Taste-Test: Mario Kart Double Dash!!

Rated: E for Everyone for Mild Cartoon Violence Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1 - 4 Saving: 3 per file, 5 per ghost GBA Connectivity: No Author: Eric Jones

Mario and company have a lot of extracurricular activities: tennis, golf, board games, and fighting. However, none of those activities have reached the popularity or the success of the Mario Kart series. From Super Mario Kart on the SNES, to Mario Kart 64 on the N64, to Mario Kart Super Circuit on the GBA, Mario Kart has meant one thing, great arcade racing with wild courses and crazy weapons. Now, the series reinvents itself for the new millennium with Mario Kart Double Dash!!

In Mario Kart Double Dash!! (Yes, the double exclamations are part of the title), you select not one, but two drivers from a selection of Mario luminaries, such as returning drivers Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Koopa Troopa, Donkey Kong, and Bowser, as well as new Mario stars like Princess Daisy, Waluigi, Birdo, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi. Each driver has a signature weapon, like Mario’s Fireballs, Troopa’s Triple Shell, and DK’s Giant Banana. Also, along with your driving duo, you can choose from several karts based on the characters, like Wario’s purple Cadillac and Bowser’s badass Six-wheeler. One of the best things about the game is that you can mix and match karts for your team, so there are many combinations to choose from to make the perfect team for your driving style.

The game features several modes for both single and multiplayer, such as Grand Prix, Vs., Time Trials, a new Competitive mode, and the ever-popular Battle mode. The tracks are arranged into 3 cups and are verily hit or miss. Some of the tracks are returning from Mario Kart 64 in new incarnations, like Mario Circuit, Sherbet Land, and Wario Stadium (now called Waluigi Stadium), as well as some new tracks like Peach Beach, Daisy Cruiser, and Mushroom City. Although some of the tracks, like the aforementioned Daisy Cruiser, are very inventive (you drive on a cruise ship!), some, like Mushroom City, are not (its very similar to a track earlier in the game called Mushroom Bridge). The control sequence is decent, but gone are the days of holding stuff before you shoot it, an effective way to shield attacks…now only solid driving will avoid attacks from other enemies. Also, the power slides have changed, now you no longer jump before using one. Although it is a bit of a change, it isn’t too big of a deal.

The Graphics are bright and cartoony – Classic Mario. All of the characters look great, as do the karts. Everything is detailed, from the water to the ground. And for the first time in the Mario Kart series, the characters actually react after a victory, instead of simply being gifs. The sound is good as well. The background music is good without being overly annoying. The sound effects are good, but the voice acting can definitely get on one’s nerves…I nearly strangled the game after Princess Daisy said “Hi, I’m Daisy!” for the 60,000,000th time.

But now, the meat and potatoes of the game…the Multiplayer mode. Mario Kart 64 gained a huge reputation as one of the best, if not the best multiplayer game of all time, bringing friends together at parties for a night of racing fun. On the multiplayer front, Double Dash!! brings about a greatly enhanced multiplayer experience. First, not only do you have the option of playing the classic 2-4 player vs. mode, but a new Co-op mode where 2 teams of 2 share the duties of the kart, one driving, and the other shooting and assisting with balance of the power slides. This concept is a good one as the two partners must be, corny as it sounds, acting as one mind in order to achieve victory. However, even with all the new features, there are some drawbacks. The graphics take a clear hit when in split-screen mode, making it hard to see in front of you. Also, only the first player can pause the game, which can be annoying if a player needs to pause the game for any reason.

Also, the ever-popular battle mode has returned, and this time it’s more than just popping your opponents’ balloons. Along with the classic balloon mode (which now includes the ability to steal your opponent’s balloons) the battle modes now include Shine Thief, a modified game of tag, and the incredibly fun Bob-omb Blast, where players blow the CRAP out of each other with Bombs. These new modes are great additions, but unfortunately it is the battle arenas themselves that are weak. Cookie Arena is a half-assed rip-off of the Big Donut from Mario Kart 64 and Block Town is simply an insult to the legendary Block Fort. Pipe Plaza isn’t a bad battle area though.

There is a new LAN play mode in the game as well, however I have not had a chance to play it yet, but even so Mario Kart Double Dash!! is an incredible racing game well worth the purchase. I will be back with a full review in a few weeks.

Eric Jones