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One of the greatest games of all time!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 177 / 199
Date: October 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Mario Kart: Double Dash is a game for up to 16 players. The karts you ride in can hold 2 players! Here are some secrets I found out! These are new secrets that I updated since December 19 on www.amazon.com. Also, these are ALL the secrets I currently know. Here they are:

Get golds in Mushroom Cup: 50cc- unlocks Green Fire Kart, 100cc- unlocks Rattle Buggy Kart, 150cc- unlocks Luigi's Mansion Arena, Mirrored- unlocks Toadette's Kart

Get golds in Flower Cup: 50cc- unlocks Bloom Coach Kart, 100cc- unlocks Waluigi Racer Kart, 150cc- unlocks Turbo Birdo Kart, Mirrored- unlocks Tilt-a-Kart Arena

Get golds in Star Cup: 50cc- unlocks Para Wing Kart, 100cc- unlocks "Special Cup", 150cc- unlocks Barrel Train Kart, Mirrored- unlocks King Boo, Petey Pirahna, and Pirahna Pipes Kart

Get golds in Special Cup: 50cc- unlocks Bullet Blaster Kart, 100cc- unlocks Toad, Toadette, and Toad's Kart, 150cc- unlocks "All Cup Tour", Mirrored- unlocks Boo Pipes Kart

Get golds in All Cup Tour: 50cc- unlocks nothing, 100cc- unlocks nothing, 150cc- unlocks Mirror Mode, Mirrored- unlocks Parade Kart

*To unlock an Alternative Start Screen, get all golds in all cups!!!

**To unlocks an Alternative "Thanks for Playing" Screen, get ALL golds in all cups and beat a cup again or get the last gold you need!!!

***Here are all the characters special items:
Mario & Luigi=Fireball, Peach & Daisy=Heart, Bowser & Bowser Jr.=Giant Shell, Baby Mario & Baby Luigi=Chain Chomp, Yoshi & Birdo=Egg, Koopa & Paratroopa=Triple Shells, DK & Diddy Kong= Giant Banana, Wario & Waluigi=Bom-omb, Toad & Toadette=Super Mushroom, and Boo & Petey Pirahna="random"

****(tip)On Rainbow Road's turns in the very beginning, start a turn or mini-turbo boost early!

*****Here's how to UNLOCK the staff ghosts:
Luigi's Circuit: Beat 1:26:277
Peach Beach: Beat 1:20:404
Baby Park: Beat 1:11: 108
Dry Dry Desert: Beat 1:50:755
Mushroom Bridge: 1:31:458
Mario Circuit: 1:41:384
Daisy Cruiser: Beat 1:52:207
Waluigi Stadium: Beat 1:59:658
Sherbet Land: 1:25:904
Mushroom City: 1:50:663
Yoshi Circuit: 1:59:886
DK Mountain: 2:12:639
Wario Colosseum: 2:21:106
Dino Dino Jungle: 2:00:908
Bowser's Castle: 2:44:690
Rainbow Road: 3:16:476

******Stats of Karts:
Red Fire- 2/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 3/5 weight
Heart Coach- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 3/5 weight
Turbo Yoshi- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 3/5 weight
Goo-Goo Buggy- 1/5 speed, 5/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Koopa Dasher- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
DK Jumbo- 4/5 speed, 2/5 acceleration, 4/5 weight
Koopa King- 5/5 speed, 1/5 acceleration, 5/5 weight
Wario Car- 4/5 speed, 2/5 acceleration, 4/5 weight
Green Fire- 4/5 speed, 2/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Rattle Buggy- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Bloom Coach- 3/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Waluigi Racer- 3/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 3/5 weight
Turbo Birdo- 3/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 4/5 weight
Para Wing- 1/5 speed, 5/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Barrel Train- 4/5 speed, 2/5 acceleration, 3/5 weight
Bullet Blaster- 4/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 1/5 weight
Toad Kart- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Toadette Kart- 1/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 2/5 weight
Piranha Pipes- 4/5 speed, 2/5 acceleration, 5/5 weight
Boo Pipes- 2/5 speed, 4/5 acceleration, 5/5 weight
PARADE KART- 4/5 speed, 3/5 acceleration, 4/5 weight

---Please rate my review below. I will update it again if more people like my review. Thank you!---

Awesome racing game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 45 / 54
Date: November 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a great addition to the kart racing genre, as the sequel to one of the best selling racing games. Nintendo isn't letting us down, with 16 different tracks, 20 characters, and 21 different karts to drive. Although Double Dash is different from all the other Mario Kart games, allowing 2 characters to be in a kart at the same time, and to switch which one is driving and throwing items, any fan of the series will feel at home. You can use switching characters to your advantage as each character can hold a different item. But at its core, Double Dash is a great racing game that anyone in the family can enjoy.

