Mario Kart DS is a 2005 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Like other games in the series, Mario Kart DS features characters from the Mario series and pits them against each other as they race in karts on tracks based on locations in the Mario series. It was released in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on December 8, 2005, in Japan, and rereleased for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America and PAL regions in April 2015 and in Japan in May 2016. The game is the fifth main entry in the Mario Kart series, and the first playable via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection online service.

Mario Kart DS was acclaimed for its refined gameplay, robust single-player content, and innovative multiplayer features, particularly its pioneering online Wi-Fi functionality. Reviewers highlighted its blend of accessibility, depth, and nostalgic appeal, though some noted limitations in the online mode and frustration with the rubberband AI. The game received several awards, including Editors' Choice Awards from GameSpot and IGN, G-Phorias Best Handheld Game award, and IGNs Best Racing/Driving Game. Mario Kart DS was the best-selling game in its first two months. It is the third-bestselling Nintendo DS game as of March 2016 behind New Super Mario Bros. and Nintendogs and the third-bestselling Mario Kart game, behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Wii, with 23.6 million copies sold worldwide.

Gameplay

thumb|[[Mario racing on Figure-8 Circuit, the introductory track of the game. The top screen shows item boxes that are in front of him, and the bottom screen shows a bird's-eye view of the immediate vicinity.|alt=A video game screenshot with a racing kart on the top screen and a map of the race course on the bottom screen.|283x283px]]

Mario Kart DS is a racing game in which the player, as a Mario franchise character, races in a kart against seven other characters.

The game features a base roster of the eight playable characters from Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Each character has three unique karts to choose from, (known as Retro Grand Prix).

Development and release

Nintendo announced on May 11, 2004, that they planned to release a Mario Kart game for the Nintendo DS, releasing some gameplay video footage at the same time. The company offered the game for the public to play for the first time at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, where the game's wireless feature was also showcased. Mario Kart DS was produced by Hideki Konno. The game runs at a consistent 60 frames per second and uses full 3D characters and environments.

Mario Kart DS is the first Mario Kart iteration to support online play. Konno remarked that although both Mario Kart DS and the Halo series feature online play, he noted that most of the people who use the feature in Halo games were "hardcore gamers". With Mario Kart DS, Konno wanted "everyone to go online, and the technology and time is right for that to happen". As the Mario Kart game for the Nintendo DS, the developers tested several features that took advantage of the device's bottom touchscreen. They considered letting players place items anywhere on the track instead of just behind their kart. However, the developers found it too confusing because the game already had too many distractions, making it difficult to control where to place items while racing.

Mario Kart DS was released by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in North America on November 14, 2005, in Europe in November 2005, Nintendo later revealed that Mario Kart DS would also be sold bundled with a new red-colored Nintendo DS starting on November 28, 2005, along with "a checkered-flag wrist strap, and racing-inspired decals to customize new red handheld".

Reception

Critical response

Mario Kart DS received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic, It was often called the best entry in the Mario Kart series, with Craig Harris of IGN declaring it the best kart racing game ever. Mario Kart DS received Editors' Choice awards from IGN and GameSpot. Best Driving Game, and Best DS Game, winning the lattermost. The game received G-Phorias Best Handheld Game award. IGN gave the game the awards for Best Racing/Driving Game. During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Mario Kart DS in the categories of "Racing Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay". GamesRadar named Mario Kart DS the best DS game of all time, beating out Pokémon Black and White (2nd) and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (3rd).

Sales

Mario Kart DS was the best-selling handheld game in its debut month of November 2005 in the United States. It was the 10th best-selling game of 2008, and the best-selling Nintendo DS game of that year. In Japan, the game sold 224,411 copies in its first week. Mario Kart DS sold 3,112,363 units as of July 2008, and 3,224,996 copies as of January 2009, making it the sixth best-selling game for the Nintendo DS since the console's release. In the United States, it sold 910,000 copies and earned $31&nbsp;million by August 2006. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the 23rd highest-selling game launched for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, or PlayStation Portable in that country. In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game 26th on a list of greatest Nintendo games. As of March 2016, Mario Kart DS has sold 23.6&nbsp;million units worldwide.<!---->

Notes

References

  • Official website