Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Mario Kart: Double Dash‼
This is the only game with two characters per kart.
Information
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Distributor(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube
Released	2003
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single Player, Multiplayer
Ratings	E - ESRB

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the fourth game in the Mario Kart series.

Gameplay

Double Dash!!'s gameplay vastly differs from and improves on it's predecessors in many ways; since the player can pick not one character, but two - one to drive, and one to use items. In addition, the player is able to use karts that are not the characters' (Mario and Luigi can use Yoshi's kart, for example) depending on their class, whether they are heavyweight, middleweight, or lightweight. Not only this, the power slide has been improved; if the player makes blue sparks while power sliding, a mini turbo is performed. There are sixteen courses to race on. Each cup features four tracks. Five different cup races are available, one of which is the All Cup Tour, featuring all sixteen tracks in random order (except for the first, Luigi Circuit, and the last, Rainbow Road). Each track is also playable in "Mirror Mode," where the tracks are mirrored; however, Mirror Mode is only available for 150cc.

This installment also features multiplayer battle modes. As in previous installments, the battle arenas are enclosed, with varying architecture and a constant arsenal. In addition to the balloon-popping game, which has been the standard Mario Kart battle game, two new battle systems are included. The first, called "Shine Thief", involves capturing a Shine Sprite and maintaining possession of it for a set time period. The second, called "Bob-omb Blast", uses only colored Bob-ombs, and utilizes a trade-off point system that requires the players to succeed in attacks, while also avoiding those directed at them.

Aside from the many drivers available, numerous other Mario characters play minor roles in the game. Lakitu reprises his role as the racetrack keeper, signaling the start of each race, alerting players when they complete a lap, warning them when they are going the wrong way, and returning drivers to the racetrack when they fall into dangerous areas. Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, Goombas, and Wigglers are also present in the game, and serve as obstacles for the driver to avoid. Toadsworth drives the winners of a cup during the victory celebration. Piantas and Nokis from Super Mario Sunshine also cheer players on certain courses, such as Peach Beach and Daisy Cruiser, and form much of the crowd at victory ceremonies (held at Peach Beach). Classic Mario series characters, including Donkey Kong Jr., can be seen in the crowds around Waluigi Stadium.

The game includes 21 karts to choose from. They are categorized by weight. Generally, lightweight karts have good acceleration and handling, and are easily able to traverse rough terrain, but have low top speeds, can be knocked around by larger karts, and can only hold light characters. Heavyweight karts usually have high top speeds, can knock around many smaller karts, but they have poor acceleration, steering, off-road handling, and can only be manned if there is at least one heavy character. Middleweight karts' performance are well-balanced, but they cannot hold heavy characters. However, there are exceptions to this, such as the Barrel Train and Boo Pipes. Of 21 karts available in all, only eight are available from the start. The other 13 may be unlocked by successfully completing races and finishing the game. Although everyone has one kart, the twenty-first kart is the Parade Kart that Toadsworth uses to drive the first place winners. This car the best stat ratio (4 stars for speed and weight; 3 stars for acceleration) and any combination of characters can drive it, but it takes the longest to recover from flipping over.

A notable attribute of Double Dash!! is that it allows LAN play using the GameCube broadband adapter. Up to eight GameCubes can be connected, allowing for 16 player multiplayer games (two players controlling each kart).

Characters

Initially playable

• Mario and Luigi
• Peach and Daisy
• Yoshi and Birdo
• Baby Mario and Baby Luigi
• Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa
• Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong
• Wario and Waluigi
• Bowser and Bowser Jr.
  

  Mario's Team

  

  Peach's Team

  

  Yoshi's Team

  

  Baby Mario's Team

  

  Koopa's Team

  

  Donkey Kong's Team

  

  Wario's Team

  

  Bowser's Team

Unlockable

• Toad & Toadette
• King Boo & Petey Piranha

Toads Team

Petey Pirahnas Team

Karts

Each character has one kart.

Name	Image	Owner	Speed	Acceleration	Weight
Red Fire		Mario
Green Fire		Luigi
Heart Coach		Peach
Bloom Coach		Daisy
Turbo Yoshi		Yoshi
Turbo Birdo		Birdo

Music

Make a separate section for this and actually put files.

The music for Mario Kart: Double Dash!! courses is as follows:

• Circuits (Luigi, Mario and Yoshi)
• Peach Beach and Daisy Cruiser
• Baby Park
• Dry Dry Desert
• Mushroom Bridge and City
• Waluigi Stadium and Wario Colosseum
• Sherbet Land
• DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle
• Bowser's Castle
• Rainbow Road

Tracks

Mushroom Cup	Flower Cup	Star Cup	Special Cup
Luigi Circuit	Mushroom Bridge	Sherbet Land	Wario Colosseum
Peach Beach	Mario Circuit	Mushroom City	Dino Dino Jungle
Baby Park	Daisy Cruiser	Yoshi Circuit	Bowser's Castle
Dry Dry Desert	Waluigi Stadium	DK Mountain	Rainbow Road

Battle Courses

Cookie Land	Nintendo GameCube	Block City
Pipe Plaza*	Luigi's Mansion	Tilt-A-Kart

• This course reappears in Mario Kart DS.

Items

Normal Items

• Green Shell
• Red Shell
• Spiny Shell
• Mushroom
• Triple Mushroom
• Banana Peel
• Star
• Thunderbolt
• Fake Item Box

Special Items

Every character has their own special item. Different combinations means a wide variety of items. For example, if someone were to play as Toadette, another player were to play as Baby Mario/Luigi and they controlled the kart together, they would be able to get Golden Mushrooms and the Chain Chomp occasionally.

• Fireball (Mario & Luigi)
• Heart (Peach & Daisy) (NEW)
• Yoshi Egg & Birdo Egg (Yoshi & Birdo)
• Bowser's Shell (Bowser & Bowser Jr.) (NEW)
• Triple Green Shells & Triple Red Shells {Koopa Troopa & Paratroopa)
• Bob-omb (Wario & Waluigi) (NEW)
• Giant Banana (Donkey Kong & Diddy Kong) (NEW)
• Chain Chomp (Baby Mario & Baby Luigi) (NEW)
• Golden Mushroom (Toad & Toadette)
• Random Item (King Boo & Petey Piranha) (NEW)

Glitches

• If you perform a Double Dash in 2P Co-Op Mode, the character in the back will keep on flying until you fall, use an item, or is hit by a hazardous item.

Shortcuts

Main article: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!/Shortcuts

Trivia

• This is the only Mario Kart game to feature Shine Thief, and this is the only Mario Kart game to have two players on a kart.
• This is the last Mario Kart game to feature just new courses.
• A first run production of the game included a limited bonus disc inside the case in a second holder with exclusive content related to other Nintendo games.

External Links

• The Official Mario Kart Double Dash!! Website