Mario Kart: Double Dash!! for the GameCube is the fourth instalment of the successful Nintendo series. The game retains many familiar elements of its predecessors but introduces a unique feature – Two-person karts (hence the title of the game, Double Dash). Two characters handle a single kart, where one character steers and the other deals with items, and they can switch positions if necessary. In addition, the game introduces Special Items, items that are unique to a pair of characters, a feature which is also unique to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
The game received favourable reviews, getting an average score of 87.20% in GameRankings in Metacritic. By contrast, Edge Magazine UK gave the game a 5 out of 10, criticising the game of “not being a racing game anymore“. Fran Mirabella III of IGN gave the game a score of 7.9 out of 10. He criticised that Mario Kart Double Dash!! felt very similar to Mario Kart 64 and although it gets the job done that it felt that it had wasted potential. He praised the multiplayer for being superb.
Overall, Mario Kart: Double Dash is the 2nd best-selling game for the Nintendo GameCube, right behind Super Smash Bros Melee, with approximately 7 million copies sold, 3.8 million copies in the United States, and over 802,000 units in Japan, as of December 31, 2009.
In this video, a lot of pride is on the line as we go head-to-head for ultimate bragging rights in 2-Player mode. We found the gameplay to be flawless on the Dingo System with the arcade style controllers handling the format beautifully. It’s amazing how submerged you find yourself racing with the large screen relatively close. This will be one to add to the favourites list which I’m sure we’ll be revisiting on a regular basis. Enjoy!