Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release: 2005
I was thrilled when Mario Kart DS was released back in 2005. After experiencing multiplayer kart racing goodness on the N64 years ago, I was expecting the same experience but on a portable level. The same experience was not ported but in its place is a much better Mario Kart experience.
Mario Kart DS is a 3D go-kart racing game. Like most other racing games, the objective is simple. You earn trophies after winning first place in races. The game has two main types of play, single player and multiplayer. Each type of play is further categorized into a few modes of play. The standard Grand Prix, Time Trial, VS, Battle and a Mission mode can be found in the single player mode. Most of these modes involve standard kart racing with the exception of Battle and Mission modes. In the Battle mode, each racer is expected to take out their opponents using the various weapon powerups in the levels. The racer’s health denoted by balloons can be inflated through blowing into the mic of the DS. Having more balloons inflated means you have a better chance stay in the game longer but the weapon powerups you get will be inferior to another racer who risked his stay in the game by having less balloons inflated. The Battle mode involved a little strategy and it comes into play more obviously when played in teams. The Mission mode on the other hand is there to hone your racing skills as the objectives often forced you to apply certain techniques. The Grand Prix mode is where the main bulk of the game is at and it offers 32 tracks in 4 different vehicle class races. Half of the tracks are brand new while the other 16 are tracks from previous Mario Kart games.
Mario Kart DS is easy to pick up but not quite that straight forward to master. The karts are accelerated by holding on to the A button while the B acts as a brake. It is not recommended to use the brake button in the game for it will slow down the vehicles too much and to circumvent that you can use the L and R trigger buttons to do a drift around corners. Pressing the left and right rapidly while drifting will charge up the nitro boost and will give you a temporary boost of speed. With enough practice, it is possible to get constant speed boost even on a straight path.
Powerups are found throughout the tracks in the form of boxes. The powerup you get is generated based on you current position in the race so the last racer will have the highest chance to get the best powerup. The powerups come in both offensive and defensive forms and some are of both forms. Powerups can be stored in inventory and therefore can be part of your strategy to win the races.
The 32 tracks offer a lengthy gameplay and they are mostly well designed and fun to race in. Most of them are based on levels in Mario’s platform games and create this familiar atmosphere to the game. The levels are laid with obstacles ranging from enemies found in Mario’s other games to oncoming traffic from the opposite direction.
Replayability of this game is extremely high. There are plenty of modes and tracks to try out in the game. Add to that are the 12 characters, 4 which have to be unlocked, each with different vehicles. The characters and their vehicles have different specifications and all of them controls differently from each other. There are also unlockable vehicles for each character which requires you to replay the tracks to get good placings for all races with the individual characters. The multiplayer portion of the game adds on further to the already highly replayable game. It is always fun to race and battle other players whether through local wireless play or online. The online portion has connection issues at times and sometimes will take a long time before the game finds other players.
As this is a portable game, it will not be the prettiest Mario Kart game. The graphics of Mario Kart DS looks as good as the N64 version with bright colourful characters and tracks. Furthermore, it runs at a solid 60 frames per second which is crucial for racing games.
Mario Kart DS is an excellent kart racing game and with its high replayability, can be even described as value for money.
Rating: 9/10
Weiwen
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