The next game in this Mario Kart marathon, Mario Kart DS, is actually the first one I had played beforehand and isn't brand new to me. I don't think I ever owned it back in the day, and apparently I still don't seeing as I had to emulate this one, but I remember playing it all the time with friends on the bus. Though, since I never owned it, I always had to use Shy Guy and also never really played the mission mode. That changes now as I got gold on every 150cc cup and did every mission, including the secret one you unlock.

I'm gonna start with my gripes I have. First, I think in terms of how the characters look, this is the weakest in the series. Some of them just look so off and blocky. Mario Kart 64 didn't have this issue obviously because they weren't actual models but this one really does. Some are better than others but, I guess I can cut it a little slack since it's the first portable title in 3D, a chunk of them just look kinda ugly. While the new courses have some really solid picks, some of them are just really forgettable. There are some absolute bangers like Waluigi Pinball, Tik Tok Clock and Airship Fortress. But then there's courses I find to be super bland like Figure 8 Circuit, Yoshi Falls or Desert Hills. Overall, I'd say it's a decent new track line-up but it's hit or miss. The retro track selection though, I found really weak. Half of the courses are from Super Mario Kart and Super Circuit so I just found them boring and then some of the picks from 64 and Double Dash are meh. The last cup does have Banshee Boardwalk and Yoshi Circuit so it was probably my favorite cup, but then it also has an awful course in Choco Island 2 so it's a bit conflicting. Overall, not a great selection of courses between both new and old but again there are some bangers here and there.

In terms of how the game controls, it controls leagues better than the last portable title Super Circuit. Instead of feeling super slippery, it feels way more similar to the newer titles. Only thing is, it has the old speed boost where its dependent on you going left and right on the d-pad rather than holding your drift for as long as possible. If you're used to Wii and beyond, it takes a little getting used to, but once you got it down it's pretty fun.

That's all fine and dandy, racing is fun but not that great in this game. What I remember the most was the battle mode and while I barely played it this time around, I remember absolutely loving it. Considering what Wii and 7 does with their battle modes, this is one of the better ones in the series. The maps are mostly all great and both balloon battle and shine runners were a ton of fun. Again, I'm mostly going off memory but this truly was the most fun aspect of this game at least when I played it as a young lad.

As I said before, I never played missions as a kid, but I can tell you I would've enjoyed them a lot back then. This along with the battle mode really saves DS from it's faults I listed before. None of the other games have something like this so you have a reason to come back to this one for sure. With so many missions, there's bound to be some that aren't the best but most of them were really cool. The fact there were bosses at the end of each level, and almost all of them are really fun, is just icing on the cake when it comes to mission mode. They should really bring this back for Mario Kart 9, would love to see what stuff they could come up with nowadays.

Of the 4 Mario Kart games I've played thus far, this is my favorite. While I didn't think the actual racing aspect was the best due to the course quality, the battle mode and missions make up for it and are THE reason to come back to this one. Been a long while since I played DS, had a ton of nostalgia when playing the battle mode specifically, so I'm very glad I was able to play this one again. Next in the series is the fan favorite Wii, I always liked DS more than Wii but that may change cuz I forgot how good that game's tracks were. Either way, look out for a Mario Kart Wii review coming soon!

The sheer amount of content inside this cartdrige is insane. Are you telling me Mario Kart DS has the best battle mode, missions, passable retro tracks and incredible replayability and driving? Waluigi Pinball? Shroom Ridge?

I admittedly grew up with Mario Kart DS, but it feels good to revisit old games and see that the fun you had as a child was justified, imagine playing and enjoying bad games, right? Jokes aside, stellar tracklist with some stinky ones in the SNES repertoire, Mario Kart DS is probably the first Mario Kart to feel modern in how it plays, in the amount of content (to this day rivaled) and especially in how driving feels: responsive, quick and with a broken but rewarding miniboost system. Hitting continuously left and right on the dpad destroyed my DS but it was worth it, especially playing online. Lots of good memories and to this day the most consistent Mario Kart.

