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December 06, 2005
Tom Nook Is A Coon.
So Animal Crossing shipped yesterday, which means I might be picking it up tonight, which means Mario Kart and I will be parting ways for the time-being. That being the case, I thought I'd share some final thoughts on Mario Kart DS, easily my favorite game of 2005. In order increasing insignificance:
- I hadn't even touched battle mode last time I wrote about Mario Kart, and damn I was missing out. Mostly due to Balloon Battle being awesome. In old Mario Karts, you had three balloons (or balls) and when they popped, you were done. In MK:DS though, you start with one balloon, with four in reserve to blow up at your discretion. How do you blow them up? By blowing into the microphone. Gimmicky, yes, but it's actually a lot of fun to be fucking shit up (or getting your shit fucked) (technical terms, I know), and having to frantically blow into this little microphone to stay alive. Getting spit on the lower screen in the process. Yes, you can also hold select to blow them up, but that's A) slower, and B) not as fun. Anyway, yes, Balloon Battle is cool, and it alone makes this the best Battle Mode of any of the Mario Karts. Hands down. Definitively. Undoubtedly. Indubitably. (Assuming GBA Mario Kart Battle Mode wasn't any good... never played it.)
- I've unlocked all the time trial staff ghosts from the crazy Nintendo guys over at Nintendo of Japan. Which reminds me of something else:
- For the first time in a Mario Kart game, different drivers get different number of mushrooms in Time Trial mode. I declare shenanigans.
- Not only is the timing for the speed boost at the start of the race hard to get down, but there seem to be variable speeds as well. That is to say there are multiple speeds of speed boost (well, at least two), dependent on your timing. Madness.
- I've decided it's impossible to get triple stars on any Grand Prix circuit, let alone on 150cc Mirrored. Sacré bleu!
- Not sure what just happened.
- I miss being able to see what times other people came in in Grand Prix mode. Instead it's just 1st through 8th place. Give me statistics, dammit.
- And finally, I think I have "Nintendo thumb" for the first time in my life. This is probably more due to poor ergonomics on the DS than on account of Mario Kart, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless. Really it's a compliment to Nintendo more than anything else.
Posted by pat at December 6, 2005 06:39 PM
Comments
I feel the need to comment that while it may be fun to blow up the balloons thru the mic, you look like a damn fool doing so. I witnessed a room full of people doing this, and the site was not pretty. Just FUCKING HILARIOUS.
Suckers.
ps: It's my place too, Asshead.
Posted by: Not a Sucka MC at January 13, 2006 03:45 PM