"Mario Kart 64" was released as a downloadable Virtual Console game on the Wii in January 2007 and on the Wii U in December 2016. "Mario Kart 64" received generally positive reviews, as critics were either wildly enthusiastic about the game or regarded it as a disappointment. Peer Schneider of "IGN" called it "multi-player mayhem at its best", noting that the design was focused on the multiplayer modes, in some cases to the detriment of the single-player mode. He acknowledged that the basic formula did not innovate over the original "Super Mario Kart", but found the track designs much more elaborate and visually impressive. Trent Ward of "GameSpot" insisted that though the graphics and sound of the game are impressive, the gameplay is too easy and lacks depth. A reviewer for "Next Generation" instead counted the graphics as the chief fault, arguing that there is no functional difference between the polygon-based tracks and the Mode 7 bitmaps of the original, and that this, combined with the use of sprite-based karts and drivers, makes "Mario Kart 64" "less a sequel than the same game with new courses". He also criticized the rubberband AI and the slowdown when there are more than two players, though he praised the large selection of courses. In contrast, "GamePro" regarded the game as an essential purchase, citing the easy accessibility, excellent use of analog control, vibrant 3D graphics, abundance of tracks, variety of challenges, signature sounds for each driver, and catchy music. They gave it a perfect score in all four categories (control, funfactor, graphics, and sound). The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" gave it their "Game of the Month" award, with all four agreeing that though the game has some problems, particularly the smaller number of secrets as compared to the original, these are overridden by the sheer fun and replayability of the multiplayer racing. In "GameSpot"s Virtual Console re-release review, the reviewer criticized its lack of ghost-saving, sound and graphics saying the latter had "aged rather poorly." The game placed 17th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time and 49th in "Electronic Gaming Monthly"s 1997 list of the 100 best console games of all time. During the first three months of 1997, "Mario Kart 64" was the best-selling console game in the United States, with sales of 849,000 units for the period. By 2007, "Mario Kart 64" had sold approximately 5.5 million copies in the United States and 2.24 million in Japan.