4.5 stars - Finally, Mario Kart on the Gamecube!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: November 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

[This review is for the final version of the game.]

When the original Super Mario Kart hit the Super Nintendo in 1992, it started a gaming revolution. There had been racing games before, but none like it. Four years later in 1996, Mario Kart 64 arrived on the Nintendo 64, bringing the series up to date. It has stood the test of time as that system's finest game. In 2001, the series arrived on Game Boy Advance, giving players a portable version of the classic at long last. And now, in 2003, the series has arrived on the Gamecube. How does the fourth installment in the Mario Kart series, Double Dash!!, measure up? Read on for my review.

PROS:
-Let me start by saying that the graphics are excellent. Nintendo is really beginning to push the Gamecube hardware to its limits.
-The game is very unique due to its "two people on one kart" system. One person drives, while the other uses weapons. This makes for some very interesting gameplay.
-The game supports LAN (local access network) capabilities, meaning if you have enough systems and television sets, you can do a game of up to eight players!
-There are a number of characters and new karts that you can unlock.
-The game uses the same power slide/mini turbo system that Mario Kart 64 did - I was glad to see it back!
-There are a number of new weapons you can use against your enemies - including fireballs! All your old favorite weapons, like shells and fake item boxes, are also back.
-It's got a multiplayer mode. If you played Mario Kart 64, you know that's a good thing. There are a number of multiplayer modes, as well, depending on the number of players.

CONS:
-The steering controls here are considerably less responsive than they were in previous Mario Kart games. Because of this, you'll often find yourself crashing in to the very obstacle you were trying to avoid.
-The two man system takes some serious getting used to, especially if two players are on a single kart.
-To use the LAN connection feature, you're gonna need A LOT of TVs. And as you know, TVs are pricey.

OVERALL:
I'm glad to finally see Mario Kart on the Gamecube. I had long been waiting for this day to come, and I must say, I'm not disappointed. If you've got a Gamecube, this is a highly recommended release.

MARIO KART IS BACK!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: November 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have to admit my expectations for Mario Kart Double Dash!! were very high. I am a huge fan of the Mario Kart series, and after spending countless hours playing the previous Mario Kart's for the SNES and N64, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Double Dash.

The gameplay is, as expected, terrific. The added feature of having a second character on the Kart is an innovative and fun feature which only adds to the game, and makes for a ton of different player combinations (Mario/Bowser), (baby Luigi/Wario)...etc. This feature really is a welcome addition.

The sound effects are pretty good, with the exception of the music they decided to put in the game, compared to the catchy tunes from the SNES and N64 Karts. The graphics on MKDD are by far the best in the series, taking advantage of the GameCube's capabilities.

However, I can't help but think that with all the possibilities for expansion and improvement, the game seems to be geared towards kids a bit more than the previous Karts. Yes, this isn't supposed to be Gran Turismo, but the AI in Double Dash isnt much of a challenge as the previous games, even in the 150cc class, as I nearly completed the game in a couple hours. Mario Kart Super Circuit for the GBA was more of a challenge. I guess I expected larger and more complicated tracks, and some of the environments on the tracks in MKDD remind me of updated versions of the ones in Diddy Kong Racing (which was harder as well!).

For whatever reason, the ability to make your Kart "jump" is now removed. I wished they had left the jump feature in, because it was a handy tool to get out of predicaments, and there are some spots in the game where you naturally will want to be able to jump. Not the worst thing in the world, but just my opinion.

Also removed from the game is the "Try Again" option, which was an important piece to the first games. In the SNES and N64 versions, if you failed to make it in the Top 4, you had no choice but to quit, or "Try Again" to get a better rank, depending if you had enough chances to do so. Now, you get points, even if you end up in 7th or 8th place, and the game goes on with no ability to restart the track. Your only choices are to continue on, replay (watch what you did in the last race)or Quit and start all over again from the beginning. I'm not sure why the "try again" feature was removed, as it seemed to be an important and larger part of the competitiveness of the other Kart games.

