- Hey y'all, Scott here,
and I'm on a quest. A quest to find a Mario Kart I grew up playing. This is going to be harder than I thought Oh, f--k. What system is this for? Mario Kart DS, to many, was the definitive Mario Kart experience. Not me though. I've mentioned this before, but I was born into a
Super Circuit family. I owned Mario Kart Super Circuit, played Double Dash at a friend's house, skipped out on DS and
went knee first into Wii. This was one of the only
Mario Karts for a while there that eluded me. Don't get me wrong. I wanted all of this, but
it just didn't happen. Years later, I've definitely
played this one a bit here and there to get a feel
on what exactly I missed out on but I never dive too deep into it all. I mean, yeah, I played a couple of races, but Mario Kart 7 and 8 were
giving me the stink eye when I was doing it, so I just
went back to playing those. Well, that's about to change. See, even after its successors
came out, you always see people considering DS
to be the best Mario Kart. And it didn't even have its
own unique gameplay gimmick like Double Dash. It didn't have the split screen of 64. It didn't have gingivitis
like Super Circuit. It was pretty much a very
traditional Mario Kart experience. Oh, let's see what exactly
is so special about this one? The Nintendo DS was
formerly unveiled at E3 2004 sporting a fun sh***y design. Tons of games early in
development were shown with one of them being a
Mario Kart for the system. Now if Mario Kart
Supercycle was impressive for cramming a real life
Mario Kart onto a handheld, Mario Kart DS was impressive for cramming a real life 3D
Mario Kart onto a handheld. Look. If you held the footage
back and squinted a bit it looked almost as good as Mario Kart 64. I mean, for a portable system at the time, this looked insane. Super Circuit was fine for the time, but to have a true 3D
Mario Kart on the go, that was really cool. Being in 3D was just straight
up better for the series. While 2D worked, 3D
was obviously superior, and we were still in
that era where a 3D game on the go was pretty mind blowing. Now, originally Mario Kart DS sported a very traditional logo for the series. They decided to tilt it and
spank a DS logo in the corner, and look, it even has racing stripes. Now this is a fun logo for what obviously is going
to be a temporary title. There is a lot to unpack here. So the finalized Mario Kart DS logo. This was where the modern
logo for this series started. I feel like I've been
stuck in an auto zone the past 14 years. So yeah, I think this
is a much better logo in terms of brand recognition. It gave the Mari Kart series its own look. Like if I show you the M
from the old Mario Kart logo up close, this could be
really any Mario game. And that's right. It was Mario Party 4 this whole time. However, this logo feels more Gran Turismo than Mario Kart to me,
but I mean, I can live with it as long as they
update this temp title and come up with a fun
subtitle for this game. If there's better evidence on
why not to try in this world, I haven't seen it. The Mario Kart naming
schemes have never been good, but we are actually on
a pretty good streak with the last two titles. These are actual subtitles
that actually identify what the game was all about. But then Nintendo said, that's great, but let's make the entire
identity of our games rely on the system's name. It didn't really matter
though, because Mario Kart DS became one of the best-selling
entries in the series. After being released in November of 2005, over 23 million copies were sold. There was a special DS
bundle, a special DS bundle, and cover that supported an
unhealthy amount of flexibility. I think it's about time to
clear my schedule for the day and finally give this game
my undivided attention. This is Mario Kart DS. (car revving)
- [Mario] Here we go! (upbeat music) - [Narrator] All right, so Super Circuit has the better opening. We'll put this near here just in case things go more downhill. So starting things off, we can actually draw
an emblem for our Kart. Now, a lot of people took this as an opportunity to
draw something crotchy-y but I wrote my social security number. Either way, I got a sensor in. I love stuff like this. It is completely unnecessary. And during gameplay, you're
not really going to see the front of your car that much, but it's the thought that counts. I love the fact they give
you the option to do this. Selecting our character,
we have the mainstay group that's been here since Mario
Kart 64, nothing special. However, we get to see them
only in glorious Nintendo DS 3D, Donkey Kong. Imagine stepping on this
model with bare feet. That would sting like a bitch. There's a certain charm to
the low polygonal models they used here. It's not like back on the N64
where the models were low poly and were earlier designs
of the characters. By 2005, they kind of perfected
the Mario cast design. I mean, they haven't
changed much since then. Peach got thicker lips. La dee f**king da. So taking these designs and
squishing them down into shapes with like 12 sides, that's definitely
commendable and interesting. They still look very
much like the characters, just with as many
corners cut as they could without sacrificing the designs too much. However, these eight
aren't the only characters in Mario Kart DS. We were graced with four
unlockable ones obtained after completing certain grand Prixs. Daisy and Waluigi are back. Give a sh*t. But we have two characters
who have never been in Mario Kart before. Dry bones. How do you think it would
feel if they didn't pick you? They picked a dead you. We saved the best for last. The final unlikable
character in Mario Kart DS. Rob. It's about f**king time. Now, before you ask, I don't know why. This is the first time we've
had a character playable in Mario kart that has nothing
to really do with Mario. Don't get me wrong. I love that he's here. It's so weird and different
