Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS) Preview

One criticism people levelled at Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was that it felt too far removed from the super-tight gameplay of the SNES and GBA iterations of the title. Thankfully, Nintendo have taken a move back to the classic retro gameplay stylings and bought them right back up to date with excellent graphics, sound and wireless multiplayer elements. This preview is going to focus on the multiplayer aspect of the title, so if you want to know how the game players for loners, kindly go and look elsewhere.

With eight units lined up and linked together with no wires, the sight of a full on DS wireless race is an impressive. Whilst at times the connection might be a bit sluggish or faulty (this is for less than 10% of the total time we spent with the game, so no major worries), once all the units have linked together, they are quick and responsive. Connecting takes just a minute or so and doesn't involve anything complicated at all, you just have to sit there and wait. Once all the players who want to be in the game are, you pick a character and a track and the race begins.

The controls are tight and responsive all the time, and the gameplay is even better than the much loved style found in the SNES Super Mario Kart game. Gone are all the flashy, showy aspects of Double Dash!! that made it a bit of a let-down, in are the elements of Super Circuit that bring with them one of the best handheld multiplayer experiences we have ever had the privilege to enjoy.

What the DS' wireless technology allows for is a whole new type of gaming experience. Before, handheld gaming was something of a solitary pastime, with connecting units complicated and involving extra cables and cartridges, but now you just grab some DS owning buddies, sit down, wait to connect and race. This very instant and casual style of play makes Mario Kart DS a hugely exciting title[/i] and when it plays so damn well, who can complain?

The controls are simple, A makes you go, B makes you stop, and the L and R buttons make you slide if held and hop if tapped and fire off weapons that you collect from the various 'Question Mark' boxes dotted about the courses. Nintendo have combined some retro arenas with totally new tracks to create a fairly extensive collection of places to face-off against up to seven friends on. All the courses we played were excellent. None of them felt too similar, and graphically they were excellent, with loads of detail and interactive course elements coming into play.

Against a full array of human opponents means you have to be far more on your toes than with computer controlled foes. Grudges are held, personal battles come into play and the whole experience is far more dirty and underhand. Did DK nick that 'Question Mark' box from under your nose on lap one? With the choice between the ape and Peach to ram into with your newly acquired Star Power, the obvious choice is the former; wham, revenge.

Shouting, cajoling and general banter all make for a great gameplay experience. The group we assembled to enjoy the experience with us were all laughing, shouting and exchanging banter throughout the races, and there was a great feeling of fun amongst those playing. The game is challenging, but always fair. Good racing will ultimately prevail, but that is not to say that luck has a certain influence on results. There are some great weapons to propel at your mates in this title, weapons that can turn certain victory into devastating defeat, but we will keep those under wraps for now.