GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Without going into sixteen thousand words about how much a game performs, let’s take a step back and look at it this way. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is like any other Nintendo title. It doesn’t need to live up to any sort of hype. As with any other Nintendo title, it lives off of the gamers’ love for the franchise or simply the developers themselves; they never need that much hype to prove that they’re amazing. Mario Kart has always provided the addictive gameplay that Nintendo fans demand and crave. I can tell you right now that it’s amazing. I can also tell you that you’ll need to buy this game if you haven’t already. What kind of Nintendo fan would I be if I didn’t thoroughly enjoy a Mario Kart game? The only way they can screw this genre up is by not sticking to the roots of the simple play mechanics. That’s the bottom line. So, you’ll either need to read a bit of this review if you’ve already played the game or drop what you’re doing, sell some plasma, and pick this up now.

visuals

In a word, supremely delicious. Even if you can’t count, you’ll be able to bask in the amazing graphics that have been created for this generation’s offering of Mario Kart. Each racer is endowed with beautifully smooth textures which never cease to amaze me. The course design is excellent, but not nearly as memorable as those found in the original. However, that’s not to say that there are plenty of great courses that will irritate you or make you fall in love such as Sherbet Land (so much hatred) and Daisy’s Cruiser (lovin’ it strong). The environments that are found in each track are amazingly created from all the different characters’ worlds. Everything looks nicely polished and there is only a little bit of slowdown that can be found in the most intense multiplayer modes. Nothing too unpredictable, but everything looks beautiful nonetheless.

audio

Everything is put together with care. The music, the sound effects, and the voices all bring the wonderful character of the Mario Kart series to life. Perky, upbeat tempos set up an excellent soundtrack for the insanity that comes with the frantic pace that the game provides. There’s nothing here that’ll cause nasty tumors in your ears, but there’s just nothing that memorable except for the main theme. The sound effects are comprised of plenty of cartoonish crashes, explosions, squealing tires, and then some. The voice work is a dramatic twist from what was found earlier in Mario Party 5, but these voices actually fit the scheme even better than they did there. The sound is produced nicely and everything is crystal clear. Moving on.

gameplay

Honestly, there’s just not much to say here because there’s not a whole lot to mention about the gameplay. There are only two single player modes and while they are limited, they can easily provide dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay, just for the sheer enjoyment. The grand prix mode allows you to race your way through three different cups in three different difficulty settings. Racing through these takes some skill, especially in 150cc, the most difficult of the available modes. Given the challenge level, there’s incentive enough for plenty of replay. There’s also the time trial mode which is basically, well, a time trial of every course and cup. Race your ghost in order to meet your record time on each course. While not nearly as fun as the grand prix, it still provides plenty of fun, especially if you’re trying to break a friend’s record.

You have the choice between several different racers such as Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Bowser, DK, Baby Mario, etc as well as a few unlockable characters. After choosing your driver and your teammate, you’ll be able to choose between a few carts with the addition of a few unlockables. Most don’t necessarily look like carts, but they do the job plenty fine while providing some style. Controlling each racer is easy enough. You’ll have one person to drive and one person to throw weapons, which works surprisingly well and adds enough innovation without spoiling the taste of the classic play mechanics. Maneuvering through each track is easy enough, especially with the powerslide. Everything is simplistic and more fun than anything I’ve played all year long. This may not be the game that highlights what the GameCube can really do, but it’s certainly enough of a reason to pick one up during the holiday season.

multiplayer

There’s plenty here that will keep you playing Mario Kart: Double Dash!! well into next year. Cooperative play is everything you’ve wanted. Having a gunner on your side is great and provides plenty of entertainment aside from the normal VS multiplayer modes. Sure, the VS is still fun, but the co-op is where it’s at. If you can name a game wherein cooperative play wouldn’t make a game better, I’ll eat my MKDD instruction booklet. The battle maps are nowhere near as memorable or as exciting as the original SNES version. However, they’re still plenty fun and can be extremely exciting with four players or more. It’s all about the LAN, baby.

overall

There you have it. Did you really need me to tell you that this is one of the best titles available today on the Nintendo GameCube? It’s obviously not perfect, but from what I’ve played, perfection is not an issue if you enjoy the hell out of it. With the excellent visuals, quality Nintendo charm, and hours upon hours of replay value, there’s just nothing to hate about this game... except for Sherbet Land. So much hate! Now, if you’ve been waiting for the reviews to ride in before purchasing this game, I bet you feel really silly right now. To remedy it, you’ll need to drop what you’re doing right now and pick this game up.

Oh, and get me some Fritos while you’re out.

9.7/10