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Two words. Just two little words. It's hard to imagine, but a mere two tiny words uttered in room packed with the right people can bring about the most heated of debates. See for yourself. Try walking into a room full of gamers, mentioning Mario Kart, and witness an ensuing argument of almighty proportions.

The SNES original? The two home console sequels? Or perhaps the first game's adaptation on GBA, Super Circuit? Heck, was Double Dash even a good game at all? Opinion seems divided. Whatever your view on the best ever Mario Kart game, though (and we all know it's the N64 version) one thing is an absolute, undeniable and irrevocable certainty that we'd stake our golden mushrooms on...

Every man and his moustache should love Mario Kart DS.

Nintendo delivers

As the progenitor of cutesy kart based racers, the Mario Kart brand is an understandably huge deal for DS owners. And Nintendo have delivered on the expectation in a fashion fitting for Santa himself. Unlike the marmite gameplay of GameCube Double Dash, Mario Kart DS should appeal to the broadest base of fans the series has seen in some time.

At its heart, Mario Kart DS is a Greatest Hits compilation of past MK titles, with an added bonus boost of some handy new content. Most notable is the handling, which sits perfectly between the N64's hopping and the drift control that made the SNES original such a delight to play. This will come as a relief to gamers that favoured the old-style handling, and shunned Double Dash for falling to far from the first game's fundamental feel.

That isn't to say however, that the DS release lacks the content introduced in Double Dash. Indeed, the main Grand Prix mode is made up of eight cups encompassing 32 tracks, of which 16 are classic circuits from Mario Kart games gone by. The other 16 meanwhile are all-new affairs that retain the quality we've come to expect from the shortcut-laden series, making for a stellar selection to race around.

Another new addition for DS Mario Kart is the inventive Mission Mode that adds an element to the game along the lines of Crazy Taxi's Crazy Box mode. There are 54 challenges, ranging from collecting coins while racing to navigating circuits in reverse and even bashing bosses off a set arena. While complimenting the Grand Prix option, those delving into Missions will find it also augments their basic driving skills by emphasising strategic use of the game's intrinsic power-ups and boost ability, making the mode essential to anyone wanting to access the game's unlockable content.

Unlockable goodies

And there certainly is a lot of it. New karts and characters are revealed as progress is made in cups on each of the three speed settings. Following the natural learning curve of the series, the higher the speed class goes, the harder the challenge becomes and the greater also the rewards. So, while the initial play at 50cc on the Mushroom Cup may yield little challenge and the odd fresh face here and there, later success at 150cc will bring with it access to the speediest of rides and the most convoluted of the game's courses to master.

Of course, multiplayer is the best reason to master the courses on any MK game. Seeing a friend's reaction to a well timed green shell has always been the defining moment of any given Mario Kart, and that's made even sweeter on DS by game sharing that allows eight players wireless multiplayer linkup off just a single cartridge.

The true selling point of Mario Kart DS however is its wireless online play. With Nintendo's much-vaunted 7,500 wireless hotspots dotted throughout the country (most notably in branches of McDonald's) it offers the premier online experience on any handheld to date. Or at least it would if it worked as intended. Alas, for all of its ambition - and it is a truly wonderful title to have in any machine's online portfolio - the online option proves to also offer the game's biggest flaw.

Unfortunately, Wi Fi connection does seem to be more than a little hit and miss, and most won't access the online function first time. Finding friends online is also more complicated than it should be; relying on a Friend Code system that echoes Nintendo's family friendly values but also gets in the way of an easy access experience. Despite these flaws however, the act of racing online itself is a truly unique and fun experience, and the biggest reason for Nintendo's dual screen machine moving into must-have territory.

Highly recommended

It really is hard not to recommend Mario Kart DS to any self respecting DS owner. A truly picky player may cite the Battle Mode's weak multiplayer maps, and an especially large handed individual will take an obvious dislike to the miniature buttoned control setup that uses A to accelerate and the awkward shoulder buttons to drift and fire weapons. Yet Mario Kart veterans will delight in the new tactics afforded by the bottom screen's overhead map that displays anything in their karts near vicinity, and gives prompt warning of opponent overtaking manoeuvres, or of potentially hazardous damage-dealing power-ups to be avoided.

As handheld gaming goes, there are few franchises as suitable as Mario Kart, and even less that produce a portable release with content and gameplay pitched so close to perfection. Mario Kart DS is nothing short of the DS's killer app: a game that races so far ahead of the field that only past games in the series deserve to be seen on the same stretch of road. Many will claim it to be the best Mario Kart so far, others will delight in it for the peerless portable title that it is and settle their arguments on the track. Whatever the opinion, all will agree that Mario Kart DS is a must-have handheld title, and one of the finest releases of 2005. And we agree too.

We'll see you online.

GAME's Verdict

• 16 Classic Tracks, 16 all-new ones, vintage Mario Kart gameplay.
• Mission and Battle Modes add to the experience.
• Linkup and Online Wi Fi Multiplayer that's a joy to behold.

• Getting online can be overly complicated.
• A few weak courses, particularly in Battle Mode.
• Controls are likely to annoy bigger-handed gamers.

Review by: Mark Scott
Review Published: 15.12.05