Mario Kart DS is a Nintendo DS game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth installment of the Mario Kart series and the second game for a handheld console, featuring for the first time an online multiplayer mode employing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, as well as including a mission mode. It also features a map that displays the objects and characters present throughout the courses, making use of the DS's bottom screen.
Mario Kart DS has been generally well received, especially because of innovations such as the online mode. As such, Mario Kart DS has earned various awards and acknowledgments.
A total of twelve characters (thirteen including Shy Guy) take part in the fifth installment of the Mario Kart series. Eight can be chosen at the beginning, but the player must win gold trophies in Grand Prix mode to unlock more characters:(Daisy, Dry Bones, Walugi, R.O.B.)
Unlock Criteria | |
---|---|
Daisy | Obtain 1st Place on 50cc Lightning Cup. |
Dry Bones | Obtain 1st Place on 50cc Special Cup. |
Waluigi | Obtain 1st Place on 100cc Lightning Cup. |
R.O.B. | Obtain 1st Place on 150cc Mirror Mode Special Cup. |
Other characters play supporting roles in Mario Kart DS. Lakitu makes his return and follows the same rules except for counting down to the start of the race. Piantas cheer for the racers during gameplay as well.
As in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, sixteen new courses were added in the game for the four main cups: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup. However, the game includes sixteen courses that appeared in former Mario Kart games, each one referring the game console where debuted, The Super Mario Kart tracks for SNES; the Mario Kart 64 tracks for Nintendo 64; the Mario Kart: Super Circuit tracks for GBA, and the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! tracks for GCN.
These classic courses make up four new cups called the Shell Cup, Banana Cup, Leaf Cup and Lightning Cup. There are a total of thirty-two courses in eight cups. In addition, four new battle courses appeared, while N64 Block Fort and GCN Pipe Plaza appeared in this game as Retro Battle Courses.
In Grand Prix mode (single-player only), a player competes in each cup in 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror 150cc engine classes, with ascending speed and difficulty. The game takes the point system of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! by awarding 10/8/6/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to eighth place respectively. Also, a rating of how well a player performed is shown after the trophy presentation: ***, **, *, A, B, C, D and E (E, being the lowest ranking and *** as the highest). An overall "game ranking" of *, **, or *** is shown in the Records area if the player has earned the designated ratings in all cups and all classes.
In Time Trial mode (single-player only), a player goes for the fastest time on a course. The item rating of a kart determines how many mushrooms a player can have when the race starts. Vehicles with low item rate can only use one Mushroom; the ones with average item rate use two and the ones with high item rate use three. Players can choose to race against their best time as a ghost, the staff ghost (raced by a Japanese Nintendo staff player with a * game ranking), or no ghost. The game is also able to download records from other players and let the player race against their ghosts.
In VS mode (single or multiplayer), player(s) choose their Karts and head out on the race track. The player can also choose what course they race on (only if they unlocked it). Up to eight players can play locally via wireless - simple mode only uses one game card but is limited. The essential requirement is that everyone has a game card. In single-player mode, the player can choose the engine class, the CPU's difficulty level, the way the courses will be chosen - by the player, in order or random; the rules to win races (either free - never-ending races; number of wins, which only the first racer earns points, or the number of races raced (going up to thirty-two creates the "All-Cup" mode); and team race mode.
It is possible to have up to eight players play using just one Mario Kart DS game card - using the DS Download Play locally. Here, the tracks are limited, the disabilities for the Wi-Fi connection apply, and everyone must be a random color of Shy Guy, in which he becomes playable then. If everyone has a game card, all tracks are available and there are no disabilities. Battle Mode is also available. It is the same as the battle modes in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but Shine Thief is changed into Shine Runners. The rules are different for this mode, in which players gather the most Shine Sprites on a course.
The following is a table that shows all courses featured in Mario Kart DS, organized by cup.