and wacky, but why? Well, let's hop into a race
and I finally figured it out. Why everybody loved Mario Kart DS. It's Mario Kart again. I'm seeing a pattern with these games. Not only is it Mario
Kart again, but in 2005 this was definitely the
definitive Mario Kart experience. And to this day, I'd argue it's the most
well-rounded game in the series. It doesn't really skimp out on much and offers so much of what people loved about the series to begin with while also introducing tons
to the series, like Rob. Gameplay is much more traditional in comparison to the
last game, Double Dash. No two characters per car,
no character specific items. In fact, the Bob-omb, which
was a character specific item in Double Dash, graduated
and became a real life item. Only two brand new items
this time around though. The bullet bill, which
is a much simpler version of the chain chomp from Double Dash. When you're in the
nosebleeds in eighth place, you might get a bullet bill. Activate it and sit
back for a few seconds. The game does all the
work. You deserve a break. And the blooper's here as well. It sprays ink on your opponent's screen to make it harder to see. Now, and this is somewhat
effective in multiplayer, but when I'm playing single player and I get the blooper,
this does nothing for me. What, I obscured the computer's view? They're computers. They don't have a view. You know what's nice though? We get a map of the
bottom screen on the DS. I'm going to throw it out
there that Mario Kart DS had one of the most
boring yet greatest uses of the bottom screen on the handheld. Again, this ain't crazy,
but it's super convenient. It doesn't obscure the
action on the top screen. It's easy to glance down there. You can see what items everybody has. You can probably play the
entire game on the bottom screen if you're a complete f**king maniac and swap between up-close and
personal or bird's eye views. So overall, this is a
pretty standard Mario Kart. Nothing that crazy in
terms of gameplay changes, but solid as can be. However, there is one
thing that makes this game the greatest game to feel
like a f**king abomination when you're playing against people who actually know what they're doing. Drifting in Mario Kart DS. It feels good. You get a little boost after
pulling it off correctly, hop in with the shoulder button rock it on the D pad a
bit until you see sparks. That ain't nothing new. But I watched this guy's video
from 2010 and I'm shocked. Well, legend has it, if you
pull off drifts constantly, you get the upper hand. You just go way faster than
anybody. Totally not cheating. This is called snaking and it's bullsh*t. I refuse. You can technically
snake in previous games but it's most prevalent in DS, and I will not become one of them. I'll play how Nintendo
wanted me to play, dammit. I will beat the Wario CPU with dignity. Let's move on to the tracks available. And Mario Kart DS has
the notable distinction of having some of the most
unbelievably memorable and creative courses in the entire series as well as some of the most forgettable. Shroom Ridge. Sure. The mushroom cup starts things
off with figure eight circuit and by God, they didn't lie. This is as basic Mario Kart track as basic Mario Kart tracks get. I have a weird fondness for
that basic Mario Kart aesthetic, but nobody played this track and said, "What the f**k?" Yoshi falls. It's pretty
good. It's inoffensive. It's like a cough drop. Like I'm glad it exists, but it's nothing I need all the time. Cheep Cheep Beach. Nothing sticks out like
crazy with this one. I gotta be honest. The
only reason I remember it is because they brought
it back in Mario Kart 8. Well, let's take a moment to appreciate they didn't update the Mario Kart logo on the banner to the new one. Luigi's mansion. Oh, hell yes. Based on the GameCube
game, it's such a cool idea for a track, but they
had to barf all this mud in this one section. You wake up some days really happy, and then you realize
there's a bunch of mud in Luigi's mansion. Desert Hills, not a fan of this one. I don't know why I've always had a thing for disliking desert courses. However, Delfino Square
more than makes up for it. The bridge goes up and you
get some fun little shortcuts. I love when these tracks actually feel like what they're trying to represent, which in this case, it's a town. Just the layout feels so
real and fun and interesting. It's just great all around. Waluigi pinball. There it is. The definition's been
blank all these years. This is an absolutely
amazing idea for a racetrack. Being on a giant pinball
table with all types of electronic neon imagery
and sound effects going on. It's beautiful. Shroom Ridge. Sure. DK passes a solid enough track, but then we move on to Tick-Tock Clock. Oh my, compromise. That's amazing. Mario circuit's just a feel
good track, nothing crazy, but just enjoyable to go through. Airship Fortress. Oh, like
from Mario Brothers 3. That's so cool. I got to hand it to Mario Kart DS, it really nails the fan service. A ton of tracks are actually
based on previous Mario games, but the themes alone make for
some incredibly fun courses in their own right. Wario Stadium is a much more
colorful and enjoyable track compared to 64 Wario Stadium. Peach Gardens, I like the concept of, I absolutely hate playing through. Bowzer Castle. Honestly, I only really
remember the section where you're on the rotating
rod and the shortcut and that's about it. And finally, Mario Kart DS's Rainbow Road. You have a loop de
loop. That's pretty fun. Other than that, eh. Overall, I quite liked
the track selection here. While there are a handful
of forgettable tracks, DS has some of the coolest
ideas for courses out there. And then they added 60
more tracks on top of that. Sure, Super Circuit had 40 tracks, but 20 of them were from Super Mario Kart. And there's not a ton of
variety in Super Mario Kart's track selection. 16 more tracks, four
