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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.
I got Mario Kart yesterday. I'm very happy with it. I've never played the original Mario Kart, but I do own Mario Kart 64.
In MK64, I've never been able to consistently manage to avoid slipping on a bananna peel. It was frustrating when I played against someone who could, as it made the peels useless. So I'm glad they took that out.
Item management is much more interesting now. You can now lose items by getting hit. If you hit people the right way, you can steal their items. Dropped items fall onto the course, and become live. Really sucks to get a turtle shell knocked out of your hand, then have it land right in front of you and hit you as soon as you start moving again.
The two characters adds to the handling of the cart as well. Weight distribution affects turning.
I greatly disagree with IGN's comments that the courses are uninspired. Although they seem to draw a lot from MK64's ideas, I find the new courses more interesting. I especially liked the cruise ship course; I thought it was an interesting new course.
Although I liked Mario Kart 64, I never got into it as much as a game like say Smash Bros. I'm really liking Double Dash so far, I definately think it's a much better game than the previous one.
Quite honestly, I don't see how people can trash Double Dash but give Wind Waker high scores. Wind Waker was a step backwards compared to the previous game (lots of flaws in the game compared to past Zeldas...), but Double Dash doesn't seem to have any steps backward, unless you're mad that they've taken away the ability for experts to totally destroy newbies.
After all, we know how spot-on IGNs reviews are and how well they correspond to the tastes of their readers.
WARNING: I havn't played single player yet. So I'm not going to comment on that.
Now, having said that, multiplayer is great. The new battle modes are fun...having the 2 characters per kart is a nice addition. Everyone sitting around playing this game is a total blast.
This game is all about the multiplayer. Heck, while the single player mode was fun in MK64, multiplayer was the reason it stayed in my N64. And the same will be for DD.
I wasn't going to purchase this game at all a couple of months ago...but then I picked up Soul Calibur 2 and my friends started playing against me. Now I have 4 controllers and we're gonna lose a lot of time playing this.
If you've got buddies you play with, pick the game up. You'll enjoy it. Especially if you can gain access to a video projector at your local university's 2000 seat theater. *cough*
Every time a guy gets a threesome, somewhere in heaven an angel gets his wings. --Cary Tennis
First of all, the levels are a little repetitive of the 64 version yes, but that doesn't mean that they aren't fun. The Cruise Ship level is a blast, as is the DK race. Wario's track is amazing too, so much chaos all at once.
The single player mode still suffers a little bit from cheating AI. They'll really nail you when you get out in front, especially 150 cc. I still haven't gotten the gold in all of them yet, after several hours of play (read, stayed up all damn night). But who cares, it's all about the multiplayer anyway.
Multiplayer quite simply rocks. The challenge of the races with friends on your tail is an absolute blast. So are the baloon and bomb modes, though the Shine mode of play leaves something to be desired.
Coop mode on multiplayer is definitely revolutionary in the Mario Kart world. Having eight guys play on two cubes is a blast and a half. The cooperation with your partner keeps the game fun practically forever. I love the fact that you can play on 8 cubes with 8 people, though I have yet to experience it, I'm sure we will.
All in all, a great buy, well worth the money. As a college student, nothing better on the weekends than getting hammed and playing great party games like this one.
hed.
http://goldysmom.blogspot.com
Yet all these years later I still play and love MK64. I fully expect history to repeat.
I picked it up yesterday, and I've been enjoying it quite a bit. My last Mario Kart experience was Super Mario Kart, back in my college dorm room. It was a popular place for people to hang out at, and the game got a lot of use.
Compared to SMK, there is a lot of advancement here. Sure, I really miss the ghost tracks and the feather, but the feel is most definitely still there. As I never touched the N64 version (never touched an N64 period), I can't compare it. But does it have to be a huge revolution from Mario Kart 64? It's not like that's all that matters. If it's a great game, it doesn't matter how much or how little is new - just as long as it's fun!
"You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
Man, I don't understand what IGN is crying about, the BEST part about the hop is still in the game in the form of RESPONSIVE drifting controls. The hop didn't do anything for anyone, I'm GLAD it's gone! Now I can drift in peace without the small delay the hop left in it's wake! Drifting in this game rocks, makes me feel like i'm playing Initial D :D
It's a blast so far, hell i'm turned away from it right now as I type this, just completed the cruise ship course on 100cc woot!
2. Items are overpowering. Once you find out which items do what, you'll always go for the god-like lightning bolt. The items that require some skill to use are shoved to the side
You do realize the items are random, right? I think you've played it about once and decided it sucked.
I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
Another reason for losing the hop might be to cut down on some of the ridiculous shortcuts that MK64 allowed through hop abuse. Now you need specifically placed scenery to launch you into the air, there's less chance of players locating glitchy shortcuts (though I'm sure some still exist). I notice on Rainbow Road that the game was quick to reset me after I fell off, even though I was heading toward a later section of the track, which was interesting. The big jump on MK64 Rainbow Road was great - 3,2,1, go, and everyone's immediately jostling to get over the barrier...