Mario Kart DS Review

As we all know by now Mario Kart is a hard racer to beat. There have been many spin-offs to kart racing, but somehow Nintendo just does it right. After many years this franchise has under gone changes. Not so much overall, but there have been simple inclusions that make each game better than the last. And Mario Kart for the DS is just that. This game has shown a vast improvement over the past games, and finally added in something gamers have wanted for years. The simple ability to race a kart online with anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Game play
Mario Kart DS is a game that takes a chunk of time to master in order to appreciate the mechanics involved. There are three primary factors in this fifth addition of kart racing. First and foremost is the player’s driving and skill, second would be their projectile use and placement, and third is the combination of everything while trying to not throw their DS at the wall because “they just got served” for the 19th time by Princess Peach.

When you play any racing game you assume it includes a huge amount of choices. The player depends on that creator to give choices up front, and to not have to work. Unfortunately, Mario Kart is not that type of game. You start with a handful of Nintendo Characters such as Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and more from the Nintendo franchise. You even start with a fair amount of karts, but it takes time to unlock everything. This can either be a pain in our tailpipe or a nice way to give us an ample amount of playability. Each character and kart has their ups and downs with varying attributes for each. It’s best to use a “trial and error” method to find the right choice of driver and kart to fit your needs.

Now, for the player to really enjoy this driving style in Mario Kart, he or she must enjoy the track they’re racing on. You can choose from any of the 32 tracks after unlocking them all, but at the starting line you’re only given eight racers and 16 tracks. In order to race on all of these tracks you must complete all cup races. These are split into two overall categories with one being Nitro Grand Prix and the other Retro Grand Prix. The Nitro GP is where the player will find a majority of new tracks. The Retro GP features tracks from the past Mario Kart games like Baby Park from Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Gamecube. There are four cups to each GP with four tracks to each cup. These cups are split into different “CC’s” which are basically the speed the player is given during the race, and changes the driving difficulty of the computer controlled opponents. This is something that has been handed down to every Mario Kart game and it is the essence of Mario Kart, so to speak. The player’s driving “will” vary on each one of these tracks. For example, you have a track like Mario Circuit where the driving is a simple and straight shot with nothing to slow you down. Then you have a track such as Luigi’s Mansion which is filled with complex turns and a giant pond of filth that will hinder your progress. Tracks like this can make the player frustrated, but also can teach them something in the process. I found the most frustrating tracks are rewarding when paid attention to. While driving you can clearly see these shortcuts laid out in each track, but a select few may be in your blind spot. Not to mention the dual screen setup is very effective during play. You can keep track of other racers, see what item they have to use, how far they are behind, and more. This makes it really easy for the player in the overall race by giving them help unlike previous Mario Kart games. And it is this that truly makes Mario Kart racing…racing. After all, there’s more than one way to skin a cat and the same can be said for finishing a race in this game.

The controls for this game are easy to manage with just the basic formula of driving. You’re given a kart and you drive from point A to point B while trying to maintain your position by using items to their fullest extent. The fun part of Mario Kart is making sure your opponent does not get close enough to smell your exhaust. For this there are projectile weapons like a banana or perhaps a turtle shell. There are even new weapons such as the bullet bill which will give the player a brief time to pass racers while turning them into, well, a bullet bill. The player is also given an item box to store these items, and they also have the ability to hold onto not only one, but two items at a time (only one in online play). Keep in mind this game is just a simple racing game with an aura of trickery, and you’ll be fine. Gamers can also see the return of that same driving aspect as the previous Mario Kart games with a change here and a nip there. One example of this would be that the sliding has been changed so the player is able to use it more effectively. The different colored glow while sliding helps you to actually “see” what you’re doing. Also, the DS’s d-pad is extremely effective to use for this kart racing addition. The d-pad rarely inhibits your driving, and the layout of the buttons on the DS itself are very effective for easy driving. The controls are not complex unless the player involves “strategic” driving, or more appropriately, snaking. This is the worst inclusion in this game, but that may vary on whom you talk to. Snaking does have its pros, but those are clearly outweighed by the cons. I feel this defeats the purpose of the game, and thus becomes something used to make sure the player wins. But Nintendo decided to throw this driving tactic in the game so we’re left with a decision whether to use this for good or not.

Graphics
If you were to hold MK for the N64 next to Mario Kart DS you would clearly see that they are fairly the same game in looks. Everything is generated beautifully on both of the DS’s screens. And considering this game is on a screen only a couple inches in size, you can tell Nintendo worked hard on the graphics. Everything is generated with an impressive amount of detail from the simple movement of the character’s arm while driving, to the blades of grass coming from the tires after veering off the track. There’s a lot going on in this game, and it shows with no slowdown.

Sound
Mario Kart DS sounds great as we receive the same style of music and sound effects we have to come to expect from Nintendo. Each character has their own specific sounds which give a nice “personality” to the driver the player has chosen. There are well-placed sound effects that, if you listen carefully, you can tell when someone, or something, is fast approaching your rear view mirror. All in all, it’s a pleasure that the DS’s speakers can maintain everything going on in a race and keep that sounding near-perfect. Each track has its own melody that actually “fits” with the theme of that track. While driving in Yoshi Falls there’s a jungle theme playing in the background, for example. This fits exceptionally well, thereby, giving the player a more enjoyable gaming experience.

Multiplayer
The main focus of Mario Kart DS is multiplayer whether it be wireless, or online play. There are more modes crammed into this game than a player has time for. And if you take the focus off racing from track to track, you’re left with more content to enjoy either solo or with a friend. The newest addition to Mario Kart DS is called mission mode. This is something the player will either love to hate or hate to love, but all in all, a nice addition if only to do something different. Another option for play is the time trial mode where you compete against a time set in order to have the fastest lap time. This sports a new feature because you can see the ghost racer’s pattern on the bottom DS screen in order to help you to gain the faster time. These time trials are for nothing other than proving you can have the faster lap, and honing your driving skill which could prove beneficial. Then there’s the battle arena where you compete with friends, or the computer. With one being a balloon fight and the other a Shine grab, these both are fun to enjoy for their simplicity. Not to mention that it’s yet another addition for playability which is fantastic by all means.
The most wanted addition to a Mario Kart game has been online play. For years gamers have wanted this feature, and it has finally become a reality. Nintendo may have not tuned this well enough, but they did an impeccable job with their first try. In online play you have a choice to race gamers all around the world, people in the same region, and even friends once you have figured out their specific friend code. You can also design your own decal which is something new and interesting to use because it gives you a more personal racing kart. Overall the online Mario Kart play is both good and bad. You can only hold onto one item at a time, lag can become an issue as it depends on the connection speed, and who you race can be tricky. Now, it’s not perfect by any means because racers can drop out in a split second, and not to mention the challenge will vary sometimes in the worst way possible. While the online aspect of Mario Kart Ds may be far from perfection you can rest easy knowing that you “can” have fun with it. This game is a blast to play online. And that’s all gamers have ever asked for with a Mario Kart game.

Replay
This game has an extremely high replay value when considering all the available content. Even after you have finished every race in every cup, and unlocked everything, you still have more to play. And that’s because of the wireless multi player and online play. Anyone can pick this game up and play with something being new each and every time. This is “the” Mario Kart game gamers have waited for.

Damnthatsawesome.com Gives This Game Five Out Of Five Stars