Mario Kart: Double Dash Reviews

• Great fun for the whole family...and probably the kids too!

  
  By A27ZOCD5B63Y0P on 2005-01-18
  My brother received a Gamecube (it came with this game only) for Christmas. He's in his thirties. I'm almost in my thirties. And I'm the youngest. There were six adults at our family get-together this past Christmas. There were no children. But all of us got the biggest kick out of this game. I don't even usually like racing games, and I loved it! I almost never play console games (only computer games), and I couldn't get enough of it.
  
  This game is easy enough that anyone can enjoy it and still presents enough difficulties not to make it boring. That is a balance which very few games ever achieve. If you own a Gamecube, this is definitely for you. If you don't own a Gamecube, this game could potentially make you want to purchase one.
  
  

• A great new addition to this excellent series

  
  By AHCVWPLA1O4X8 on 2004-01-22
  The people at Nintendo have really outdone themselves this time. I have always been a big fan of the Mario Kart series, and each release has been better than the last. This is no exception. Mario Kart Double Dash includes all of the classic elements that made the Super NES and N64 versions so much fun--wacky cast of characters, cool weapons, intense battle mode, very enjoyable Grand Prix mode--and yet manages to improve in almost every aspect of the game.

  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!

  
  By on 2004-02-09
  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...

  
  By A3QB02PLJ40KWT on 2003-09-08
  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!

  
  By AQNALR9ZBBML4 on 2003-10-17
  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.
  
  

• IF YOU HAVE NGC AND U DONT GET IT UMISED OUT
  By A1EUKGOFN92Q93 on 2003-07-28
  I played the one for n-64 even though i didn't own one back then, i had a ps1. now that i have a gamecube i'm not going to miss out. I know i made a lotof mistakes choosing games, but this is some thing i've got to have. I my self am pre-ordering it so i don't have towait til christmas to play it!.And i myself love mario games thisone is not a downer if your deciding ofgetting oen your self.I mean the sharpness it exelent the gameplay beautiful,sceen shots are good.IF YOUR STILL NOT CONVINCED YET,go to nintendo.com click on games then go to master game list. click on gamecube, after go tto the m's you'll see mk:dd(mario kart double dash) click on audio/video chooes oneof the two quicktime or midia player and wala!so i hope you enjoy bye. reminder dooooonntttt miss out
  
  
• Not a good game
  By A1TIOB7P4QQEMS on 2004-07-24
  I think anyone who is considering to buy this game should know this first.
  
  This game doesnt break any new ground, neither graphics or sound fx. The duo tag-team option is new but not great. There are GC games out there, even kids games that look and sound a little better. Cel shading would have been nice. This game isn't.
  
  The unreasonable difficulty towards the later parts is the main reason why this game fails when compared to Mario Kart 64.
  
  1. It does not have the option to replay the course you failed in. Therefore you are forced to replay the entire cup of 4 courses. Although the game designers might have thought this would make it more difficult, yes it does make it more difficult but I think it's not a good move to piss off your consumers. Mario Kart 64 had the option to replay the course.
  
  2. The computer karts can move faster than what is technically possible in this game. Therefore whoever you are handling will have a disadvantage against the computer. Their ability to turbo boost reminds me of the power of using game cheating devices except you, the human player is up against a bunch of cheaters controlled by a computer.
  
  That is a major disadvantage and a turn-off. You either have to buy your own action replay or gameshark or use 4 controllers to control up to 4 karts of 8 characters leaving the rest to the computer, increasing the odds of you winning - but sadly that option is not available in this game. You can only control 2 karts up to 4 characters.
  
  I think the game designers mistook " a difficult game" for " a great game". Granted that difficulty makes a game more challenging and replayable, Mario Kart: Double Dash is not MGS2 or Gran Turismo. There is no need to push the human players this hard. The winning point of this type of game is not in it's difficulty, it's in the simplicity and possibilities when playing this game. Game design is not all about making a game difficult by making the CPU more challenging.
  
  We paid a bit of money to buy this game and we want something in return. If Nintendo is serious about being a key player in this market, it has to not only produce quality and variety games but also know what we want out of different genres of games. Because the Gamecube has much fewer games than the Sony PS2, each game is very important in deciding how the console will fare.
  
