Mario Kart: Double Dash (Review)

Mario Kart: Double Dash is a strange game; it takes a few hours of playing (not consecutively) to 'get into it' in Single Player, after which it's quite addictive until you've beaten everything it has to offer. Multiplayer is its real strength, which is what I've never really taken advantage of.

Nonetheless, the game's biggest downfall is that the tracks feel much too claustrophobic and one-way, at least when comparing them to previous titles in the series, especially Mario Kart 64. You're really wedged in between two barriers, whether they take the form of bars or bottomless pits, and there's not nearly enough emphasis on exploration or short-cutting as there should be - even the 'shortcuts' are virtually all extra bends which lead to a power-up, which don't have much reason to exist in most cases.

The game is fun for a while, but I feel that the tracks weren't too well designed; they become rather boring when you discover that there's only one way to go. I remember back on the 64 version, when I had friends round and we had fun just exploring every corner of each course; it was amazing what you might find if you look around (anyone remember the train tunnel in the desert? The Rainbow Road mega-cut? The castle?). There's none of that here at all.

In short - the game itself is good, and fun for a time (probably forever if you have friends around all the time); I found it more challenging on the harder settings than '64, as well; the only problem is the course design - it's too restrictive.

I'm shoving this little review here because I've just been playing the game over the last few days (I got it a year and a half ago!). These are my impressions of it over this time.

The SNES version is the best, of course; at least, I'll always think it is. 'In simplicity lies perfection', they say, and you really can't improve on simplicity, can you?  ¶ 3:12 pm