Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN)

[Metal Mario]

Originally posted by DARTH BOWSER:
Bowser is in it, I must get this.

Was there ever any doubt that he would be?

[Metal Mario]

Originally posted by Crazy Redd:
So there was no Sonic in it after all...

Dude, that was never a possibilty to begin with.

[Metal Mario]

Originally posted by Masamune:
Two players on one kart? I assumed one person controlled them both, but if the two could switch driving, yeah, I could see that happening...

According to IGN, the player can switch control back and forth between the driver and the item-user. I guess any other time, the character you're not controlling continues doing his job automatically.

There was good ground to speculate it (Miyamato joked about Sonic being in Mario Kart), but it was too unlikely to ever be a reality. And good thing too. Cameos are cool and all (like Soul Calibur), but Diddy is enough of a cameo for me.

Originally posted by DARTH BOWSER:
Bowser is in it, I must get this.

Hey! Daisy is in the screenshot up there!! Toad BETTER be in. It's never good when they remove charcters from the previous game in the series, (It's totally retarded)

I am also really hoping for more unlockable characters and a story mode like in DKR. That was awesome.

HELL YES.

The pics do look a bit... fuzzy, but IT'S MARIO KART! Who cares?

Originally posted by Metal Mario:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Crazy Redd:
So there was no Sonic in it after all...

Dude, that was never a possibilty to begin with.</font>[/quote]Shingsy said that in an interview. The last time he "joked" about something like that was when he said Dinosaur Planet would be good for Starfox.....

In other words, while still unlikly, don't count it out just yet...

[Luigi_PS2]

Wow! Those graphics are great. Oh wait, nevermind, I'm still too used to seeing Wind Waker's graphics. Sorry.
L is real

IGN's confirmed 16 characters in the game so far. See here: MK: Double Dash preview

And they also suggested that there will most likely be unlockable characters added to that list.

~Tee

^ MUST BE TOAD

Toad, DKJr., and Shyguy should be in it.
-T2K

[Metal Mario]

*Source: Planet Gamecube

E3 2003 is still some 20 days away, but in time honored tradition, the Nintendo E3 site is already live and offering up brief glimpses of the joy to come. Previously known only as Mario Kart GC, the next installment in the brilliant kart-racing franchise from the magicians inside EAD is now officially titled Mario Kart: Double Dash. The new name offers more than a few hints towards some of the impressive new innovations in this entry to the series, and fans had better hold on tight.

First up is the feature that Miyamoto has been so keen to hide - there are two characters per kart! Yep, this is no longer a single-seater racing experience, as one character is now in charge of the driving, while the other stands at the rear and, according to Nintendo themselves, "doles out damage with six normal items and eight special items that only specific characters can use". Start the guessing now as to what those special items will be (Will Mario once again make use of FLUDD? Will Luigi come armed with his vacuum?) but current screens at least confirm the return of our old friends, the banana peels and shells. In addition, "Racers can swap places at any time," which will surely lead to some comedic multiplayer situations and unprecedented levels of strategy. Racers announced so far (And who'd bet on there not being a few more hidden away?) are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Koopa, and Paratroopa. You can team up any two characters as you see fit, which explains why Luigi can be seen driving a pretty pink vintage model with Daisy in the back dishing out some damage to Donkey and Diddy Kong alongside.

Split-screen multi-player makes an expected return, with both two- and four-player modes being present and correct. The two-player screen offers evidence of at least seven other karts being on track, though the four-player grab seems to indicate that no computer controlled opposition will be joining in those battles (the four players occupying places 1st through 4th). Even more exciting, and as heavily hinted at by Miyamoto recently, is that Nintendo will be announcing details of a LAN option in the game at E3 - allowing a total of 8 players to take part in the fun, as long as they have two GameCubes and two copies of the game, of course.

Graphically, the game is definitely in the Mario Sunshine style, with at least one track looking like it could well be located on Delphino Island. Mario Kart has never been a series that has relied on blow-your-socks-off visuals, instead focusing on an incredibly tight handling model and palpable sense of speed, but that's not to say it looks poor by any means. There are some very nice touches on show: tire marks where Mario and Peach have strayed off-track and the ominous presence of a chain chomp track-side. The game's imagination is as reliable as ever, with Baby Mario hurtling around the track in what appears to be a baby carriage, and Koopa driving a shell with bitty-little shells for wheels.

Another interesting point to note is regarding the one track design shown so far in screenshots (take a close look just above the speedo in the shot showing Mario about to let loose a banana on Bowser & partner). While being pretty basic in terms of shape (a figure-of-eight both pinched in the middle and stretched top-to-bottom), it appears to include a central stretch that is shared by drivers going in both directions - a wide-open four-lane highway of sorts that could very well add another twist to the gameplay.

We can only speculate on how far Nintendo are going to go with this partner theme, but the options are almost endless - will your mixing of characters have any effect on handling/acceleration? Will they be able to 'lean' into the corners to help out with those especially tight bends? Will two players be able to control the two individual characters in one kart for the ultimate in co-operative action? And will they be able to do so on two separate screens via the LAN link-up? In the single-player modes, will the CPU be able take on the driving duties so that you can concentrate on hurling those shells at the opposition? These are the kinds of questions that will only be answered by going hands-on at E3.

[KryZtal KuRby]

Yay Koopas back!!!

But where's shyguy