Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS
	File:MKDSbox.jpg
Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release	November 14, 2005 (NA) ; November 17, 2005 (AUS) ; 25 November 2005 (EU) ; December 8, 2005 (JP)
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer

Mario Kart DS is a video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS portable gaming system. It was released on November 14, 2005 in North America, 17 November, 2005 in Australia, 25th November 2005 in Europe, and December 8, 2005 in Japan. Mario Kart DS is one of Nintendo's most anticipated games, as it is the first to use Nintendo's free online service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Mario Kart DS is the next installment in the hit series Mario Kart in which Mario, his buddies and his enemies race in go-karts while fighting for the top position through the use of weapons (such as Koopa Troopa shells) from the Mario Bros. series. The player's character races on tracks themed after various locations in the Mario universe.

Gameplay

Mario Kart DS is a racing game in which characters from the Mario universe race each other around also Mario-themed tracks. Power-up items, such as homing projectiles, speed boosts, and explosives can be found on each track in Item Boxes. Both skill in driving and use of items is important in Mario Kart DS. While racing, the top screen of the Nintendo DS displays a third-person perspective behind and slightly above the player's vehicle. The bottom screen lists the current race standings, items carried by each player, and a map of the course. The map can toggled to show an overall view of the entire course, or a close-up view of the racer's immediate vicinity. The close-up view is very detailed, showing nearby racer positions, course hazards, item boxes, and even incoming attacks.

Characters

Mario Kart games give the player a choice to control thirteen characters from the Mario and Nintendo universe. In Mario Kart DS, eight characters are initially available, while others are unlocked by completing certain gameplay objectives. Mario Kart DS is the second game in the series to include unlockable characters. Although each character comes with their own distinctive karts, they affect the "weight" stat of the kart they ride in; heavier characters increase the weight of karts but have to wait longer for their powerslides to charge. The lightest character is Dry Bones, while the heaviest characters are Bowser and R.O.B.

Lightweights

Dry Bones (unlockable) is the lightest of the lightweights.
Toad is heavier than Dry Bones but lighter than Yoshi.
Yoshi is the middle lightweight.
Princess Peach is heavier than Yoshi but lighter than Princess Daisy.
Princess Daisy (unlockable) is the heaviest of the lightweights.
Shy Guy (only used by players who don't have the game during Download Play) has uncollectable statistics.

Middleweights

Mario is the joint-lightest middleweight.
Luigi is the other joint-lightest middleweight.
Waluigi (unlockable) is the heaviest middleweight.

Heavyweights

Donkey Kong is the lightest heavyweight.
Wario is heavier than Donkey Kong but lighter than Bowser and R.O.B.
Bowser is the joint-heaviest heavyweight.
R.O.B. (unlockable) is the other joint-heaviest heavyweight.

Karts

Each character starts out with two karts with similar, but still slightly different statistics. The karts are rated in the following categories:

Acceleration

How fast a kart can reach its top speed, and how long its mini-turbo boosts last. A kart with higher acceleration will recover from being hit by an item faster.

Speed

A kart's maximum speed. Higher speeds are usually associated with less acceleration and handling.

Handling

How sharply a kart steers. Karts with higher handling rely on their turning ability rather than their drifting ability to steer through turns, leading to a lower drift stat.

Weight

How heavy a kart is. This stat is also affected by what character is driving the kart. Lightweights have high acceleration, low top speeds, and have the best off-road ability, but can suffer from being attacked or throttled by heavier characters. Heavyweights are recommended to be the fastest racers, but have terrible acceleration and terrible driving off-road. Middleweights are average in all their abilities.

Drift

How hard a kart turns during a powerslide. Having a higher drift rating increases the tightness of the turns a kart can drift through, making them a good choice for beginners. However, karts with low drift ratings have the ability to repeatedly turbo boost on wide turns or straightaways, a technique also known as "snaking." This technique drastically increases the player's speed, making the lowest drift karts the most desirable to experts.

Items

High item stats give karts a higher chance of getting powerful items, as well as making items such as stars and Bullet Bills affect the player longer. How many mushrooms a player gets in time trial mode depends on his/her kart's item stat. Enemies' items, such as Thunderbolts, will also affect these karts longer.

This is in contrast to previous Mario Kart games, in which just acceleration, speed, weight, and (in some games), handling were variables in karts. More vehicles can be unlocked eventually; of the starting two for each playable character, one is a "special" kart unique to that character, and the other is a "standard" kart, with an appearance similar to that of a real go-kart's. As a player progresses through the game, they can choose between three karts for each character. After that they can choose between seven karts for each character, four being other character's karts. Eventually each character can use every kart, (there are 36 in total, three for each of the twelve characters).

Modes

All modes in Mario Kart DS are initially available.

