Mario Kart: Double Dash!

Finally, after being teased over 2 years ago with a seven second animation, Mario Kart, Double Dash!! has arrived for the Gamecube. In the tradition of Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64, MK DD!! provides even more entertaining and addictive multiplayer action.

As with its predecessors, MK DD!! is a fun racer that everyone can enjoy. MK DD!! features Nintendo’s poster child Mario with all his friends and enemies pitting it out in a race to their deaths. Well no, not really, but they do race. There is a twist in this version, however: instead of one Nintendo mascot, each kart has room for two. One character attacks from the rear of the kart, while the other drives. Characters can switch places tag-team style, providing a new, innovative way of carrying and saving acquired weapons. This little addition provides an interesting new way of playing, especially when cooperative mode comes into play.

There are 4 ½ modes to enjoy in MK DD!!: Grand Prix, Time Trials, Versus, Battle, and the new addition Co-op Mode (used during Grand Prix, Versus, and Battle modes). Grand Prix is the traditional format of four cups to choose from (3 plus 1 unlockable), with four courses per cup. Tracks range from the simple 2-turn Baby Park to the infamous Rainbow Road. Players race each course attempting to earn the highest total score and the Gold Trophy. Each gold trophy unlocks a different special feature, including new karts, karacters, and kourses.

Time Trials is a race against time, your previous best time to be exact. Versus, for 2 to 4 players (not including LAN capabilities), gives players a chance to race each other with no AI vehicles on the road. Battle Mode now features two additional ways to play. On top of the still enjoyable Balloon Blast, players can choose between Shine Thief, where the player holding the star when time runs out is declared the winner, and Bob-omb Blast, where the only weapons provided are Bob-ombs (with the ability to hold as many as 10 at a time). The most intuitive mode difference between MK DD!! and previous installments is the Cooperative Mode. Because of the new two-character setup, two players are now able to join forces on one kart. In this mode, one player is responsible for the driving, while the other is in charge of attacking the other karts on the track. If the driver starts to fall asleep at the wheel for any reason, a simple tap of the Z Button by both players allows the roles to switch, whereas the player driving now attacks, and vice versa. Co-op can be used for racing as well as battle, and with a LAN setup it’s possible to have up to 16 players battling it out. An Internet setup would be nicer (and thanks to the Warp Pipe Project is now possible), but it’s intriguing to see MK DD!! with these types of capabilities. There are, unfortunately, a couple downfalls to MK DD!!, besides the obvious lack of “official” Internet support.

Probably the biggest disappointment lies in the Battle stages. The initial four stages lack any great design. One featured is in the shape of a GameCube, which “looks great on paper”, but in reality is simply a small, square, uneventful stage. Cookie Land is a smaller version of Donut from Mario Kart 64, minus the lava pit in the center. There are two unlockable stages that spice up the choices, but overall they could have been improved in the design department. Also, the karts seem a little unbalanced when it comes to choosing between small characters and large characters. Larger characters, such as Bowser and Donkey Kong, have a much higher learning curve when it comes to driving their vehicles. Sure, they are able to reach higher speeds, but there are very few courses with straight-aways long enough that don’t need good acceleration rates. Add the turtle shells, banana peels, and strokes of lightning, and it makes it even more difficult. I’ll take Baby Bowser and Toad any day over Wario and any other character.

Despite these downsides, and a couple other minor ones, MK DD!! is still a game every GCN owner should have in their library. It’s a great multiplayer adventure, and should be played at any type of gathering. The tracks’ lush environments and the new two-characters-per-kart gameplay are sure to help bring this game closer to home.