Description

The ultimate Mario Kart race is on…and online via your Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in Mario Kart DS. Drawing on more than 30 courses and battle arenas from every game in the Mario Kart series - not to mention tons of new ones, Mario Kart DS allows you to play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Wario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Toad, Bowser and Shy Guy as you put the pedal to the go-kart metal, grab coins to max out your speed and blast rivals with the ever-popular arsenal of red, green and spiked Koopa shells in a race to finally put to rest the question of who is the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuit.

Race the Mushroom circuit

Mario is a veteran of the circuit. View larger.

Choose your favorite character. View larger.

Peach is a master drifter. View larger.

Select the Kart you want. View larger.

Bowser is the bruiser of the track. View larger.

Watch your position in the pack. View larger.

Progressing Through the Game
Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions to open up increasingly difficult and thrilling circuits. Of course, players can have multiplayer races on any open courses or battle in arenas.

Game Modes: At Least Five Ways to Play
Whether you prefer to race by yourself or to mix it up with friends, Mario Kart DS is a game with something for everyone. Features five different game modes, these include a 'VS' and 'Battle' mode that are available in multiplayer for up to eight players via local wireless connection while all modes are available singleplayer. See a complete list and description of the play modes below:

• Grand Prix Mode: In Grand Prix Mode, the driver who earns the most points at the end of a four-course cup is the victor. Mario Kart DS features eight different cups, with each cup featuring four different tracks.
• Time Trial Mode: Your objective in Time Trial Mode is to get the fastest time that you can on a single track. . You can save your best runs as ghost data and share them with a friend.
• VS Mode: A competitive mode that can be either singleplayer. or multiplayer. In the singleplayer. version you'll race against computer-controlled karts, while in multiplayer you'll race against human opponents who play using their own Nintendo DS systems.
• Battle Modes: Mario Kart DS contains two battle modes.
• Balloon Battle Mode: Your goal is to pop your opponent's balloons by attacking/stealing them by colliding into an opponent via a mushroom boost, before your own balloons are popped.
• Shine Runners: In this mode the driver who collects the most Shine Sprites is the winner.
• Mission Mode: In this mode you are given sets of specific missions that you must clear in order to move on to the next set of missions. What could wait at the end?

Wireless Communication: Even More Ways to Play:
Mario Kart DS features three different forms of wireless game play: two kinds of local wireless game play and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection online game play. Mario Kart DS offers two different options for LAN Wireless game play: DS Download Play, in which only one player has Mario Kart DS and all players have Nintendo DS systems, and Multi-Card Play, in which all players have Mario Kart DS and Nintendo DS systems.

DS Download Play
As with all DS Download multiplayer games, the DS Download Play in Mario Kart DS requires that only one player has a copy of the game. Unlike past DS games, however, DS Download Play in Mario Kart DS allows multiple players who have the game card to play with multiple players who do not have the game card. DS Download Play offers the following features:

• 2-8 player simultaneous wireless game play.
• A choice of multiplayer racing, Balloon Battle, or Shine Runner modes.
• Players who own Mario Kart DS can choose their own characters and use personalized icons, while players who do not own Mario Kart DS must play as Shy Guy and cannot use personalized player icons.
• Track selection is limited to eight tracks for racing and three arenas for Balloon Battle and Shine Runner modes.
• DS Download Play is limited to the 100 cc engine class

• 2-8 player simultaneous wireless game play.
• Your choice of multiplayer racing, Balloon Battle, or Shine Runner modes.
• Players can choose from different engine classes.
• No limits on character choice.
• No limits on track choice.
• Player's win/loss ratio is saved and tracked.
• Players who race locally are automatically added to each other's friend roster and then can race via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
• Players can trade ghost data wirelessly, allowing them to race against each others' best times.

• 2-4 players racing simultaneously.
• Choice of playing with:
• Friends only (players registered as Friends)
• Rivals (players with similar skills)
• Recent opponents
• Regional racers (players in their country)
• World racers (players anywhere in the world)
• No limit on course choice, but each player votes for a course and the course with the most votes wins (in case of a tie, the course is chosen randomly)
• No limit on character choice
• Players can create and use personalized player icons

Customer Reviews

 original mario kart fun - Aug 19, 2010

I was expecting that it would be better than other mario kaart games but it was just like the classic, which is good enough for me. It is a lot of fun and keeps you entertained for hours.

 MarioKart DS - Aug 19, 2010

I got a Nintendo DS Lite for Christmas in 2008. I enjoyed playing Mario Kart on my little brother's Nintendo 64 back in the 1990s. After I graduated high school and moved out of the house in 1999 I had to stop playing. My wife got me Mario Kart for the DS in July 2009 from Walmart and I love it. I was a bit rusty since I hadn't played in 10 years and had to learn how to play on the DS. So far I've mastered the "retro" races for the 50cc circuit. I'm going to move on to the higher circuits now. I love using the weapons "playing dirty" as my wife calls it. There's just a certain enjoyment in making Bowser crash with his own cronies after it took me years to beat Super Mario when I was a kid. Speaking of that, the princess that you fought so hard to save in SMB will not hesitate to play dirty in this game. I've tried but I can't seem to get the multi-player to work, which sucks because I got my wife a DS for our anniversary a couple weeks ago and she's addicted to Mario Kart. My father-in-law got my two nephews each a DS last month. So now I think I know what to get them for Christmas this year.

