Jonas Ward
The year was 2003 and the Nintendo Gamecube was in its prime. Sunday mornings were filled with games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Spyro and especially Mario Kart. Mario Kart has been a staple game series for Nintendo since 1992 with the release of Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then, multiple games have been produced in the Mario Kart series, “Double Dash!!” being a favorite.
“Double Dash!!” was a hit right off the bat. The graphics were the best Nintendo had ever produced at the time. “Double Dash!!” was absolutely beautiful, and it really showed for being a staple game for the Nintendo GameCube. The colors were rich, and there were no glitches in the graphics. The race tracks were created from dream material full of color and moving obstacles to make driving challenging. It immersed the player in a world that was incredibly light hearted and fun. Characters had great movements making them seem alive on the podium at the end of a race. Not only were the graphics amazing for 2003, the sounds and music really added to the fun factor of the game as well. Facial expressions, the voice acting and the down to earth comedy really added to the experience.
Gameplay was what made this game an instant classic. The races were fast-paced and extremely challenging. All of the race tracks provide different difficulty levels players are able to select before the race begins. Players can also select two drivers for their kart. Each one of these characters are Nintendo originals like Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Players have an almost endless amount of options to choose from for each race. Not only do players get to choose two classic characters, they can choose whatever kart they want. Each Kart has different uses, so choose wisely. There are different speed levels for the races also them being 50cc, 100cc and 150cc. This was fast, faster and fastest when it came to race speeds, giving players other game options.
The story in this game is fantastic for being a racing game. When players complete the campaign in this game players are rewarded multiple secret race tracks and karts, which keep the game very playable after players finish the story. This really was a surprise because it was like a whole other campaign being given to players at the end of the game. This later helped keep the replay value of the game fresh and worth coming back to.
The game is a must play if you are a Nintendo fan. “Mario Kart Double Dash!!” is high on the list of nostalgic kart racing games.