  I know some will come to defend this game as a ground-breaking spectacle. That the criticisms are unfair. But think about it, this is really to help Nintendo improve. I recommend a rental to decide 4 urself. You will win and complete this game eventually but at the price of being pushed to fustration and having to replay the grand prix cups over and over again is just not consumer-friendly.
  
  I hope that the next Mario Kart game will be a better game.
  
  
• WARNING: Addiction is bad!
  By AO4J90YPX5RU6 on 2004-08-11
  I agree with the kid that said this was "Hands down the best racing game ever!". It's more than a racing game, it's an all out road war. If the other racers don't get you the obstacles on each track will. Mushroom Kingdoms favorite foes like Goomba's, Piranha Plant's, Pokey's and many more are waiting around every turn. There are a number of weapons that you can put to use againist your opponents.. like turtle shells, bombs, banana peels, large spiked King Koopa shells, fire, explosive boxes and more. There are also mushrooms that give you that extra boost of speed that can sometimes help you win the race at the last minute. Not to mention the famous speed boosters that are on each track. The tracks are great, they're "Super Mario Sunshine" themed. I recommend that game highly as well. There are some tracks that are not "Sunshine" themed however. I recall one track that traffics regular and not-so regular vehicles, these cars and trucks will slow you down if you don't stay clear of them. I did notice some people say this game isn't much more advanced than "Mario Kart 64", don't believe such bologna. This game blows "Mario Kart 64" out of the water. Just in case you haven't played this yet, you may wanna know where the subtitle "Double Dash" comes from. That's simple you are able to choose two characters that race together. The combination is up to you. For instance you can team Mario with Bowser if you like, or you can be traditional and put the Mario Bros. together. My choice last time I played was Koopa and Wario. An odd team but that gives you an idea of your options. One character drives while the other is equip with an array of weapons (mentioned above), with the press of a button they are able to switch jobs. There are unlockable characters and tracks, but you do start off with a wide variety. Bottomline is, I really believe you won't find a better racing game. It's not Nascar and there's not a woman in a bikini that waves a checked flag, but I recommend it fully based on hundreds of hours in replay value, beautiful graphics, user friendly controls, and Nintendo's timeless characters that I always seem to fiend for more of. "MARIO KART DOUBLE DASH" IS A GREAT GAME TO ADD TO YOUR GAMECUBE INVENTORY. 100%
  
  
• Start The Warp Pipe Engines!!
  By A3W4D8XOGLWUN5 on 2003-12-01
  It is just so amazing when it really comes to video games these days. When I decided to purchase a new video game system, I had a very difficult time in knowing which system to buy. I could've bought the Xbox or Playstation 2, largely because of the value of games they've each came up with. Instead, I felt it was a wiser move to purchase the Gamecube from Nintendo. I think it was a much wiser mover, because it was easier to drag around, and because of the games that were available for it. One of them, really reminds me so well of a classic. Mario Kart has been considered as one of the Top 5 racing games of all time, accoriding to the Nickelodeon GAS show Play 2 Z. When I got to play this one, I thought it was much fiercer than ever before.

  Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, is the first Mario Kart release to really have a massive impact, since Mario Kart 64 back in 1997. The game takes on a true new light, as not one, but 2 different characters range with special weapons, and much more difficult tracks than the previous Mario Kart. The graphics really stand out on all the tracks as a premium that Gamecube has brought for about the past few years, and the game has more than ever. The game has the exact same number of courses and surprises that was in the previous one, but the oponents are tougher and make your road to #1 a lot harder. I also have to admit, the idea of swapping the team during the middle of the race also makes the pace a lot harder to go around, and the carts are definitely cute to fierce, depending on the status of your driving. I also like the idea of the internet device that can be used to add to the mayhem of Mario Kart. It just makes the game a lot more exciting, considering that just came out recently too. The game stands out a whole lot more than other racers at this time, largely because other racing games are exactly just the same these days.

  This is the very first game I've ever purchased for the Gamecube, since I bought the game system just recently too. I don't know how many people may enjoy the new Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as much as I am. Whatever the case is, Nintendo should really consider making a sequel very, very soon. This race cannot be stopped.
  
