mario kart: double dash first impressions

[pg]

Originally posted by FlameFlash
eh?

maybe those are the wrong buttons(we just rented it, hopefully we will get it for xmas), but there is a way to do a dodge attack to steal other kart's items!

What strat do you generally depend on though? Need for quick start or need for sustained high speed and slow start? I'd want a kart with 4 speed, 2 accel, 4 weight... if that's even possible...

well one thing that is quite important is getting down the speed boost are the start of the race. basically you start holding down your engine button after the countdown hits 1 and you can get a boost if you time it right(if you don't get it right away keep practicing). it's the equivalent to a mushroom more or less. very helpful as you will be up to full speed in a sec or 2 and not need to accelerate from a stand still. i imagine it's incredibly important for the heavier karts. it usually saved me 3 secs or so on my first lap.

What strat do you generally depend on though?

consistancy, heh. seriously, this game is sort of hard if you aren't quite a skilled player imo. even after me and my brother are able to beat all the cups by ourselves we can still lose races if we get unlucky. just a couple falls, spin outs or getting stuck on the wall(read: lose a few seconds) and you can easily go from 1st to 6th.

Hang on... are you serious? So what is the weight rating for?

it does help if you run into other karts, as they will bounce around and not you but it doesn't seem nearly as useful as it used to. heavy karts just take too damn long to get up to speed compared to light karts.

Nothing new... I remember my frustration with the SNES version because the AI characters permanently had feathers available to them...

i only really noticed AI cheating on 150cc myself so it's forgivable.

They probably purposefully put in a work-around so players have to think up a new strat to blocking red shells.

there really is no other way now that red shells are so much smarter. red shells will follow the course by moving into the middle of the road right after you fire them instead of taking the direct and shortest path(did they do this in mk64 or just snes? i didn't play mk64 much), so even if you go around a few corners or over some jumps they will still get you almost all the time.

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by pg
maybe those are the wrong buttons(we just rented it, hopefully we will get it for xmas), but there is a way to do a dodge attack to steal other kart's items!

Very cool.

well one thing that is quite important is getting down the speed boost are the start of the race. basically you start holding down your engine button after the countdown hits 1 and you can get a boost if you time it right(if you don't get it right away keep practicing). it's the equivalent to a mushroom more or less. very helpful as you will be up to full speed in a sec or 2 and not need to accelerate from a stand still. i imagine it's incredibly important for the heavier karts. it usually saved me 3 secs or so on my first lap.

/me nods.

All of the others had stuff like that too.

consistancy, heh. seriously, this game is sort of hard if you aren't quite a skilled player imo. even after me and my brother are able to beat all the cups by ourselves we can still lose races if we get unlucky. just a couple falls, spin outs or getting stuck on the wall(read: lose a few seconds) and you can easily go from 1st to 6th.

Actually, I'll buy consistancy... that sounds reasonable as a need.

I know that when I have bad luck on the item draw my wife usually hands me my arse on a race.

it does help if you run into other karts, as they will bounce around and not you but it doesn't seem nearly as useful as it used to. heavy karts just take too damn long to get up to speed compared to light karts.

It'll be interesting to experiment then.

i only really noticed AI cheating on 150cc myself so it's forgivable.

I remember on the SNES the game gave DK-Jr a star once. In that version, every character had a special item (computer characters at least) and that was the only weapon they had. My cousin and I think that we'd just been playing the game too long and Mario was right next to DK-Jr. so it just gave the powerup to the wrong character.

there really is no other way now that red shells are so much smarter. red shells will follow the course by moving into the middle of the road right after you fire them instead of taking the direct and shortest path(did they do this in mk64 or just snes? i didn't play mk64 much), so even if you go around a few corners or over some jumps they will still get you almost all the time.

The red shells, if you're in first place, will do that on the N64 version, otherwise these new red shells sound like a spikey shell from the N64 version.

Yikes is about all I can say to that.

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by pg
maybe those are the wrong buttons(we just rented it, hopefully we will get it for xmas), but there is a way to do a dodge attack to steal other kart's items!

Very cool.

well one thing that is quite important is getting down the speed boost are the start of the race. basically you start holding down your engine button after the countdown hits 1 and you can get a boost if you time it right(if you don't get it right away keep practicing). it's the equivalent to a mushroom more or less. very helpful as you will be up to full speed in a sec or 2 and not need to accelerate from a stand still. i imagine it's incredibly important for the heavier karts. it usually saved me 3 secs or so on my first lap.

/me nods.

All of the others had stuff like that too.

consistancy, heh. seriously, this game is sort of hard if you aren't quite a skilled player imo. even after me and my brother are able to beat all the cups by ourselves we can still lose races if we get unlucky. just a couple falls, spin outs or getting stuck on the wall(read: lose a few seconds) and you can easily go from 1st to 6th.

Actually, I'll buy consistancy... that sounds reasonable as a need.

I know that when I have bad luck on the item draw my wife usually hands me my arse on a race.

it does help if you run into other karts, as they will bounce around and not you but it doesn't seem nearly as useful as it used to. heavy karts just take too damn long to get up to speed compared to light karts.

It'll be interesting to experiment then.

i only really noticed AI cheating on 150cc myself so it's forgivable.

