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Mario Kart: Double Dash! (GC)
by SWSt
Mario Kart Wii may have stolen the headlines with its wireless steering wheel control, but Mario's held his driving licence for much longer than that, appearing in racing games on a variety of Nintendo's consoles.
On the Gamecube, that incarnation took the form of Mario Kart Double Dash!! (complete with annoyingly ... ungrammatical extra exclamation mark!). Although it stuck fairly faithfully to the formula already established by the series, it introduced one major innovation: your kart is driven by not one, but two Nintendo characters (hence the "Double" in the title). Other than that, it's very much business as usual: drive around a series of tracks, pick up objects to help you and hinder your opponents and finish with as high a placing in the race as you can.
The beauty of Double Dash is that it is just so easy to pick up and play. Controls are very well thought out and you will naturally find your fingers gravitating to the right buttons. Indeed, my copy of this game was missing the instruction booklet but even so, the controls are so intuitive that I picked up them up instantly without this causing a problem. I would certainly recommend getting a Gamecube controller to play this, though, as the controls were optimised for this controller and the game works a lot better with one.
The easy controls complement the instantly addictive game play. The basic goal (race and finish in as high a position as you can) is easy to understand, whilst the array of objects you pick up introduces a tactical element as you can only carry up to two at once, so you need to decide when to deploy them for maximum advantage. At any point in a race, you can switch between your two characters (since different characters have different abilities) although, to be honest, this has always felt a bit like a gimmick to me, and doesn't make much real difference to your handling or driving.
For once the artificial intelligence (AI) of the computer characters is absolutely spot-on. On the easier levels, they are fairly simple to overtake or hit with the objects you have collected. As you progress through the game, they become far more aggressive, blocking you, deliberately driving you off the road and targeting you with the items they have collected. The one big gripe is that sometimes the AI can be a little unfair. There can be times when you are hit in rapid succession by three or four different items and if this happens, you can easily see your race position slip from 1st to 5th in a matter of seconds - very frustrating when you have spent three laps getting into a strong position.
Thanks to the AI, the one player game (often a weakness of racing games) is tremendous fun to play and a real challenge. True, you'll breeze through the earlier courses and even later ones won't hold you back too long, but the varied computer AI means that each game plays very differently and that will keep you coming back for more.
Of course, like any game, it's always more fun to play against your mates and here, Double Dash excels, allowing up to 4 people to play simultaneously (assuming you have enough controllers, of course!). The rest of the racing roster is then made up of computer controlled characters. It's here the game really comes into its own, as you can take a perverse delight in using a negative power-up on you mate, then racing past them as they struggle to control their kart! The one player mode can be pretty competitive (I have often been caught out cackling madly when I've just unleashed a particularly nasty power-up on an opponent); doing this in two player mode, however, is even more fun as you can gloat in person!
Track layouts are imaginative and varied. Set in a variety of locations lifted from different Nintendo franchises they really capture the feel of those games. There's also a pleasing variety in the tracks. Some are short and fast, requiring you to race flat out; others have hairpin bends, patrolling enemies or narrow ledges which need to be negotiated carefully. This means that you will need to develop a driving style appropriate to each one - racing flat out all the time is just not an option if you want to win. Combine this with the strong computer AI and you have a game which will challenge you and which plays differently each time.
As you'd expect from Nintendo, the graphics and sound on Double Dash are excellent. At first glance, I thought the camera was a little too close to the back of your kart, but once you get used to it, this works very well, giving you a clear unobstructed view of the track ahead. There is still a slight downside in that you can't see behind you, so if someone fires a power-up at you, the first you know about it is when usually you are hit. There's virtually no opportunity to try to take evasive action, which can be slightly frustrating.
More generally, the graphics are bright, cheerful and full of colour and character. The roster of characters features loads of Nintendo favourites (Mario & Luigi, Donkey & Diddy Kong) etc. all of whom are instantly recognisable. Despite their cartoon-like appearance, the graphics are well-suited to the game and capture the sense of fun which Double Dash is all about. There are plenty of nice little touches too, which really add to the competitive spirit. If you play as Yoshi the Dinosaur, for example, he will pull tongues at opponents as you overtake them.
Importantly, there's a real sense of speed to the game and the 3D perspective is genuinely zippy. There's also a noticeable difference in speed between the different engine classes of vehicle (50cc, 100cc and 150cc) and hitting a speed ramp sees your kart increase its velocity to crazy levels. Those who say the Gamecube/Wii can't handle fast 3D graphics should take a look at Mario Kart.
Sound, too, is appropriate, with jolly, jingly little tunes accompanying each course and you'll soon find you're unable to stop yourself whistling along to them. There's a pleasantly meaty roar to the kart engines, whilst again, there are nice little touches that enhance the atmosphere. Taking Yoshi as an example again, if you get too close to an object, he will utter a plaintiff little "uh-oh", whilst Diddy Kong gibbers in terror! It's little humorous touches like this that really bring the game to life and make it so much fun to play.
Double Dash might not be as graphically polished as Mario Kart on the Wii, but it's still tremendous fun. Whether you're playing on your own or have a few mates round, its strong game play, intelligent computer racers and good track design make it great fun. Better still, it's a lot cheaper than Mario Kart (it can be picked up second hand for around £8) and, being a Gamecube game, it can be played on the Wii.
If you already own Mario Kart Wii, then there's probably not much point in buying this, but if you don't and you're looking for a cheaper alternative, then this comes highly recommended.
© Copyright SWSt 2011
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Mario Kart: Double Dash! (GC)
by katyboo123
I think I have some kind of addictive personality because I go through phases of being addicted to 'stuff'. At the moment I am addicted to Ebaying every single item in my home, prior to that I was addicted to Avon repping and just after Christmas, I discovered my sisters old Game Cube in the spare room; yes you guessed it, I got addicted ... to that! I'm not really one for having a console, I last had the original X-Box, for which I had Fifa and Crash Bandicoot. I would get home from work at 4.30pm and play until 4.30am, so it just had to go. I can remember right back to the Master System and Alex the Kid, which had me up until all hours and when I had a NES Mario Kart would keep me up all night, then I would go to school and all I would think about would be getting home for more Mario Kart. My parents were just as bad, I would eventually give in to exhaustion, go up to bed, and I would hear der der dem de dem dem (you know, the Mario Kart menu music) then they would play until I got up to go to school again! And don't even get me started on Tetris on the Gameboy
So, when I came across the Game Cube, I was seriously in two minds about even connecting it to my TV, as once that was done... well I wouldn't stop playing until I'd completed the game that came with it, Mario Kart Double Dash; then that huge void would well up and I would feel all weird and empty. However, I couldn't help it I gave in and connected the GC, and switched on Mario Kart.
I don't profess to know what I am talking about when it comes to computer games, however, I do know that I will play and play and even search hints/tips websites to help me complete it, as I get frustrated. I beat all the boys at Fifa and I won't stop until I am the best - this is probably why I get addicted!
The game menu on start up is pretty simple for Mario Kart. It first welcomes you and then you have to select whether you want a 'Battle', a 'Time Trial' or a 'Cup'. A Battle consists briefly of 2 players battling it out around a course to complete challenges, such as popping balloons or blowing each other up with Bob-ombs, etc. It's over in minutes and more annoying than anything else, so I do tend to avoid these. Next a Time Trial involves racing to beat your own score, not competitive enough for me! So, it's the Cup/League for me each time.
As usual with computer games there are settings menus in which you can change the functions of the controller buttons, turn the sounds on / off, set up split screen options, etc. I am always so desperate to play the game that I just crack on past these. So, once you have selected Cup, you have to select the speed. I don't know whether I am slightly anal about doing this, but on Mario Kart I like to complete each speed level, so I begin with 50cc, other options are 100cc and 150cc. The following screen takes you to the character select. As this game is entitled Double Dash, you have to select two characters; one to drive and one to throw items. The inside tip here is, and you will observe this from the character pairs the console generates, you need to choose one heavy-ish character and one light character. I usually go for Mario and Baby Mario (super cute!). Then you choose your vehicle. Now for me, again this is important. Each character has a signature cart and depending on who you choose first, depends on which carts you will be offered. Here, you will see the combination of characters and carts and the speed, agility, acceleration marks out of 5. This information doesn't come up if you're playing 2 player, so if you want to get the perfect combination, go in on single player and check it all out, make your decisions and then re-enter the cup mode on 2 player. Just a little bit annoying!
