Tom's Hardware | Tom's Guide | Tom's Games  

• PC
• PS2
• PS3
• PSP
• Xbox
• X360
• GC
• WII
• DS

• Reviews

Mario Kart DS is a racing game released on Nintendo DS on November 14, 2005, developed by Intelligent System and published by Nintendo. This is the fifth opus of the Mario Kart series, coming after the episode Mario Kart: Double Dash!! released on GameCube. As in the previous opus, this new Mario Kart on portable console proposes to drive karts as well as other crazy vehicles. However, there is only one character per vehicle as in the episodes that predate Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Mario Kart DS offers us initially a selection of 8 pilots that come from the Mario universe, and will add 4 hidden other characters, for a total of 12 playable characters. As in Double Dash each driver has access to only one category of vehicle according to his build (Light for Peach, Toad and Yoshi, medium for Mario and Luigi, and heavy for Bowser, Wario and Donkey Kong). Each kart and vehicle has its own characteristics based on speed, acceleration, road holding, skids and chance (for obtaining objects and other weapons). These characteristics may vary depending on the pilot.

The game includes a total of 32 different circuits divided on 8 cups. There are 2 kinds of Grand Prix: the Nitro Grand Prix and Retro Grand Prix. The Nitro GPs include totally new circuits while the Retro GPs are composed of circuits that come from previous episodes of Mario Kart. Initially each Grand Prix proposes only 2 different cups (Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup for the Nitro Grand Prix, and Shell Cup and Banana Cup for the Retro Grand Prix). The last 4 cups can be unlocked by winning the gold trophy in each of the standard cups.

Like its predecessors this Mario Kart offers races that take place in environments of the Mario universe, spiced by the presence of weapons and bonus. There are lots of strange items that already appeared in the other Mario Kart games like banana peels, red, green and blue shells, lightning, mushrooms, stars, ghosts, false item box and Bob-Ombs. In addition to these objects there are another 2 new weapons: the Blooper, a squid that launches ink on the screen and blind the enemy, and Bullet-Bill, which transforms the player into a missile giving strong acceleration and destroying everything in its path.

In addition to the standard Grand Prix, time-attack, versus and battle mode, Mario Kart DS offers on a mission mode. In this mode the player, as the name suggests, has to complete missions. Each level consists of 8 different missions, like collecting coins, destroying objects, or eliminating enemies for examples. The performances of the player are estimated at the end of each mission by giving him a score. At the end of each level and after obtaining a score of at least one star, the player has to face a boss that he must beat in order to enter the next level.

In addition to this new mode, Mario Kart DS offers an important novelty. It is in fact the very first episode of the series to propose online gaming. Thus we can confront many other players all around the world via the free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Mario Kart DS is a success and a great episode of the brilliant series of Mario Kart, providing all the fun that the famous racing saga features. The online mode of this handheld Mario Kart also provides a great interest for people who wish to play with other players anywhere.


Find out more about Mario Kart DS on:

Mario Stadium

MARIOKART DS reviews