Mario Kart DS ~Lap 1~ Introducing the DS, Mario Kart, and a Period of Isolation

Hey.

December is going to be an unpredictable month, what with upcoming finals, an essay and writing two reviews. But I won't give up.

To kick off the end of the month, I present to you: Mario Kart DS!!!

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It is 2004.

Nintendo had just opened a can of whoop ass at E3. The excitement over the new Zelda automatically reached stratospheric levels thanks to its realistic graphics. Sequels to hits Paper Mario, Metroid Prime, and Pikmin looked to be just as much of an AAA-title as their predecessors, and had everyone salivating at the mouth. Reggie Fils-Aime, who back then was an executive in Nintendo of America's marketing, took the stage to introduce himself with the following:

"My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' game"

Poetry at it's finest.

And we were also presented to this little beauty.

This new gaming machine was dubbed as the DS (as in, "dual screen"). When it was announced several months earlier, many were baffled by its premise. Two screens? A touch screen? A stylus for gameplay? As fan mock-up pictures spread throughout the web, cynical fans shook their heads and wrote it off as just another nail in Nintendo's coffin. That May, the gaming world turned upside down.

Easily the crown jewel of the conference, the DS awed all with not just its functionality, but the games announced for it. A remake of Super Mario 64 was the highlight of the list. Metroid Prime Hunters impressed the media by having a first-person viewpoint with control via a stylus. New Super Mario Bros. was announced to be the first sidescrolling Mario in over a decade. New entries for recent series such as Wario Ware and Animal Crossing only sweetened the deal.

And of course, a certain game we'll be discussing later.

The DS had many other attractive features. The graphical engine could now reach a level quite like the three-dimensional Nintendo 64. The use of two screens, one of them interactive with touching, gave birth to new gameplay innovations that developers never dreamed about before. The use of a stylus and touch screen alone grabbed the attention of the gaming public; it was as if we had the chance to interact directly with our favorite characters.

The console was an instant success upon launch. As the years went by, Nintendo launched several redesigns of the system.


The DS Lite: A sleeker version of the original model. No major differences other then a brighter screen, a new look, and the power button moving to the left side. Released in 2006. I currently have a red one.

The DSi: A major overhaul from what we had before. The startup menu screen has been completely revamped, and users now have access to a camera and an online gaming purchasing system. Released in early 2009. I don't have one.

The DSi XL: A much larger version of the DSi. If you look at the picture above, it compares the screens for both the new model and the DSi. That's about the only difference. Nintendo released this in regards to older folk with dimmed eyesight, but many couldn't find the point of it. Personally, I think it might've been a cash-in but you can't deny how awesome it looks.

And next spring, we'll have this in our hands.

The 3DS: A complete reimagination of the DS. Boasting state-of-the-art 3D technology, this baby will literally pop out our games out of the screen without the use of 3D glasses. It kicks ass and I want one.

Throughout all of its models, the DS has enjoyed what is no doubt the healthiest life of any console. While the console had slow beginnings, the release of titles such as Kirby: Canvas Curse, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and Mario Kart DS were not only critically applauded but huge sellers. It was when Nintendo began aiming for the expanded market with Nintendogs and Brain Age, along with the release of New Super Mario Bros., that the console exploded in popularity and has topped sales charts ever since. No matter how much gamers slam the Wii today, no one can deny the richness of the DS library. With virtually every major Nintendo franchise represented and the backing of every third-party publisher out there, there's something for everyone on the device. It's no wonder it's the most successful handheld system ever made.

But where does it take us on this blog entry?

Once again, we must turn back the clock.

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It is 1992.

Shigeru Miyamoto, fellow game designer Hideki Konno, and the rest of the gang at Nintendo are developing another racing title for the Super Nintendo that was to supersede futuristic racer F-Zero. While a success, the game had a noticeable lack of a two-player mode, and the development team went to work on a new title that would include the now essential feature. Several months into development, the designers noticed that the test character looked oddly similar to Mario.

And thus, Super Mario Kart was born.

It was a wise move. Launched in Fall 1992, the title was an instant success thanks to riding on the Mario name. However, those who purchased the game found an enthralling racing experience like none other. This wasn't just another racing game, oh no. It was a game where the entire Mario cast were cruising through Mario-themed courses, shooting Koopa shells and dropping banana peels and boosting via Mushrooms and popping balloons via Battle Mode and driving on Rainbow Road. In short, more of the wacky antics only Nintendo can get away with.


