Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Japanese: マリオカートダブルダッシュ!! Mario Kāto: Daburu Dasshu!!) is the fourth Mario Kart installment developed and the only Mario Kart game for the GameCube published by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on November 7, 2003, in Europe on November 14, 2003, in North America on November 17, 2003, and in Australia on November 19, 2003. A first run production of the game included a limited bonus disc inside the case in a second holder with exclusive content related to other Nintendo games.
==Gameplay==
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had some of the most rapid and dramatic changes made to it than any other Mario Kart game. Many of these changes stayed in later games in the series while other things, such as two characters on one kart, were only featured in this game. Players choose from a cast of Nintendo characters who are split into light, middle, or heavyweight classes. The player's character choice affects which karts can be ridden and which special items they receive. Double Dash!! builds and improves on its predecessors in many ways, the most prominently featured of which is that each kart carries two riders; a driver and a thrower. There are sixteen courses to race on. Each cup features four tracks. Five different cup races are available, one of which is the All Cup Tour, featuring all sixteen tracks. Each track is also playable in the "Mirror Mode," where the tracks are mirrored; however, Mirror Mode is only available for 150cc.
This gameplay is quite different than that of other Mario Kart games. For one, players cannot hold items behind themselves, and it is, therefore, harder to block an incoming shell, as a player cannot hold a banana peel or Koopa Shell behind them. Also, this is the first game in the Mario Kart series that forces players to drop their items when hit with a weapon, and the only game to have a Double Dash!! boost, which is named after the game's subtitle. In this game, Super Mushrooms are given an offensive use, as a player can steal an item or balloon when using one to boost.
This installment also features multiplayer battle modes. As in the previous installments, the battle arenas are enclosed, with varying architecture and a constant arsenal. In addition to the balloon-popping game, which has been the standard Mario Kart battle game, two new battle systems are included. One involves capturing a Shine Sprite and maintaining possession of it for a set time period. The other game uses only the Bob-omb weapon and uses a trade-off point system that requires the players to succeed in attacks, while also avoiding those directed at them.
Aside from the many drivers available, numerous other Nintendo characters play minor roles in the game. Lakitu reprises his role as the referee, signaling the start of each race, alerting players when they complete a lap, warning them when they are going the wrong way, and returning drivers to the racetrack when they fall into dangerous areas. Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, Goombas, and Wigglers are also present in the game and serve as obstacles for the driver to avoid. Toadsworth drives the winners of a cup during the victory celebration. Piantas and Nokis from Super Mario Sunshine also cheer players on in courses, such as Peach Beach and Daisy Cruiser, and form much of the crowd at victory ceremonies (held at Peach Beach). Classic Mario series characters, including Donkey Kong Jr., can be seen in the crowds around Waluigi Stadium.
The game includes twenty-one karts to choose from. This is the first time a kart can be chosen for a character (before this, each character had their own one and only standard kart). They are categorized by weight. Generally, lightweight karts have good acceleration and handling and are easily able to traverse rough terrain, but have low top speeds, can be knocked around by larger karts, and can only hold light characters. Heavyweight karts usually have high top speeds, can knock around many smaller karts, but they have poor acceleration, steering, off-road handling, and can only be manned if there is at least one heavy character. Middleweight karts' performance is well-balanced, but they cannot hold heavy characters. However, there are exceptions to this. Of 21 karts available in all, only eight are available from the start. The other thirteen may be unlocked by successfully completing races and the game.
A notable attribute of Double Dash!! is that it allows LAN play using the Nintendo GameCube broadband adapter. Up to eight GameCubes can be connected, allowing for sixteen player multiplayer games (two players controlling each kart).
== Game Modes ==
=== Grand Prix ===
As with the tradition, the player takes part in a cup consisting of four courses against computer-controlled opponents, competing for the most points at the end. The player can choose the engine class which changes the difficulty level of the CPU racers. The higher the difficulty, the tougher the CPU racers will be.
