Originally posted by Trigger
[B]
As for Mario Kart... zzZZzzZZ *snore*... I never got what people see in this series. All anyone can offer is - 'it's great!11!!1' But that doesn't really explain it. B]

Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
Different strokes for different folks. I like the Mario Kart games because I have fun playing them.

I don't feel a need to explain it more than that because I really couldn't care less what anyone else thinks about games.

If you don't like them, what's it to me?

In terms of graphics, Double Dash!! looks even sharper than it did the last time we saw it. The biggest improvements seem to be in the game's new special effects, which are used for power-ups and are used in the environments around the tracks, plus the excellent sense of speed the game now conveys.

Based on what we've seen so far, the game seems to be coming together nicely. The improvements made to the graphics since the last time we saw it, along with the assorted game modes, should help make the game quite a solid package when it's finally done.

This is Mario Kart as it should be. Now that Nintendo has properly addressed the speed issues and given us a glimpse into the extra modes, we can say confidently that this will probably be one of the best GameCube titles of this holiday season.

Overall, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is really shaping up nicely. With so many different multiplayer modes and LAN connectivity, this could be the ultimate party game. The dual player element is a fantastic addition, but even though you have two racers in one kart it still plays and feels like Mario Kart – and that’s what truly matters.

...there's something you need to know: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, in it's completed form, is completely amazing....

We've been quivering wrecks ever since Nintendo swooped on our offices with the final PAL build of Mario Kart GC. Terrified to the point of sickness we wouldn't like the game, the waves of relief which swept over us after extended play were an even greater thrill than when we saw the original line-up of Bananarama reform for one night only last year. Yes, that good.

Although there's a tendency to have a rose-tinted view of it, the original Super Mario Kart on SNES was a masterpiece of game design, which is one of the few titles from that era which still genuinely holds its own against today's titles. For the first time, platform gaming icons were squeezed into karts for single- and multiplayer racing - and it worked better than anyone could've hoped.

But the controversial N64 sequel split the fanbase right down the middle. While still a good title, we're very much in the camp which thinks much that was great on SNES was changed for the worse in the sequel, with much of the suspense and the character of the original lost.

It is with no small amount of pleasure, therefore, that we tell you Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has far more in common with the glorious 16-bit version, with most of the faults which dogged the sequel checked back...

Indeed, out of the initial 12 circuits on offer, we've found major shortcuts in at least eight of them. And these are proper shortcuts; not the glitchy "hop over the wall" kind you find on occasion in the SNES version. And the great thing about the shortcuts is they add that element of heart-pumping danger so absent from the N64 version...

There are so many beautiful visual touches: use an invincibility star and the rider slams it into the ground where it explodes with a flash; powerslide round corners and the rider leans round with you, Moto GP-style. Small touches, for sure, but the level of detail is wonderful making for an infinitely more immersive, characterful game.

And the visuals run at a rock solid 60fps, creating a vivid, clean, smooth look which again takes us back to the SNES, where you could see characters ahead of you sweeping round corners, whereas on N64 your view was greatly limited.

And you'll be amazed how often a new detail will catch your eye, like an animated flower or suchlike - yes, it sounds sickeningly twee on paper, but in the context of the game it works perfectly...

Which is why we're telling you now: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! rocks. The original Super Mario Kart was grossly underrated when it first appeared, since it took time for its genius to become apparent. But we've all been playing and reviewing games for a long time since then and we all ought to be able to spot a winner much earlier on these days...

Originally posted by CreatureX
It is with no small amount of pleasure, therefore, that we tell you Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has far more in common with the glorious 16-bit version

Originally posted by jdpatri
EGM GAME OF THE MONTH

10, 10, 9.5

Oh yeah. Now that's some goodness.

Originally posted by jdpatri
EGM GAME OF THE MONTH

10, 10, 9.5

Oh yeah. Now that's some goodness.