Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Written by D'Marcus Beatty  on November 21, 2003

Full Review: Twisted Metal Mario!

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Mario Kart: Double Dash is the long awaited GameCube installment of the Mario Kart series. The series has a reputation for being incredibly fun, especially as a multiplayer experience, and the latest iteration lives up to its pedigree and then some.

The first and greatest change to Double Dash is the fact that players are now be able to choose two racers whom they will be able to switch on the fly. One character drives and the other character is responsible for attacking other racers with powerups. This also adds an element of strategy to the gameplay, as players now have the ability to hoard certain desirable powerups by attaining them, then switching drivers so that the character with the wanted item is controlling the cart. There are also powerups that are exclusive to certain characters, such as the giant banana that only Diddy and Donkey Kong can use, fireballs that only Mario and Luigi can shoot, and the heart shield that only Princesses Peach and Daisy can utilize. In addition to this, players also get to choose a cart at the match's beginning, which, in addition to the size and weight of the characters, will affect the vehicle's control, handling, acceleration, and top speed. With 16 characters to choose from and a number of different carts, there are several combinations possible.

The graphics are wonderful, conveying the Nintendo universe in the bright, colorful hues that are expected of a Mario title. Characters are instantly recognizable and animated well, if simply at times. Players can count on seeing all of the familiar personalities of the Mario games, from Isle Defino inhabitants cheering from the sidelines to Goombas wandering aimlessly on the tracks. To compliment the graphics, the music and sound effects are well crafted, too, although some players may expect more familiar tunes from the Mario games. Why not include the Сstage clear' music from Mario games after finishing a race?

Gameplay is tight and well executed, also. The game's controls are simple, and has the type of scheme that allows gamers to pick up the controller and have the vast majority of the moves mastered within a minute. Of course, the powerslide makes its return, and is fairly easy to execute. For the Mario Kart uninitiated, the powerslide is a cornering technique that gives players a boost when going into a turn, and is an absolute must to consider oneself a Mario Kart master.

The game offers all of the expected modes, including Grand Prix with the 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc modes, and Time Trial, where you can race against your own best times with a ghostly representation of yourself. There is also battle mode, which includes three types of competition. In Balloon Battle, players attempt to pop opponents' balloons, which are located on the perimeter of their respective carts. In Shine Thief, players must locate the Shine Sprite and hold onto it until the timer runs out. The last mode, Bob-omb Blast, pits characters against each other in an arena where they are awarded points for lobbing bob-ombs at each other.

The single-player experience is fun briefly, but gets old very fast. As with all of its predecessors, multiplayer is where Mario Kart shines. Co-op mode allows players to work together, with one player controlling the driving while the other controls attacks. There are a few moves exclusive to this mode, such as switching items between characters without switching places, and the double dash start, where both players pitch in to aid in the acceleration at the race's beginning. Double Dash allows up to four players to compete using one GameCube, and by using LAN support, allows the competition to become frantic with up to eight human controlled racers.