=== Time Trial ===
The player chooses a course to race on and competes for the fastest time as possible. Before racing, adding the player's name entry registers their records available. When a race starts, the characters have two Mushrooms in hand for speed boost. The best time elapsed in a lap and a race on a specific track is saved after completing the race. Once a race is completed on a course, the user is able to compete against either their Ghost from the current Ghost data or, once unlocked, the Staff Ghost within the stage. Otherwise, if a race is failed, the Ghost data is not saved. The Ghost data recording can be disabled in the Options screen menu. Each Ghost save is worth five blocks on the GameCube Memory Card.
In Japan, players were able to submit special codes in Time Trial mode as part of a contest. The content never existed outside of Japan, but the results of the code can still be accessed in all versions of the game.
=== Battle ===
In this mode, two to four players can duke it out on stages made specifically for battles. Battle Mode features three different sub-modes:
* Balloon Battle: The classic battle style which consists of popping opponents' balloons to score, using the items from the Item Boxes. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the players can even "steal" balloons from their rivals, using a Mushroom to dash into them or hitting with a star. This new feature has been kept for future Mario Kart games. In Co-op play, the rear player can also take away opponents' balloons while doing a Slide Attack. Unlike Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the players no longer transform into Mini Bomb Karts or Bob-ombs after being taken out, and instead just vanish.
* Shine Thief: In this mode, players must retrieve a Shine Sprite dropped on the course and keep it in hand until time runs out. On the other hand, players who did not retrieve the treasure can use items against whoever has the Shine to force them to drop it. If using a Mushroom, a Star or a Slide Attack (Co-op Play), a Shineless player can steal the Shine directly from its owner. The Battle mode Shine Runners from Mario Kart DS was based on this sub-mode.
* Bob-omb Blast: In this mode, the racers use Bob-ombs to hit their opponents and score stars to win. The bombs can be obtained by running over an Item Box, which only contains Bob-ombs. Every character can hold up to five of these explosives, and can throw them forwards or drop them backwards. Any kart that makes contact with an opponent's bomb or gets blown up by the explosion loses stars. For two players, competitors need three stars to win the battle, while for three or four players, they need four.
=== Versus ===
This mode allows two to four players can race against each other on the courses. It is also possible to play in versus mode through a LAN connection where more than four players can join a competition. Additionally, some versus options in the Option menu can be changed for this mode.
=== Co-op Play ===
Supporting the main feature in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! upon two-racers-one-kart, Cooperative Play (also said Co-op Play) lets two players control their respective character in a kart, one being the driver and the other as the item thrower. While playing in Co-op mode, the players' characters can perform special moves that a single player cannot make. The rear character can perform a Slide Attack to steal an item from their rivals while messing up the rival's vehicle's controls. Both players can even double the power of the Rocket Start by pressing the A button at the same time. This special boost is the Double Dash.
== Characters ==
Because of the team mechanic, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! includes twenty playable characters, with nine returning characters and eleven newcomers. New characters include Daisy, Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Paratroopa, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., Waluigi, Toadette, Petey Piranha, and King Boo, with Baby Luigi, Toadette, and King Boo also making their overall playable debuts, and Toadette making her first appearance in any game. It is also Koopa Troopa's first playable appearance in the series since Super Mario Kart. This is the only Mario Kart game to feature more playable characters than it does racecourses. Characters are divided into three classes depending on their weight: Light, Medium, and Heavy. There are eight default teams and two unlockable teams, a total of ten teams and twenty individual characters which can be combined in any way, giving 190 possible character combinations. Pressing both the L and R buttons together before selecting any character chooses a random pair of characters and a random kart to play as. In multiplayer mode, it randomizes everyone's character and kart.
Toad and Toadette are unlocked by doing Special Cup on Mirror Mode. King Boo and Petey Piranha are unlocked by doing Star Cup on Mirror Mode. 
===Default pairings===
and	and	and	and 	
 	 	 	 	