Grand Prix

In Grand Prix mode, the player competes against computer-controlled racers, or, in Multiplayer mode, other players. There are two Grand Prix in Mario Kart DS, each consisting of four cups, and each cup consisting of four race tracks. Nitro GP contains sixteen brand new tracks while Retro GP contains sixteen tracks converted from previous entries in the Mario Kart series. There are three engine classes which serve as difficulty levels for the Grand Prix mode: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. A 150cc Mirror Mode is also an unlockable, in which all the 150cc tracks are flipped horizontally. Only twenty of the tracks can be played over Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Several of the more complex and/or obstacle-ridden courses were disabled for online play due to possible latency issues.

Nitro Grand Prix
#	Mushroom Cup	WFC	Flower Cup	WFC	Star Cup	WFC	Special Cup	WFC
1	Figure-8 Circuit	Yes	Desert Hills	Yes	DK Pass	Yes	Wario Stadium	Yes
2	Yoshi Falls	Yes	Delfino Square	Yes	Tick-Tock Clock	No	Peach Gardens	No
3	Cheep Cheep Beach	Yes	Waluigi Pinball	No	Mario Circuit	Yes	Bowser Castle	No
4	Luigi's Mansion	Yes	Shroom Ridge	No	Airship Fortress	No	Rainbow Road	Yes

Retro Grand Prix
#	Origin	Shell Cup	WFC	Banana Cup	WFC	Leaf Cup	WFC	Lightning Cup	WFC
1	SNES	Mario Circuit 1	Yes	Donut Plains 1	No	Koopa Beach 2	No	Choco Island 2	Yes
2	N64	Moo Moo Farm	Yes	Frappe Snowland	Yes	Choco Mountain	Yes	Banshee Boardwalk	No
3	GBA	Peach Circuit	Yes	Bowser Castle 2	No	Luigi Circuit	No	Sky Garden	Yes
4	GCN	Luigi Circuit	Yes	Baby Park	Yes	Mushroom Bridge	No	Yoshi Circuit	Yes

Mission Mode

In the new Mission Mode, players are given a specific kart, and must perform eight individual missions, whose objectives range from collecting coins to attacking enemies. Players are then ranked based on their performance, and given from one to three stars if the task is completed by a certain time. In order to advance to the next level, players must complete a "boss" task, which is unlocked after all eight of a level's missions are completed. Level 7 is only unlocked after the player achieves at least a one-star ranking on levels 1-6, however, completing Mission Mode does not unlock anything. Here are the individual Bosses and the task players must complete with each one: Template:Spoiler

Big Bully - Knock Big Bully off the platform using mushrooms.
Eyerok - Hit Eyerok's eyes (in its hands) with shells.
Goomboss - Beat Goomboss to the finish line on Baby Park.
King Boo - Collect 50 coins while avoiding King Boo.
King Bob-omb - Hit King Bob-omb with three Bob-omb items.
Chief Chilly - Knock Chief Chilly off the platform using mushrooms.
Wiggler - Reach the finish before Wiggler on Mushroom Bridge.

Template:Endspoiler

Battle Mode

Battle Mode is not available online, and can only be played in single-player and regular multiplayer. The maps available in Battle Mode are:

Block Fort (Mario Kart 64)
Nintendo DS
Palm Shore
Pipe Plaza (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Tart Top
Twilight House

Balloon Battle

In Balloon Battle mode, players attempt to pop each other's balloons, while keeping their own intact. Each player starts with five balloons, one of which is inflated. Additional balloons may be inflated by holding the Select button or blowing into the DS microphone while the kart is stationary, with a maximum limit of three inflated balloons at any one time. A player loses when he or she has no remaining inflated balloons. Balloons belonging to other players may be popped by attacking them with items. Balloons can also be stolen if a player has less than three inflated balloons and runs into another player while using a Mushroom or Star. Players with fewer balloons inflated recieve more powerful items, however, they run a higher risk of losing if their remaining balloon(s) are popped. The last player or team remaining wins the battle. If a player dies in Wireless Play mode, they become invisible and will periodically spawn item boxes which other players can pick up.

Shine Runners

There is a new battle mode called Shine Runners in which players have to collect the most shines, which are dotted about the level. They lose shines if they get hit, and when the clock reaches zero, drivers with the least amount of shines are eliminated. If all remaining drivers have the same amount of shines, the clock starts again, with no racers eliminated.

Nintendo Wi-Fi

This mode requires a connection with a wireless router. After connecting to the Nintendo server, players can choose to gather opponents worldwide, locally, based on the player's wireless win and loss record, or only friends. The game tries to find as many opponents as possible in a certain time until the maximum of four is met, after which the players each select a kart and vote on the track they would like to race on. The track with the most votes wins, however, if none of the tracks are voted for more than once, or if two tracks are each voted for twice, the result is selected at random. After a set of four tracks is played, the winners and losers are chosen based on the points they receive after each race.

The game features 8-player single card LAN play, and 4-player online play. In single-card play, while the player with the card can choose their character, downloading players are forced to play as Shy Guy.

