Continuing my holy crusade to play every Mario Kart. There are some things I loved and some stuff that I didn't like at all. First of all, I think I should address the drifting. It's definelty more of a skill this time around. I prefer drifting in later games it's still a ton of fun and considering it lacks air tricks and gliders, it definelty gives this game more of an identity. Then there's the courses, the nitro courses almost all slap they introduced some of the best of the best here: Peach Gardens, Airship Fortress, Bowser's Castle DS, Tick Tock Clock, WALUIGI PINBALL oh my GAWD they cooked like crazy with these. But then there's the retros. And honestly most of them suck. I get they couldn't bring a lot of double dash courses but in that case they could've just focused on 64 courses because the snes ones are so short it feels like they are over before they begin. The Super Circuit ones are also just eh. I will be giving some slack though since this the first game to have retro courses. And there's mission mode: it's good. Nothing super fantastic, but it's a fun relaxing little pace breaker that I honestly wish returned in later games. Mario Kart DS isn't a "generically good" game like what I used to think Mario Kart 7 was (I now think 7 is freakin great), it's a good game that has quite a few things holding it back which is better if you ask me since that makes its pros stand out all the more.