I remember on the SNES the game gave DK-Jr a star once. In that version, every character had a special item (computer characters at least) and that was the only weapon they had. My cousin and I think that we'd just been playing the game too long and Mario was right next to DK-Jr. so it just gave the powerup to the wrong character.

there really is no other way now that red shells are so much smarter. red shells will follow the course by moving into the middle of the road right after you fire them instead of taking the direct and shortest path(did they do this in mk64 or just snes? i didn't play mk64 much), so even if you go around a few corners or over some jumps they will still get you almost all the time.

The red shells, if you're in first place, will do that on the N64 version, otherwise these new red shells sound like a spikey shell from the N64 version.

Yikes is about all I can say to that.

[Sava]

THE BEST ****ING GAME THIS YEAR!

I've beaten the entire game... all-cup tour on Mirror mode was ****ING HARD!

my sister and I have been playing MP a lot... so much fun...

I love the characters, and how everyone has a special. It is real fun to develop strategies for each character combo.

Things I've notice:
1. Light carts with small guys are the most effective for me (baby koopa and diddy kong are my fave combo-- 3 red shells and giant banana are specials)

2. Computer does cheat on 150cc and mirror mode, but being persistent and cutting across short cuts gives you a big advantage

3. If you hit the small R button as you fly into one question mark, if you hit a second real quick, you can pick up two items (if you don't hit a two question mark block that is)

4. There is usually 1 computer combo that will always finish ahead of the rest... knock this combo out as much as possible and get them to finish 3rd or 4th, this will allow you to get farther ahead in total points if you finish 1st.

5. Daisy is mentally challenged... (or retarded ) "Hi, I'm Daisy!"

6. 150cc is more about luck than anything else.

7. The Ducks on Daisy's Beach piss the **** outta me!

8. On 150cc and mirror mode, the computer's green shells are basically like red shells because they are super accurate shots.

9. As I said before, light carts are the best IMO, especially because they don't lose a lot of speed when going off road. It's real easy to cut corners on some maps.

10. You can do the powerslide boost and get out of the Sarlac pit on the desert level.

BTW, red shells don't follow the middle like in N64... they lock on to the person in front of you.

[Snotty]

I got this yesterday and love it. The 2 player co-op mode is a great way for my gf to get used to it, and the L/R sidestep thing while in the back has saved our ass many times.

I agree with all the light cart stuff. I can only think the heavys will be useful when I have powersliding perfected and want to crush other carts by smashing into them.

I'm worried about the SP longevity as I need gold on 150cc star and special to complete all thats visible. I hope the mirror modes supply a bit more of a challenge.

Overall, great game but it was always going to be. Shiggys head would be on a stick if they screwed this one up.

[Snotty]

Whoever thought up this co-op mode is a genius. Where else can two players work together outside of FPS games? Plus playing MK with my gf counts as spending time with her

I enjoy being back in Nintendos unique environments. Clean lines, and inovation in their obstacles. I did a few time trials and noticed the big screen in waluigi stadium for the first time. Fantastic.

[Sarxis]

The original Mario Kart is still the best. :P

My sister and I played that so much.

[The Pioneer]

Great game. This is one of the reasons why you gotta love Nintendo! Especially fun in multiplayer.

So long...

[asleepathewheel]

This game is worth the (now very reasonable) cost of the cube alone.

been playing a lot of bomb-omb mode against my wife, and the occassional grand prix co-op. Great stuff, still can't beat the 150 cc levels

[Asher]

I agree with IGN's review over anyone else's.

Feel the game needs to be made more complex than dumbed down like Nintendo's doing. I dunno, maybe I just need something more than cutesy characters in carts with limited controls.

[Verto]

Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
The original Mario Kart is still the best. :P

My sister and I played that so much.

That game is a classic.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Asher
I agree with IGN's review over anyone else's.

Feel the game needs to be made more complex than dumbed down like Nintendo's doing. I dunno, maybe I just need something more than cutesy characters in carts with limited controls.

I hadn't read that review, because, well, I don't read many reviews unless bored. They made some valid points about complexity and fewer shortcuts. however, statements like "You won't unlock different costumes for riders, skins for karts are non-existent" hurt their credibility. I guess if that is what you're looking for then....kinda funny, that they say its too childish then complain about not having enough costumes

"I had hoped for deeper controls, more than one selectable costume, skins for the karts, maybe GBA link-up support, more intriguing level designs, more characters, much more high-quality music"

I concur with the control, levels and character criticisms, but the others? Please. This is why I don't read these reviews on a regular basis.

[FlameFlash]

IGN!?

I'm reminded of this Penny Arcade comic:



Video game reviews are almost as bad as movie reviews. You've got to rent the game to see if you like it and not listen to some site that doesn't know what it's doing.

BTW, nice to see you back around, Asher.

[Sava]

I agree with you FlameFlash... all these dopey reviewers wouldn't know a good game if it hit them in the seat. Counter-strike, one of the best and most popular games ever... and reviewers always say **** like "oooh the graphics aren't super l337 OMFG IT SuX)RZ"

MKDD is great fun. Who the **** cares if the characters don't have costumes? That's the dumbest ****ing complaint about a game I've ever heard.

[Snotty]

Does anyone else find Daisy the most annoying bint ever? I hear her say 'Hi, I'm Daisy' and feel the need to give her a good slap. If you don't know what I mean take her for the all cup thing