Mario Kart DS facts for kids
Mario Kart DS is an exciting racing game made by Nintendo for their Nintendo DS handheld system. It's the fifth game in the popular Mario Kart series. This game was special because it was the first to use Nintendo's free online service, called Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It came out in North America, Australia, and Europe in November 2005. Japan got it in December 2005, and South Korea received it in April 2007. It was the very first Wi-Fi Connection game launched there!
The game received great reviews from critics. It scored an average of 91% on Metacritic, which means most people really liked it.
What is Mario Kart DS?
Just like other games in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart DS lets you race as famous characters from the Mario games. You drive cool go-karts on tracks that look like places from the Mario world. A fun part of Mario Kart games is using different items or "weapons." Players can pick up these items to help themselves or slow down their opponents. These special items make Mario Kart different from many other racing games.
Battle Mode Fun
Mario Kart DS was the first Mario Kart game to have computer opponents in its Battle Mode. In this mode, up to eight karts battle each other. Each kart starts with four balloons. The goal is to pop everyone else's balloons until only one player is left.
A new feature in DS Battle Mode is how you get balloons. Players start with just one balloon. To get more, you have to blow into the microphone on your Nintendo DS! This makes the game more interactive. If you have fewer balloons, you might get better items to use. But you also risk getting knocked out of the game faster. If you have more balloons, you are safer, but the items you get might not be as powerful.
Playing Online
DS was also the very first Mario Kart game you could play online. It used the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Players would use "friend codes" to connect with their friends. Once connected, they could choose four tracks to race on together. Some tracks couldn't be played online. This was because they had large obstacles that could make the game slow down over the internet.
Images for kids
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Mario racing on Figure-8 Circuit. Item boxes are in front of him, and the bottom screen shows a bird's-eye view of the immediate vicinity.
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R.O.B. is the final unlockable character in Mario Kart DS, and is exclusive to this version.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Kart DS para niños