In the hands of a younger me any Mario Kart game was a guaranteed time sink. Especially on the DS, it was portable so I could take it wherever I wanted, It held a charge for hours, and Mario Kart was one of few games I enjoyed on the console.
Before it was mine, my DS was my mom's, I remember her gifting it to me in a carrying case with all her games. In that case, to name a few, were Mario Party DS, New Super Mario Bros, Duck Amuck, Lego Star Wars, and Mario Kart DS. Those games were the only ones on DS I gave much attention, and this was before I got into Pokémon. I enjoyed Mario Kart DS a lot during the time I played it. After beating the Grand Prix what held my attention was the time trials. Racing against myself could have me entranced for hours, just the same as it did on Super Circuit, and as it would today on 8 Deluxe.
I haven't touched Mario Kart DS in a long ass time, but I still have that same copy, and the same DS. Recently I've had the itch to revisit it with the end of 8 Deluxe's booster course pass. Over the past week I've been routinely playing MKDS before bed. I replayed the Grand Prix and afterwards have been trying to beat my old time trials. I'm surprised how well MKDS has held up, I was a little worried that it wouldn't have aged well but I found the opposite. This game really has an enduring appeal, I constantly get the urge to pick it up and keep playing. Drifting is still just as satisfying as I remember, tracks are as beautiful as ever, the music is absolutely classic, and the Nitro tracks are some of the most consistent in the series.
Unfortunately, the Retro tracks really don't live up to the Nitro tracks. That's the main problem with this game in my opinion. The Retro tracks just didn't get the love they needed to thrive on the DS. They often feel bland and lifeless compared to the new courses. The worst of the retro courses are just terrible picks, they chose some of the least interesting tracks possible. Retro tracks make up half of all courses in the game, dooming that half to always be the last pick. I'm also not a big fan of the system which determines your Grand Prix ranking. The system has a large weight to how many times your kart gets hit, and how many items you use to hit other players. Its just not fun to try to get 3 stars on any track in this game.
I've had so much fun revisiting Mario Kart DS, every lap has been a testament to how brilliant the DS and handheld Mario Kart is.

Favorite tracks:
Waluigi Pinball, Shroom Ridge, Rainbow Road

one of the first games i got to play on a console i got to call my own. finally got around to revisiting it to see if its actually as good as i remember and it really is, i just adore everything about this game. the gameplay being so unique with the way drifting works and snaking, some super iconic and really fun tracks, great character roster with the addition of rob who when i was a kid i thought was a mod and not real, just so much good here. theres also plenty of content not related to racing thats great here like the battle modes with great battle mode tracks and the mission mode with really cool objectives. this game is just a great all in one package as far as mario kart goes, probably tied for being my favorite in the series with double dash

This has the prestigious achievement of being the worst looking Mario Kart, currently in the middle of the series' history. But here's the kicker... the jumper... the driver... let's discuss balloon battle. This was my "cat playing with the toy's plastic wrapper instead of the toy" guilty pleasure as a kid. No time limit, banger song that never gets old, blowing into the unresponsive mic idk this is the best side mode from any MK. God forbids a man has a hobby though😩I wish you can see the vision like I do, they put their whole Nintendussy into this for no recognition.

There are other modes, that aren't balloon battle. Shine Thief a bit boring, idk I wouldn't try to get my opps addicted on it if I could, I have that much respect. Coming out of left field, mission mode is something fairly unique as you take on the role of Agent Vehicular and do secret missions with no straps and only your ride. Works for me.

Now, let's talk about the main content. As a Luigi fan, well.. he'll always be here, so that's a relief. R.O.B. and Dry Bones are the more peculiar picks, reflected in their status as unlocked racers. I almost said racists but no one is going to learn about it. The races are fun, iconic even, their lasting influence is stronger than most of the retro tracks, to me. Your old favorites are WASHED. LOST media if I had it my way.

