Description: "Time to race...no wires attached. The acclaimed Mario Kart series has gone wireless, letting players race and battle with up to eight karts at once, regardless of whether everyone has a game card. An all-star cast that includes Mario, Luig.... Read More
Description: "Time to race...no wires attached. The acclaimed Mario Kart series has gone wireless, letting players race and battle with up to eight karts at once, regardless of whether everyone has a game card. An all-star cast that includes Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, Bowser and Toad will round out a truly all-star lineup of more than 30 courses drawn from every Mario Kart game. Thats right -- players will tour courses from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuitand Mario Kart: Double Dash, not to mention brand-new tracks and arenas. With all the crazy items and frantic speed players have come to expect, this game is a Mario Kart fans dream. The game has a new dimension of fun, since players can battle others around the world by connecting to Nintendos new wireless gaming service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, via Wi-Fi." Minimize
Summary: Another instant classic in the Mario Kart series. This game takes a few of your favorite courses from the previous Mario Kart games and combines them with some new ones in this wonderful game fit for all ages young and old. You will not regret buying this game.
80% of People (16/20) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: This Mario Kart game is the best out of the series. It comes with a few old tracks from SNES, N64, GBA, and GC. It has single cart play, multi cart play, and online mode. You can finally play with bots in battle mode. The new tracks in this game are great. In WiFI, you get to play against many others all over the world. I will recommend this to any race fans especially Mario Kart.
75% of People (9/12) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: Wireless multiplayer, excellent use of the dual screen, varied gameplay, customizable icons, unlockables.
Weaknesses: NA
Summary: I have to say that I am not a racing game fan, but I love Mario Kart DS. I haven't played any of the other games in the franchise, but I love the courses they chose to include in this game. Mario Kart DS also makes excellent use of the dual screen: showing you a third person view on one screen and an overhead 'icon' view of the track on the other (which allows people who can multitask well to metagame).
I did not like the 'battle' aspect of the game but I do like the missions (although they are frustrating at times). Completing missions, completing the game, and doing well in the various races are the ways to unlock extra characters, extra tracks, and eventually a 'three star' symbol on your icon.
In my opinion probably the best feature is the wireless play. My room mates and I can sit around for hours racing each other. Hand in hand with the wireless play is the built-in win/loss tracker so you can see how you stack up to your friends over time.
The customizable icon feature is also pretty swank.
Even if you don't like racing games I recommend giving Marko Kart DS a try. Especially if you have friends with a DS or the game who can play along with you.
73% of People (8/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: variety, real time map on second screen
Weaknesses: small screens (yeah, weak sauce)
Summary: Just want to state up front that I’ve never been a big fan of portable racing games. I’ve played various portable versions: Game Gear, original GB, and GBA games. I would much rather play the big screen arcade or TV/console based versions with at least a wheel.
Having said that, out of all of those portable versions I’ve played, this version of MK is the best one so far. I think the bigger, clearer screens and smoother graphics on the DS have to do with it.
The highlight for me are the amount of tracks to play (30 I believe) and the second screen “map” is really handy. You can keep real time track of where others are on the course as well as your own progress. I had also heard online play is good, but I don’t play online.
So if you’re a big fan of racing games or MK in general, this should be a no brainer purchase. I'm enjoying this title so far.
70% of People (7/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: For single player there are several different modes: grand prix, verse mode, battle mode, missions.
I am most familiar with grand prix - you chose a circuit and race 4 courses - the best score after 4 races wins. You get to choose your Mario character (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Bowzer, Donkey Kong and others). [And you can unlock other characters.] You get to choose your car depending upon the character chosen - each character starts with 2 unique cars. You collect power ups during the race that gives you special abilities.
There's 3 different difficulty levels. As you complete races, additional courses are opened up.
For multiplayer, you can play multi-player with only one game cartridge but the person without a cartridge cannot choose their character. Up to 8 people can play. The multi-player modes are verse mode, balloon battle and shrine runner.
Mario Kart is a fun game. There's plenty of stuff to unlock and lots of replay-ability because of the number of characters, cars and courses. I not a huge racing game fan, so I found other games interested me more than Mario Kart.
70% of People (7/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: +Some of the best Mario Kart Tracks ever
+Lots of racers
+Online Play!
+Nice graphics (considering the DS hardware limitations)
Weaknesses: -The friends code system is a little wonky
-Too many people snake online
Summary: Nintendo strikes with yet another great title for the DS. The latest in the ever present Mario Kart series brings few innovations, but lots of refinement. In fact, it just might be the pinacle of the series. With online play, the replay value only skyrockets. Aside from some minor issues with the online system, Nintendo has another fine notch to add to its belt.
70% of People (7/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: Plenty of variety in choosing tracks, characters, karts, multiplayer games and side misssions. Online mode has arrived.
Weaknesses: AI has been bumped up significantly and is sometimes cheap. Only 4 people online per race. Some of the retro tracks were toned down in terms of graphics to accomodate the DS hardware.
Summary: This is easily the best DS game thus far, and has the most replayability thanks to the wi-fi connection mode. The wi-fi isn't by any means perfect, but at least it's there. Nintendo really hasn't done much to tweak the formula which has made the series popular. As mentioned before, only 4 people per on-line race, and in the 150cc courses and above 1 mistake can be the different in winning the gold and missing out completely. Plenty of challenges to be found here with the GP and the side-missions. Also there are a ton of unlockables. Overall an awesome game.
