Best racing game on the DS
Graphics: Mario Kart DS comes somewhere in between the Nintendo 64 version and the Gamecube version. All the tracks, characters, weapons, and karts are all wonderfully animated and are truly spectacular. Nay-sayers of the DS' graphics capability be damned! Mario Kart DS is a truly great looking game.
Sound: All of the songs and character chirps are there, and they all sound great. Another area that Mario Kart DS mastered.
Gameplay: The gameplay is traditional Mario Kart fare. You have your Grand-Prix mode, your battle mode, and a cool Wario Ware-esque collection of mini challanges called mission mode. The Grand-Prix mode is your traditional race mode, and mission mode has two types: Capture the flag-esque Shine Runners and Balloon Battle. In Balloon Battle, you fight against other carts, using the power-ups to pop the oposing kart's balloons. However, for the first time ever, you can play other people over the internet! The lag is minimal and the action is fast! You can play Battle or VS (Racing) modes online. Also, each character now has two karts to chose from. The tracks come from all of the games in the series, from the SNES to the GC. Mario Kart DS is truly a fan's dream come true.
Story: There isn't one. That was easy!
Portability: All the races are quick and great for on the go. However, online requires local Wi-Fi, so you can't play online on the go. (Obviously) Also, there is no way to save your Grand-Prix session, so be warned. (Each session is 4 tracks with 3 laps) All in all, Mario Kart is not the perfect portable game, but it's close.
Polish: There are absolutely no bugs or glitches. Mario Kart is simply a game that was developed with great care.
Overall: Mario Kart DS is obviously a game that was developed with great attention to detail and a huge budget, and it shows. It pulls elements from all of the games, making it almost a compilation. Any Mario Kart fan needs to get it, any racing fan needs to get it, heck, anybody with a DS needs to get it! Mario Kart DS is, simply put, a magnificent game. Congragulations to Nintendo on another excellent Mario Kart game.