Nah wouldnt go that far my favorite isn't Peach Gardens that's for sure it's probs Delfino Plaza. Next, let's talk music. 💯 yeah that's about it and lastly, worth mentioning that you can draw your own logo with a stylus on your kart!! For online play!! Drop a description of yours in the comments if you dare. So yeah, Mario Kart... my favorite apolitical game. Cya fam

i've been playing this game on my DS for the past few days, beating all of the cups with a star rank, (which i'd consider completed btw) and i've come to enjoy it quite a bit. initially i thought it was kind of hard because the CPUs rubber band like craaaaazy and man they are relentless sometimes, but once i learned the game's drifting system and good combos, it became a lot more manageable.

this game has a very strong selection of nitro tracks: waluigi pinball, airship fortress, delfino square, shroom ridge. but it also comes with a lot of real stinkers, most of which are found in the game's selection of retro tracks: choco island 2, koopa beach 2, mario circuit 1.

i understand due to limitation of the DS, they couldn't incorporate more complex tracks from 64 and DD, but man, the SNES and GBA tracks do not do it for the most part, and when they do adapt a track from 64 or DD it's usually pretty neutered, take moo moo farm or GCN luigi curcuit. sometimes the tracks are better though, like with frappe snowland (although i still dislike it lol, fuck the snowmen). tbh though SOME of the nitro tracks aren't all too great either, like desert hills and figure-8 circuit.

the use of the bottom screen is genius, you can practically play the entire game just by using it; it also comes in super handy when a blooper covers your entire screen and is great for when you need to know when someone is directly behind you.

the weight system of this game is... hmm, i'm mixed. on one hand i do enjoy having another factor to consider when picking your character/kart, but man sometimes it is complete bullshit to put it lightly, sometimes a character like bowser or donkey kong will completely shit on you and bump you into mario kart wii and it won't be under your control at ALL. or you fall off the track, and get placed directly on top of another racer by lakitu, only to be sent off the track AGAIN. this happened to me multiple times.

the soundtrack to this game is pretty good, it's kinda crunchier than i remember it being but i do like it and it has a unique sound for sure.

overall this game gets 3.5 stars from me because well, almost half of this game's tracks are horse shit. but when it's good, it's really good. definitely one of the better mario kart games and to have this release on a handheld in 2005 is a godsend honestly. thank you shiggy.

also i didn't touch the mission mode although maybe some day i will.

Quanta raiva se pode passar quando um casco azul bem na última curva arruína uma corrida quase perfeita?

Essa pode ser a síntese de minha experiência com Mario Kart DS. Apesar de o jogo ser ótimo em quase todos os aspectos, gostaria aqui de ressaltar o que eu menos gostei: a dificuldade desbalanceada. Por exemplo, nos 50cc você vence as copas sem praticamente nenhum perrengue, em 100cc já é perceptível a mudança e a necessidade de um foco maior, mas em 150cc (incluindo a versão Mirror), é quase impossível vencer todas as corridas de uma única copa.
Mas, no geral, é um jogo muito bom e até hoje é meu MK predileto.

This is one of like 3 games from my childhood that still holds up. If you asked modern me and eight-year-old me what we thought of the game, we would both talk about the really cool part in Bowser's Castle where you drive on a rotating rod.

Courses are the main thing that really makes a Mario Kart game. Almost every game in the series prior to DS had some good courses, but only a few I could even think of wanting to play again. SNES has the most basic courses in the series, 64 had a couple of cool ones like Royal Raceway and its take on Bowser's Castle, Super Circuit on GBA had some great ideas like Cheese Land and Ribbon Road (although they felt pretty unrealized on the GBA), and Double Dash probably had the best ratio of okay courses to mediocre ones, specifically highlighting Dino Dino Jungle and Daisy Cruiser. So what makes DS's courses different?

The game's Mushroom Course starts off with the obligatory basic, beginner-level, Figure 8 Circuit. It may be boring. And it is. But hey, for what would be the most accessible game to younger players, it made sense to make something super simple with nearly no offroad segments. Yoshi's Falls followed it up, gradually adding some more aspects to levels. While not complex at all, it's a small and enjoyable course, with stuff like the waterfalls and the giant egg that doesn't do anything. But then the developers decided to finally make a good course with Cheep Cheep Beach. The atmosphere gives me a warm and cozy feeling, with some small, but nice shortcuts. It's still nothing big, but it's just building up to the truly insane courses. Luigi's Mansion is a course that I probably should hate because of the mud ruining your momentum in a great portion of the course, but I kind of love it since it's just a ton of people swerving around, with bananas inevitable. Obviously gonna be a safer cup, but it still holds a special place in my heart.

