
Mario is back and he’s in racing form this time. Mario Kart is Nintendo’s 6th Mario racing game and previous releases have always had their fare share of major positive reviews. This installment of the franchise promises to bring together old favourites and add some new ones to the mix. How does Mario Kart DS fare?
The premise, as will all other Mario Kart games is the same. You are given 8 popular characters to choose from whether it’s the famous plumber himself, the damsel in distress Peach or Bowser. After you have chosen your characters, it’s time to put them on the track. Mario Kart DS has several circuits to choose from and three different CC’s which basically just difficulty. You can opt for single courses or go for tournament style racing as well as a variety of other modes.
Mario Kart DS brings together tracks from previous Mario outings whether it’s updated Super Nintendo, N64 or Gameboy tracks or new tracks altogether. The game does a fantastic job of making these tracks look nice and quirky. The SNES tracks have been given a nice 3D facelift and the N64 ones look better than ever before. Each of the courses look nice and smooth with no complaints in that department. Nintendo have done a fine job with regards to the detailing of the characters. For a handheld game, they look visually stunning.
The way Nintendo have laid the game out on the dual screens is perfect. The top screen is where the main action will be going on but there’s no position tables, mini maps or times to ruin it. This is because all these details are nicely positioned on the bottom of the screen. They are laid out so simply that one quick glance at the bottom wil give you all the information you need to know.
The control scheme is pretty simple. The control pad to steer, A to accelerate, B to break and the R button to do a hop and power skid. These controls allow for just anyone to pick up and play the game making it trademark Mario; accessible to everyone. However, playing the game, I found little use for the B button as the R shoulder button pretty much did all that for me and did a better job of it.
The soundtrack matches everything in the game in perfect unison. Whether it’s cruising through Bowsers Mansion or going through the sandy beaches of Delfino Island, the music throughout will set the tone perfectly.
In terms of new and old features, Nintendo have kept the old formula which made the game so popular and good and added some new improvements on top of that. These include a new battle game where you race against your opponents to collect as many shine sprites as possible. Alongside this is the new and addictive battle mode where you are given different scenarios which must be completed within a set time. Not one to forget the social side of gaming, Nintendo have added new Wi Fi capabilities so you can race against people around the world. Nintendo haven’t really made much of the DS’s touch screen capabilities however and it would have been nice to see a little more of this implemented into the game.
The little details in the game are nice to see aswell. Quite often, you’ll see the characters shake their fists in triumph as one of your traps ruin an opponents chances of victory or shout humourous little catch phrases out. It’s these tiny details that improve the game even more.
There’s plenty to do in the game aswell. Like many good games, not everything is available at the start and Mario Kart is no exception. You’ll be drawn in trying to unlock either new circuits or missions. Seasoned Mario Kart veterans however, may get a little bored as the difficulty level in Mario Kart isn’t the hardest.
It’s clear what Nintendo have done with Mario Kart. They’ve taken a popular formula and improved it into a fun and addictive game. The visuals and sound are stunning, there’s plenty to do throughout the game and you’ll get hooked from start to finish.
+ Old formula still works quite well
+ Visuals and soundtrack are fantastic
+ Easy control scheme
+ Visuals and soundtrack are fantastic
+ Easy control scheme
- Not much use of the touch screen
- Some controls are unnecessary
- Could be a little too easy for some
- Some controls are unnecessary
- Could be a little too easy for some
veja um traile do jogo e venha se diverti !_! *_*