Mario Kart DS
Nintendo
The Verdict: Nintendo’s latest kart adventure with the Mario cast proves that burning fresh rubber and using a familiar formula can go hand in hand.
3 out of 4 stars
The Mario Kart series set its skids in gaming history over a decade ago on the Super Nintendo console, but the latest installment, “Mario Kart DS,” has paved its way into near-perfection with more than its familiar faces and exciting tracks.
“Mario Kart DS,” for the Nintendo DS handheld, is the first of its kind. For the first time ever, gamers can race each other via Nintendo WiFi, a free wireless online service for DS owners. Anyone with a DS and a wireless Internet connection can play online with others from around the globe, and those without a wireless connection can take a trip over to local hotspots like Strangebrew Coffeehouse or Starkville Caf? to get their high-octane fix of online Mario and pals. With an easy-to-use connection interface, the DS pretty much does everything for you in terms of setting up your WiFi access point. Unfortunately, the MSU wireless network isn’t friendly to the DS feature yet.
The game itself feels familiar, but it’s distinctly different from its predecessors. “Mario Kart DS” is more of a fusion of downgraded “Mario Kart: Double Dash!!!” visuals and upgraded “Mario Kart 64” gameplay (including the coveted hop), using other elements from both titles and adding its own to create a unique racing experience.
An impressive 32 tracks, including 16 throwbacks from the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and Gamecube “Mario Kart” titles make the DS racer one to keep playing into the night, though some of the tracks aren’t available online. Original tracks, namely “Waluigi Pinball” and “Airship Fortress” really utilize the DS’s graphical capabilities and further enhance the gaming experience.
Another new feature, though somewhat borrowed from “Double Dash!!!,” is the ability to choose from several karts. The initial cast of eight can choose between a standard kart and a personalized kart, each with its own signature tuning. As players progress, they can unlock more karts, a total of 36 to be precise.
Which leads to the next incentive of playing “Mario Kart DS” all the way through. Players can unlock an extensive cach? of hidden features including tracks, race classes, characters and those aforementioned karts.
Players aren’t limited to standard racing either. The classic balloon battles, shine catching and new mission mode make the game infinitely replayable to most, but for some odd reason Nintendo decided not to make these features available online. What a bummer, too. There’s nothing like knocking your buddy off the map with a red shell and bursting his rubber bubble.
Despite “Mario Kart DS”‘s lack of online options, gamers won’t be disappointed in what the game has to offer. Being the flagship title for the WiFi system and taking advantage of the DS handheld’s offline technical capabilities, “Mario Kart DS” is a mushroom trip worth taking over and over.