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Another hit for the Mario Kart series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Mario Kart DS is a return to the classic style of Mario Kart play (one racer per Kart, which the GameCube's Double Dash departed from) and it plays like a classic Mario Kart game. This game features plenty of modes--from Grand Prix races to multiplayer to new mission modes--and a slew of unlockables to keep you going for hours on end.

Audience: You don't need to be a racing fan. These games are great for nearly all ages and people of all skill levels, and feature varying degrees of difficulty to cater to the needs of just about anyone.

Graphics: For a handheld the graphics are great. No problems there--this game looks excellent on the DS's dual screens.

Gameplay: Despite the relatively simple concept of Mario Kart, and despite so many games in the series, each title still manages to keep the franchise fresh. Mario Kart DS features a Grand Prix mode with a total of 32 tracks (you have to unlock many of these by winning on the ones available). 16 of these tracks are new, and 16 are tracks from the other Mario Kart games. This is a good thing--it's a lot of fun to revisit old favorites. There are also many characters to unlock. Mario Kart DS features an all new Missions mode, tasking you with various objectives and leading up to boss fights after you pass a certain number of them. Some of these are very tough.

Battle mode is an important part of any Mario Kart DS, and in this respect Mario Kart DS does not disappoint. There are a couple forms of vs. battles, from the classic break your opponents balloons to the gather the Sunshines mode, and all are accompanied by the weapon-slinging mayhem you've come to expect from Mario Kart!

Control: The controls were adapted perfectly to the DS. Control is pretty much the same as earlier Mario Kart games, which, again, is a good thing. The top screen is used for racing and the bottom for a map of the track, which is a great addition. It's nice to see who's coming up behind you or where other racers are positioned on the track.

Challenge: The great thing about Mario Kart has always been the varying degree of difficulty. When you start out the races are pretty easy, but as you unlock new modes and speeds and your opponents become more aggressive the game becomes quite a challenge.

Multiplayer: The multiplayer action on this game is absolutely great. Not only can you connect over Nintendo's Wi-Fi network with 7 other people for an 8 player Mario Kart race or battle, you can also play with other people locally with only one copy of the game. You can also create a custom logo, which identifies you when you're playing online.

Mario Kart has always been one of Nintendo's strongest franchises and this is another installment in a series that has yet to disappoint. If you've got a DS I'd consider this a must have.

this game rox!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: December 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

i love this game because its a totally new mario game! and the wi-fi is easy to use on it! get it!\
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oh and to the person that said ds sucks, that is just your opinion not others and plus a ds rocks and it got a better score online than a psp!!!!!!

Best DS Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got a DS when they came out, and the only game i had was Mario 64 DS. That got old when i was beating it for the fourth time :-). I got this game, and it is SOOO addicting. The courses are wacky, from relatively easy but fun courses like the Yoshi Circuit to rip-your-hair-out-impossible tracks like Sky Garden and Rainbow road. The racers are amazing, being made up of Mario and friends, and there are tons of cars ranging from regular Karts to Construction Cranes. It can be hard to unlock more courses, but it's just fun anyway- not to mention that there are really fun "Battles."

Best game I've ever played..

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is so addicting and so much fun. Remember Mario Kart on SNES? This game captures the greatness of that game and multiplies it. I haven't had a game system since SEGA Dreamcast and Nintendo 64. The DS and especially Mariokart, have re-awakened my love for video games which I thought had died.

If you own a DS, you need this game. It is AWESOME. Honestly, words don't convey the pure awesomeness of this game. If you don't have a wireless connection, you're going to have to get one after purchasing this game.

SO much fun!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I play this game mostly!! (Oh yeah) It is SO much fun. You race against other people on their Nitendo Ds' and it is totally fair. You won't get fustrated. (Believe me.) I really hope my review helps!!

Mario comes across the track as a win!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

