Mario Kart?s greatest asset has always been superb multiplayer and Nintendo intend to continue to push the envelope with this aspect of the game with Double Dash!! with support for up to 8 players, via split-screen or LAN play (which essentially means you?ll be able to play online when the right tunneling software is available). Nintendo is also promising that new modes will be added, such as the Bob-omb Blast mode, where the players collect bombs, which tower up above the kart, and can be thrown at other players, as well as the classic Balloon Battle mode, regular cups and time trials.
Several major changes have been made to the way Mario Kart plays ? the most obvious of these is that there are now two players to a kart. This is more than likely intended to add a little more strategy to the game as you are able to switch between characters on the fly, hold two different items, and much more. Characters also have their own specific kart types, but it is unknown whether these are just aesthetic, or whether they have various strengths and weaknesses. Each character now has their own specific power up, similar to the CPU?s abilities in the Super Nintendo version, on top of a variety of new power ups, including a chain chomp, triple fireball, and many more. Finally, it should be noted that Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has had a significant speed increase since we last saw it, and the turbo drift from the Nintendo 64 version of the game has reappeared adding ? you guessed it ? just a little more strategy back into the mix.
Some unnecessary criticism has been directed at the graphics of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! but the latest build seems to have improved a lot from the initial E3 display. The environments and tracks featured in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! are absolutely massive and beaming with life, but some folks will notice that Nintendo have been a little stingy on the textures around the course. This is due to the fact that karts are intended to almost always be on the move ? in which case a nice motion blurring effect kicks in. Player models are looking very nice, though some of the character related karts look a little silly ? some people seem to prefer the default kart type, but we?ll just have to wait and see how everything looks when the game finally ships.
You be the judge
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is due for release on November 14th in all PAL regions ? 3 days before its release in the USA, possibly one of those rare signs that Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo Australia still care about their loyal fans. PALGN will have a full review of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as soon as is humanly possible.
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