  

• Double Dash of Excitement
  By A11FQR8TQ92I6U on 2003-08-11
  Although no one can give this game an honest review, as it is not out yet...I think it is quite obvious what the results will be: A definite 5 star sequel. Everyone loves playing Mario Kart games whether they choose to admit it or not, so naturally... this game will be one of Gamecubes top sellers if not the top-most. And, although X-box and PS2 have their high points, few things can compete with a good Mario Kart game, especially when it has 128 bit graphics, twice the amount of players, better karts, and options to fly, drive, or go by boat. Every gamecube owner should by this game at any cost.
  
  
• Why You Bought a GameCube..... To Play This
  By A1QP4S97OUCJX7 on 2003-11-18
  i had been waitong to play this game for well over a year( since i heard it was in the making) and november the 14th, my dream had come true. The garphics are superb, with great character modeling and great looking tracks. the noticeable thing about the driving is that the steering of the Karts has been made very slow to respond, but works brilliantly.My first impressions after playing this game was that is seemed rarther slow and very very easy, seeming to chug along(50cc mode)i won the mushroom cup with ease, but my worries were soon thrown in the bin once i stepped up to 150cc, i got absolutely hammered in the championship and was very happy with that .... i hav completed the game now and unlocked everything (you unlock something every time you win a chapionship( unlockables include new carts, battle mode arenas, two characters who i will no say, and a new 'all cup tour',( you play all of the tracks randomely in one go), and look forward to gaming with my mates on the good old battle mode.
  i wouldn't buy this game if you arent someone who likes multiplayer gaming, the 1p mode can be completed in 2 or 3 hours, but other wise..... GET THIS...GAME IT ROCKS!!!
  
  
• I was not disappointed....
  By AGKJU4CBYSY1Y on 2004-01-28
  ....but this game does have a few flaws that put it a little below Mario Kart 64.

  First, the good: The track design is *amazing* and greatly improved from Kart 64. The track in Wario Coliseum is impossibly twisted, and DK Mountain, the best track, has a cannon to shoot you to the top of the mountain, and you fly back down. I also liked Baby Park for its simplicity - it's just an oval, but it's so small that you're constantly switching places with your friends, and there are weapons ricocheting everywhere during the seven (!) laps.

  Some of the other tracks have interesting premises (Daisy Cruiser, which is set on a cruise ship), but they're not quite as fun as they should be. Other tracks are blatant rip-offs of the previous games... we get yet another rainbow track, Bowser's castle, a dirt-bike track, a jungle, a beach, a desert, etc. How about switching things up a little? How about a track on the moon, or a roller coaster, or a funhouse, or in a level from another Mario game? See how easy that is, Nintendo?

  One thing about the tracks I do appreciate is that many of them have "zippers" that give you a boost of speed. Only a couple of tracks in the last version had these.

  The two-characters-to-a-cart aspect works well... you can hold two weapons and switch depending on which one you need. Although it's quite hard to reach the Z-button to switch characters while you're playing. I also think the slide technique is not as effective in this game as it was last time. Neither are some of the weapons. The new bomb would be an excellent weapon; unfortunately, when you toss it forward, it always explodes when you're right next to it. You should be immune to your own bombs.

  The new special, character-specific weapons are great, and the giant banana peel is hilarious. I find it very annoying that you can't tap the brake after you hit a banana peel to stop from spinning out, as you could in the last game. I like having a choice of many cars, as well.

  Some players will be angry that they cannot access four of the tracks until they pass the final level on the medium difficulty. This is not an easy thing to do; I'm a veteran Nintendo player and it took me about a dozen tries before I could do it. Although I do like the new point system for the tournaments that gives even the 7th-place finisher a point.

  The battle modes, which some people consider the heart of the Kart games, did disappoint me. They aren't the slightest bit creative or interesting like the main tracks, and the variations are kinda stupid. Amazing that the battle mode keeps getting less fun the more advance the graphics get in these games... or is it that it's just played out? Nah, I don't think so.

  Overall, this is a great game, with outstanding graphics, fun sound effects and music and great replayability, especially with multiple players. But when you're making a sequel to some of the most popular video games of all time, you've gotta be perfect.... at least to get my five-star rating. ;)
  
  

• Terrible
  By A2Z5EHYVLTM9PF on 2004-09-07
  Having played Mario Kart: 64, I had huge expections for the hopefully advanced Gamecube version. I was truely dissipointed.
  