Despite it all, to me, the biggest disappointment in Mario Kart Double Dash!! is the Battle Mode. When I have a friend over, it's always fun to put in MK64 and play in the Red-Yellow-Green-Blue fort with the ramps and bridges. I had thought the developers would come up with at least one innovative track, similar to this, but there are none. One boring and stupid track that will get no use is racing around on top of a Gamecube with no barriers or anything. They did add more games to the Battle Mode, in addition to the classic Balloon mode, there is "Shine Snatch" where you grab the sunshine and race around with it for a certain amount of time, and whoever has it at the end of the time expiration wins, and a Bomb mode where instead of shooting the regular turtles and other weapons, you launch Bob-Ombs that blow up the other guy. I just wish the tracks were funner.

It may sound like I am really cutting down Mario Kart Double Dash!!, but I'm not. I am only stating my opinion as a true fan of the series. Don't get me wrong, it is an entertaining and fun game, and definitely worth buying! I am just giving it 4 stars since certain things were removed that I personally feel should have stayed in, along with the lack of more of a challenge. Besides, Nintendo went "all-out" with updated versions of its classic franchise games, with Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker (best game of all time), and F-Zero GX. With a little more fine tuning, Mario Kart Double Dash!! could have been "thismuch" better, but is still a great game worth spending your hard earned money on.

Best Out There!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: November 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I got Mario Kart: Double Dash!! the other day, and it's the best kart game up to date! The two other competitors, Crash Nitro Kart and Furious Kart Racing (An awkward game for Xbox), can't live up to the graphics, game play, etc. I'm here writing this review to clear up the garbage that many other people have posted about this game (Xbox fanatics trying to mess-up Nintendo's name in quality).

The new installment in the Mario Kart series has really lived up to its expectations. The game play and the item using feature has remained the same, which is excellent. The backrounds are very detailed and the graphics are excellent! There are 4 cups with four levels each for Grand Prix. The newest feature in the game is the "two people in one kart" feature. You have one person driving and one person at shotgun. This feature makes the game look a lot different from the other Mario Kart games. You select two characters and depending on how much they weigh, etc., you get to pick certain karts. There is a huge selection of characters in this game, about 16 (18 if you unlock the secret characters). By beating the different cups at different levels (50cc, 100cc, 150cc), you can unlock secret characters, karts, battle levels, and cups.

All of the Mario Kart games have had excellent multi-player options. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, there are new battle options like "Shine Thief" and "Bomb-omb Blast", which are just as good as the classic "Balloon Battle". There is also a LAN option which ables you to connect two to four Gamecubes for 1-16 player madness! There are four battle levels, which I admit weren't worked on that much. You can also unlock two other battle levels, which are way better.

Here's my over-all review:

Graphics: 5/5
The graphics are very colorful and the backrounds in levels are immensely detailed. This game clearly deserves a 5/5 in graphics.

Sound: 4.5/5
The sound is great, including sounds from previous Mario Kart games. I was disappointed in the soundtracks, they were way to "kiddish". Despite this, the game itself is still excellent.

Control: 5/5
The controls are very responsive, just like previous Mario Kart games.

Presentation: 5/5
When you fire up the game, you hear Mario shout "Niiiin-tendo! Wahoo!" so on, so forth. If you are patient enough to watch the intro, it displays the game in action. The menu back rounds are detailed, which is not a big deal at all. Overall, the presentation is great.

Value: 4/5
This is a short game. It mainly challenges you with the different levels of speed, which proves to be very hard. I would still get this game for the battle options. This game is great to play with friends.

Fun Factor: 5/5
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a very fun game, end of story.

Overall: 5/5
The Mario Kart series has always proven to be a crowd favorite. As I have said, this game has lived up to its expectations. This game is the most addictive and funnest game made in 2003 (And 2004, 2005, 2006.....). If you are an adult or kid, the experience will always be the same. So if you're not paying bills, doing homework, or anything you do on a daily basis, go to the store (Not the local Blockbuster) and buy this game, it will lighten up your day and days to come.

