Tuesday 20 Feb 2007

A classic is born

Every console has their defining game, a game that epitomizes the console and will always be remembered when thinking back to playing on that console. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Megadrive, Final Fantasy on the PS1, Pokémon Red for the GBC or Super Mario Bros for the NES. No matter how old these games get or how often you play them, you never get tired of them. They are true gems amongst the sea of other games, they are classics.

Mario Kart for the DS takes it’s place amongst these classics, making full use of the Nintendo DS’s new features like the touch screen, the Wi-Fi local and Internet Races and of course the systems ingenious two screen display. I haven’t had this much fun in a racing game since… well, Mario Kart: Double Dash.

Right mix of ingredients

The reason why this game is amazing boils down to these poignant ingredients, simple and straight forward game play coupled with easy to pick up, hard to master tactics. Of course the inclusion of the much beloved Mario themed characters adds another angle, attracting kids and adults alike into a fantasy world where they can become a pro race kart driver using their favourite “celebrity.” You can play dirty by using Wario, or show the boys what you’ve got with Princess Peach.

The single player game is much the same as every other Mario Kart title. You compete in a number of tournaments, with each tournament having four tracks. Your goal is to get the best possible position in the tournament (being gold) thus unlocking more tournaments, more cars to choose from and even more characters to play with. Mario Kart: DS features 8 tournaments with a total of 32 tracks (the most ever in a Mario Kart game – surprisingly because this is a handheld game). 16 of these tracks are entirely new and exclusive to the DS, while the other 16 tracks are compiled from the other Mario Kart games. This is especially great if you’ve played the other games, because they have a sort of retro/nostalgic feel to them. The tracks are taken from the original Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash for the GameCube.

Game sharing at its best

Multiplayer matches is where this game really shines. With up to 8 players playing off a single game card by using the game sharing function, it’s unheard of! Game sharing has really become one of Nintendo’s primary focuses with the DS, look at Tetris for instance, where you can have up to 10 players playing from one game card. When using a single game card there are some limitations though. Players without the game have to resort to using a preset kart and character, and you will also only be able to race with eight of the games tracks. Fortunately though, this is never a problem because I don’t know one single person who owns a DS and doesn’t have Mario Kart: DS. It really is a must have!

There are also a few mini games that can be played multiplayer, but none of them compare to the actual racing part of the game. In single player mode there are also achievements, where you are given a select number of events that you have to participate in and score well in to move onto the next level. The games test your driving skills and run along the lines of, perform 10 power slides during one lap or collect all the coins along the track in under 30 seconds. These can be quite challenging at first, but as you start to hone your driving skills you will become better and better.

Pros: Great multiplayer; a true classic.
Cons: Snaking (cheat).

You just have to get this game, if you are at all hesitant don’t be, you will not be disappointed, I can’t even count how many hours I’ve played in this game but I can assure you it is a lot. If Nintendo decided to bring out Mario Kart: DS 2 with different tracks, I’d be the first in the queue…you should be too!

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Contributor:	Justin

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