  Reasons:
  
  - Very small. The tracks are very small. It takes less than 30 sec to compleate most races, most while Mario Krat: 64 races take me 2-7 minutes to compleate.
  
  - The batteling is horrible. The batteling arena is very small, and the only enjoyable (Which saved this game from 1 star overall) batteling segment is where you throw bombs at each other.
  
  - The replay isn't good. This game takes 1 hour to master for the average gamer to beat.
  
  
  Basically, the major downfall of this game is that it is too small. In the N64 game we had fun, and sometimes long race tracks. Hopefully, Nintendo will improve...
  
  
• A big disappointment
  By AROWZGGO4VTJU on 2006-11-09
  This game was a really big disappointment for me. I had to try this game because of all the hype and all the reviews here. Having played the Nintendo 64 game titled Mario Kart 64 I felt like it was not much of an improvement. In fact, I feel that Mario Kart 64 was a better game. The only improvement was in the graphics. Still, why do the characters not have fingers? In this stage of the game you would think that they would have fingers by now. Anyway, after I played the game I played a bit cheated. I was bored by it within ten minutes. The game is supposed to shine with multiplayer but it fizzled. There are so many GameCube racing games out there that are so much better than this game at a much lower price. One example of a better combat racing game is Burnout. If you can get any one of the games in this series you will see what a good combat racing game feels like. I feel that Mario Kart Double Dash!! is a dumbed down version of Mario Kart 64. I so much wanted it to be a great game. It no longer has the hopping ability of the previous game. For me it just wasn't very good. Double Dash!! probably would be better for very young gamers as they would probably be more forgiving of its shortcomings.
  
  
• a solid, fun game- but its a rehash
  By A3M3EYDX1JJ1YS on 2003-11-28
  My friend brought his GameCube over my house recently and we rented Mario Kart: Double Dash. Having previously owned a N64 and Mario Kart 64, and loving it, I was expecting a good, fun game and a quality sequel. Well, I was right, and I was wrong.

  Double Dash!! has a number of new features, such as two characters per cart. Two characters per cart means one is driving and the other handles the weapons or other goodies you pickup. This also creates a number of new things:

  1) since different characters have different weights, it affects which carts you can choose, since the cart has to be big enough to fit the bigger of the two. This makes it so bigger carts might have a higher top speed, but accelerate slower or handle looser, ect.

  2) it allows you to switch between characters, so if you're playing with two people on one cart, you can switch drivers, ect.

  Some other new features are the ability to "power steer" into turns. This makes you loose the ablity to move around sharply, but slows you down and lets you hug the turn better, so you don't go flying off the road. Also unfortunately the hop was taken out, probably due to power steering being added.

  Double Dash has the same number of cups, and the same number of levels per cup, so theres still 16 levels, which is pretty good, but a lot of them are rehashes of old courses. For instance, theres a desert course, ice course, beach course, castle course, rainbow course, and other ones. These were all basic course designs in MK64, but there are some new ones, like a cruise ship.

  DD has new LAN multiplayer features, so you can play over a non-internet ethernet network. The game is popular at colleges since you just plug into the college LAN and game away. Its a cool little feature but online play should have definitely been included.

  The problem with DD is it feels like a rehash. It plays just like MK64, and it seems like little has been done to make it more like a sequel. The courses are too similar, I was disappointed with the lack of very many new drivers (theres only a few new, I was expecting a lot), and I think there should have maybe been an extra cup added at the end to make it even more interesting. Don't get me wrong, its still a fun game, and I will probably buy a GC soon and pick up a copy, but as a sequel I think it fails. I give this game 4.5 stars. Just my two cents.
  
  

• Nintendo gets this one right! Mario Kart a must buy!
  By A1N2Y18LBI4C66 on 2004-01-16
  I recommend this game highly for every GameCube owner. The game is easily one of the best racing (and for that matter, any game) ever. If you don't know by reading other reviews, websites, etc., the basic premise is simple. Race a variety of Nintendo game inspired courses with a slew of old nintendo characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Birdo, Yoshi, Toad, Toadette, Wario, Waluigi, Piranha Pete, King Book, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Daisy (easily the most annoying character...), Bowser, and Baby Bowser.