I know that this game has been released in several versions in the past but the only one that I have experience with is the N64 version so most of the "old" courses are new to me.

This isn't a game-specific thing, but I wish that the DS had a way to hook up to a TV set. I think that would be awesome for a game like this.

 Does not disappoint! - Aug 05, 2010

If you like the classic Mario Kart for SNES or N64 then surely you cannot pass up this title. Though the mechanics are a little different with the DS hardware, the game is engaging and fun nonetheless. The wi-fi multiplayer is a lot of fun too... you just have to convince your DS buddies to buy a copy.

 Great game - Jul 30, 2010

My mom bought this game for me and my sister. We are nine years old and we love this game very much. It is fun to play together. We both have the DS lite and the game can play up to 4 people together. It is so much fun and easy to understand how to play. Mom said it is not bad price to buy from Amazon.com than buy from GameStop.

 Love it - Jul 26, 2010

My boys are having a blast playing this game. The best part is that you can link two DS' together to play at the same time with one cartridge.

 You'll regret it if you buy it. - Jun 26, 2010

I hate to say this, but it is terrible. Like the Wii version, it takes all your hard work and skooshes it.

 Awesome for all ages - Jun 22, 2010

This a really awesome game! My DSi was my first game system (I got it for my 11th birthday, I wanted it for a really long time) and Mario Kart was my first game. We got a deal with Wal-Mart where you got a $30 gift card when you bought a DSi (we hate Wal-Mart but of course I used it). Mario Kart DS was my first game. I had played it on a Wii at my friends' house before and I liked it, and let me tell you, now I know why it's so popular! Naturally, my favorite modes are Grand Prix and Missions.

Grand Prix~ First, you choose 50cc, 100cc, or 150cc. I believe that they are engine classes, so I guess it means that you go faster or something. 100cc and 150cc are harder though. Next, you choose your character. The main ones are (in order) Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser. You can unlock more though. I've already unlocked Dry Bones and Daisy. They all have different actions and sounds when you pick them and when you race, and they each have two cars- one unique one and a standard DS one. They also have different stats- speed, acceleration, weight, handling, drift, and items. Then you choose your cup- Nitro Grand Prix or Retro Grand Prix. You start out with two inside of each- for the Nitro the Mushroom Cup and the Flower Cup, and for the Retro the Shell Cup and Banana Cup. Then you can unlock the Star Cup and Special Cup in the Nitro and the Leaf Cup and Lightning Cup in the Retro. They are four courses and three laps (Except for Baby Park, which has five laps) in each course in the cups. So you race and get your place and blah blah blah and possibly earn a trophy.

Missions~ They are six mission levels, but apparently you can unlock a seventh when getting a star rating in each of them. There are nine missions in each level- eight regular missions and one boss mission. Beware, there seems to be one mission in each level which involves killing obstacles with items and doing a certain amount of power-slide turbo-boosts in a certain amount of laps. They are hard until you get them! It tells you how to do them in the instruction manual. Your rating for the level is determined by your lowest rating.

There is also a battle mode, time trials, and VS. Battle mode features two battle modes- Balloon Battle and Shine Runners. They are both fun, but I mastered them too quickly. Time Trials is where you can race against your "ghost"- (it records how you last raced and turns you transparent) and beat your time, and VS is like the Grand Prix but you choose the courses and you don't earn trophies in the same way.

I haven't ever gotten to try the Wi-Fi or Multiplayer mode on the DS.

So, overall:

Fun: 9/10
Music: 8/10 (There is different music for each course. Some of it is kind of strange though, but very fitting.)
Sound: 10/10
Gameplay: 9/10 (I think it's pretty re-playable.)

I would recommend this for all ages, from six year olds to sixty-six year olds (especially for an 11-year-old girl like me). Take my advice and BUY THIS, it is a fantastic game if you love action and Mario. I instantly became obsessed with Mario when I got this, and I can't wait to buy more games with him (Especially Peach).

 old school fun - Jun 21, 2010

I'm sure everything has already been said about this game but it is very fun and reminds me of the N64 days

 Mario Still Popular? - Jun 19, 2010

Mario is getting old...but he's just as popular as he ever was. I'll probably have to replace this game because my grandsons are going to wear out the one I got them for Christmas.

 MarioKart DS - May 29, 2010

Definitely one of the best Nintendo games, and it translates great to the DS. They did a great job of mixing in some older tracks with the new ones, sixteen in all.

 worth it - May 23, 2010

As a fan of the SNES and N64 version i got this with high expectations. Though i prefer the N64 version the best, the ds version is still very good.

The only complaints i have is that there is a design flaw on one of the tracks where if you get hit by a giant pinball in a particular section than you will crash and get hit again and it practicaly never ends.

