Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this go-kart racing game has some cartoonish violence as players try to take each other out with various power-ups, but the violence occurs out of a sense of mischief not malevolence. Drivers lob turtle shells and balloons at opponents, leave banana peels for them to slide on, jolt them with lightning, leave bombs for them to run over, and squirt ink on windshields. When hit, the karts spin out for a few seconds then keep on going. Released in 2005, this is still one of the best multiplayer games around, providing a quick, fun way for friends to compete. The game's difficulty settings can accommodate players of varying skill levels. If all players own copies of the game, they can play through all the courses of single-player mode in multiplayer. If there is just one copy of the software, others can still play, but the track selection is more limited.
Families can talk about fairness. Should drivers at the back of the pack get the best power-ups? Why or why not? When in life is it good to give those falling behind an extra boost?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Erin Bell
Just as the original Mario Kart set the bar for kart-racing games on the Super Nintendo, MARIO KART DS does the same for handheld video game kart racing by combining Nintendo's characteristic polish and charm with a ton of depth.
Like its predecessors, Mario Kart DS combines traditional racing mechanics with whimsical course design. A typical example is a course called Waluigi Pinball where you navigate around a giant pinball machine with bumpers, gutters, and giant rolling silver balls.
Mario Kart's transition to the DS is a natural one. Control is fairly simple. The upper screen shows the course from over your character's shoulder while the lower screen shows your placement in relation to your opponents on a useful map.
Grand Prix mode offers eight Cup championships with four courses each. Nitro Grand Prix circuit offers 16 new courses, while the Retro Grand Prix offers a blend of classic courses from past Mario Kart games.
Players choose from a roster of 11 Mario regulars to drive the kart (including Mario himself, Yoshi, Peach, Donkey Kong, and Bowser). Each character has a signature kart and a few fun alternatives like an egg, tank, or a tractor. There's even a ride-able vacuum cleaner called the Poltergeist 4000, which is a sly reference to Luigi's Mansion.
The 50cc class is good for beginners, while 100cc is quite challenging, and 150cc is flat-out hard (even for adults). There's also a 150cc Mirror Image mode where tracks have been flipped.
Part of what makes this game so good is the plethora of game modes beyond the Grand Prix modes including:
- Time Trials: Try to post the best time on a single track. You can record ghost runs and exchange them with other players wirelessly.
- VS: Race against seven other players solo or in teams of four. In team play, the overall winner is the team with the highest combined points total.
- Battle: Compete to burst the balloons around opponents' cars, or to collect the most Shines (sun symbols).
- Mission: Complete specific tasks such as driving through eight numbered gates or collecting 18 coins.
For multiplayer play, the game allows up to three other people to compete through an ad hoc network or over WiFi.
One slightly controversial aspect of Mario Kart is the use of certain tactics to try to level the playing field. Power-ups like shell missiles, mushroom speed-boosts, and banana peels are still a big part of the racing strategy, and karts running at the back of the pack receive better power-ups than those at the front. This is great if players of varying skill levels and ages want to play together, however it can also be frustrating for the leaders.
Still, the Mario Kart series has always been more about fun and inclusiveness than purely skills-based racing, and Mario Kart DS is no different. The game's stellar course design, top notch production values, and depth make it the game by which all other DS kart racing titles must measure themselves -- and we don't expect that to change anytime soon.
For other handheld kart-style racing games, check out Diddy Kong Racing and the Nintendo DS version of Surf's Up.
Reviewed: 09/12/2007
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ViolenceCartoonish. You can fire turtle shells at opponents, leave banana peels for them to slide on, jolt them with lightning, leave bombs for them to run over, and squirt ink on their windshields. When hit, the karts spin out for a few seconds then keep on going. In Battle mode, you try to burst balloons on opponents' karts. |
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Social BehaviorCompetition can get a bit ruthless and devious, but it's all in good fun. The game engine helps people bringing up the rear by giving them better power-ups. |
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CommercialismThis is part of the Nintendo Mario franchise. |
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