Items

When karters run over Item Boxes found on each track, a roulette starts to determine what item the player will get. There are four "categories" (1st, 2nd-3rd, 4th-5th, 6th-8th), each with its set of items acquirable within that category. Racers in lower categories can get more powerful items. The items are listed by their respective categories. In Internet multiplayer gameplay, the Triple Green Shells, Triple Red Shells and Triple Bananas are excluded, and the player cannot "prime" items by dragging them behind their kart.

1st place

Green Shell: Green shells fly in a straight path and ricochet off walls, until they fall off the course or hit a kart. Getting hit by a green shell will cause a kart to flip over. Green shells can be fired forward or backwards, and dangled behind the kart as a shield.
Bananas: Banana peels are dropped behind karts and essentially function as roadblocks of sorts; karts that slip on peels are spun out briefly. They are usually dropped behind the kart, but can be thrown forward by holding forward direction key while dropping. They can also be dangled behind the kart as a shield.
Triple Banana: The same as bananas, except there are three. When activated, three bananas will appear in a row being dragged behind the kart, and can be placed on the track individually. They also function as a shield.
Fake Item Box: Similar to banana peels; look like regular item boxes, but have no spinning question mark inside them. They cannot be used to block incoming shells, although, like shells, they can be held behind drivers. When using the close-up map view on the bottom screen, these boxes show up red.

2nd-3rd place

Mushroom: Mushrooms give their users a short speed boost. Karts that boost into an opponent will cause them to spin out.
Red Shell: Red shells home in on the kart directly in front of the kart that uses it. They have the same effect on karts as green shells. Red shells can be fired forward or backward, and dangled behind the kart as a shield. However, red shells do not home in on a kart when thrown backward.
Triple Green Shell: The same as green shells, except there are three. When activated, the three shells will rotate around the kart. From there they can be launched one at a time; they also function as a shield.
Bob-omb: A bomb that is thrown in front of its user and then explodes. Its effect is similar to that of the Spiny Shell's. Bob-ombs are thrown forward by default, but can be dropped behind the kart as well. They can be dangled behind the kart as a shield, but this is a bad idea because any contact will cause it to explode.
Blooper: A squid that squirts ink on the top screen of every racer in front of its user, obscuring their view for several seconds. The player can still effectively steer by using the close-up map view on the bottom screen. This item causes computer-controlled players to move erratically as if they were unable to see the track in front of them.

4th-5th place

Triple Mushroom: A set of three mushrooms, which work the same as their single counterparts. If more than one mushroom is used at the same time, they do not make the kart travel at a greater speed than using one mushroom alone.
Triple Red Shell: The same as red shells, except there are three. When activated, the three shells will rotate around the kart. From there they can be launched one at a time; they also function as a shield.
Spiny Shell: A spiked, winged, blue Koopa shell that targets the player currently in first place, even if that player is the one launching the shell. The shell is almost unavoidable, and causes a large explosion that flips over its target and anyone caught in its blast radius. Spiney Shells will not change targets once it gets close, even if the targeted player is no longer in first place. If racers have already finished the race before the shell is launched, the Spiney goes for the closet person to finish next. The only way to avoid the Spiney Shell is to either get hit by another item that causes players to spin out, thus negating the shell's explosion, to use a Star or Boo, or to transfer it to another person by driving right next to them as the shell homes in on the player.
Boo: A ghost that renders its user invisible (they cannot be affected by enemy attacks or terrain, or seen by other racers) and steals an item from another racer. If there are no opponents with items around, Boo will come back empty-handed.

6th-8th place

Golden Mushroom: Gives the player an infinite amount of boosts for 7-10 seconds (depending on the kart's item stat).
Star: Gives its user a speed boost, invincibility, and the ability to knock down any racer they touch. Stars last for about eight seconds.
Bullet Bill: It turns its user into a Bullet Bill on autopilot, moving at high speed and smashing through anything in its way. The Bullet Bill transforms back into the kart after about 4-8 seconds (depending on the kart's item stat).
Thunderbolt: Targets everyone except the player who used the item. Racers hit by the thunderbolt lose any items they are carrying, spin out, are shrunk, making them easier to be knocked around, and slowed down. The thunderbolt can only be avoided if the player is off the course, or using a Star, Bullet Bill, or Boo, when it is activated. Racers grow large again in reverse order of their positions when the thunderbolt was used.

Sales information

On November 21, 2005, Nintendo announced that out of the 112,000 copies of Mario Kart DS sold in the United States during the first week of release, 52,000 (45%) of those buyers had connected to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. [1] Comparatively, 18% of Halo 2 owners connected to Xbox Live within the first three weeks of its release. [2] Mario Kart DS had a better launch in Japan, where it sold 219,000 copies during its first four days of availability, the third best performance for a Nintendo DS title after Animal Crossing: Wild World. and Jump Superstars. [3]

Screenshots

External links

Template:Mario Kart series