Also if you want to beat the game on 150cc than you have to have drifting mastered. If you dont take advantage of the sharp cornering and boost you get from after the drift at every corner than you wont rank in the top 3. Though i have perfected it, its still a big challenge and i cant imagine a little kid having the patience or skill to perform such an advanced technique. Sure all you have to do is hold the R button down but the timing is everything.

Overall this game rocks, just buy it.

 A great game - May 13, 2010

This game is the best game I have ever played on my D.S,my friends and I love to race together. I would highly recommend this game to anyone for a present.

 Love it! - May 11, 2010

Loved this game on the Wii and decided to get it for the DS too. The kids have been having a great time with it. Totally worthwhile!

 mario kart - May 03, 2010

I am a big gamer. I love the mario games. Mario Kart is awesome. Straight forward game and always fun.

 KIDS LOVE IT! - Apr 24, 2010

I bought this for my grandkids, age 7,9,11,13,& 14 and it gets a good review from all of them. There is lot of noise and laughter when they play so I think that makes it very good. I personally have never clicked a wii button, but love to see happy kids! (The overall 4 stars is only because sometimes they tend to argue a bit.)

 Good game, but gets a little old after a while - Apr 18, 2010

Pros:
-AWESOME graphics
-Lots of characters to choose from, like originals such as Mario, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Luigi, Dry Bones, Wario, and Bowser, and new ones, like Daisy, Waluigi, Rob, Donkey Kong, and Shy Guy
-Unique and fun courses
-Multi-player, so you can race friends
Con
-Is fun for the first few times, but gets sort of old

 Takes the checkered flag every time - Apr 08, 2010

This game lives up to the reputation of all the Mario Kart games. Perfect in its portability. A great bargain in that you and several friends can race - wirelessly - on only one game cartridge. The game features all of the beloved characters from Mario's world. The on track "pick-ups" and hazards are all there. If you've played and enjoyed this game on any of the living room consoles, you'll get a real kick out of the portable version as well. My wife and I enjoy playing the game as much as my son does.

Nintendo has some sure fire hits, and this is one of them to be sure. The longer you play the more tracks you'll unlock, which just adds to the fun. There are re-imagined classics and brand new offerings, too. Lots of re-playability. Honestly, if you're a racing fan, you just can't go wrong. Lots of bang for your buck packed into this souped up speedster.

 My son LOVES, LOVES, LOVES this game!! - Mar 25, 2010

I bought this game for my 7 year old son and he absolutely loves it. I like the fact that it has many different levels and the higher the score more levels are unlocked. We bought this for the DS and for the Wii. I am not very good at the game but I am getting better.

 One of the best in the series. - Mar 22, 2010

I find this game (among MKDD) to be the best in the series. Mario Kart is always about multiplayer mode. Once you finish the Championship mode you never go back and keep playing multiplayer. Fast paced as the Gamecube version (snaking included!), great tracks and good control are the key point. LAN and Internet gameplay make this game the best in the multi-player aspect.

 A good "starter" game for the DS, for adults too! - Mar 13, 2010

As far as handheld gaming consoles go, I'm a newbie. I grew up with the original NES and SNES (which I still play on, and this January, I decided to go ahead and buy a DSi. Mariokart was the first game I bought to play, and I love it. I've always been a racing and platform gaming freak, so I was just drawn to it. I've had this game for about three months and I STILL love playing on it. There are tons of "unlockables" (courses, characters) and you can always go back and race again and try to beat your score. I've only played around with the multi-player aspect of this game once, but it seems to offer challenges and a lot more fun. If you're into the racing genre of games, and liked the previous versions of Mariokart, this is definitely worth checking out, I loved that they had different tracks from older versions of this game too! All in all, I think it was worth the money I paid for and will continue to enjoy this game.

 Fun! - Mar 12, 2010

I bought this game for my 5 year old son to play on his DS Lite. He had gotten Super Mario Bros. and loved it so I thought Mario Kart would be the next logical game in the succession. It is a little harder for him to play so for those who are novices with the DS or very young like he is, expect some frustration. But for those who have a good handle on game play it falls in line with the rest of the classic Super Mario games.

 Son Loves It - Mar 06, 2010

My son has been waiting for a Mario game and I could not see paying 35.00 for one game. Amazon is the place to buy. My son loves the game. It was the right price. It came in just a few days. I purchase a lot of items off Amazon and have never been disappointed.

 If you like it in other formats, get it. - Mar 04, 2010

My 6yr old got a dsi for his birthday but not this game. He couldn't wait to spend his birthday money on this game for the ds. He loves it on our N64 and he hasn't been disappointed with it on his dsi.

 Mario Kart DS - Feb 25, 2010

Mario Kart, comes fully loaded with classic characters, a bunch of new tracks, and a wireless multiplayer mode that's to die for. With a veritable buffet of racers, courses, modes, and multiplayer options, Mario Kart DS is a must play for any Nintendo fan and a requisite for any DS owner.

 Mario Krazy - Feb 07, 2010

My daughter is hooked on this game. Well, so am I and my husband. This is a wonderful game for the family and well worth the money. This won't disappoint you.