Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Richard finally concludes his pondering of this 'quirky' racer...
Related
As the saying goes, if ain't broke, don't fix it and that is certainly the approach Nintendo took with the above. The familiar features have been put in place with what amounts to be nothing more than a bit of tweaking. That itself is quite welcome, but where the game is really lacking is in the inventiveness of the racetracks. Given the cartoon theme one might have hoped for some outlandish tracks. All Nintendo are able to serve up are the same tired old races. Don't get me wrong, it's all very colourful and the frame rate is rock solid throughout. But it's all so very predictable and pedestrian. There's Bowser's castle to race around, an ice track, a very dull round circuit, some desert nonsense, a jaunt through a city and eventually even some Rainbow Road action. It's only when you race Donkey Kong Mountain where you are shot to the top through a cannon and then you have to race back down that you realise the wasted potential of the settings. Even small elements like fun and challenging short cuts are restricted to a few sporadic appearances. Where are the interactive environments? Where are the switches and bridges and insane jumps? Where is the fun?
The multiplayer mini-games are also a bit of a half-hearted affair with only a few open boards to play. The battle mode where you get to use the weapons from the races is included as is a variation on that theme, bob-bomb blast. In the latter the only weapons you have are bombs that you must pick up from around the arena and then throw at the opposition. Finally a mode called shine thief has been added, the objective simply to get and hold the star for a set period of time, like a game of tag. They are certainly a pleasant enough diversion from the main racing mode but their appeal is fleeting.
Mario Kart Double Dash has an image problem in more ways than one. Nintendo seem scared to introduce anything particularly new to what they've done before and it shows. In an almost knee-jerk reaction for those who keep telling them the market is more mature Nintendo have swung too far to the other side of the scale. The visuals and sharp and well animated but unlike many games aimed at the mass market the characters don't seem very cool or quirky. The Mario cast has been thrown into too many products for their appearance to hold much sway with this gamer. Design decisions like having the sound of a baby crying to signal that you've lost a race make much of the game feel like it's aimed at pre-school kids. And the insipid chirpiness makes it all the more depressing. Back in the N64 era Diddy Kong Racing showed that it was possible to have a varied and fun racing title that was great for both single and multiplayer. Nintendo diehards will no doubt lap it up, but most gamers won't be remembering this outing in the years to come. Though Mario Kart has a great legacy, this version is sadly riding the coat tails of it rather than building one of its own.
80%
Comments
this is a very good game it is hard on mirror mode but its very cool to play on if i was u BYE IT NOW
chill out, its a good game, as usual from nintendo. we cant expect miracles.
oh yeah, definitely go get it if you have a gc. and if not, go buy a gc.
who here cant wait for mario kart ds
This is my favorite game. It doesn't get boring fast like many other games.
this my best game i could play it all day
i rule at this game so bow down
salah, I rule at this game 2. In fact I challenge you 2 a LAN Mode Race.
I have the game and I find it realy great. I also agree with Richard that Nintendo is kinda kraming it, but it's good for us cause we have games that are a lot more fun than before, when they were on top. That's about all I had to say. Next time!!!
It's a good game, but it still doesn't beat Mario Kart on the N64. The game has a very random feel to it, which I don't really like. Overall, it's worth the buy.
Oh, and to the idiot named Daniel who made the second post -- You spelled B.U.Y. wrong. *roll*
The game is extremely once you beat it entirely and you've understood how to do every single sharp turn and handle attacks from other enemies. This is one of the easiest games I've ever played.
I left out a word in my first sentence...easy
The game is extremely easy
hahahahahahaha
Just got a new GC, with this, and I must say from my limited memories of MK64; it lives up to it just as well. Its a good, fun game with plenty of challenges to keep you occupied as well as plenty of multiplayer fun (even if co-op mode is a bit... boring)
Go get it if you have a gamecube; but I don't think it's worth buying the console just to play.
good work by nintendo
I am liken it, I have done every single level and unlocked everythink. makes you bring back memories and I like Mario kart double dash!
How do u get mirror mode?
When I rented this game it was very cool so I got the game for Christmas.I beat the whole game I thought it was a short game until I got furthur.I think the game is very fun.
To get mirror mode you have to unlock All cup tour and beat All cup tour in 150CC then you will get mirror mode.
hi
This game is great but I play it so much I'm getting bored but I still rock at it so I order the LAN and I'm looking for a challenge.
I beat all cup tour at 150cc and It said that I got mirror mode. How do I get to it and use it? (I have a memory card)
I unlocked the All Cup Tour..beat it at 150CC it also said I was in Mirror Mode. However, the tracks seem to be the same..and I was trying to unlock the extra carts and characters like King Boo..and the parade cart...but when I beat the All cup tour again in supposed mirror mode..nothing happened??? What am I doing wrong..i have memory card.
I completed all levels @ 150cc but even tho i recieved a msg saying ide unlocked mirror mode - nothing has really happened...
How do i know if im in mirror mode?!
What is mirror mode?!
Someone reply because im going out of my mind knowing ive unlocked something but not knowing whether im using it!!!
That's intelligent gaming opinion? You can't even speak English!
i rule this game!! except i unlocked mirror mode , but i don't kno how to get to it ..... so yeah. any1 kno how to??
i press bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb yo go faster
i press bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb yo go faster
Dude this game came out close to 4 years ago and I am still playing it. Your review is trash.
have you had sex yet
this game rocks!! its not better than wwe smackdown vs raw 2007 but i like this game a lot and i unlocked everything there is if anybody needs any tips to unlock things just write on this i check this every day so just write for tips and ill write back im a huge wrestling fan!! 6/25/2007
i mean i check this every hour
im from AMERICA
IM THE BEST PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE AT THIS GAME
this game rocks coming from RVD
this game rocks coming from TRIPLE-H
how do you get the mirror mode???
how do you get the mirror mode???
I think you should make a veido game of ME
I WANT TO BUY MARIO KART DOUBLE DASH FOR GAMECUBE BUT I HAVENT GOT ONE SO I GOT A WII SO THATS OK THEN
The game is good overall. The graphics are great but I thought they could improve by making more difficult tracks. I love more danger and aieral roads such as Rainbow Road. The Parade kart is very ideal for racing, and toad and toadette rock the track. I hope they improve the game. The game is the BEST mario kart game for gamecube!