SMKDX (otherwise known as Super Mario Kart Deluxe) is undoubtedly one of our most eagerly-awaited SNES ROM hacks.
Initially announced back in 2021, the ambitious ROM hack is being designed to be a new "Deluxe" version of the original Super Mario Kart, which is is set to introduce a whole host of new features to the classic kart racer, and includes everything from new characters, tracks, and cups, to weapons, items, music, and even a story mode (complete with bosses).
A small team, comprised of MrL314, ScouBsmk, and KandoWontu, is developing the hack, and has previously published a few teaser trailers of their work over the years. However, the main chunk of their updates have largely come from social media sites like BlueSky and Twitter where they regularly post more up to date information about the features coming to the game.
It's here that ScouBsmk recently shared a first glimpse at the game's "Endurance" mode — a new type of Mario Kart experience that is set to make an appearance in the upcoming hack that will see players racing against a time limit to complete as many laps as possible, as consistently as possible.
According to ScouBsmk, how this new mode works is that all players will originally start out with 30 seconds on the clock and will have reach the finish line before that counter reaches zero. Then, once they've crossed the line, they'll be given a new time to beat, which will be based on their last lap time plus a margin that can be configured in the settings.
This basically means you'll want to aim for finishing a lap at a pace you can regularly repeat, as opposed to setting a great lap time and screwing yourself over on the next run of the course.
The amount of laps you do is counted in the bottom left corner of the screen, with this counter apparently producing a 1Up sound once you've gone past 99 laps and reset it back to zero.
Unfortunately, there's currently no estimate given on when people will be able to play the hack, with the attitude essentially being it'll be ready, when it's ready, but you can keep up to date with any announcements as they are made by following its creators at the links provided.