The title completely transformed the racing genre and is still labeled as an influence today. For one thing, it gave birth to the "mascot racer" breed of games that included other infamous characters to raise sales, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot and even the cast of Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon. The game was also lauded for including the use of items to help the player catch up, whether they be offensive projectiles or speed-boosting objects. Perhaps most influential of all is on the Mario franchise itself, as it marked one of the first times the plumber didn't have to set out to rescue Princess Peach. He could go racing, become a doctor, play tennis, or maybe even play golf. As Nintendo discovered, he is truly a versatile character.

Of course, Mario Kart didn't end here. Having sold over eight million copies, Nintendo found itself another cash cow, and sequels followed.

Mario Kart 64: The racing debut on the Nintendo 64, dating back to 1997. Mario Kart 64 was yet another instantaneous hit and became the console's number one choice for parties, thanks to the availability of four players and the addicting premise of Battle Mode. It also established characters Donkey Kong and Wario as permanent members of Mario's entourage.

This is a title I look upon very fondly, as it was actually the first game I ever bought* for myself. Come to think of it, it was the game that made me realize red was my favorite color. Take a wild guess as to why.

*As in, sulked by the display case until Dad gave in and bought it for me.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit: One of the earliest titles for Game Boy Advance in 2001. The game was well-received as successfully porting the Mario Kart experience for handhelds. I never played it, unfortunately, but I've heard good things.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Released midway through the Gamecube's lifespan, Double Dash!! introduced the concept of having two characters per kart, an idea many aren't sure was executed well. From my viewpoint, I don't think it had the spark Mario Kart 64 had, but I still obsessed over this for a few months. And hey, it introduced unlockable characters for the first time.

Mario Kart Wii: Another title that had a mixed reception, mostly due to an unbalanced set of items (GOD I hate that thundercloud) and the chaos twelve racers bring in a race instead of the usual eight. However, those who looked passed these issues found an in-depth racer with lots of fun courses, a huge cast, and the best Wi-Fi setup for any Nintendo game. I mean, hey, it's not one of the all-time best selling games for nothing.

I still haven't given this game the time it deserves. I'll have to get around to that.

And believe it or not, there were a couple arcade versions of Mario Kart that included Pac-Man as a playable character!

Mario Kart is a wonderfully diverse franchise, and one of Nintendo's top sellers, but it's a series I won't be going over too much on the blog. Unfortunately, there's only so much you can talk about while discussing a racing game. So which games can you expect?

There won't be any features for Super Circuit or Double Dash!!, and the same might be said for Super Mario Kart. You can definitely expect Mario Kart 64 sometime in the distant future, and perhaps Mario Kart Wii.

However, there is one Mario Kart game I definitely want to discuss, and it's the reason why I opened up the post with the DS in the first place. It was a title briefly announced at E3 2004.

That game is Mario Kart DS.

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There are a number of reasons as to why I chose Mario Kart DS over the other games in the series.

-Mario Kart DS is often praised as being the best game in the series. The reasons for being such include most of the best courses in the entire franchise, a perfected battle mode, the new Mission feature, the scoring system for the Grand Prix, its abundance of selectable carts, and is especially notable for being Nintendo's very first foray into the world of online gaming. It is a landmark in every way, and my friends and I agree with every single point above.


-It came out five years ago. Anniiiversaarryyy! Plus, I wanted to catch up with it before Mario Kart 3DS comes out.

-As I said earlier, there's only so much you can gush about regarding a racing game. I mentioned in my Intermission post how I wanted to focus on retrospective pieces on future games, and I think this is the perfect title for it. Which leads me to my final point.

-This game came out in 2005.

That year was not a pretty year for me. It was the year that I experienced the full consequences of being a teenager, and I was one of those who took that wave the worst. It was the year I began to hate the world around me and as such I isolated myself as a safeguard. It was the year my brother first began his journey through drug addiction, and I remember being dragged to every one of his drug meetings. It was the year where I effectively removed myself from the crowd at my school and I dreaded waking up every day to 8th grade, viewing everyone else around me as losers (ironically enough, the only one was me). I remember playing Tales of Symphonia all day and retreating at night reading manga volumes of Dragon Ball and SGT Frog, treating them as I would the Holy Gospel.

This game came out in November, and was one of the only sources of comfort that I could craw over to and feel safe. It was just me, Mario Kart DS, and whoever played with me. It is one of the only aspects of that year I can positively comment on.

I want to talk about that time.

For my third feature, you can expect the following.

-Comments about the game, of course. The mechanics of Mario Kart, the Wi-Fi system, some of the courses, and more will be discussed.