Great fun! Even more addictive than the original Mario Kart!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a long-time Nintendo user. Over the years, the only platform I haven't bought of Nintendo is the Nintendo 64. I fell in love with the original Mario Kart back when I was about 17. I still remember playing that game untill 2 or 3 in the morning, and then trying to fall asleep with these visions of the game still in my head.
Since then no other game has captured my attention (or addictive personality) quite like the original Mario Kart. Until now. My husband reserved this game for me several months ago, and we just bought it a couple of weeks ago. I was a little leery about this game since so many of the updated games now are a disappointment to me. This was no disappointment! The game is remniscient enough of the original MK for it to be familiar territory for me, but different enough to not be boring. And the levels are harder now too. You really have to fight to win the cups.
Double Dash has also added a battle mode. My husband really loves this mode. I'm not as fond of it but it is a good change of pace, and it's especially fun if you have three or more players.
I really like the fact that there are so many characters to choose from. For every player, you choose two characters and one vehicle. The vehicles show statistics, ie the max speed, acceleration, and weight of the vehicle is rated from 1 to 5 stars. As you get medals in each circuit, new vehicles and new levels are unlocked. It's fun to play around with the different characters and vehicles to see which vehicles and special weapons are most effective in a particular circuit. I still haven't unlocked everything, and it's a fun struggle to try to get to the next level.
For me, I usually prefer waiting to buy a video game until I can find it used. I find it hard to justify paying full price for a video game that I'm going to be able to find used for half price in a couple of months. But this is worth every penny to buy new. I have a feeling it's going to be a while before people are willing to part with this game; it really is hours and hours of fun!

A Game to Get for the Holidays!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: November 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Mario Kart has become one of the most well known franchises out there today. Since the first game Super Mario Kart, the series has been a phenomenon. Banana peels, turtle shells, item blocks, mushrooms, and more wacky things could only have come from the geniuses at Nintendo. The series continued with Mario Kart 64 which brought the 3D change to the loveable kart game. Some loved it and some hated it, but again it was a successful classic that was very enjoyable. Now after 6 years Mario Kart: Double Dash arrives on the scene; is it as good as everyone hoped for? Read on to find out!

First a look at the graphics in general in Mario Kart: Double Dash. As always they are colorful and vibrant, and the design of each level is very unique. However, if you were looking for graphics that take advantage of the Gamecube's power, then you will be somewhat disappointed. The background animation and level design is very simple and colorful, with no real graphical detail. The characters also don't look as well rounded as in Super Mario Sunshine. You see some pointy polygons here and there. Overall, the game's graphical output is average, just like the Mario Party games, yet not a real distraction that will limit your fun in the game.

Next is a look at the sound and music department, and again it falls below expectations. I was expecting musical quality that rivaled Mario Kart 64, instead I get some lackluster and somewhat cheesy background music. Just listen to the music when you finish a race and you will see my point. However, I do commend Nintendo on the good sound effects. The voice acting for each character is fine, as is the engine running in the karts, the clash of the different items, and the different environmental sounds. As with the graphics, the sound is nothing that will distract you from the game, but I do suggest turning on some more upbeat music to help you get more into the competition.

Finally, we come to the gameplay, now while most reviewers were disappointed with the game, I found the gameplay to be a original and refreshing change to the series. The newest thing brought to the series is the addition of teams. You now can choose 2 characters, and based on the combined weight, you can pick from a variety of cars. Basically cars are measured by weight, acceleration, and overall speed. How items work is another essential part to this new addition. Basically there is a driver, and the item holder. You can press the Z button to have your character switch positions during the race. Whoever has the current item, say a shell or mushroom will be in the back, while the character without a item drives the car. I found this tag-team style system to be very innovative and a lot of fun. Now on to the different modes of play...

There are 3 different styles of gameplay in Mario Kart: Double Dash, which include, Battle Mode for multiplayer, and Grand Prix and Time Trial for single player. Grand Prix has 3 modes of difficulty which include 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc, each being more harder than the first. I found the difficulty for each cc to be equally balanced, so you won't feel overwhelmed in going to the next difficulty level. There is also 4 different cups each with 5 unique stages to take part in, each being unique in their own way. What I also found interesting was the number of laps you will have to go, depends on the length of the course. The miniature Baby Park requires 7 laps around it; while the much longer Luigi Circuit only has 3 laps. Basically at the end of every race you get points depending on how well you scored, and if your team has the most points at the end of the cup, you win. Time Trials is basically what you would expect, you race around the course trying to get the best time possible. To help you, you get 2 mushrooms to help with some extra boosting power, and you can even save your ghosts, to help you get better times by racing your previous self.

Battle Mode is the multiplayer style of play that can be done with 2-4 players. There are 3 different battle types: Balloon Fight, Bob-omb Battle, and Shine Snatch. In Balloon Fight each team is given three balloons, and for every time you are hit with an item or fall off the stage, you lose 1. Lose all 3 and you are out, those who played Mario Kart 64 will be familiar with this. Bob-omb Battle is basically as the title describes, as bombs are the main weapon of choice. Shine Snatch is kind of like capture the flag, but with a time limit. Whoever gets the shine and can hold on to it for a certain amount of time wins. All 3 battle modes are a lot of fun, and can provide plenty of action for parties or get togethers.

