MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH!! (GC)
Double Dash, the fourth iteration of Nintendo’s seminal party-friendly kart racer, landed the GameCube with a top-notch title upon its 2003 release. Whilst thematically it plays things relatively safely, it’s hard to argue with a game that delivers such a solid, enjoyable experience that once again effortlessly walks the line between accessibility and challenge.
There’s no great surprises in store for fans, who’ll be instantly familiar with tournaments consisting of four races, and a trio of speed classes to master. As the pace ramps up, so too does the level of competition from your opponents who, in turn, show greater aggression in their use of power-ups. Double Dash wisely places onus on frantic, bite-sized races that are packed with action. The driving element is relatively gentle unto itself, with simple, consistent and sturdy handling mechanics requiring little in the way of technical input, instead leaving the player to seek the most effective routes and racing lines for every given course. Brakes are rarely necessary, but progression to the latter stages reveals a host of hazards and some treacherous hairpins that demand the use of the excellent slide mechanic, which marks a step forward from the version featured in its Nintendo 64 predecessor, and is also superior to the system used later in Mario Kart DS.
So many old favourites to choose from! And Birdo.
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Daisy may be struggling for starring roles, but evidently not an income.
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Once you’ve got the hang of things, arguably the biggest key to succeeding is mastering the clever power-ups. This means not only grasping how to utilise opportunities to promote yourself to the front of the pack, but also managing to defend a lead when you have it. The power-ups really make the game, turning an otherwise fairly leisurely drive into a breathless, unpredictable tussle for the top step of the podium. Old favourites such as the projectile green shells, their homing red equivalents and hazardous bananas make a return, each with a versatility that grants the player licence to launch them up the road or deposit them behind, depending on whether you’re trying to make inroads on a competitor, or hold them at bay.
The destructive, leader-targeting blue shell is blatantly unfair (especially should you get hit by two or three in one race), though in a way it serves Mario Kart’s ethos of maintaining close racing and certainly, you’ll experience few uneventful races in Double Dash. Finding yourself near the back isn’t the end of the world, as there’s a greater likelihood of coming across potent, racing-changing items. These include the marvellous speed-boost/invincibility combo of the starman, and the wonderful/irritating lightning power that reduces all up ahead to slow-moving miniatures. Certain tracks allow for a bit of creative off-roading, and thanks to the mushroom speed boosts, veering off track to take advantage of obscene shortcuts is fantastic, opportunistic fun.
The destructive, leader-targeting blue shell is blatantly unfair (especially should you get hit by two or three in one race), though in a way it serves Mario Kart’s ethos of maintaining close racing and certainly, you’ll experience few uneventful races in Double Dash. Finding yourself near the back isn’t the end of the world, as there’s a greater likelihood of coming across potent, racing-changing items. These include the marvellous speed-boost/invincibility combo of the starman, and the wonderful/irritating lightning power that reduces all up ahead to slow-moving miniatures. Certain tracks allow for a bit of creative off-roading, and thanks to the mushroom speed boosts, veering off track to take advantage of obscene shortcuts is fantastic, opportunistic fun.
As you’d expect, it’s bright, breezy and very easy on the eye. Whilst the terrain and character models can look a little uncomplicated, the prioritising of racing performance above detail proves a smart move, and one that has allowed Double Dash to have aged with grace. The rapid frame rate is especially impressive, allowing for superbly smooth performance, a feat that stretches to the truly excellent split-screen modes. The lifeblood of a Mario Kart is in its multiplayer options, and fortunately, tackling the Grand Prix events with a friend remains compulsively addictive.
Sixteen circuits offer a comprehensive variety of challenges, even if many of the tracks (Mario Circuit, Bowser’s Castle and Rainbow Road) continue to recycle old themes. Dry Dry Desert sees the player engaging in a spot of rallying across tricky terrain, whilst dodging tornados and sinkholes; Baby Park is a tiny up-and-down loop layout that’s regularly reduced to carnage thanks to the number of power-ups passing over the circuit, whilst DK Mountain tests your nerve with chasms and narrow bridges galore, with the prospect of plunging off a precipice an ever-present danger. The biggest innovation however comes from the two-to-a-kart idea, where the player can make a team from any two of the twenty-odd protagonists. Not only does this affect the performance characteristics and the karts you can choose between, but they all have their own special weapons. So choosing Toad and Diddy Kong proves an especially potent combo as you’ll have a nimble kart, and the combined might of the golden mushroom for massive speed boosts and the ability to defend yourself ably with giant banana skins. It’s a lot of fun trying out the various combinations; Double Dash has a lot of depth in this regard.
