Mario Kart DS, Vroooom *poot* Options

[Kazicht]

I picked this up on release day and I have to say, its the best Mario Kart game ever.

I've pretty much been playing it non-stop unlocking all the cups, characters, karts and more. This game is pretty huge with 32 tracks in total, and some of the effects on many tracks are really nice. The graphics are supurb especially for the DS and after you get into the higher speed classes, the sense of speed and mayhem is really there.
Grand Prix mode is where you'll be racing most of your time at first, going through all the cups and unlocking new goodies everytime you manage to sweep 4 golds. 50cc speed class is cake, ofcorse. But once you finish it and hit the 100cc and 150cc class, prepared to get burned if you aren't up to stuff. The computer AI is relentless.

But the biggest draw of the game is ofcorse the FREE online racing mode. Here you get to race against 4 randomly selected players all around the world, or people from your own friends list (through a code, each person has their own phone number like ID) if you wish. Theres also a "Rivals" matching option where they pit you against people who are near your skill level, determined by your amount of wins vs losses. You can even costom paint your own emblem and it'll show up as a decal on you chosen karts!
It all works really smooth, although abit limited on communication, but its not a big deal as long as it works.

Anyway, I fully reccamend this game for anyone who's into FUN games. You don't even have to be a full out racing fan. Its just easy to pick up and get into and the challenge is there. Plus having online races is too much fun.

If anyone does have it, hit me up when able and post your own Friend Code.
This is mine:

Kazicht
167566
732130

[AC9breaker]

[Alisha]

saying its the best mario kart game isnt saying much. id be more interestd in how it compares to diddy kong racing

ps. kaz your signature owns

[tanshin]

[Kazicht]

[AC9breaker]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Just got it now. Man this is so cool.


My friend code is

227693
545345

I went online and played a few matches and quickly got school'D but almost won the last race. It was soooooooooooooooo close. Can't wait to see ya online Kaz, and anyone else too.




McNugget Cup! :O

[unitself]

so... when you guys say you can design your own graphics for your kart, what exactly do you mean? Is there a 20x20 (or whatever) grid where you can draw? Like there is in Animal Crossing.
I gotta say... all this talk is making me want this game. I'm trying to wait until AC: Wild World actually hits the shelves before I pick up a DS, but... :D

[Kazicht]

Nice AC! I'll be sure to look for you as soon as I get a chance to log on again.

And yes SCU, there is an in-game psuedo paint tool that lets you paint up 32x32 pixel emblems with a primitive set of tools and basic colors. Even still, people have been making some pretty creative decals anyway.

Heres a nifty tool I found when browsing through forums: Mario Kart DS Decal Maker

Just upload a 32x32 image using this thing, and it'll translate into the proper dimensions and colors, pixel by pixel, so you can just plug it into the game yourself using the stylus.

[AC9breaker]

After playing the game for a few days I think I’m ready to give a comprehensive review of the game. I have to say this is an amazing game. This is a game a that sells the DS, its just that great.

As Kaz stated before there are 3 modes to Grand Prix, and a 4th secret mode. 50 cc is pretty cake and good to help you get a feel for the game and practice some of the "techniques" of the game(I'll get to that in a bit)
100 cc is a step up in difficulty and you really start feeling the intensity of the game. Then 150 cc which is pretty close to the intensity of online play and sure to have you on your feet standing up shouting at your DS. Mission mode is great and helps give you a change of pace when the frustration of 150 cc sets in or, losing back to back races on online play. Time Trial is great for practicing you skills with your race style and learning the tracks without the hassle of all of the items or other racers. Gives you a more traditional racer feeling as well when racing against your ghost data. You're best times are also recorded and you can send them to friends, just as well as they can send to you. There is also a battle mode in which your and your friends can deal damage to yourself. What’s interesting, your life is represented in balloons, and you have to blow into the mike to inflate your life balloon. Finally there is online play which as said before is totally free and easy to connect. So easy I still have a hard time believing how easy it is.

One of the things that I really got a kick out of, was the different racing styles of the game. Never playing a Mario Kart, I don't know if this was in previous versions but it 's pretty sweet. Basically its 3 types; heavy, medium, and lightweights karts as well as, heavy, medium, and lightweight racers . Each racer effects each kart differently but not too significantly. Lightweights seems to be the easiest style to play where as heavy is the hardest. Power drifting in the game, a feature that I really love about the game and gives it an arcadey feel, is different with each Kart. Heavy karts excel at speed and power drifting where as light karts are great at acceleration and handling. appropriately these techniques take advantage of the Karts up and downs. Where as, a light kart has poor drifting, it makes these cars excellent for a technique known as snaking. This is just a tip of the iceberg incorporated to the strategy of racing. As if the racing wasn't intense enough, this makes the game constantly entertaining and keeps you thinking all the time. A lame thing though is that with almost any online game once a solid strategy is found, sheep mentality begins to emerge. A very popular combo seems to be Dry Bones and his Dry Bomber Kart.

One of the dislikes that I have with the game is that, Wifi connectivity doesn't have all the courses that the game has offline and, no battle mode as well. I would have also liked to be able to exchanged Time attack ghost with people around the world. Also, I would have wished that there was some sort of lobby or chat room to discuss the races with friends or people you've raced against or etc. These are just ideas I would have liked to see implemented in the game that would have this game a perfect game and a must have for all. But no doubt this game is still an amazingly fun and addictive game. Perfect to see why the Mario Kart DS bundle has been made because this game is seriously a must own for all DS owners.



*Sweet Link Kaz, I got my Che Guevara decal now.

[unitself]

zing!
Shiney, new, red DS owner alert!
Mario Kart racing time!


my friend code is:
214808
871557

[AC9breaker]

[Kazicht]

Sweet! Just added you, can't wait to finally hook up online with you guys! Better get practicing!

[unitself]

HA! Pracitcing... yeah... um...
I have raced a few times so far... like < 10 and I have one only once. And it was a cheap bomb shot on my part that won me the race. Well, the bomb IS part of the game... and, strategically shooting people is a good plan... hrm... maybe it wasn't a cheap shot after all? :D Anyways, I have lost all the other races. Some (most) by quite a distance. Still quite fun though.

I can even sit in my living room, which is down the hall and around a corner or two and still get two bars on the wireless hook up!

I have added you both as well. Let's race!!

btw: Three days 'til AC:WW!!

[Maxx]

Woot. Just got it! Chaws in the desizzy!

236285
369662

[AC9breaker]

Sweets, I just added you. I'm hoping this January I'll get my wireless home connection set up so some of us could set up race dates through AIM or something.