MK: Double Dash

In a world of videogame violence, drab dystopian sci-fi images and obsessive physics engines it's nice to just kick back and relax with something bright and cheery. Does the eagerly anticipated Mario Kart: Double Dash fit the bill? You betcha...

It seems like only yesterday that my average day consisted of getting through my 6th grade class without falling asleep and then making my daily pilgrimage to a friend's house to waste away the afternoon with his SNES console. To this day, anytime I hear the name Mario Kart, I'm reminded of those lazy afternoons spent as we cursed each other out over who had the better course record or the outcome of a battlemode match. Ah to be a youngster again. Well much to my surprise back at E3, gamers of today have once again been blessed with another incarnation of that classic game. Only this time, it takes two to win the gold.

Mario Kart Double Dash brings us yet another reason to own a GameCube. Though the series hasn't come far from its last incarnation on the N64, it can still bring a smile to even the most rudimentary old school gamer or the latest newbie. Gameplay once again consists of the classic single player Grand Prix as well as the ever popular multiplayer racing and battle modes. Since the name of the game is Double Dash, the chief update to the series has been the addition of a second character riding "brake man" style on the back of your kart. The main benefit of two characters is now you can pick up two special items and take advantage of multiple special attacks. This also allows for a handy co-op racing feature in case you have a little brother or sister who may not be inclined enough to handle the tracks on their own but still wants a piece of the action. Of course Nintendo has also included some beautiful new tracks, new karts, as well as a few new characters to join the classic cast. Though some may hold negative opinions of the game, you can't deny that this is one that everyone needs to try at least once.

Control is definitely there for this one, but there are a few areas of needed improvements, which I'll discuss in a bit. The use of two characters at once adds to the whole strategy element when picking your characters. Having the ability to switch on the fly with a quick button press allows for some nice damage to be dealt when you need it; whether it be a battle mode or during the last couple turns of a race. Though this can add a bit of frustration for those looking to dodge the all mighty thunderbolt or that hideous blue shell now that racers have the ability to attack twice provided they know what they're doing. In my opinion this leaves the whole game to more a question of luck and chance rather then any skill. But that's just my opinion. Powerslides and speed boosts require simple movements of the analog stick and L or R button presses. Everything else is pretty straightforward, so don't look for anything too complicated here.

On to the Battlemode! Every old school Mario Kart fan knows this was a great way to entertain others in the room and not to mention destroy a few friendships or two. (Not speaking from prior experience there but I have heard a few stories.) Offering three different modes (Balloon Battle, Shine Thief, and Bobomb Blast), it definitely brings back some fond memories. With the addition of LAN support, it's now possible to get 8 other people into the fray on separate televisions provided you have enough GameCubes and Double Dash disks to go around. I can't say I've had the privilege, but the thought does sound like a lot of fun. Though the battlemodes are something of legend among my group of friends, I can't say that Double Dash serves up anything else new and exciting in this department. Sure there are some new courses to enjoy, once you get past that you're left with the same old experience. Although, it is a fun trip into those old school shouting matches you may have had while playing the older Mario Karts once you get a bunch of rowdy friends into the mix.

Now don't get me wrong, every game out there has a flaw or two. While Mario Kart is good, it is not an exception to this underwritten fact. Maybe it's just me, but the game does seem to be a little more simplified then it's predecessors. Gone is the classic hop manoeuvre, which allowed for that added twist in dodging attacks as well as hitting others. This was something I truly enjoyed and I'm sorry to see it go. I'm also disappointed to see the lack of a "look back" feature to keep an eye on your six. Did we really need two item buttons or was this an error in development? Either way I hope they think twice about this in any future versions of Mario Kart.

The only other gripe I could have with this game is the lack of thrilling rewards you receive when you start grabbing the gold in the Grand Prix races. I can't tell you how long it took me to get the gold in the 150CC circuits. (Yeah yeah I suck, so what) But once you do, you're rewarded with yet another Grand Prix. Only after beating that do we see the likes of Toad making an appearance. Sure that's nice, but I would have loved to see a few more unlockable characters not to mention maybe a few new outfits, cars skins and so on. Oh and dear god Nintendo, when will Link and Zelda get some love with the Mario Kart series? Who wouldn't want to use a boomerang or two to take out the opposition? The Mario series of games is great and all but lets start seeing some different characters jumping into the mix here. What about Fox McCloud, or even Samus? Doesn't anyone still love them? There are a few other games I could mention that could be used to pad out the roster. But I guess that would be something to hope for in the future.

Graphically this game is gorgeous. You can't deny that the bright colors, extremely detailed environments, and other surprises make a great crop of eye candy for the average gamer. Boasting a 60fps framerate and Progressive scan support, Nintendo did an excellent job with this one. The transition into the multi-player split-screen benefits the most from this in my opinion. Gone are the days of squinting at those pixelated tracks of yesteryear. Sound has also received a great shot in the arm. Supporting Dolby Pro Logic II, sound is now crisp and much more defined. This is a huge help since (once again) there is no look-back feature. So you have to rely on hearing upcoming attacks if you miss the little indicator. That is, unless you like being tripped up by incoming turtle shells without any warning.

Despite the minor shortcomings, Mario Kart Double Dash is another one for the ages. Sure there isn't a whole lot of new features, but any self respecting GameCube gamer needs to have a copy of this for their collection. Oh and this is just a side note, but you ever notice that a lot of female gamers seem to love Mario Kart? Even the ones who aren't into video games can't seem to stay away from it once they get the hang of it. Fellas think about it, this might be a great way to get those non-gaming girlfriends to share in yet another one of your obsessions. But overall, if you don't have this one already, I suggest you go pick it up today.