Mario Kart: Double Dash

The new Karts, which hold two people, are a great new feature. Not only does this allow two players to team up together, it also allows four people to play in Grand Prix mode, something that was not available on the N64. In addition, each character has a unique weapon, which adds variety to the game. With many characters to choose from, and a large assortment of unlockable karts, levels, and characters, Mario Kart Double Dash also has a greater potential for extended game play than any of its predecessors.

The graphics are stunning, and the commentary by the characters enjoyable. It is entertaining to work on various combinations of characters, and try to pick out a kart suited for them. The game is difficult, but not so difficult that you have to dedicate your life to playing it. As always, the battle mode contains unlimited possibilities in the way of kart mayhem. In short, this is an excellent game, worthwhile in every way. With this game, Nintendo continues its tradition of excellent, unique games, and provides yet one more reason why the GameCube is a great choice for a system.


How could anyone ever think this is bad?!? IT ROCKS!   February 9, 2004
18 out of 23 found this review helpful

What a game! Where do I start? Well, let's see. You can choose from SO MANY STINKIN' CHARACTERS! You can choose Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Koopa, Paratroopa, Diddy Kong, Baby Bowser, Waluigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Peach, Daisy, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Wario, plus you can unlock 4 more characters you can unlock, Toad, Toadette, Petey Piranha, and King Boo. Also you pair up two characters so that you can create a winning duo. Each set pair (ex: Mario & Luigi, Petey Piranha & King Boo) has their own car to start with, but as you progress, you eventually unlock a kart for every character! It's extremely cool, because you can choose any kart you want for any character, but only if the kart fits the heavier character's weight class. It means that if you pair up two light characters, you can ride in a light kart. If you pair up a light and a medium or a medium and a meduim, you can ride in a medium kart. If you pair up a light and a heavy, a medium and a heavy, or a heavy and a heavy, you can ride in a heavy kart. The courses range from begginer course like Baby Park and Luigi Raceway to advanced courses like Dino Dino Island and Rainbow Road. You can also unlock a bonus cup, the Special Cup and the All-Cup Tour, a championship that takes you across the country ina frantic 16-race Grand Prix. And the multiplayer is sweet! If you want to, up to four players can drive alone controlling both racers in the kart. Or you can team up, one driving and one taking shotgun. Each character pairing also has a unique special item only them can pick up. If four player team up into two karts, you can race 4-player Grand Prix! FINALLY! WHOO-HOO! The multiplayer battle mode is the only thing that lacks a little, although that is much more entertaining than recent battles. Instead of just a baloon battle, you can also play Shine Thief where you chase a Shine Sprite until someone drives into it and the timer starts. Then other players attack the player in possesion of the Shine with items so they drop it. As soon as someone picks it up the chase begins again. Whoever is in possession of the Shine when the timer stops wins. Or you can play Bomb-omb Battle, where the only item boxes available contain Waluigi and Wario's special item, the Bob-omb, and you have to blow up the opposing characters a pre-determined number of times to win. You start with four somewhat interesting courses, but you can unlock two much more interesting courses, Luigi's Mansion and the Tilt-a-Kart stage.

Graphics: 7/10: Not stunning, but cartoonish in spots (but isn't that what Mario is supposed to look like?)

Gameplay: 10/10: Pretty easy to master, very fun.

Replay Value: 10/10: It's always fun to try new character pairings on different courses.

Multiplayer: 10/10: Friends and I have a blast playing this.

Overall: 9.25 of 10: That score is technically correct if you do the math based off of every other catagories scores, but I'd give it a ten anyway. BUY THIS GAME!


Same old...   September 8, 2003
Potato Mike (England)
11 out of 50 found this review helpful

I'm pretty used to Nintendo games now. I've been playing them for far too many years. Just when they released Mario Sunshine they get the difficulty just right. Unfortunately they didn't make the game last. Sure I could get all the blue coins but why bother? The game was TOO SHORT.

Nintendo are getting in the habit of releasing these short games and Mario Kart Double Dash is no exception. You really got the feeling they put the effort into Mario Kart 64 but this just looks like a 3D/cel-shading mix up.

But lets not concentrate soully on the graphics. The gameplay. No online gaming. It was amazing how many people were outraged when they heard there was going to be no online gaming. Playing it with your friends will only last so long before they go home. There's no challenge when you're playing the CPU. The game would have lasted so much longer if it was online.

The tracks are a bit more intresting then Mario 64. There are pipes with flat piranha plants, there are flat balls of fire, there is a sphere chomp. Oh wait... the sphere chomp was also in the N64 game. Oh how technology has advanced!

The game is boring. You start it, you finish it. And all for fifty notes. So what? Wait a year until it's in the bargin bin. Maybe half a year. If this was a report card to Nintendo I'd write in red ink, "unoriginal" and "must try harder!" I expected so much from Mario Sunshine but now I've learnt better from it. Come on Nintendo, give us a long game for once that isn't on the Game Boy Advance. PLEASE!!!


You take the wheel,I'm riding shotgun!   October 17, 2003
YoshiMaster (Plymouth, MN USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This game is the best Mario Kart in the series.From its colorful 3D graphics to its awsome multi player features.This game's got all you want in a racing game.

The biggest change is that you can have 2 players in a kart at the same time and choose the car you want.Each pair of players has a special item that only the two of them can use like Yoshi and Birdo's egg or Baby Mario and Baby Luigi's giant chain chomp.

The characters that you can use are as follows:Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Koopa, Paratroopa, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and the unlockables:Toad, Toadette, King Boo and Petey Piranah.

One of the coolest new features is the unlockables.You can unlock different coarses, characters and cars.This adds a brand new twist to the series.

The coarses are amazing.Travel through sandy beaches,dry deserts,rainforests and a lot more.Beautiful 3d graphics create the awsome scenery.