Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

- Reviewed on GameCube -

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! released on November 7th, 2003.

This Mario Kart title is the fourth entry in the Mario Kart series as a whole, and the only Mario Kart game for the Nintendo GameCube console. 

With its unique gameplay feature and fun racetracks, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a great time for any and all fans of the series! 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

For those unaware, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is notorious for its unique gameplay mechanic that is absent from other Mario Kart titles (as of writing this blog post). 

This special mechanic being the addition of two characters per kart (hence the name Double Dash). 

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! does not disappoint with its Mario theme driven music and cast of characters to choose from. 

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! offers an outstanding 20 playable characters (18 from the start with two being unlockables).

What Mario Kart: Double Dash!! does / did with their character rubric was also a nice treat as they purposely gave us fans, characters that go together if teamed up. 

For example, if you chose Yoshi as your driver, you could have Birdo. Or if you wanted Bowser, you could team up with Bowser Jr.

Characters from the Mario series that normally go together are available in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! but of course, you don't have to choose people that normally go together, it's all up to you!

You have multiple gameplay modes in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as well. 

These game modes are...

    - Grand Prix
    - Time Trial
    - Versus
    - Battle

Grand Prix is (just like other Mario Kart games) the primary source for unlocking other Karts and Characters. 

When you do choose a Kart (from the character selection screen) you also have three factors to be aware of. This being the Speed, Acceleration, and Weight of the Karts. 

You will definitely need to take these into consideration if you want gold in the higher Grand Prix's. 

The gameplay / controls can be debatable to some players, especially for me as the higher the Grand Prix's get, the harder it becomes to drive, which is the purpose of this feature, but it does seem a lot more unfair in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! than other series installments. 

I do think the inclusion of switching drivers' mid race(s) is a great strategy-oriented approach for people who play / enjoy multiplayer. 

During races you can also steal items from other players (and / or CPUs) if the character not driving, has an empty hand and you drive past (with a boost of some sort) their kart. 

This unique mechanic can be the literal difference between winning and / or losing. 

Again, the controls / gameplay can be debatable to some players, but in the end, my only gripe with the controls is how sensitive they feel when you drift or need to do sharp turns. 

Another mechanic in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! that hasn't made that many appearances in other installments (as of writing this blog post), are the character exclusive items you can get during races. 

This makes the player not only worry / consider their karts, but also their character choice as some items can (just like stealing them) boost your chances of winning or losing. 

The general items in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! are...

    - Bananas
    - Green Shells
    - Red Shells
    - Spiny Shells
    - Fake Item Boxes
    - Mushrooms
    - Triple Mushrooms
    - Stars
    - Lightning

The character specific items (as mentioned earlier) are...

    - Fireballs (Mario and Luigi)
    - Hearts (Peach and Daisy)
    - Eggs (Yoshi and Birdo)
    - Chain Chomps (Baby Mario and Baby Luigi)
    - Golden Mushrooms (Toad and Toadette)
    - Triple Red and Green Shells (Koopa and Paratroopa)
    - Giant Bananas (Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong)
    - Bowser's Shells (Bowser and Bowser Jr.)
    - Bob-ombs (Wario and Waluigi)
    - Random Item (Petey Piranha and King Boo)

It's nice to see how some of these special character items eventually made their way to the normal category in later Mario Kart titles, such as the triple shells and golden mushrooms. 

My overall experience with Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was a pleasant yet stressful one as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! just seemed to be a lot more brutal in terms of gameplay, compared to newer titles in the series. 

I'd say, if you are a true (hardcore) fan, you should play this important piece of history, but if not, you wouldn't have to (worry about) play this installment, in my opinion. 

Pros: 

    - Original Mario Series Characters
    - Fun and Unique Tracks
    - Unlockables
    - Plethora of Characters (and Combinations)
    - Great Music

Cons:

    - Hard Controls
    - Repetitive (with amount of tracks available) 

My Rating for Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (on GameCube):

3 / 5


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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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