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Preview  Mario Kart DS
- By Lander Clinton


Yay! The most copied game in existance is finally copying itself, but in time to let people around the world compete against one another.

Along with new tracks, Mario Kart DS includes over 30 tracks taken from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!! (The third exclamation was added by me. The first two are part of the title).

People bitching that Double Dash wasn't online will finally get to prove that having no friends was worth it when they play against people they've never met thousands of miles away.

The game is played on the top screen with the buttons. The bottom screen is used only for a map. Personally, I would have liked to see items and power-ups that used the DS functions. Let the map be on the top screen. Wouldn't it be great to get a five-second draw-on-track item? You could scribble behind you and make barriers for other racers to crash into. What about a draw-your-own item power-up to eliminate the annoying come-from-behind victories that have always plagued Mario Kart? If you're in first place, you could still draw yourself a lightning bolt to use instead of always getting bananas.

I'm not sure if the tracks from Double Dash!! will have the special items for each character. Racing on them you only get one person in your kart. Not that having a second character mattered at all in the game, but unique items did.

When Mario Kart hits for the DS and goes online, there will be massive server problems.

- 5.20.2005