  The game is amazing (NO LOAD TIMES, which is great), but is best enjoyed as a multiplayer game. Racing, battle mode (3 different versions), and time trials round out the majority of the options.

  BOTTOM LINE:
  (9.3 out of 10)
  This game is fun, but the true challenge lies in multiplayer. It won't take long to unlock everything (which requires beating everything). The computer A.I. is decent, but not overly challenging once you get used to the controls (roughly 30 min - 2 hour learning curve.) I highly recommend this game to all.
  
  

• Game of the Year: 2003
  By A2AV2TR28DGSGC on 2004-02-26
  Utter the words "Mario Kart" in a group of gamers, and you are likely to receive a reaction that can best be described as "awe." Why not? Mario Kart made appearances on three Nintendo since 1992, and each time they had been among the premiere games of their respective consoles. In 2003, Nintendo finally comes out with the Gamecube version of the legendary kart-racing series: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! And once again, Nintendo has a winner on their hands.
  Veterans of the Mario Kart series would feel right at home with the new Mario Kart game. The controls are generally the same. Even those new to Mario Kart would have no problems adapting to them. The biggest change to the Mario Kart formula is the appearance of what I call the "buddy system." Now, instead of one racer controlling the driving, you've got one person manning the wheel and another dropping the items. However, there's no difference whom you have driving and whom you have dropping. Unless you're playing Co-Op (more on that later), all you have to do is press Z and the characters would switch places. The only advantage this new system has is that it allows you to store items for later use.
  Another important addition to the game with the addition of the extra racer is the appearance of a new Co-Op mode. Now two players can combine to control one kart. One player drives while the other takes care of the items. One person Drifts while the other person does the Turbo. It may seem difficult to coordinate between two players, but the execution is quite excellent.
  All the various driving techniques make their reappearances in Double Dash!! Mini-Turbo Boosts are back and easier to perform. Boosts off the starting line are also back. The jump is gone, but seriously. Can you jump on a go-kart? The options in Double Dash contain old classics and new features. As was expected, Grand Prix, Versus, and Battle are back and better than ever.
  Unlike Mario Kart 64, which is easy to jump right into 150cc Grand Prix and capture first, or Mario Kart: Super Circuit, which has an astonishing jump in difficulty between 100cc and 150cc, Double Dash eases you into the Grand Prix. Gone are the days where the AI catches up almost immediately after you take care of them. Now you can easily build up a 10-second lead, or find yourself 10 seconds behind the computer. The former is the case in 50cc, which is easier than a walk in the park. The latter describes 150cc, which often become bitter battles for first place.
  For the first time ever, Double Dash features an All Cup Tour, which is an intense, 16-course marathon Grand Prix with all of the courses. This is just one of many unlockables present in the game. Other important unlockables include Special Cup, Mirror Mode, and two secret Battle stages.
  Of course, the most important aspect of Mario Kart is the courses. A kart racing game with bad courses are no fun to play. Thankfully, we don't have anything to worry about. The geniuses have supplied us with some of the most enjoyable courses ever to hit a racing game. Sure, there are some duds, but courses like D.K. Mountain are just pure delight.
  The problem comes with the Battle courses, which are excellent in their own right, but just seems like of lacking when compared to the courses of the past. (Tilt-a-Kart is cool, though.) The addition of two new battle modes makes up for the state of the courses. Shine Thief is like Oddball in Halo. There is a Shine on the course, and one player must take control of it for a combined 60 seconds. Bob-Omb Blast is just insane. Players chuck Bob-Ombs at each other for points. You gain a point if you hit somebody, and you lose a point if you get blown up. And for the traditionalists, there¡¦s the Balloon Match.
  While Nintendo refused to supply Mario Kart with online play, it does make use of the broadband adapter in LAN mode. It may be rather costly to connect to LAN, as two Gamecubes, two broadband adapters, and two copies of the game are needed in addition to a standard network cable. However, nothing can top the joys of 8-player Mario Kart, even the lack of a player-select.
  Graphically, the game is very similar to Super Mario Sunshine. The character models are detailed, and everything seems to have a sort of glossy, cel-shaded look. The game certainly is no Metroid Prime or even The Wind Waker in terms of graphics, but the visuals are definitely no slouch.
  The music of this game doesn't seem to be as good as the music in Mario Kart 64. However, they do fit the racing mood very well, and some of them are rather catchy. And it¡¦s always great to hear the Mario Kart 64 Rainbow Road theme pop up in Double Dash. Sound Effects is where the game excels. There are 22 characters, and each of them has their own distinct voice samples. Even Daisy's "Hi! I'm Daisy!" line has its charms. The screeches of the karts are present but virtually unnoticeable in the heat of the race.
  All in all, Mario Kart: Double Dash may not be an epic to the scale of The Wind Waker or Prince of Persia, but with the best replay value in gaming since Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2001, Double Dash may very well be the best Gamecube game of 2003. It's never fun to fall from first to fourth following a cavalcade of shells, but you'll still find yourself wanting to play some more. Now that's power.
  