-For those not familiar with the cast of Mario Kart, and as such the cast of Mario as well, don't fret! You'll be receiving character biographies with nearly every post.

-What was going on around me at the time, such as dealing with my brother, staying awake all night, and the Mario Kart DS community.

I'm not sure how long this will be..at least 8-10 posts. But I'm looking forward to it.

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Whew.

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to update this week. I'm just going to focus on getting that review out there. I'm having too much fun playing Epic Yarn to write about it!

AND DONKEY KONG WHOAMG

Donkey Kong Country Returns: Impressions

After spending a decade in suspended animation, in the early 90s Nintendo hired British developer Rare to revive the Donkey Kong character for an adventure game on the Super Nintendo. The result was Donkey Kong Country, and the game became an overnight success, which had grabbed consumers with its computer modeled graphical style. Sequels quickly followed, and the series' themes of crocodiles, barrel shooting, animal buddies, minecarts, and pirates had been embedded in the minds of the 16-bit era. In no time at all, Donkey Kong had joined the apex of Nintendo characters such as Mario, Luigi, and Link. He was unstoppable.

...until Nintendo sold Rare in 2002. Ever since that fateful moment, it seemed as though the company was afraid to evolve the character, and he once again became stagnant. An attempt was made with 2005's Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, but many were put off by the game's deviance from Country, and as such it failed to make an impact. It seemed as though Donkey Kong and his simian family had joined the likes of forgotten icons such as Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot, and would be forever relegated as character slots in Mario sports games.


Or not!

Appropriately titled Donkey Kong Country Returns, the new title was by far the biggest bombshell at E3, and had just about every Nintendo fan hollering out of their seats. A new Donkey Kong being developed by the guys behind the Metroid Prime trilogy?!? It seemed too good to be true. But, of course, that ever vigilant presence known as skepticism had been seeped into the jaded minds of many gamers, and most were pondering this question: could the first Donkey Kong Country in fourteen years live up to the series' legacy.

Since I've spent over three days with the game, all I have to say is this: Forget every single piece of criticism you've heard. The title says it all, folks. Donkey Kong Country has returned.

Now, I'll be upfront in admitting I never really grew up with the original trilogy. We had the first game when I was a kid, but back then I found 2D platformers to be too intimidating. I did, however, set out to beat the game right before Returns released on Sunday and I'm itching to try out the entire series. Even before then, though, I was familiar with many of the series' mechanics, and I'm sure many older fans are wondering how well these have translated three video game generations later. I'll take the opportunity to be blunt.

This is a new Donkey Kong Country. Yes, many of your favorite elements are still present, but Retro Studios has taken a direction that defines this entry as their own. Perhaps the best example is the graphical style, which abandons Rare's moody ambience and takes a hint from the cartoony atmosphere of Jungle Beat. Much of the backgrounds are wonderfully animated and show an abundance of activity. The Kremlings aren't present, but the new bad guys (the evil Tiki Taks and their entourage of hypnotized animals) present even more personality in their animations and are hilarious to watch. Details like these show how much fun and care Retro had in their development.

And that's not even mentioning the out of this world level design, which I daresay might even rival Super Mario Galaxy 2. Much of the levels are in a new style, and they're incredibly fun to overcome. Ever imagined plowing through a horde of crabs while dodging constant cannon fire? How about being stalked by a giant killer octopus in stormy weather on the cove? All of these new concoctions blend with established relics, and put Rare's original executions to shame. The best ones by far are the minecart levels, all of which are deadly, fast-paced and absolutely insane and have to be seen to be believed. If a developer can make my jaw drop from level design in a 2D game, they have automatically won my respect.

Some might bemoan that Retro has taken a different path with this franchise, but I personally believe that this was absolutely necessary. While I had higher hopes for this game then I did with Kirby's Epic Yarn and Zelda: Skyward Sword, the only thing I truly feared was this would end up being a rehash of the original Donkey Kong Country, and thankfully that's not the case. This is a new, living, breathing Country and I feel that most of the omissions (New style, lack of water levels, no Kremlings) were needed in order to properly present a new Donkey Kong Country in this day and age.


That said, there are still many elements that remain present in this new game. For example, the barrel blasting sections return and they are even more inventive then they were on the Super Nintendo. Bonus games are hidden across the many levels, and once again require patience and timed jumps/shooting. Moreover, remember those pesky K O N G letters littered around the many bottomless pits? They're back with a vengeance, and they bring with them the hidden puzzle pieces, cleverly hidden and often missed.

