The kart racing juggernaut makes it's way to the DS.
First off, the gameplay: Fans of the series certainly know what to expect here. All of the classic modes of play return, from Grand Prix, to versus, to battle, and time trials. Grand Prix offers your standard Mario Kart tournament style racing. The game sports two cups each with sixteen different courses (32 in total) and 3 engine classes (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc, all scaling in difficulty respectively). The first of which is the Nitro cup which offers 16 original tracks. The second cup, known as the Retro Cup is exactly what it says. Sixteen retro courses from various Mario Kart games from the SNES, to the Nintendo 64, and even tracks from the GBA and GCN titles. Versus mode works much like a quick race mode, where you choose your racer, kart and track of choice and proceed to duke it out with the AI. Mario Kart DS also offers a Mission mode this time around. The missions in Mission mode are a series of challenges that you must complete and a boss to defeat at the end of each level. These challenges are actually quite fun and add some lasting value to the game.
Another thing to note in Mario Kart DS is it's multiplayer. Mario Kart DS takes full advantage of the DS Wi-fi capabilty and integrates it flawlessly into this game. It is incredibly easy to jump on to the Wi-fi network and begin playing with challengers across the globe. Issues like lag and such are rarely, if at all, a problem. Poor latency it seems, is almost nonexistent while playing Mario Kart DS over the Wi-fi network. With all the little features stuffed into online play such as; scorekeeping among you and friends, custom emblems, etc. it's hard not to give it a shot. With the option to play with players around the world, it's also never difficult to find opponents at any given time of the day. If online play isn't your fancy, but you just want to race or battle some friends, that is also an option via the DS wireless connectivity and download-play feartures.
Graphically, Mario Kart DS looks better than ever in the palm of your hand. Images are crisp and colors, vibrant. It's never hard to distinguish between objects onscreen. The karts are all very unique and well designed as are the courses. The game sounds quite well, too. Every character has his or her one-liner, whether it be a laugh, snarl, or just simply saying their own names. Everything sounds clear and the music is suprisignly catchy, to boot.
All in all, Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS is probably on of the easiest games to recommend. Fans of the series don't need a review to know that the Mario Kart franchise will live up to its name in this title and titles to come. For everyone else, Mario and racing fans alike, Mario Kart DS is a must buy. With all of the features and different modes packed into this tiny cartridge, everyone will surely find something to love about it. If you want a great game with tons of lasting value for your DS, then definitely pick up Mario Kart DS.