Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Review

Developer	Nintendo
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	Driving

The original Mario Kart, which debuted on the Super NES, essentially created a new genre: the cart racer. It combined fast-paced arcade style racing with all sorts of weapons, then injected the classic appeal of Mario and friends. Since then, countless imitators have copied the winning formula with mixed results. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! marks Nintendo’s fourth Mario Kart game, and while there aren’t a whole lot of changes from previous titles, it’s still a blast to play.

Gameplay - The most apparent change is the addition of a second character to each cart. One character drives while the other dishes out the damage, but they can switch near instantly with a tap of the Z button. What this means in practice is that each cart can now carry two weapons. There is no difference in the way each character drives, but each one does have a unique special weapon. Mario and Luigi, for example, have access to fireballs. These special weapons are received randomly from item boxes, just like any other weapon. Character selection also determines what type of cart the duo will ride in. Bigger characters, like Wario, can only fit in heavy carts, while the little guys can fit in any size. As before, heavy carts have poor acceleration and high top speed while light carts are the opposite and medium carts are pretty average in all categories.

The racing itself hasn’t changed a great deal. Powersliding is still key to victory, especially in the more difficult circuits. When going into a turn, holding down either of the triggers initiates a slide, which can then be "powered-up" by wiggling the analog stick left and right. When the sparks under your tires turn from yellow to red and then to blue, let go for a brief turbo boost. Even without the benefit of the turbo, sliding allows you to cut corners as close as possible, shaving seconds off your time. As a result, experienced players will powerslide around just about every corner.

Also key to the Mario Kart series is the weapons, and that’s more true in Double Dash than ever before. Item blocks are scattered all over the tracks, so the chance to pick up new weapons is common. This time around, weapons can be stolen or destroyed pretty easily. Getting a serious bump from another cart can result in an item being stolen from you, and taking a good hit with one of the more powerful weapons or course hazards will flat-out destroy your weapons. The weapons themselves are a mix of old and new. Mario Kart staples such as the koopa shells and mushrooms return, as do the lightning bolts and invincibility stars. New to Double Dash!! are the previously mentioned special weapons. These are surprisingly varied, ranging from Donkey and Diddy Kong’s giant bananas to Baby Mario and Luigi’s Chain-Chomp. These are a lot of fun, and add a good bit of variety to the weapons.

Weapons from item boxes in Double Dash!! aren’t exactly distributed randomly: it all depends on your position in the race. Someone in first place is unlikely to get anything but banana peels and green shells, but an 8th place player has a high chance of getting the best items, such as lightning bolt or blue shell. Because of this, it’s very possible for someone in last place to get lucky with the power weapons and end up doing quite well. It can be frustrating sometimes, but on the other hand, it’s nice to know that there’s always a chance to come back, especially in multiplayer.

The track design, overall, is solid. There is plenty of variety in each track, and more hazards than ever before. Piranha plants and goombas, as well as traffic and fireballs, all do their best to stop you from crossing that finish line. Shortcuts, sadly, are few in number. Most of them take a decent amount of skill to successfully utilize, though: it’s often not just a matter of having a mushroom at the right time. All said and done, there are only 16 tracks, plus mirrored versions. Yes, that’s the number there has always been, but another circuit or two would be much appreciated.

The actual structure of the game will be familiar to anyone who has played a Mario Kart title before. Solo gamers are presented with either the Grand Prix mode or Time Trials. Grand Prix is the bulk of the single player game, giving the player four cups to race on (each consisting of 4 tracks) on one of 3 difficulty settings, and Time Trial just lets the player race alone on any course. Needless to say, the single player game is a tad lacking, but Mario Kart’s fun has always been in the multiplayer, and that’s true here, too. Two players can go through the Grand Prix mode together, which is far more fun than doing it solo. Then, of course, for 2-4 players, there’s Battle Mode. There is also a cooperative mode, in which two players take control of the same cart. One person drives, while the other uses items. It’s a fun idea, but one that fails in practice. There simply isn’t enough for each player to do.

There are three Battle Modes this time around: Balloon Battle, Shine Thief, and Bob-omb Blast. Balloon Battle is simple deathmatch: three hits and you’re eliminated. Shine Thief throws 60 seconds on the clock and a Shine from Mario Sunshine somewhere in the arena. As soon as someone grabs the Shine, the clock begins to tick away. Hitting that player causes them to drop the Shine and stops the clock. Whoever is holding the Shine when time expires is the winner. This mode is easily the most entertaining, especially with four people. Bob-omb battle is a great addition, too. Like Balloon Battle, this is a deathmatch-type mode, but the only weapons available here are bob-ombs. They can be dropped behind, thrown really far ahead, or just tossed in front of you. They have a pretty large blast radius, and are perfect for a completely chaotic battle match.

Graphics - Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has cheery visuals similar to previous Mario games. The worlds are bright and colorful, with a long draw distance and a rock-solid frame rate. The use of special effects is limited, but there are some impressive, although suitably cartoony, explosions. The character animation is top-notch, too. While there’s nothing incredible in the visuals department, it gets the job done more than adequately.

Sound - Unfortunately, it also fails to really impress with its audio. The music is not only uninteresting, but also of poor quality, consisting of simple MIDI tracks. This was acceptable on the Nintendo 64, but in the age of DVD, gamers should expect better. The speech from Mario and Friends, for the most part, is amusing and enjoyable, but more quotes for each character would have been nice. The few each one has is repeated constantly, and can get a tad annoying.

Overall Value - In the end, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! does little to improve on the franchise, but remains a highly enjoyable multiplayer title. Solo gamers will likely want to pass, but anyone with a few gaming buds should consider picking it up. With its enjoyable racing and addictive battle modes, Double Dash!! should be included in any gaming party. Just don’t expect an entirely new experience.

Review by Joe Mackie