70% of People (7/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: Mario Kart for the DS is an absolute winner. It does everything right. It plays great, looks great, and sounds great. The inclusion of wireless multiplayer is fantastic. So you can sit around and play with your buddies if you want whether you're in the same room or across the country. If you have a DS you should buy this.
67% of People (6/9) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: Candy coated fun, a variety of modes, plenty to keep you busy while you're on the go.
Weaknesses: Not much of a downside with this game, but some may tire quickly of racing games
Summary: I'm confused as to why I had such a good time with this game. I think I let myself get caught up in the hype. Everyone has hailed this the ultimate in kart. Being the first online enabled DS game gives it a lot of attention as well. But the fact that lurked in my subconscious is that I'm bored with racers. Getting smoked in thousands of Gran Turismo races by my 8 year old did the trick (you don't understand humiliation until your son proclaims "I can't believe I won, my car was so much slower!") *Achem*
So why the hell was I so keen on Mario Kart DS? Whatever the reason, the good news is that it held up to my expectations. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something inherently fun about the series. Most of the charm is in the delicious, candy-coated Mario motif, which is always a spoonful of sugar, even when it is helping some medicine go down. The kart handling mechanics make play enjoyable without dumbing it down completely (no Ridge Racer 1 flashbacks). For my money, the sweetest part of the whole game is the way Yoshi yells "Yoshi!" at people as you pass them. It's really not all that clever, but I can't help but chuckle to myself when the cute little dino mocks his enemies by being so darn adorable.
My melancholy associated with racing usually resurfaces each time I pickup the DS, but I plod through, and by the time I huck a shell at somebody my reservations vanish. Having so many modes of play really keeps gameplay fresh. Battle and Mission modes keep things fresh. The variety of racers, karts, and unlockables also keeps you coming back for more, and I love that they included classic tracks. Internet play is simple to setup and darn fun. The biggest problem I see with the Nintendo Wifi Connection is that it’s difficult meeting up with friends, and you can’t choose who you’d like to race from those who are available online. Overall, it’s a pretty good first stab at online gameplay.
This latest installment in the Kart series is a lot of fun, and definitely shields me from the harsh realities of my 40 minute commute. Fans of the series have plenty of reason to rejoice.
67% of People (6/9) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: Excellent controls, great track selection, tons of extra features compared to previous games, Wi-Fi races.
Weaknesses: Limited multiplayer modes.
Summary: This is easily my favorite Mario Kart game in the entire series. The controls are very well done, and the course and kart selection are both excellent. There are lots of great touches, like the customizeable icons and the mission mode, that make this game stand out over previous Mario Kart games. The much-anticipated Wi-Fi mode is also quite well done, although the matchmaking system could have been better.
My biggest complaints are with the multiplayer system. First, online and single-cart races are limited to a few courses, which are generally the less exciting courses. Also, battle mode is only supported in local multiplayer, which is a bit of a disappointment.
Overall, this is a great racer, especially with a few friends. The Wi-Fi mode is also a nice substitute for local multiplayer.
64% of People (7/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: This is one of Nintendo DS' best games ever released. Not too much stylus/touching is involved. Basically A for acceleration B for brake and R for shift. Great graphics, sound and music. Extremely fun when play by yourself. Much more fun when you play with friends. No body available to play with you at 3AM? No problem, just connect to internet (wirelessly, of course) and people all over the whole are waiting for you. Everybody should own a copy.
64% of People (7/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: This game is like other mario kart games in that it is absolutely great. The single player mode is awesome. However, the best part is the online mode. Racing against others across the globe is fun. I wish there was a battle mode online though!
60% of People (6/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: gameplay, new modes, classic race tracks, multiplayer wi-fi
Weaknesses: d-pad control
Summary: Mario Kart DS is like all the best aspects of the past mario kart crammed into one. It features all the most memorable tracks from all the past Mario Karts--from the classic SNES to the latest Gamecube version. It also throws in a few new ones--such a Luigi mansion track. In addition to the race courses, Mario Kart DS includes various new multiplayer modes /tracks such as battle arenas. But the best feature is probably multiplayer wi-fi. You and your friends can finally play Mario Kart together without having to share a screen---and you can do it with just one game cartridge. If you are a huge Mario Kart fan or own a DS, this title is a Must Buy.
60% of People (6/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Strengths: Stellar and classic Mario Kart gameplay, tight controls, good graphics, variety of courses.
Weaknesses: Wi-fi online play is very limited, computer AI can be very cheap at times.
Summary: After playing this game for a few months I'm kind of amazed that a handheld version of this venerable franchise is arguably the best installment from Nintendo. It combines all the best gameplay elements from all the Mario Karts and throws in classic courses from the series past 15-years. I find myself playing this game over and over again because the challenge is pretty good and the courses are so fun to race. I really like the addition of the online play but it is somewhat lacking. Only 4-players can race on a select few courses. The worst part is that people start disconnecting from the race when they start losing - without any repercussions on their record. That flaw aside, this is the most fun I've hand with any game (console or portable) in a very long time.
60% of People (6/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Summary: This is the best racing game ever. The controls are easy to use, and have sufficient depth for more advanced players. I found the wireless racing to be very easy, with near perfect set-up. This game offers so many excellent game-play modes that is near endless, my favorite being the random wireless matchups. This is the kind of game that anyone can play and enjoy, at any time, anywhere. Perfection.
60% of People (6/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
80% of People (16/20) found this review helpful. Was this review 
Report this as 
There are no comments for this review. 