  
• Best Racing Game
  By on 2004-10-14
  Mario Kart: Double Dash is an extraodinary game. It is is full of secrets to be unlocked as the game proceeds, along with the amzing characters.
  
  One of the best features of the game is that you can cooperate with a friend/ sibling, and attempt to win the race together. There are also many new shortcuts to be found and a new array of race tracks. There is also a large assortment of items, including special items that can only be recieved through the character that you are currently playing.
  
  Mario Kart:Double Dash is a must have for all Mario lovers. It brings back many of the old characters like Luigi and Peach along with newer ones, like Daisy and Waluigi. It is the best game for people who enjoy the thrill of racing.
  
  
• Greatest Gamecube Game Ever
  By A137RU0N3VFI9T on 2005-12-09
  This game is so much fun. I'm a 35 year old guy. My wife is 29 and hates video games. Everyone in our family has a ball playing this game. My mother-in-law even loves it. I'm telling you, this is a deserted island game. Any game you can have on a deserted island? Pick this one.
  
  
• A Ton of Fun
  By A1MSOGY9NX8W1G on 2006-04-24
  This is probably one of the best, most fun games I own. You can play from a variety of players, even Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. What makes this game fun and different from all the other Mario Kart's is that each character has their own special item. For example: Mario and Luigi have fireballs, Baby Mario and Luigi have Chain Chomps. You can also play as two charecters, while in the other Mario Karts, you could only play as one. Double the fun! This game takes a while to "beat" or get all the levels on. Even after you get all the levels, it is still fun to play, even more since their would be more levels! This game may be hard at first, but after awhile it is fun and an exiting game to play. If you are thinking about getting a Mario game, or some form of a Mario Kart game, I suggest you get Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
  
  
• 5 starz awsome
  By AH959SS6YVJ4C on 2003-06-20
  THis game is sweet! U get 2 drive 4 weelers!! If you loved the first 3 you will LOVE this one!
  
  
• This game is awwwwsome!!
  By on 2003-07-19
  This game will be a blast, if you see this game on Television you will feel like if you were about to get paralyzed and you will probably be too stuned to say a word. I don't know about you guys but to me I'll give this game 5 stars. In this game there can be 2 people in the karts , and there are even more players than before. I can't wait until they sell this on November 20, 2003. I'm going to beg my parents until they say yes.
  
  
• A great sequel to some awesome games
  By on 2003-09-20
  Mario is back with another great racing game. Even though we can't give an honest review because the game isn't out yet, I still think this game will be so much fun to play. What really surprised me is that now you can take the Nintendo Gamecube internet adapter and hook up with 8 people for an excellent multiplayer experience. Another great advantage to this game is now you have 2 people in the car at the same time. One has driving duties, and the other provides classic Mario weapons to fire at the other drivers. If you're an avid Nintendo gamer like me, you'll love this game.
  
  
• Get the hell outta my way!!
  By A2AOCMTCD0JAAT on 2003-12-05
  Playing Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo was great. Mario Kart 64 was hella better. Mario Kart Double Dash takes the game to a whole new level.

  This game is somewhat in the vein of Super Smash Bros. Melee in the sense that there is plenty to unlock this time around. Also, the adding of a passenger is a nice touch, since it gives the game a deeper feel. You actually have to really consider who you pick, because everyone has their own strengths, and special items.

