Mario Kart: Double Dash

Mario Kart: Double Dash was the first Mario game I ever played, and I thought it was the hardest thing in the world (Granted, I was four). However, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when I actually managed to play the full thing, and it was excellent.

Double Dash is a Mario Kart game, meaning that you drive around through sixteen crazy courses as characters from the Mario series. The main gimmick of this one is the ability to control two characters in one kart. On a superficial level, anyone who is unsure of which character to play as doesn't have to worry anymore! But on a gameplay level, this new mechanic completely changes up how items work. Not only does two characters allow you to carry two items at once, but each character has their own incredibly powerful special items, all of which have their own strengths. As a result, Double Dash's races are the most chaotic in any Mario Kart game as items are constantly being tossed around the track, making this easily the best party experience in the series.

It helps that the controls in Double Dash are pretty much perfect, feeling just challenging enough to be rewarding without feeling unwieldy to control. Drifting feels great, the kart is weighty, and the general speed is incredibly fast. It helps that the animations are incredibly dynamic as the racers lean left and right during turns, cling on for dear life whenever they get hit, and hold their items in the air where you can see them. Speaking for which, the cartoony GameCube art style that Double Dash goes for looks great. It's bright and colorful, and the animations look great. The music is also pretty good, though pretty standard fare for a Mario Kart game. There are some highlights, however, like the catchy "Mushroom Bridge", the upbeat "Mario Circuit" theme, and the absolutely amazing "Rainbow Road".

But how about the courses? Well, Double Dash probably has the best difficulty curve in the whole series. The early tracks in the Mushroom Cup are easy and simple, but the final tracks in the Special Cup are insanely fun and complex. This game is also willing to experiment a bit, which is evident from the very first track which uses intersecting paths like no other in the series. We also have "Baby Park", a simple 7-lap oval track that quickly gets flooded with items, "Daisy Cruiser", an entire track taking place on a boat, "Yoshi Circuit", a track shaped like the titular character, and "Wario Colosseum", a twisty-turny track so long it only has 2 laps. I wouldn't call this the best track lineup in the series (Wii, DS, or 8 might beat that), but it's a really strong one nonetheless.

However, while all of this makes Double Dash an amazing party game, it also makes it a pretty weak single-player affair. With only 16 tracks (retro courses start in the next game) and no single-player VS or Battle modes, there isn't much to do if you're not playing with friends. The game does have a bunch of unlockables, particularly characters and karts, but it won't be too long before you accomplish everything the game has to offer. Between DS's missions, Wii's online, and 8's massive course roster, Double Dash doesn't quite stack up in terms of its replay value. Still, as a multiplayer party game, Double Dash might just be the best of the bunch.

Overall, now that I've managed to play every single Mario Kart game to date, I can definitely say that Double Dash is up there with some of my favorites. It's fast, it's chaotic, and boasts some of the best controls, mechanics, and tracks in the series, even if it might not be the best single-player experience.

4/5 Stars