very Mario Kart release has been a hotly anticipated event. I’ll go out on a limb and say I’ve liked this series more than the Mario platformer series in the past 10 years (remakes not included). They’ve never disappointed with elevating the imitator-filled genre, and providing some of the best vehicle-based thrills in all of video games.

You’ve probably heard all about the dual-rider formula in Double Dash. Well, believe the hype, because it really does make things much deeper. For example, you can hold two weapons at once if you play your cards right (making sure the backseat driver has his/her hands empty when you hit an item box). Like a Revert in Tony Hawk, this just adds one more thing for you to think of when you’re rocketing down the track.

This new mechanic also marks the first time a racing game has featured a co-op mode. It’s a blast to work together during Grand Prix contests. Tossing objects isn’t all that’s in the job description for the back-seat driver, as this player needs to activate powerslides and can punch nearby karts. Mario Kart’s multiplayer has always been a huge attraction, and this element takes things up another notch, making it easily the racer of choice for party people. Allowing LAN compatibility proves Nintendo does in fact know what century this is. The new Battle modes are nice, though I think their courses should’ve been larger.

Using the technology boost afforded by the GameCube, Nintendo really outdid itself on level design. You can uncover more shortcuts than ever, and the tracks are just stunning. Many Mario universe cast members make cameos, like Shyguys figure skating or Delfino citizens cheering you onto the winner’s circle. My favorite course is DK Island, where you get shot out of a barrel cannon to the top of a mountain, and then go speeding down its steep decline.

Selecting your character from the list of 16 isn’t quite as critical as it was in the past, but is still important. Each one falls in one of three size categories, and in turn the game has three vehicle sizes. Draft Bowser into your stable, and you’ll need a big kart. If you go with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, you’ll get a tiny vehicle. Every driver has his or her own special power-up, too. Diddy Kong drops a huge banana peel, Luigi fires a spreading green fireball, and Peach makes a heart-shaped shield that surrounds the kart.

Nintendo can do no wrong with this series. While I wish another single-player mode would’ve been added (a career, perhaps?), Double Dash raises the character-based racing bar yet again. It’s also the must-have GameCube title this holiday season. Don’t be left eating the dust of the millions of other Nintendo faithful who will be dashing to pick this up on November 17.  

ANDY MCNAMARA   9 Much like the reports on Elvis, the talk that Double Dash was going to leave Mario Kart for dead were greatly exaggerated. It is true that the addition of two players on the kart changed the dynamic of the game slightly, but once you dig into Double Dash it delivers all that we know and love about the series plus a little bit more. That plus, in my book, is a big one. Giving the player control of two different characters is pretty cool in single-player, but add a friend on the back of your kart in multiplayer and it opens the game up like never before. Screaming at/with your teammate is what Double Dash is all about, and playing the game as either gunner or driver is surprisingly fun. I don’t think I’ll ever get to experience 16-player LAN, but I know it would be a blast. Heck, this game is a treat with just two.