GameTavern - Mario Kart DS = Best Mario Kart EVAR

E3 2005: Mario Kart DS was a great return to form for the series in my book, because it played and looked much like Mario Kart 64, my favorite Kart of them all. Back is the ability to jump and drag shells, which was gone in the series' last outing, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! for GameCube. The lineup of kart drivers is the same as 64's, and there's one driver per kart again. And that's the way it oughta be!

So how does Mario Kart DS take advantage of the extra touchscreen? Well... it doesn't really, but that's okay. The racing action takes place on the top screen, with the bottom touchscreen functioning as an overhead map of the race course. While the game features zero stylus involvement and really doesn't need to have a second screen, I found it was helpful to be able to see where every other racer was in relation to me, as well as what item they were carrying. It's always nice to know if you have a second place racer nipping at the heels with a red shell, for instance. So the DS actually does bring a subtle new twist to the Kart series, and it's a good one.

Mario Kart DS is going to feature wireless online play, and supposedly it won't even require that everyone have a game cartridge. I bet the pre-game wireless download times for those without the cart will be a bitch, though. I just hope that it is a truly online game, and not just wireless play over a local area. Will this finally be the game that realizes my dream of playing Kart with my old high school buddies across the country? About damn time! me.gif

Kart DS controls pretty much the way Mario Kart games always have, with an additional function on the Y button for map controls. Powerslides feel great, and you can wiggle the d-pad back and forth to get a turbo boost around the corners as usual. The framerate was nice & fluid, and I thought the sense of speed was pretty high for a Kart game. The graphics are appealing and clean in the traditonal style of the series. The DS is good as a pick up and play Kart controller; I played a round of Mario Circuit and had no problem getting first. biggrin.gif

What's interesting is that while Mario Kart DS will have over 30 tracks, many of them original, it's also going to be a sort of "Greatest Hits" of courses culled from previous games in the series. The coolest thing about that is that gamers will be able to play 3D versions of some of the 2D courses in the original Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit for GBA. The Retro Cup on display in the E3 demo features two such courses, Mario Circuit 1 from SMK and Peach Circuit from MK:SC. There was even a course from Double Dash in the mix.

The all-new Nitro Cup had four original tracks on display, and from a brief look they all seemed to be of similar quality to the classic courses. The presence of 'Cheep Cheep Beach' was especially appreciated, being that Koopa Troopa Beach has always been my favorite.

Overall, I'd say this is going to be a blast for Kart veterans, and it's another reason I'm convinced I'll be buying a Nintendo DS now that I've seen the impressive software lineup on display at E3. thumbsup.gif Expect Mario Kart 64 in handheld form, with a nice blend of all-new courses and classic ones revamped, and you won't be disappointed in this one. The wireless play adds a new wrinkle, and I just hope that Nintendo doesn't flub the execution of that feature now that they've finally got around to adding it into a version of Kart. I demand true online play! But I admit, for a Kart fan this looks like a must-buy either way.