God i never thought I would see a perfect video game ever again like The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time for the nintendo 64.This certainly is right on par with this!Every thing about this game makes me want to jump.I just did! I recently picked this up(opening day like every other mario kart) and thought it was going to be slightly disapointing.Boy was I wrong.The game begins with the normal 8: Mario,Luigi,toad,yoshi,bowser,wario,donkey kong, and peach.4 characters can be unlocked as well.Yet I was slightly disapointed by the character choice yet the new mario games have to much choice so it doesnt really disapoint.Now the characters have no class insted its in the karts.The karts have a drift meter*the higher it is,the better boost and drift you can get.,weight meter *the more this is,the more harder you are to knock of course and knock someone else off course*,handling meter*the more this is,the better turn you have*,acceleration meter*the more this is,the better boost or fastness,you get at the start of the race*,top speed meter *the more this is,the better speed you get*,and item meter *The more this is,the better items you'll get*.The karts are really cool like mario's B-dasher: a long white kart that gets amazing items or *spoiler* dry bone's dry bomber:a big tank with good weight,top speed,and drift.This can make everything harder and easier.And say,your favorite character is toad,but you really want to use *spolier* waluigi's zipper.If you beat the game,you can use any characters kart for any character!The main modes are time trials:race yourself or ghost and try to break your record.You will get a mushroom and then you race yourself in any track of your choice. Obviously a mario kart favorite and a competitive one,yet it is single player only.But you can trade your ghost and recieve ghost's via LAN or via WFC.Next is Grand Prix.The main mode is a group of races called a cup inside a giant prix either Nitro or Retro.Then you can also pick 50cc,100cc,or 150cc.Your pick as 50cc would be very easy and less fast.100cc would be medium difficulty.150cc would be very fast and hard.Nitro cup is in cups like:mushroom,flower,star,and special.Retro is in cups like this:shell,bannana,leaf,and lighting.Retro is a brand new cup that makes the game much more playable and feels fresh every time.Now it makes the total to 32 tracks insted of 16.The retro cup contains all of the classic tracks from the previous 4 mario kart titles.track listing is as follows:

Shell cup:
1.Snes:Mario kart circuit 1
2.n64: Moo Moo Farm
3.GBA:Peach circuit
4.GCN:Luigi circuit

Bannana cup:
1.Snes:Donut Plains 1
2.N64:frappe snowland
3.GBA:bowsers castle 2
4.GCN:Baby Park

Leaf cup:
1.Snes:koppa Beach 2
2.N64:Choco Mountain
3.GBA:luigi's circuit
4.GCN:mushroom bridge

Lighting cup:
1.SNES:Choco island 2
2.N64:Banshees boardwalk
3.GBA:Sky Garden
4.GCN:yoshis circuit

Now the retro cup is as follows:

Mushroom cup:
1.Figure 8 circuit(this track is in the shape of an 8 very simplistic yet awsome for drifting)
2.Yoshi falls(set on a dirt road very short but tons of cool short cuts in the water fall)
3.Cheep Cheep beach(my favorite!Contains 2 huge power jumps going across 2 islands!Watch out for cheep cheeps and crabs.Also 2 wooden ramps
4.Luigis mansion(go into the mansion and race in the courtyard.Watchout for moving trees and mud)

Flower cup

1.Desert hills(a desert with tons of sand dunes pokeys and even the angry sun from mario bros.3 who spits jumping fire balls at you)
2.Delfino Plaza(a really cool course with the best shortcuts and The biggest power ramp in the game.Watch out for stray boxes)
3.Waluigi pinball(possibly the most favored course this is a huge course on a pinball machine.Go through a giant warp tube,Speed bumps,Power ramps,Giant pinballs,bouncers,and those things that whack the pinball)
4.Shroom Ridge(this course let me down because i love the city car level except this is a boring track with no design at all)
Star cup*the best cup*
1.Dk alpine(a giant mountain with tons of ramps and giant snow balls,and snowmen.This is a really fun level)
2.Tick tock clock(ones of the most favored levels taking place in the mario 64 level.This has tons of moving gears and clocks)
3.Mario circuit(same old)
4.Airship fortress(one of my favorite courses with a giant ramp that sends you like the dk mountain*GCN*.My 2 fav has giant fire thingys and potholes)

Star cup:
1.Wario stadium
2.Peach garden
3.Bowsers castle
4.rainbow road

The new game has a bunch of new tiny fixes too.Like drafting when you are behing someone youll gain a huge speed boost.Now 2 karts have been dropped to one which means it ias easier to drift and the jump came back.This is a relief to all mario kart fans.Now vs.mode and battle mode can be played with bots.HALLUICHI!this is a refief because i cant have my friends over everyday to play this.

But most important:the multiplayer.This can be done by LAN(across 100 feet) but also this can be done online!This is the first nintendo game ever to be online and also helps set up the online service for nintendo.This is easy to set up to get online too.You need broadband working internet,a nintendo usb wifi connector which you can order,and a wireless router.This is as easy to set up as xbox live and is fun too!You can make your own decal and show it to everyone and have a friend code.If you have a friend code,You can play with them online!Up to 4 or 8 players can play online.No chat or voice is a big bummer and sadly no battle online!just vs. and trading time trials.But human compition makes the replay value soo much more and it cant get old.You can chose world wide or region play.