Sixteen circuits offer a comprehensive variety of challenges, even if many of the tracks (Mario Circuit, Bowser’s Castle and Rainbow Road) continue to recycle old themes. Dry Dry Desert sees the player engaging in a spot of rallying across tricky terrain, whilst dodging tornados and sinkholes; Baby Park is a tiny up-and-down loop layout that’s regularly reduced to carnage thanks to the number of power-ups passing over the circuit, whilst DK Mountain tests your nerve with chasms and narrow bridges galore, with the prospect of plunging off a precipice an ever-present danger. The biggest innovation however comes from the two-to-a-kart idea, where the player can make a team from any two of the twenty-odd protagonists. Not only does this affect the performance characteristics and the karts you can choose between, but they all have their own special weapons. So choosing Toad and Diddy Kong proves an especially potent combo as you’ll have a nimble kart, and the combined might of the golden mushroom for massive speed boosts and the ability to defend yourself ably with giant banana skins. It’s a lot of fun trying out the various combinations; Double Dash has a lot of depth in this regard.
Let the fun commence! Double Dash is as vibrant and as sharp as you'd expect from a Mario Kart game
It’s tidily presented, with all the inviting, sunshine menus and big, bright, colourful attract screens you could ever reasonably ask for. The chirpy audio remains a relative strength, with cheery, infectious (though occasionally inane) tunes that’ll have you humming along as you’re motoring. However, the characters’ speech variations are disappointingly limited, with some (“HI I’M DAISY!”) becoming extremely tedious in no time at all.
Granted, there’s the odd misstep. The Battle modes are left feeling bare and inessential, as the lack of bots blunts any potential excitement. The cumbersome, hit ‘n’ miss nature of the combative modes soon leaves you yearning for the more fully-realised racing setup. It’s a surprisingly poor effort from Nintendo, particularly as Toy Story Racer showcased an infinitely more exciting spin on the same idea on less sophisticated hardware, a couple of years previous. Fortunately, the Grand Prix provides more than enough incentive to keep ploughing on and improving (as to a degree does the surprisingly moreish Time Trial). Extra characters prove the biggest draw, and the roster in general is great.
As was perhaps to be expected, Nintendo have crafted another very fine, polished and fun racer. It never threatens to rewrite the racing rulebook, and a willingness to embrace a few more modern modes might have bolstered its longevity still-further. But these are mere “ifs” and “buts”, and the equation remains refreshingly straightforward. If you’re a racing fan, or you enjoy a bit of social multiplayer (or better still, both), then Double Dash is simply a must-play.
Granted, there’s the odd misstep. The Battle modes are left feeling bare and inessential, as the lack of bots blunts any potential excitement. The cumbersome, hit ‘n’ miss nature of the combative modes soon leaves you yearning for the more fully-realised racing setup. It’s a surprisingly poor effort from Nintendo, particularly as Toy Story Racer showcased an infinitely more exciting spin on the same idea on less sophisticated hardware, a couple of years previous. Fortunately, the Grand Prix provides more than enough incentive to keep ploughing on and improving (as to a degree does the surprisingly moreish Time Trial). Extra characters prove the biggest draw, and the roster in general is great.
As was perhaps to be expected, Nintendo have crafted another very fine, polished and fun racer. It never threatens to rewrite the racing rulebook, and a willingness to embrace a few more modern modes might have bolstered its longevity still-further. But these are mere “ifs” and “buts”, and the equation remains refreshingly straightforward. If you’re a racing fan, or you enjoy a bit of social multiplayer (or better still, both), then Double Dash is simply a must-play.
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VERDICT
Visual: 8/10
Audio: 7/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 8/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |