Video Game Reviews: Nintendo DS
Mario Kart DS
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Ratings and rankings are based on all available critic reviews for each game.
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Mario Kart DS
Expert Review Summary
based on (91) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating.
GameSpy
I recently wrote a lengthy
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GameSpy
IGN
Nintendo's decade-old franchise gets the DS treatment. Is this sequel as Super as
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at IGN
GamePro
The hugely popular multiplayer party racer, Mario Kart, comes to the DS fully loaded with classic characters, a bunch of new tracks, and a wireless multiplayer mode that's to die for.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GamePro
Games Radar
It’s pretty clear this is a test lap for Nintendo, and once the kinks are worked out you'll see more gamers gearing up for a race through the Mushroom Kingdom.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Games Radar
Adrenaline Vault
It is refreshing to see the DS stand up and do some things that can't be done on the GBA, allowing it to stand out as its own system rather than being used to play GBA titles on.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Adrenaline Vault
Gaming Target
The “killer-app” for the DS. With it's finely tuned gameplay and insanely high production value, this title will make a worthy addition to any DS library.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Gaming Target
GameZone
Is it me or is the new generation of handheld game systems the best thing to happen to the industry since the release of the PSone? Here I am away from my controller, away from my console, and nowhere near a TV screen and yet I am able to steal
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GameZone
Gaming Age
The game’s graphics are silky smooth and the track designs are fantastic.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Gaming Age
Eurogamer
The beauty of Mario Kart DS is that it's really, genuinely practical to play with other people, wirelessly or online.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Eurogamer
Game Revolution
It goes the distance with its plentiful single-player content, provides intelligent, affordable local multiplayer and actually lets you race online.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Game Revolution
Yahoo! Games
The karts have more in common with classic Mario Kart than the more recent Double Dash!! on the GameCube: Every character races solo, the driver/gunner combination has been dropped. This simplifies the gameplay, but allows you to focus on the intricacies
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Yahoo! Games
1UP
Everything about MKDS comes together into a surprisingly compelling package, a portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at 1UP
Jaded Gamer
Then Mario Kart DS comes along, enticing me with its promise of online play; something that I have wanted to see added to the series for quite some time. Would it be enough to make the game feel fresh again? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
You know
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Jaded Gamer
Just RPG
The gameplay is rock solid, the replay value is very high, and graphics and sound are very sharp and detailed.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Just RPG
Pro-G
Despite the core game being as old as the proverbial hills, Mario Kart DS still feels fresh to play and, most importantly, is still fun. In fact, fun is an understatement. It's arguably the most outright enjoyable title on the DS. The combination of
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Pro-G
Gamers Europe
In an age of increasing style over substance and companies trying to extract cash from gamers left, right and centre for new "services", it’s truly heartening to see a game done absolutely right, and the setup around it also done absolutely right.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Gamers Europe
Games are Fun
First off, Graphics. Mario Kart features the smoothest graphics I've seen on the DS. The courses are colorful, the items bright, and the karts and racers truly well done (keep in mind this is by the DS's standards, not that next-gen Xbox 360 you've heard
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Games are Fun
Ferrago
The brilliant title that we've all been waiting for, making the DS that extra mile more appealing and helping seal my growing contempt for the PSP even though I'm not in the least bit a "fanboy".
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Ferrago
Thunderbolt
Super Mario Kart is still the best Mario Kart ever, but Mario Kart DS is remarkably close to edging past the original in almost every way.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Thunderbolt
UnderGroundOnline
Like its predecessors, the mainstay of Mario Kart DS is the Grand Prix mode, a series of cups with four races each where you'll race against CPU controlled opponents for points. With a total of eight cups, Grand Prix mode isn't terribly time consuming.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at UnderGroundOnline
Armchair Empire
Regardless of whether one is playing the game alone, or online with a few other people there is a ton of fun to be had with this game, and it should be in every DS owner’s library.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Armchair Empire
Jolt Online Gaming UK
We cannot emphasize this enough – if it’s not on your Christmas list, there’s still time. If you don’t get it from Christmas, don’t worry – just buy it your frigging self. If there were ever a game that was worth buying a console purely to
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Jolt Online Gaming UK
Next Level Gaming
The best DS game to date. It is like having the best from every Mario Kart game and bundled into one great package.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Next Level Gaming
DS-x2
Looking beyond the colorful, fun-filled surface and into the actual gameplay itself, we see a truly deep racing game lying in wait for serious players. Several simple yet useful techniques exist to give you an edge above the other players. The first and
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at DS-x2
Electric Playground
The graphics are phenomenal, some of the best so far for the handheld system. The controls in the game are simple enough for anyone to jump right into, and the variety of gameplay will keep most players coming back for more.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Electric Playground
