Mario Kart is the latest edition to my Ds collection. I am a huge fan of all the Mario Kart games however I had fears about how one of the best series games would make the transition onto the Ds.
Well with spot on handling, imaginative track design, superb visual flair and the vast selection of game modes, this is surely one of the best Mario Kart games ever! The tracks are extremely wide (to accommodate a possible eight racers!) and the hop feature makes a very welcome return following its' absence from the Gamecube version. There are no coins to collect but you can gain a nifty boost by driving in somebody's slipstream (very clever).
There are 16 new courses, which seem to get more graphically astonishing until the inevitable Rainbow Road let down at the end. There are also four courses from each of the previous four games in the series. If all this isn't enough then you will be glad to know that multiplayer is amazing too, with the most generous array of options to date and guess what, you only need one cartridge for a four-player game. Incredible! This was a feature of the new Mario Kart on the Ds, which highly impressed me!
And guess what, I haven't even mentioned the unbelievable mission mode which to be frank is amazing (I will let you try this one yourself instead of rambling on about it). Overall, this is one of the most sprawling and complete Mario Kart ever! A truly astonishing achievement, a highly impressive Ds racer!
Pros:
+ The best Nintendo racer is back.
+ Nifty little control scheme.
+ Loads of different tracks to race on.
+ Graphics aren't too shabby either.
+ Always great fun to play.
+ Superb choice of characters.
Cons:
- Risk of becoming repetitive.
Overall: 94%.
Gamplay: 95%.
Graphics: 86%.
Character Selection: 89%.