Mario Kart DS
Developed and Published by: Nintendo

I still maintain that the original Super Mario Kart is one of the best multiplayer games ever created, but like most Nintendo franchises, at this point it has been nearly run into the ground. Last year, Mario Kart Double Dash for the Gamecube brought a bold new twist to the game by pairing up drivers two per kart. However, one of its coolest features — the ability to play with up to 8 people in a LAN game — was essentially useless because, well… who the heck owns a network adapter for the Gamecube?

Enter the Nintendo DS handheld system. With its wireless connectivity, the DS is an ideal platform for a multiplayer game like Mario Kart, making it easy for 8 people to play together (assuming they all own a DS). Nintendo has sealed the deal by simultaneously launching their internet Wi-Fi service which allows people to play online against anyone else, anywhere in the world. But how does it play? Can Mario Kart on the DS generate the same frantic and irresistable fun as the original?

The basic gameplay is, for the most part, a return to form for the series. There is only one player per kart, which will make a lot of old school Mario Kart fans happy. However, the graphics are true 3D (unlike the SNES and GBA games), which makes it at times closer in practice to Mario Kart 64… the worst of the bunch in my opinion. The precision of the controls vary wildly based on your character and kart of choice, and the items and power-ups are at times so powerful that they can severely unbalance the game. This time around they’ve added new items that include Bullet Bill (with a similar effect to the Chain Chomp in Double Dash) and Blooper (a squid that inks up the screen of a nearby opponent to obscure their vision).

This is all good if you like unpredictability, but bad if you prefer a more straightforward match of skill. They’ve kept the “double dash” maneuver from the Gamecube version, and it’s now an integral part of the game. Mario Kart DS gets difficult in a hurry, so at 150 CC you’d better know the courses like the back of your hand and you’d better be double dashin’ at every turn, or else you will quickly be left in the dust.

Still, even though they didn’t entirely nail the core gameplay in my opinion, Nintendo has packed Mario Kart DS full of so many new options that it more than makes up for it. One of the major additions is a new “Challenge Mode”, which adds Burnout-style mini-games with certain short objectives to accomplish such as collecting a certain number of coins, or passing through numbered gates within a certain time allotment. After a group of these goals are accomplished, the player is presented with a “boss fight” of sorts… definitely a Mario Kart first!

The dual screen set up on the DS opens the possibilities for a persistent map in the bottom half of the screen. In past Mario Kart games it was always necessary to hold down a button to get a quick glimpse in your rearview mirror, or to have a small map superimposed over the screen to give you a basic idea of your position. The map in Mario Kart DS is a very useful tool, not only because it’s always on, but especially since it also shows you the location of items and weapons as they hurtle towards you.

Another long overdue feature is the addition of computer-controlled opponents in Battle Mode. Plus this time around Battle Mode has a new twist: you start with only 1 balloon, and you need to actually inflate the other 2 yourself by blowing into the microphone or tapping a button. Weird… but kind of neat. I didn’t even realize how this feature worked until I read the instruction book… but seriously, who actually reads instruction books? A little pop-up message might have made this more obvious.

Of course, the real major selling points of this game are the direct link wireless and online multiplayer modes. Despite a few hiccups during the first week of launch, the Nintendo Wi-Fi service appears to be working quite well, and faithful to Nintendo’s easy-to-use mantra. There is an auto-detect network option, but otherwise you only need enter your wireless network name and WEP encryption key to connect. Some routers may not be compatible with the DS (check Nintendo’s list online), so be warned — you might have to head to the nearest McDonald’s hotspot to play. Online play was extremely smooth and lag-free from what I’ve seen so far, as was direct wireless connection matches. There aren’t any matchmaking options for online play (again, keeping it simple I suppose), but unfortunately this means you’re probably going to get your ass handed to you more often than not. Thankfully, you also have a Friends list that you can use to create a custom online game (when you configure Mario Kart DS the first time, your game generates a unique Friend code that you can then share with others).

It is a bit disappointing that Battle Mode is not available online, and that you are limited to 4 human players at a time. Also, it feels a bit quiet and empty when playing online since you have no way of communicating with your opponents. It really would have been nice to be able to speak to each other using the microphone. I guess this is forgiveable, considering Nintendo’s strict need to keep their games family-friendly — but why not simply restrict voice interaction to among friends only? At the very least you can still express yourself through your insignia, which is hand drawn using the stylus and touch screen.

The other thing that really endeared me to this game is that aside from the new tracks, there are also 2 Retro Cup series accessible right off the bat, each one comprised of 4 tracks taken from the 4 previous Mario Kart titles. As a reward for winning cups, more tracks can be unlocked (along with additional racers and karts).

Overall, Mario Kart DS is a very strong title for Nintendo this holiday season (lucky for them because they don’t have much else on tap), and it’s a great reason to own a DS if you don’t have one yet. I wasn’t completely wowed, mainly because, well… it’s Mario Kart. But considering this is the 5th iteration of the Mario Kart series, they’ve still added enough new features to make this game feel fresh and exciting all over again. — Sean

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Recommended If You Like: Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing