I burned out on the Mario Kart series a few years back -- sometime between 2001's Super Circuit and 2003's Double Dash!!, I think. And competitive online gaming? I hate it. Hate it so much.

So why is it that by combining the two, Nintendo has created a game I can't seem to put down? By all accounts, Mario Kart DS should either bore me to tears or fill me with fiery rage. Instead, it's clutched my brain in the steely grip of utter addiction. At the moment, I have about half a dozen games I'm working on for review...but I keep coming back to MKDS.

What gives? On its surface, MKDS isn't really all that different than the previous four titles in the series, offering players a chance to take control of one of a dozen Mario characters in go-karts. It's a racer with absolutely ridiculous physics, and it rewards aggression and underhanded tactics more than technical skill, all wrapped up in the family-friendly Nintendo style. It's considerably less intricate than Double Dash!!, too, offering fewer racers and a more streamlined interface (no character swapping necessary). Despite this, it's probably the single best kart racing game ever.

The most obvious explanation for its appeal is its support for online multiplayer. Gamers have been clamoring for an online Mario Kart for ages, going so far as to fake it with Warp Pipe for GameCube, and Nintendo has finally answered their demands. Admittedly, it's a pretty simplistic implementation as far as online gaming goes; there are no ladders, no in-game global ranking systems, and face-offs are limited to automatically matched 4-track grand prix races. Next to the robust possibilities of something like, say, Halo 2, it seems downright pitiful.

And then there are the hardware limitations of the DS itself, which come around to bite MKDS in the ass hard enough to leave teeth marks. Only four racers can play at once over wi-fi, and 12 of the game's tracks are unavailable due to lag issues. To make matters worse, playing head-to-head against a specific person is tough to accomplish even if that person is permanently inscribed into your friends list. And due to the DS's finicky wi-fi chipset, it's much harder to find a compatible network than when you play PSP online. No 802.11g, no WPA encryption, and you'd better make sure your router is supported or prepare to drop 35 bucks on the official Nintendo connector. (To clarify, supported 802.11g routers will only work if you enable 802.11b compatibility.)

But once you find a working connection, once you accept the fact that online matches are limited to four people (and that the game doesn't sub AI opponents when the guy in last place drops out, which always happens), once you get playing...all those complaints drift away. The basic Mario Kart game design is intrinsically fun -- and always thoughtfully balanced so that it's a close match all the way to the finish. The utter simplicity and minimalism of the online interface is a carefully calculated ploy by Nintendo to convince people who would never normally bother with Internet play to go online anyway. And the lack of voice chat and lobbies means you'll never have to hear some stupid 13-year-old insulting your mother when you win. Like everything Nintendo does these days, the ease of Mario Kart's online functionality is a clever trick to take something complex and make it palatable to Jim Bob Sixpack and his C-student troupe in Tuscaloosa. (No offense intended to Tuscaloosa's A-students.)

The online game is only one portion of Mario Kart equation for success, though. The offline modes are far more robust and varied. The dull, worn cliché of "something for everyone" is truly appropriate here. There's the Grand Prix mode, sporting 32 tracks with three different levels of difficulty (from 50cc for the novices to 150cc to challenge the experts). Battle mode returns with a healthy selection of arenas, and the new Shine Runners mode adds a tiny touch of Survivor to the proceedings. All three modes can be played solo or with friends over the DS's system-to-system connection -- and unlike the limited online options, every track is available for a full eight players. Furthermore, there's a bevy of solo play options for those who hate traditional racing, namely time trials and specially designed missions. And of course the usual selection of unlockables for those who just can't live without mastering open every last bit of a new game.

But in the end, isn't this, you know, just another Mario Kart game? Well, yeah. But it's as good as the series has ever been, combining the best elements of all the previous titles in ways both subtle (the dragging tactic from Super Circuit returns) and overt (half the tracks are meticulously reproduced versions of courses from each of the earlier games). The racers and karts can be combined in a seemingly infinite array to best fit your preferred mix of talents. And the new elements are excellent, especially incredible new tracks like Waluigi Pinball and Airship Fortress. The DS-specific features shine, too, particularly the ubiquitous map screen (used here to brilliant effect).

Everything about MKDS comes together into a surprisingly compelling package, a portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console. Even for a skeptic like me. Like the victor of a tough kart race, MKDS has come from behind against steep odds to snatch the gold from the clutches of cynicism.

See you online.

Originally Posted by Kid Icarus

It looks like the US will have plenty of hotspots available, but nothing for the rest of us. I do remember reading Reggie say that they are focusing on the hotspots and will be more supporting of playing through the home in the future (probably to work out he compatibility issues). I do hope those USB adapters will be made more available is areas like Canada where no real hotspot deal has been setup.

Originally Posted by Deathawk

Actually at the summit Reggie said that thier strategies would differ in Canada and Mexico, the most notable of these diferences will be that you'll be able to buy the USB Dongle from retailers in those two areas.

You can watch a video of his speech here: http://www.gamespot.com/videos/index.html

Originally Posted by Friggin Joe

MK: DD sucked majorly.
I really hate the "races are always close" thing bceause it usually features skill-voiding power ups for the guys in last.
Bad enough they are keeping battle modes offline, I'd like to at least keep the 'races only' as real races in the DS version.

If the DS version turns out good enough, at least some more people may finally admit DD sucks.