Mario Kart DS stands as one of the best, if not the best, game in the entire series. It’s certainly my favourite game for the Nintendo DS at present – although FF3-DS may pose a threat once we get a hold of it in Europe, but that will be for another review.
In the past we’ve had a vast selection of Mario Kart games, spanning over consoles and handhelds alike. While some people may have preferred Mario Kart 64, I was very fond of Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Nintendo GameCube. The last portable Mario Kart title we got was Mario Kart: Super Circuit for the Gameboy Advance, but it was lacking that special magic that the console Mario Kart games have. I’m happy to say that this isn’t the case with Mario Kart DS.
"The sky is your audience."
You see, it has all the goodness of the previous console games along with some extras (which I’ll get to later). The sound is great and holds true to the quality you expect in the Mario Kart series. In fact, the sort of quality sound you expect in all Nintendo games. A great feature is the ability to create your own emblem which will appear on whichever Karts you choose to race in. It also contains two cups instead of the usual one. Nitro Grand Prix brings you new courses to race on which all have been artistically perfected while the Retro Grand Prix brings you back to the courses we all remember from other games in the series – this includes courses from the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance and GameCube titles.
As you complete a cup under an engine class you receive a prize for your hard work. This could be a new Kart, which is actually a different Kart for each character, or an entirely new character to excel around the courses in. Then there’s multiplayer mode which allows you to wirelessly compete with other players in your vicinity in two modes: Normal for those with Mario Kart DS and Simple for those who wish to compete without a cartridge.
"That's just Peachy..."
If you don’t have any friends with a DS near you then don’t worry because this is where the real fun begins. Simply enter your Wi-Fi router connection settings and you’re suddenly connected to the entire world through your internet connection. Now you can play against people on your continent or worldwide. What’s more is if you have a contact somewhere in the world then you can simply enter their friend code and race against ‘em.
Did I mention that single player has five modes? I don’t think so seeing as I’m too busy enjoying the game to bother *wink*. You can play Grand Prix, Time Trials, VS (against computer), Battle and, a new addition to the Mario Kart series, Missions. This involves you doing specific tasks in order to complete a level and then progress to the next one.
If you’re still reading this review then you should seriously open your web browser (I recommend Firefox) and order this online now! Even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi enabled router, or any mates, you’ll still find this game loads of fun on your own.
"High speed anti-action."
I like the Mario Kart game because it is more challenging as you get to the next level.