  IGN originally trashed the game because they thought the demo was too slow. That's not the case here. All of the courses are really tight, but I remind you that this is not just a single-player game. This was made with multiplayer purposes in mind, case in point, the LAN support. It never gets dull with at least one other person around.

  Overall, I loved it. It manages to retain the feel of the previous games without sacrificing too much. It may take a little time to get used to this new feel, but I assure you, this game just plain rocks!
  
  

• Total Chaos
  By on 2003-12-31
  The designers went overboard on this one. In short, there are too many bells and whistles that at times render the game almost unplayable.

  This is most evident during the 150 cc Grand Prix. There are so many bombs, turtle shells, bananas, etc. flying around that the 150 levels are pretty much impossible. If you fall behind there is zero chance of driving your way back into contention, as racers who lag behind are barraged with booby traps and specials. Basically the game isn't very fun, and is, in fact, very frustrating at times. The original N64 Mario Kart was challenging, but streamlined enough to allow racers a chance to correct mistakes and gain ground during races. In Double Dash that's next to impossible, mainly in the upper levels, as the screen is clogged with flying shells bombs etc. Also, winning high-level races with the "big" drivers (Wario, Bowser, DOnkey Kong) is next to impossible.

  All in all, the game has many of the same features that made Mario Kart 64 great -- smooth gameplay, beautiful graphics, nice environments. But the positives are almost totally counterbalanced by an over-abundance of features that reduce what could have been an incredibly fun and challenging game into a headache inducing exercise in sisyphysian frustration.
  
  

• A wasted christmas present
  By on 2004-01-01
  I got this game for christmas and i was really really really dissapionted. The levels are so small and boring and i would say that the graphics are even worse than the old N64 version. The two person karts in the game have no effect at all on the excitment of the game. Even the battle levels are extremely small. If u wanna play a mario kart game then just play the N64 version cus this version is the worst game for gamecube yet. There is no challenge in the game at all. If i could i would burn all the mario kart double dash copies in the world, so no one would be exposed to such a crappy game. Good think i got a gift card for $250 dollars to bestbuy so i can buy me a REAL game that's actually FUN!
  
  
• Great Game but Nothing Revolutionary
  By on 2004-01-07
  First off...there's almost no way you can compare Double Dash to N64 Version of Mariokart. Many people on my floor suddenly complained that N64 version is better for various reasons...probably because the graphics weren't real or that there was 160 tracks like they think the Cube can process...

  I played both a lot...and since this is a Double Dash review...I'll tell my experience there. First, the concept of two riders per kart opens up many options, and yes it does make a pretty big difference gameplay wise UNLESS you're playing by yourself. Having 2 riders per kart allows 4 players to play Grand Prix, which is a very good thing...and I think throwing items at enemies is really fun as is power sliding...which is the responsibility of the rider riding shotgun. Also, the life span of this game can last a long time, esp. with multiplayer and the tough task of unlocking the 4 extra riders and so many karts also. Another aspect of the game I really liked was the fact that each riders have their own specials (or group persay). Mario, Luigi get fireballs that only they can use, Baby Mario/Baby Luigi gets the cheapest item in the game the Chain Chomp, and so on. Finally...they improved the vs. mode. The music stays on! Plus 4 people playing does not chug the system. Very smooth and competetive. Same for Battle, although arenas are smaller. This is one of those games where the more players...the better...which is why they have the LAN connection where you can play with up to 16 players. Sweet, eh?

  There are some downfalls I can name though. First, the game can get frustrating in its difficulty. It almost took me a week to beat 150cc Special Cup because the computers were garbagely cheap...everytime I was in first...I'd be blown off by a blue shell, fall off a bridge, and start cursing out my Cube. Then the All Cups Tour is very time consuming also...which could be good in the fact that it expands the length of the game. I wished for a bit more tracks than 20. I mean all of them were enjoyable but they were a bit short. 30 would've been nice but it's not a big complaint. At least they cut down the length of Rainbow Road and made it REALLY REALLY challenging. Remember SNES? Yea...similar to that...ALMOST NO RAILINGS :-O.

  To me, it was definitely worth the preorder. It's fun in its own ways...and to those comparing it to the 64...that's a mistake. Enjoy what's given here and adjust to it.

  Highly Recommended.
  