NTSC uk
All the usual driver characteristics such as top speed, acceleration, handling and weight are back, with the addition of a new variable: items. Put simply, the higher the item rating, the more likely you are to get better items. Whether or not there's
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at NTSC uk
Gamer Within
All of the familiar single-player racing modes make their return in Mario Kart DS, in addition to a few new features. The portable title contains eight grand-prix competitions containing four races each. Half of these tracks are new, well-designed
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Gamer Within
Da GameBoyz
One addictive game. With a great single player experience this game gets bonus marks for a great multiplayer experience as well.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Da GameBoyz
NZGamer
Retro Grand Prix combines classic tracks from all the previous Mario Kart games, across all platforms, into another full set of tracks to make up the Shell, Banana, Leaf and Lightning cups. Tracks such Frappe Snowland, Mario Circuit, Choco Mountain and
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at NZGamer
Cincinnati Enquirer
A classic Nintendo racing game cocktail with a twist of Wi-Fi.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Cincinnati Enquirer
GamerDad
Some games are timeless. Mario Kart in all its forms is among the best of these timeless games. Each entry in the series has changed the fundamentals of the gameplay just enough to make them different experiences, especially for the hardcore fans that
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GamerDad
Gameplanet
Mario Kart online also shows Nintendo's single-minded focus on play. There are results but not rankings, placings but no scores. While the game compiles some the best of the Mario Kart series in gameplay and content, it also removes most opportunities
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Gameplanet
Digital Entertainment News
However, the real star here is the new tracks. While some are fairly standard (anything with Mario, Luigi or Peach's name in it is almost guarunteed to be pretty plain and ordinary), many are some of the most brilliant and imaginative tracks in the
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Digital Entertainment News
My Gamer
If you own a DS, you need to own Mario Kart DS. This is the kind of game you shouldn’t have to give a score too. Just go out and buy it.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at My Gamer
GamersMark
An old joke amongst game developer teams picking which game to make next is, "Let's just make a Kart racer." By and large, other companies' pale imitations of Nintendo's long-running Mario Kart series often have been jokes, seeming more like cynical
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GamersMark
N-Europe
I’m not giving this game the full score because of the little WiFi errors I experienced and the availability of only one online mode. But don’t get me wrong. Apart from this, Mario Kart is one hell of a game. It’s the best Mario Kart of all-time
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at N-Europe
Games First!
Starting with the obvious, we all know the DS isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but that doesn't keep Mario Kart from looking good. The characters and karts, despite being low-poly, have so much personality and unique Mario charm that they are
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Games First!
Club Skill
The Grand Prix, as always, is the key feature to Mario Kart DS in terms of single player. To begin with, there are three cups to race on – 50CC (slowest, but easiest), 100CC and 150CC (fastest, but hardest). It’s probably best, even if you’re a
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Club Skill
VGPub
A downside: there is no way to communicate with your opponents in game or in the lobby, so you can’t really get a gauge for who you’re playing, which can lead to the looser disconnects that everyone loves so much.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at VGPub
DarkZero
Mario Kart was the beginning of an entire wealth of games in the kart racing genre. Its roots on the SNES as a fast paced, item staged free for all competition have inspired many clones, but nothing yet has come close to what Mario Kart is. At its peak,
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at DarkZero
Nintendojo
It is darn near perfect in most ways, and the online mode adds more than it takes away. LAN mode racing is among the year’s greatest gaming experiences. You may well be looking at a contender for game of the year across any platform.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Nintendojo
Amped IGO
With a flawed, yet fun, online mode, a great deal of single player modes, and enough courses to choke a horse, Mario Kart DS is almost infinitely replayable.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Amped IGO
GameShark
The sheer number of options make this game outstanding.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at GameShark
N-Insanity
If you have the ability to use the WFC and own a DS, I can’t stop recommending purchasing MKDS.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at N-Insanity
PALGN AU
If you’ve ever played a Mario Kart game, you’ll be at home here. The controls are, for the most part, identical – except for the change of the accelerator button to A, and brake to B, for obvious reasons. So that’s two buttons and a d-pad for
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at PALGN AU
Cubed3
Pre-rendered backgrounds greet you as you switch on, helping to create a visual display that is certainly no letdown. By utilising this type of background it has been possible to make the DS display graphics that could be mistaken for Dreamcast quality
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Cubed3
Planet Gamecube
The concept is simple enough. Mario and pals race around tracks, while firing weapons at each other, to determine who is the best racer. However, it’s been somewhat lacking in the past few Mario Kart games, most notably Mario Kart: Double Dash.
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Planet Gamecube
Nintendo Spin
Mario Kart DS is cartoon racing bliss. It fixes what Double Dash did wrong, brings back what Mario Kart 64 did right, and adds a few new notches to the gameplay. The two-character seating has gone back to one. The ability to jump has returned. The
...read the complete Mario Kart DS review at Nintendo Spin
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