd set that there, launch the game, and then change the resolution inside the game itself to 1280x800 for it to fit the window size and not look stretched.
After you're done, you can launch the game either from DxWnd or just launch the EXE normally while DxWnd is open in the background for it to launch in this windowed mode.
---
The SRB2Kart Beta
Back in April Fools Day 2020, this KartZ-based in-development build of SRB2Kart all the way back from 2014 was released to the public as a joke, and with KartKrew's permission, I had reuploaded it for anyone to be able to check it out as well. So...yeah, you can even take a look at this yourself as well.
SRB2Kart 2.0 in-dev build
Unlike KartZ and Riders, this was released with the 2.0 files included within the package, so this one can be downloaded and extracted into its own folder to execute at once.
But there's still a few details to take in mind.
However, also unlike KartZ and Riders, you want to run this one with the batch files included to load the files including new characters and maps for the build. Not loading the new maps will leave you with the unchanged KartZ selection of maps, but not loading the new characters won't allow you to use the resprited Sonic/Tails/Knuckles/Metal Sonic...and using the old characters will result in broken sprites.
If the files were loaded properly, you should be able to find some familiar maps not present in KartZ like Sunbeam Paradise, Eggman's Nightclub, Grand Metropolis and so on, and also being able to change to the new characters in the setup player screen.
Running this one with DxWnd is also possible if you have gripes with the Software/OpenGL native windowed modes by configuring its EXE into DxWnd, and then launching the fullscreen batch files while DxWnd is open in the background.
---
And...that's all?
At the moment, yes, that should be everything. Running the game and configuring the controls should be easy to figure out, specially if you did setup DxWnd to have an easy time playing in Windowed mode.
But hey, sometimes just knowing where to get all the stuff you need and even wondering how to have a painless way to play in Windowed mode is all what got in the way between you and an archeology session with the now decade-old KartZ, so...enjoy! And if there's something I missed or that you think would be good to address here, let me know and I'll update this