Nitro Grand Prix | |||||||
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Mushroom Cup | Flower Cup | ||||||
Figure-8 Circuit | * | 1:36:481 | Mario/Standard MR | Desert Hills | * | 1:31:262 | ROB/ROB-LGS |
![]() Yoshi Falls | * | 0:57:677 | Yoshi/Egg 1 | ![]() Delfino Square | * | 1:54:601 | Peach/Royale |
Cheep Cheep Beach | * | 1:43:654 | DK/Standard DK | Waluigi Pinball | - | 2:23:288 | Waluigi/Gold Mantis |
Luigi's Mansion | * | 1:59:357 | Luigi/Streamliner | Shroom Ridge | - | 2:05:123 | Toad/Mushmellow |
Star Cup | Special Cup | ||||||
DK Pass | * | 2:14:607 | DK/Wildlife | Wario Stadium | * | 2:14:868 | Wario/Brute |
Tick-Tock Clock | - | 1:54:903 | Daisy/Light Dancer | Peach Gardens | - | 1:52:989 | Peach/Royale |
![]() Mario Circuit | * | 1:56:533 | Mario/Shooting Star | Bowser Castle | - | 2:19:661 | Bowser/Hurricane |
![]() Airship Fortress | - | 2:07:748 | Bowser/Hurricane | Rainbow Road | * | 2:16:246 | ROB/ROB-BLS |
Retro Grand Prix | |||||||
Shell Cup | Banana Cup | ||||||
SNES Mario Circuit 1 | * | 0:50:688 | Mario/Standard MR | SNES Donut Plains 1 | - | 1:08:027 | Dry Bones/Dry Bomber |
N64 Moo Moo Farm | * | 1:17:751 | DK/Wildlife | N64 Frappe Snowland | * | 2:08:781 | Wario/Brute |
GBA Peach Circuit | * | 1:12:011 | Peach/Royale | GBA Bowser Castle 2 | - | 1:52:258 | Bowser/Standard BW |
GCN Luigi Circuit | * | 1:29:759 | Luigi/Poltergust 4000 | GCN Baby Park | * | 0:50:920 | Toad/Mushmellow |
Leaf Cup | Lightning Cup | ||||||
SNES Koopa Beach 2 | - | 0:54:847 | Yoshi/Egg 1 | SNES Choco Island 2 | * | 1:01:620 | Waluigi/Zipper |
N64 Choco Mountain | * | 2:15:571 | Wario/Dragonfly | N64 Banshee Boardwalk | - | 2:14:403 | Dry Bones/Dry Bomber |
GBA Luigi Circuit | - | 1:46:581 | Luigi/Poltergust 4000 | GBA Sky Garden | * | 1:44:400 | Daisy/Power Flower |
GCN Mushroom Bridge | - | 1:30:600 | Toad/Mushmellow | ![]() GCN Yoshi Circuit | * | 1:48:793 | Yoshi/Standard YS |
In Battle mode, players play a different aspect of kart racing that was born from Super Mario Kart on one of six courses, two of them from past Mario Kart games. The courses are:
In single player mode, the user faces CPU controlled racers, whose difficulty can be set in the battle's setup menu. All racers drive their respective standard Kart only within this mode. Additionally, other players can join a battle locally. However, Battle Mode is unavailable on the wireless connection. Like in versus, battles can also be played in teams.
The classic battle mode seen in all Mario Kart mainstream, gets a new twist in Mario Kart DS. From previous games, racers begin a match with three balloons. In this game, however, all players begin with a single balloon, though they can get more by blowing up their balloons using the microphone feature on the DS, or just holding the button. Each player has four balloons in stock (five in total) and racers can hold up to three balloons in battle. On the other hand, the less balloons a player has, the more powerful items will obtain from the Item Boxes. Racers may also take possession of a balloon from their opponents if the thief has used a mushroom and made contact to the opponent's kart. If the player loses all their balloons they are eliminated.
The following is what the game describes this mode as:
Burst your opponents' balloons with items! If all your inflated balloons burst, you lose! Blow into the mic or press
to inflate your balloons!