I'm happy to report that Mario Kart DS thus far has been even better than I hoped it could be. I read the IGN review and the guy who wrote it said that this is the best Mario Kart game ever. I scoffed at the notion... until I played it.

Basically, the thing that sticks out the most to me is the rush of nostalgia. Generally, it's of the good kind. While there are those areas that harken back to games like Mario Sunshine, which I just can't feel as fondly about as some of the classics, there are also more Super Mario Bros. 3 shoutouts than there have been in the series since the original Super Mario Kart. It's really quite cool.

The bottom screen is also pretty cool. I haven't bothered touching it yet because I'm too busy racing, but I've looked at it a lot. What it does is display an overhead look at the map, complete with little icons that let you know where banana peels and such are. Obviously, you don't want to focus just on that, as you won't be able to power slide or make quick dives to the side to avoid impending threats that bottom screen doesn't yet show, but it's really quite a bit more useful than the bottom screen Nintendo developed in Super Mario Kart.

So, you've got really cool tracks that remind me of Super Mario Bros. 3 (there's even a desert level that has a scowling sun), power slides that work like a charm, lots of tracks (four cups with four tracks each, plus another helping in the form of 'retro' tracks) and the WiFi connection that I haven't been able to try yet. This is looking thus far to be a 9 or 10 sort of game. Certainly, I'm happy to own a DS right now. If you can, check this one out!

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	Genj - November 16, 2005 (05:29 AM) The commercial with the two southern nerds that loved the game and talk about how they got it at Wal Mart make me want to avoid this game at all costs.
	honestgamer - November 16, 2005 (10:54 AM) On a completely unrelated note, I'm anxious to see what Retro thinks of this game. I know he loved the original as much as I did.
	joseph_valencia - November 17, 2005 (07:11 PM) Hurry up and try the wi-fi so I can put you on my friends list!