from each of the previous Mario Kart games. This added so much value to the game. It was awesome to finally have 3D versions of Super Mario Kart and
Super Circuit tracks, and to also play Mario Kart
64 and Double Dash tracks on the go. Now, they did neuter Baby
Park that originally consisted of seven laps, and now in DS, it's five. Man, it's inching closer. And while a lot of these
tracks are great to see back, there are some odd inclusions. Luigi Circuit from Double
Dash was already kind of a figure 8. And they made a track
called Figure 8 Circuit in the game, and having
eight of the 16 tracks come from Super Mario
Kart and Super Circuit-- While it's cool they're in 3D now, they aren't nearly as
interesting or fun to play on as the new or N64 and GameCube tracks. The addition of retro
tracks kind of shows off one of the problems people
had with Double Dash at the time of its release. People looked at the track list
and kind of said, that's it? Now Mario Kart has twice
as many tracks as usual with half of them being
remade from previous entries. It made it so not only
are you looking forward to the new tracks of a new Mario Kart, but what tracks they're
going to bring back. But that's not the only
thing Mario Kart DS added. Let's talk about online. (Mario Kart music) Can't say I didn't try it. Only specific courses were
available to play online, which I find interesting. And it was far from in depth, but just having the ability
to play online multiplayer, the ability to play with
friends across the world, the fact that DS introduced
this feature to the series-- that cannot be understated. This was one of the biggest
introductions to Mario Kart. It's a shame it's not functional anymore, but hey, we can still
play local multiplayer. You can link up to other
DSes without any wires. Hell yeah. And you can just use one copy of the game. As long as your other friends
have DSes, they're good to go. They're required to play a Shy Guy, which is the perfect way to shame somebody for not buying the game. Battle mode is back and it comes standard with a stage taking place
on top of a Nintendo DS. All right! Okay. Why did
they stop doing this? I love this. Balloon battle is similar
to what we've had before. But this time you can gain balloons by blowing into the microphone. Yeah. They found a use for
that thing, and it makes each and every battlefield
that much more intense since you're constantly
running out of breath. Shine Runners is here, which
isn't necessarily the same as Shine Thief. You have to run around and
collect more shine sprites than anybody else. And no, you can not run
out of breath in this mode. It's prohibited. Now, what if you're all by yourself? The Mario Kart series has
never been the greatest when it comes to serving
its lonely customers. Well, welcome to mission mode. In my opinion, one of the greatest ideas the Mario Kart series had that they just refuse to do again. You get these little pre-made
challenges in boss fights. It's nothing amazing or something
that'll make anybody go, "What the f**k?" but it gives you something
to do single-player wise. And it's fun. It's fun to
try and get the best time completing these missions. It's fun to just beat them in general. It's just such a great mode to have, and I just don't get why
they never brought it back to this day. Mission mode might not have
been anything mind-blowing, but just the fact they gave fun checklist of things to do by
yourself made it so that Mario Kart DS was almost
as fun in single player as it was in multiplayer. Multiplayer was always
going to be more fun, because what else were you going to do with your friends on the school bus? Even though I didn't have this
game for the longest time, I think this is one of the
most well-rounded games in the series. It has great single-player content. Great multiplayer. The tracks are good. Battle mode is here and introduced online. There really wasn't any
part of Mario Kart DS they slacked on, which
you can't really say about a lot of the other entries. Actually, the intro really,
really wasn't as good as Super Circuit's. (Mario Kart music)
DS was the most broken game of them all.
Online was basically unplayable as every single player was Yoshi doing straight line drifting.
Good god, I spent so many hours playing this thing, to the point where I had developed an involuntary reflex to occasionally look down to check my map, even when I wasn't even playing anything.
DS is a pretty good game, but given the huge amount of mod tracks and the fact that online is still working thanks to 3rd-party servers, I have to hand the crown to MKWii personally.
Mario Kart DS is still the pinnacle of the series for me and I always have fun going back and playing it. It proves that the series doesn't need to rely on stupid gimmicks every damn game, just fun modes and maps to play with friends.
I think one relevant lesson from this video was that they let people play online who did not own the game, so long as they were next to people who owned the game. Nintendo should do this more, especially in games that rely on online populations like Splatoon 2.
Which Mario Karts don't award items based on place in the race? It seems like all the newer ones do it.
Mario Kart DS was and is still the best single player Mario Kart.
One part of this is the mentioned Mission Mode, but also the fact that it was difficult to get three stars in Grand Prix. You needed to win every race (duh), get below a certain time, don't use too much items, not get hit by enviromental hazards.
Add to this the time trials with staff ghosts, and you got a package that teenage me played to the death, purely in single player.
Snaking was awesome. Technical and skillful. They never should’ve taken it away
The greatest Mario Kart by far. Content rich, mechanically rewarding, first to go online, and the shareable demo was great for getting people involved. I can’t stand the newer games.