Now A new single player mode has been added to train your skill at mario kart and add even more replay value.The mode is mission mode and has 7 worlds of missions:8 missions in one including a boss battle.They can be easy or hard and usualyy involve collecting coins,doing 4 or more power slide boosts in one lap,kill the random enemy,steer through the gates,ect.At the end of each world is a boss.They are all from previous mario titles.They include big bully:N64,eyerok:n64,King Boo:N64,Big bomb omb:m64,wiggler:super mario sunshine,and chief chilly:mario 64 ds.They are realtively medium difficulty and are really challenging.

Overall this game is awsome and makes other games go to shame!

Great game, great graphics

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

My class took a long trip today in school on a luxury bus, and I joined in on playing Mario Kart with the wireless connection. The graphics are impressive, and the game is great to maneuver, plus it's hard to get bored, especially if you're playing with other people! My advice would be: If you'd like a great new game, this and nintendogs should be your first.

Possibly the best kart game ever!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It was inevitable that mario kart would finally make its way onto the DS. The question that was on everybody's mind was: is it going to be fun. We can answer that question with an unequivocal "YES! AND A BAG OF CHIPS!". While it is not as pretty and intuitive as its big brother "Mario Kart: Double Dash" on the GC, it makes up for that tiny flaw with moxie and great design. There are great new weapons at your disposal as well as more than a few familiar ones. The single greatest weapon addition would have to be the ink bullet that temporarily blinds the driving screen forcing the gamer to navigate using the map on the upper screen. And of course the new game brings in a new design feature that allows you to speed up if you tailgate your opponent for long enough, allowing you zip past the competition.

But the single greatest design aspect of Mario Kart DS that makes it a contender for greatest kart game ever is summarized by two simple words: Wireless Gameplay! Now you can battle people as far as the other side of the world provided that you have useable WiFi in your area (and if you don't you can easily remedy this by buying the Nintendo Wireless dongle that attaches to your USB port on your PC for blissful online gameplay). I have had my buttocks handed to me on numerous occasions by players from Japan, Mali and even in the good ole US of A as well as narrowly squeeking by with undeserved victories. Player skills range from relatively new to god-like (mostly the japanese players), so you might want to brush up on your skills before entering the online arena, but rest assured that once you get into it you'll fall hard.

So, to summarize: Mario Kart DS good, so you should buy. Seriously. Click on the buy now button right now! You won't regret it

Amazing...just amazing.....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As you can see from the title of this review, this game is Amazing! The graphics are the best so far for the Nintendo DS(thats pretty good). The power of Wi-Fi Connection is in your hands. Online action folks and it's better than ever! This is one of the first games for NDS to be online enabled. Looks like Nintendo did a good job.
Mario Kart DS has a new missions mode as well. It's sort of based on Super Mario 64 except that you drive a cart. At the end of ever mission, there is a boss to beat, race, or whatever.
My favorite thing about this game is the Battle mode. I just love the Balloon Battle. I don't want to spoil it for you so... get the game ^^.
It is now time for a list of Pros and Cons...
First off... Pros!
-Great graphics
-Nice colors
-New missions mode
-Unlockable Karts and Characters(Yoshi is awesome!)
-Wi-Fi Enabled(THATS RIGHT! ONLINE TIME!)Free by the way...
-Ability to go against seven of your other friends with only one game card! (eight players in total)
-Just good old throwing bananas and shells action.
-FUN!(by the way, no loading times but you should already know that)

Cons >.<
-Not enough circuits... 32 I believe right now. It could use some more.
-My sisters keep bugging me to play it =P
-That's all the problems I had...

So as you can see, this game is awesome! So buy it for your children or for yourself or even for your parents... its great for all ages and isn't hard to play.
By the way... MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY!
Oh yeah, can you kids spell a bit better? There is something called school and you should go to it! Your reviews are hard to read...

Toss up

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: July 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love Mario Kart and have been a fan of the series, but this one didn't impress me as much.

Sure it's fun, but the fact of the matter is in order to unlock characters and cars, you have to race 200 times on the same tracks.
(There are only 8 I may add)

Graphics:
8/10
Still the same MK graphics

Sound:
10/10
Each track has a different tune

Controls:
10/10
VERY easy to master

Multiplayer:
10/10
Unlike other MK games where you could only race on 4 tracks, you can now race on any track or do battle.
Very fun.

Online Play:
0/10
You know, when I saw that it had online play, I got all excited.
I got really good at the game and then tried against others.

I was REALLY disappointed at what I saw.

People where hacking so that they could win in 5 seconds or using the technique "Snaking".

I don't care what you want to call it, it is CHEATING.
I know how to do it, but I don't see the point in doing it. It's just the race to see who can cheat faster.

In the older MK's, you had to win straight up, and not with this stupid snaking stuff.

Playability:
Moderately-High

Overall:
7.5/10
Online Play kills the enjoyment

My Recommendation:
If you don't like repitition, then don't buy the game.

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