  

• VERY VERY VERY COOL
  By on 2005-07-16
  This is the ultimate game!!!! I'm getting a gamecube just to play this game!
  
  Play
  as Mario,Luigi,Peach,Daisy,Yoshi,Birdo,Baby Mario,
  Baby Luigi,Koopa,Paratroopa,Donkey Kong,Diddy Kong,Bowser,Bowser JR,Wario, or Waluigi.
  
  For the first time two players are in the same kart. So you will be picking two players at the player selection screen. (Thats why there are so many players to choose from.)
  
  Now each player has his/her special item that only they can use.
  
  Mario and Luigi: Fire Balls (5 fireballs go fowrards or backwards and act the same as a green shell bouncing around 'till they hit something.)
  
  Peach and Daisy: Hearts (a heart will spin around the kart and say a green shell hits them, it won't hurt them. In fact you get to keep the green shell that hit you and you get to use it.)
  
  Thats an idea of each special item for you.
  
  Battle Mode has returned!!!!!! Only this time instead of just the balloon battle there are two new modes to play.
  
  Balloon Battle: Classic game where each team has 3 balloons and if you get hit by an item you lose a balloon. Last one with balloons wins.
  
  Shine Thief: There is a shine sprite somewhere in the arena and you have to run into it. Once you run into it you have to keep it for 60 seconds, but if you get hit by an item you drop the shine.
  
  Bob-om Blast: Maybe the most fun game in multiplayer, bob-om blast is where you collect bob-oms and throw them at opponents. Say you hit someone, you gain a star, but if you get hit you lose a star. Firt one with 3 or 4 stars wins.
  
  If you want a very fun game unlike any other. GET THIS GAME!!!!
  
  P.S. Please tell me if this was helpful. I want to know.
  
  
• It was the bom dog
  By on 2005-11-08
  ThIs GaMe WaS tHe OnE.I love how u can get to pick out your own chracters instead of them just picking it for you.Each charecter has different stuff like if you double dash with peach and daisy they throw hearts at the other players to win , yoshi and birdo throw eggs,Ditty kong and donkey kong throw bannah peals which is realy annoying cause it slows me down exept for donkey and ditty kong and theres like so many more charecters but i hate typeing. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT....To be truthful this is a kids game for like 16 or under otherwise if your older it may be a little to easy but i am 10 and it is so hard to beat star cup.Any ways i hope u read my other report on mario party 6.Oh another thing about this game is the charecter you pick you also get to pick a car also.And if u win one of the races u win a trophy and a new car sometimes and more places to race.
  
  
• It's back and better than ever!
  By AODOJ1UOO7HYR on 2006-03-06
  If you're anything like me and loved the Mario Kart games on Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, then you will absolutely love this game! After I got rid of my 64, I missed a lot of the games and wished they would develop newer versions. Mario Kart 64 was one of those that I missed so much. Thankfully, the Nintendo people saw this coming and developed an even better version of the Mario Kart game!
  
  Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a game that will entertain kids for hours, but it's also a game for the entire family. Yes, the entire family will love it! This game is crammed full of single player fun, but it also features many multiplayer options.
  
  *Single Player
  In single player mode, you can choose to race in Grand Prix mode in one of three different speed settings, or you can race against the clock in Time Trial.
  
  In Grand Prix mode, there are several karts, characters, and Battle mode arenas to be unlocked.
  
  In Time Trial, there are also secrets to unlock by beating the developers' best times on the tracks.
  
  *Multiplayer
  First of all, you can have up to 4 players racing with one Game Cube, or you can link two or more Game Cubes together with ethernet cable to have even more racers.
  
  With 2-4 players, you can race in Grand Prix (with 8 total karts) Versus (no computer karts) or Battle. There are three different Battle modes to keep things interesting!
  
  I can't even begin to tell you everything about this game that makes it a worthwile addition to your game library, but after you play a while you'll understand. If you were a fan of the previous Nintendo Mario Kart games, this is a must for you!
  
  Highly recommended to all!
  
  

• Controller- Jet (Black)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• Controller for Nintendo GameCube - Indigo
• Play

• Gamecube Console Platinum
• Gamecube Controller Platinum
• Gamecube Memory Card 251
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• Super Mario Sunshine