Don't be afraid, who else gets rock-hard to the Flower Cup in Mario Kart DS? This is probably my favorite cup in the game because it hits you immediately with some of the most creative ideas in the series. Of course, I'm going to have to mention Waluigi Pinball, which not only has a great theme but also some really wacky and off-the-wall elements, which has always shown to bring the best out of the series. A really big sleeper hit is Delfino Plaza, which I love for its many paths and lively atmosphere. There are so many different paths, which all are narrow pathways that build up suspense, especially if you don't have a banana or shell to protect you. The bridge jump rules too. Shroom Ridge is like the one and only course in the series where the car obstacles actually make it more fun. Plus, Desert Hills is like the one and only desert course in the series that looks aesthetically pleasing.

The next cup, The Star Cup, is easily the most difficult one. I know it's weird to say that about a relatively easy game, but then the subtitle for this review wouldn't make sense. Even without little me playing Mario 64, Tick Tock Clock was in like my top 3. I loved the random ass environment of driving in this big contraption, through rotating gears and the clock hands. Looking back at the game, I think I severely underrated Airship Fortress. It's quickly went from a solid course to one of my favorites. I love the Mario 3 references, I love the part when you get shot out of a cannon, I love drifting down the circular pillar, and I love the part where you dodge bullet bills. And DK Pass would be a top tier course too if those dumb ass snowmen weren't there at the end that I inevitably trip into on the 3rd lap and I go from 1st to 6th. Mario Circuit isn't bad but it’s like the most standard and basic course besides figure 8.

I'm so fucking good at this game oh my god. The Special Cup has some of the most memorable courses in the series. My personal favorite is and has always been its iteration of Bowser's Castle. The atmosphere is second to none, and I love the shortcuts. Not to mention the rotating rod part which is really really really really cool I swear. Peach Gardens is also kind of like a personal sleeper hit. Mushrooms can really cut through some big sections, and it feels so satisfying to maul through some monty moles with a star. The chain chomps also add some life to the course where it would be basic.

The 16 retro tracks in Super Circuit was a really cool edition, but since it was the SNES roster of tracks, I really couldn't care. But MKDS has a collection of the best courses through every prior MK game. Yoshi Circuit, Sky Garden, and Mushroom Bridge feel so adapted to the system, and you can really tell that these four extra cups doubling the count were no last-minute inclusion. Nearly every one of them is just a strictly better version of the old one, and adds some small things here and there.

I'm sure you've heard by now, but the mission mode is really something special. This is a new jam-packed mode full of some innovative and fun challenges that I'll always go for 3 stars in. I don't even know what else to say about it, it's just a super unique and replayable mode that the series has never brought back for some reason.

The unlockable characters are just really cool, but I really hope God doesn't care about me not liking Dry Bones. The odd one out is ROB, who was in this game before Brawl, which introduced many to him. I can't imagine how many kids just thought this guy was just some random ass new robot that they put into MKDS. Luckily, I'm immune from stupidity because I was never good enough as a kid to unlock him.

I wasn't sure whether or not to mention this, but there's a tech called Snaking that's kind of like the wavedashing of MKDS. It's not even an exploit or a glitch, all what you're doing is just really hurting your thumb to chain mini turbos in a very narrow space depending on how good you are. Snaking really changes a man, his thumbs, and opinions on the DS’s dpad.

Every part of me wants to love this game, and it's really working. Very solid 9/10. One of my favorite games of all time, and I'm not ashamed to love this instead of cult classic scrimbo bimbo rpg on the psp.

I do believe this is the best in the series. sure I'm swayed by it being the best DS game I grew up with (the only non-shovelware one), but it brings a lot to the table: good music, mission mode, customizable kart emblems, R.O.B., the map on the lower screen.

it certainly has the best battle mode in the series. the battle maps are intimate, making it exciting and easy to engage in combat. compare that to any other mario kart game, in which the battle maps are so large you're lucky to hit anything at all.

being a young kid, I didn't understand how to unlock characters, so I was surprised a couple years back when I learned there were two or three I never even knew existed. it made me appreciate the game anew, like it still had secrets for me. and what a hard time I had unlocking them, at 20 years old! this game has a surprisingly challenging single player mode.