As one of the treasures on the Nintendo Gamecube, Mario Kart: Double Dash proves that two players are better than one.
This is one of the older Gamecube games, but it's still a fresh choice to play with a group of friends. The difference between this Mario Kart and other Mario Kart's is that this one involves two people in one cart -- which adds to more combinations and gameplay! The co-op grand prix mode makes the game so much more fun -- you can play on the same team with your brother, and win together, enjoying each other's company when you both reach 1st place.
The battle mode in this game is insanely fun as well. It's fast-paced and the maps are really cool. However, this is just a small thing. It's very simple, and too short. One of the flaws in this game.
The grand prix mode is fun, of course, but it's the same thing all over again, just harder. It gets repetitive at time (losing to the same person by 2 points), but that repetitivity brings back the fun and joy into the game when you win again, and again. It gets even better when you're playing with a person you really like to play with. Vs. mode is just normal as usual.. you play against each other with computers, or none at all.
There are not enough tracks in this game -- all of them are great, but there should be more variety. A way to improve the Mario Kart series is to have more courses, more karts, and more characters. Toad & Toadette are great additions, along with Piranha Plant and Boo. The "weight" incorporation of each character also helps dispute and divide the combinations of each pairing. Controls work well for the co-op grand prix play, and add a unique flavor into the game because of it. However, when you use single player controls, the "partner" team seems more like one person with two people controls -- which makes the game a little harder, especially when you're reaching for a lot of buttons at once.
The special items per team is annoying at times, because some of them are worthless (big bomb, fireballs). Some of them are great to use in the game and are very handy (hearts, super mushroom, random choice), but this tactic is similar to Mario Power Tennis, which I did not enjoy. However, the item choices are extravagant, and the graphics look clearer than ever.
Mario Kart: Double Dash really does show that multiplayer is a key factor in choosing a game. Single player in this game would be short and repetitive, but co-op grand prix play makes it extra fun and enjoyable. This is a definite hit at any "group party" or "hang out session." You can put it on the Wii, grab a few controllers, and start racing for 1st place! I'll see you at the checkpoint!