All in all, Mario Kart: Double Dash isn't the best or fastest racing game out there, but it certainly is just as fun. If you liked the previous Mario Kart games, or are looking for a great party game then be sure to check this one out. Also, as you have noticed a Bonus Disk comes with the game, with a lot of cool stuff on it. Sonic Heroes, Rogue Squadron III, F-Zero GX, Mario Party 5, and more all appear on the disc in demo playable form, and they are all great games. So, be sure to pick this one up for the holiday season, you won't be disappointed!!!

Awesome

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First things first, the graphics in this game are absoultely amazing. The colors are worth the buy, period.

The selction of karts is awesome, over 18 to choose from as some need to be unlocked. There are 16 characters to choose from,where the weight of your character determines the karts you choose from. There are far more characters to choose from than the 8 the N64 version had to offer.

Luigi's Mansion and Mirror Mode can be unlocked to, which is an awesome feature.

Secondly, the game play is another great feature, although there have been some deletions from Mario Kart 64 that I don't quite agree with. The removing of the jump when taking tight corners sucks. Instead, it's been replaced by a slide attack, which does do a good job of slowing you down, but that's exactly what it does, is slows you down around corners. The jump was better. Who wants to slow down? It does make for lots of fun on straight-aways, however, slamming in to other players and stealing their items.

I do like the Driving School which teaches a begginner, as most of us would be on this specific game, how to properly control your kart.

In this game, a new feature is the doubling up of players in one kart (hence the title: Double Dash!) which is real innovative feature new to this game.

Overall, I like the fact that Nintendo decided to try something new with this one. And it was well worth the wait. The course selections are great, the variety plentiful.

All in all I give it four out of five.

A Solid Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: December 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've always loved the Mario Kart series and I bought Gamecube partly in anticipation of this game's release. It doesn't disappoint. This game is simply a lot of fun, just like all the other Mario Kart games. You can race haed to head, as before, or you can race as two man teams, which is a lot of fun. There are more options for battling, great new courses, no charcters, no abilities, special moves, and more that have been added since Mario Kart 64. This is a must have for any Gamecube owner!

Sometimes It Just Ain't Enough

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: November 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I would love to "love" Mario Kart:Double Dash, I really would. I have extremely wonderful memories of playing Mario Kart on SNES for hours on end when I was young...but those days are gone. Mario Kart:Double Dash is an extremely fun and well made game, and I would really put forth that I "really like" Mario Kart...and I would also put forth it is the best of the series thus far. The graphics are typical Mario; they won't "wow" you but are cute, happy, and all those things Mario needs to be. The control is Nintendo quality, and the addition of the extra characters certainly is refreshing (although Diddy Kong, and the baby Marios should have been left way back in the planning stages). Some of the levels are downright brillantly created. Just take a drive DK Mountain, Wario's Colleseum, or Baby Park and see what I mean. Simple stuff like the addition of selectable karts also is fun, especially for younger players. Older players tend to pick characters and kart for the long haul, but little kids will find the selection process a blast. The newly added Bomb-omb Blast battle mode is fantastic, and the multiplayer mode stays intact as a staple of Mario Kart goodness. So what's wrong with Mario Kart? Well, let me tell you something right now...it is without a doubt one of the most insane and ridicious games ever made. The main pitfall of the game is the extremely random item collection. Way back when (during those dark SNES days) when a player landed a lighting bolt, that rare elusive item you'd only read about in the instruction manual...it was something. Double Dash (for some reason or another) hands those suckers out like they are going out of style. Ditto for the spiked shells. You can also rest assured that when you near that finish line you've got a red shell, spiked shell, or flying banana peel aimed right at you. While I enjoy a good challenge, when a game like this become predictably ridiculous, it shows poor game design. Something that is NOT Nintendo. In previous Mario Karts, CPU characters have always had the upper hand. This incarnation is no different. It's not unreasonable to hit an enemy with a red shell then switch drivers and use three mushrooms and still be lagging behind. Which leaves most races up to chance and not to actual skill. In the end Mario Kart:Double Dash is a fun game with some major issues. It isn't about changing the world of gaming, it's about that good ol'Nintendo fun.

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