Mario Kart Double Dash - GameCube Savior Or Rehash?

Thanks to GamesDomain for its review of Mario Kart: Double Dash for GameCube, as the reviewer rates Nintendo's latest kart update very highly, but comments that "...more seasoned gamers may grumble a tad at the general lack of progress", a view occasionally echoed by the overwhelmingly glowing reception from other sites, reminiscent of the (cynically?) subdued positivity regarding Soul Calibur II's release. However, IGN Cube is more critical still, suggesting the game "doesn't progress far beyond the N64 version other than in the visual department... [and] introduces new imbalances to the item system", plus "has axed a few trusted control mechanics like the hop." As for the title's reception outside the U.S., EuroGamer rectifies IGN's downer angle, and C+VG reports significant sales in Japan, with a knock-on effect for GameCube hardware, and a similar effect in the UK for a Mario Kart-including hardware bundle.

Comments

Lack of Progress = Bullshit

[mraymer]

Sorry, but I read this and see this everywhere, and what I think is happening is one reviewer said it and none of the others have the balls to say it's not true.

The Mario Kart Double Dash that I played for the first time yesterday was a huge leap in progress compared to the SNES and N64 games.

First of all, the multiplayer co-op mode! Hello? Did you reviewers just not notice it? Or do you not know anyone else you can play it with? Lemme explain the co-op mode: One person steers, the other mans the weapons and does the power slides. And you can swap places! I'd file this one under "progress" people.

The reviews sound like this is Mario64 in GC graphics. It's not. This is a new Mario Kart game that represents the most progress in the series to date.

So slashdotters: Don't believe the reviews, they're mostly wrong. If you liked Mario Kart on SNES or N64, you'll love what they've done with it on the GC. It's that simple. If you don't like Mario Kart games, it's worth renting as the co-op mode might win you over.

End rant. Heh.

Re:Lack of Progress = Bullshit

[mraymer]

They didn't introduce any new behaviors, they just added another way to map existing behaviors onto two controllers. Innovative idea, I'll grant, but I don't see this earn MK the title of "huge progress" on its own.

Well, not exactly. The driver has to start the power slide, the gunner has to push the right direction to get it going. So they kind of split a behavior in half, which we might as well call a new behavior.

And besides, the technical aspect of how it was done is not important: it's the end result. Does it feel like progress? Yes. To me, it felt like an advancement of astronomical proportions. That's what matters, and that's what reviewers should focus on. Perhaps everyone is thinking as left-brained as you are, denouncing the progress because it wasn't an astounding technical achivement but rather a gameplay enhancement. An enhancement that improved the gameplay dramatically. Hence, progress. ;)

Re:Lack of Progress = Bullshit

[zonker]

some folks won't be happy until nintendo is out of the hardware business and makes mario games on the xbox where the princess wears skimpy outfits and has accurately modeled bouncing boobs and all of the folks in the mushroom kingdom carry bfg's and can perform bullet time.

btw, egm says on their frontpage "Could this be the most fun game of this year? Probably."

here's, their complete review (10, 10, 9.5).