You can only play up to 2 players on one console, but using LAN you can connect up to 8 consoles, with 2 players per console, making for a 16 player game! Wow, I can hardly comprehend that... I suppose it's like the last step before X-Box Live but I have no interest in that, I would rather have everyone round and interact - you know like the good old days, rather than talking through a headset to my next door neighbour and a range of people I don't know.
Ok, so you have selected your characters and are almost ready... you now need to select your cup. You have the usual Mario Kart cups, i.e. Mushroom, Flower, Star getting progressively harder to the Special Cup which features the dreaded Rainbow Road course! Choose your cup (I always have to go in logical order, so 50cc > Mushroom, Flower, etc then 100cc > Mushroom, and so on!). Every track seems to be familiar, but still intricately designed; trimmed lawns, sea views, over-sized mushrooms and diving penguins on ice. There are a couple of unlockable exceptions and I will leave these as a surprise for you! Now the game begins... Depending on when you accelerate when the Cloud is starting the race, depends on whether you get a mini-turbo start. I tend to press the accelerate button just as the traffic lights turn from Amber to Green. Some people really annoy me by saying that if you tap your start button constantly then you get a turbo start; but you actually only get a turbo start this way by tapping at the right point. It's pot luck! Argh. Makes me mad!
Now you're off and this is where I will leave you; its down to skill and driving here. A few tips though; firstly, if you need a speed boost, switch drivers and instantly switch back, if you manage to get blue sparks, a mini-turbo is performed on course! Also, if you get a really good item like a red shell (which will definitely find the player in front and knock them out), but you don't want to use it yet, then switch players, as if you get hit while you're hanging on to the item, only the rear driver loses their items, not the front one! Every character has special items, for example Mario has a Dog Ball and Chain, which when he releases flies round the course spinning everyone, very useful. Yoshi has an Egg which not only spins the players in it's path, but steals their items. Then there's the usuals, like lightening and invincibility, which you only tend to get if you're in last place.
Each time you complete a cup in first place - either you or player 2, you unlock special items including carts and new characters as well as special items. Once you have completed all 4 cups at 150cc level you unlock the all-cup tour, which is all 16 tracks starting with the Luigi Circuit and ending in Rainbow Road, with all the other tracks in random order in between. Complete this and you will unlock Mirror Mode, which is all of the cups including the all-cup tour in reverse - very difficult to accomplish, as by this stage you will be able to do most of the cups blindfolded!
Finally and most devastatingly, when you finish the Mirror Mode, you are presented with a screen which thanks you for playing! And that is it! You've completed the game and although you're desperate to click restart and begin all over again, you can't face it. So, that's the end of Double Dash. We went on to try and fill the void with Mario Kart for the Wii, but the gameplay was far too difficult, we just kept coming 8th! That'll be it for me for consoles for a while now at least!
Version on Version: Based on the predecessor of Double Dash, which was Super Mario Kart, it is much more finely tuned, despite being essentially the same game. It carries forward a lot of similar features but the Double Dash makes you feel as though you are playing a more developed and modern game; if your nostalgic for Super Mario you will certainly take to this super game.
Playability: The game tracks and characters move fantastic and the controls are really responsive. There are a variety of play modes available, despite my distinct preference for the Cup route. It's really suitable for all ages from young children to older adults; the simplicity of the controls makes it very accessible.
Visual Effects: A bright colour palette, eyes and mouths randomly placed on trains / buses / glaciers etc and carefully animated characters which don't fail to capture your attention even from behind! All of that coupled with the small touches like sparks from the wheels, the way in which characters fall out of carts when hit, the heat waves and the clouds of dust make for a really interactive viewing.
Sound Effects: Aw, these are so cute, well - the track-on-track music first up is completely unrelenting, and eventually you'll block it out or go mad! But the character noises are adorable, particularly baby Mario and baby Luigi! The voice work is really good and apparently features many of the voice artisits from the original version of the game. There are also noises from the track like screeching round cornes, tyres on tarmac and of course beep beep!
Game Duration: If you set out to complete this game I would say at least 150 hours! That's every track, every speed, the unlocked levels and mirror mode.
Nowadays there's so much to choose from, so much more inventive and enticing games that Double Dash has probably had it's heyday - but for me, it remains a firm favourite not only because of the nostalgia it evokes, but also because it's a solid, quick loading, stable game that keeps you interested. If you fancy it, get on Ebay, there's hundreds being sold and plenty include the console too!
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