Most of all, Diddy Kong returns as Donkey Kong's sidekick, and while he is only playable in two player co-op, he is still a valuable asset. Shake the Wii Remote, and you'll roll down everyone in your path while he speeds along on top of you. His Rockbarrel Boost jetpack from Donkey Kong 64 also makes an appearance, and you'll need 'em to to dodge projectiles. Overall, he's a bigger help then he ever was in Country.

Not enough to convince you crabby old gamers? I guarantee that there is one certain element that you will will go gaga for. Remember how hard the original games were?

A common criticism for today's video games is that they lack difficulty, and often don't challenge the player. Every gamer who grew up in the 8/16 bit era knows that most games back then were full of moments that tempted you to chuck your controller through the wall, and more often then not it was as if every level was out to ruin your day. Today, it seems as though games are only as difficult due to a case of awkward camera angles or bad level design.

No longer is this true.

Now, I've played many hard games in my lifetime. Upon looking back, it is true most of them reside on the older Nintendo consoles. Perhaps Nintendo felt the current generation lacks the tough skin older gamers grew up with and had made their games easier (hint: everything that wasn't Pikmin, Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem, or F-Zero GX) so as to not chase the new, spoiled generation away. Well, I guess they had enough of that BS.



THIS GAME IS HARD.

SO HARD.

OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS SO HARD.

Other than Mario Galaxy 2, I cannot remember the last time a game made me want to scream this loud and kick something. Just like in the old days, you are going to fall down a well-placed bottomless pit. You are going to die over and over again by the hands of some rogue enemy who ruined your jump. You are going to miss a barrel. You are going to die at the hands of Retro's devilish level design. If you die, it's your fault, and the curses you will be shouting at the TV will be an testament to that.

And guess what? There's the option of time trials! Yeah, like the ones you partake in racing games. You can't mess around while under the pressure of the clock. NO, you have to be exactly precise in your movements. Every jump you make, every maneuver you perform, how many bad guys you stomp on in progression, WHETHER OR NOT YOU ROLL OR RUN THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. EVERY SINGLE DECISION YOU MAKE HAS SOME SORT OF IMPACT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, ON YOUR TIME RECORD. Hopefully, you'll make in time for the gold medal BUT NO. YOU'RE GOING TO BE A SECOND BEHIND AND YOU WILL WALLOW IN THE REGRETS YOU JUST MADE BECAUSE YOU SCREWED UP THAT ONE JUMP

...you know who I hate the most? The jellyfish. THOSE JELLYFISH. I HAVE CURSED AT THEM SO MUCH WHILE PLAYING THIS GAME. Never before have I wished death on an entire species, and for that I have to give this game a pat on the back. I cannot tell you the amount of times that after dodging constant barrages of cannon fire and crab pincers that I HAD TO RUN INTO THOSE FLOATING ELECTRIC BITCHES AND GET ZAPPED. How about I tell you why I hate them. First, THEY ZAP THE HELL OUT OF DIDDY KONG AND THEN HE DIES. BECAUSE OF THAT I CAN'T ROLL AS FAST. BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M SLOWER AND I CAN'T MAKE IT IN TIME SO THEREFORE I JUST WASTED LIKE THREE MINUTES TRYING TO DO THIS TIME TRIAL FROM HELL


I don't get it. I just don't get it. Why can Donkey Kong only take two hits? HE'S DONKEY KONG!!!!! HE'S THE KING OF THE JUNGLE AND HE DIES BECAUSE I RAN INTO A BIRD'S BEAK?!?! IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. look at the size of his fist LOOK AT THE SIZE OF HIS FIST ARE YOU TELLING HE CAN'T JUST GO UP TO A BIRD AND SMASH IT? NINTENDO WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME QUESTION THESE THINGS.

WHY CAN HE ONLY TAKE TWO HITS?!!!??!?!?!?!?!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH



...that's much better.

So, um, yeah, I'm enjoying every moment of it. Hard to believe that the guys who made this game transitioned from Metroid Prime, a game that looked like this:


to a game that looks like this:


I love diversity!

You can expect a full review by the middle of December.

Oh, and welcome back, DK.

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Well, that was decent. I'll be gushing about every face of the game in the review, so you can look forward to much more detail in the review.

Soo, what's after this?

For starters, you can expect the third game this weekend. Hopefully, I won't be late again, but if not this weekend, then very soon after.

And then the Epic Yarn review, which should arrive next week. I still feel guilty about not giving that the coverage it deserves...