 	and	 	Toad and Toadette	Petey Piranha and King Boo
 	 	 	 	
== Karts ==
Just as in previous Mario Kart games, karts are used as the vehicles. Each one has its own characteristics. Heavy karts have great speed but poor and slippery acceleration. Medium karts are all around. Good speed, acceleration, and better weight. Light karts lack speed but have great acceleration.
== Controls ==
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has various controls for racing and menus. Each button on the controller represents a different ability while the player is racing or battling.
==Courses==
There are sixteen race stages and four cups (Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup). Each cup contains a set of four race stages. In Grand Prix mode, the characters have to race through all four courses of a certain cup. The Special Cup and its four stages can be unlocked by doing all three starter cups (Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, and Star Cup) on 100cc. There is also the unlockable cup All-Cup Tour, in which all sixteen stages have to be raced through. This is unlocked by doing Special Cup on 150cc.
			
			
Flower Cup	Flower Cup	Flower Cup	Flower Cup
 	 	 	
Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup
 	 	 	
Special Cup	Special Cup	Special Cup	Special Cup
 	 	 	
===Battle Stages===
There are six stages available in Battle Mode:
Block City MKDD icon.png|Block City
Cookie Land MKDD icon.png|Cookie Land
Luigi's Mansion MKDD icon.png|Luigi's Mansion (unlockable)
NintendoGameCubeIcon-MKDD.png|Nintendo GameCube
Pipe Plaza MKDD icon.png|Pipe Plaza
Tilt-a-Kart MKDD icon.png|Tilt-a-Kart (unlockable)
Luigi's Mansion is unlocked by doing Mushroom Cup on 150 CC. Tilt-a-Kart is unlocked by doing Flower Cup on Mirror Mode.
== Items ==
Traditional items from Super Mario Kart through Mario Kart: Super Circuit appear in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! with a bunch of new power-ups to change a race drastically, such as stealing the opponent's place or item by using a Mushroom or reducing the racers to small size with the rare Lightning. The rear character obtains a determinate item by running into an Item Box. However, Double Item Boxes give items to both the rear character and driver. The variety of items depends on the kart's place. Leader racers tend to receive basic items such as Bananas or Green Shells, while those going under fourth place can receive rare items like a Star or a Spiny Shell.
Items are classified in two forms:
* Standard: Drivers can obtain these types of items when they go through an Item Box or Double Item Box.
* Special: Some drivers obtain a special item that other drivers cannot obtain by an Item Box. When a character holds a special item, the second character cannot obtain another special item via Item Box.
=== List of items ===
* Green Shells: These travel in a straight line when thrown. Should it hit a kart, that kart gets knocked over.
* Red Shells: These Shells chase after the nearest kart in front of the player, sending it into a tumbling crash.
* Spiny Shell: A blue winged Spiny Shell that hunts down the leader of the pack, exploding on impact. Any other kart caught in the blast radius will be flipped over.
* Dash Mushroom: Provides the player's kart a speed boost.
* Triple Mushrooms: Provides the player's kart three speed boosts.
* Star: Grants temporary invincibility and increased speed, protecting the player from attacks and obstacles. In addition, any other karts that the player touches will be knocked over.
* Bananas: Slippery skins that can be thrown forward or backward, causing other karts to spin out.
* Fake Item Box: A fake Item Box that stuns karts should they touch it.
* Lightning: Causes a lightning bolt to shrink all other karts, causing them to spin out, drop their items, and shrink in size, which reduces their max speeds.
=== Special Items ===
* Fireballs: The special item of Mario and Luigi. When thrown, they split up and go sliding ahead. These powerful pyrotechnics can take out multiple opponents at once.
* Heart: The special item of Peach and Daisy. When used, two small pink hearts surround the player's kart, allowing them to absorb any item that touches them for use.
* Yoshi's Egg & Birdo's Egg: The special item of Yoshi and Birdo. They roll forward for the nearest kart in front of the player. When hit, the egg breaks open, revealing three more items.
* Chain Chomp: The special item of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. It pulls the player forward for a few seconds and bowls over other karts in its path, while a special tune plays. After a certain amount of time, it abandons the vehicle and goes on its own until it runs off the course.
* Golden Mushroom: The special item of Toad and Toadette. Usage of this item will provide the player unlimited speed boosts for a short time.
* Giant Banana: The special item of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. A giant-sized banana that can be thrown forward or backward. When a kart runs over it and spins out, it will leave behind three regular Bananas on the ground.
* Triple Green Shells & Triple Red Shells: The special item of Koopa and Paratroopa. The player can shoot either three Green or Red Shells at a time.
* Bob-omb: The special item of Wario and Waluigi. When thrown, Its fuse lights and it explodes after a few seconds. Driving near or into one causes it to explode instantly, sending a kart in the air.
* Bowser's Shell: The special item of Bowser and Bowser Jr. When thrown, it bounces around the track like a normal Green Shell, toppling any kart that it hits as well as knocking down the rear character, making the racers drop their items and temporarily disabling them from switching and using items. 
Note that Petey Pirahna and King Boo have the ability to use any special item, excluding Luigi's Green Fireballs and Birdo's Egg.
==Reception and Sales==
The game received rather favorable reviews, selling over 3.8 million copies in the U.S and around 802,000 copies in Japan for a worldwide total of 7 million copies as of 2016. It is the second best-selling GameCube Game to date after Super Smash Bros. Melee.
==Soundtrack==
* Game Intro
* Main Theme
* Main Menu
* Circuit Theme (Luigi Circuit, Mario Circuit, Yoshi Circuit)
* Peach Beach and Daisy Cruiser
* Baby Park
* Dry Dry Desert
* Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City
* Waluigi Stadium and Wario Colosseum
* Sherbet Land
* DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle
* Bowser's Castle and Luigi's Mansion
* Rainbow Road
* Course Intro (Grand Prix)
* Start Grid (Grand Prix)
* Start Grid (Versus and Time Trials)
* Goal! (1st Place)
* Results (1st-3rd Place)
* Goal! (2nd-3rd Place)
* Goal! (4th-8th Place)
* Results (4th-8th Place)
* Course Intro (Battle Mode)
* Start Grid (Battle Mode)
* Battle Mode
* Shine Thief
* Tilt-a-Kart
* Starman
* Chain Chomp
* Award Ceremony
* Credits
* Secret Element
==Bonus Disc==
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
* Star Wars: Rougue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
* Sonic Heroes
* Mario Party 5
* F-Zero GX
* Fire Emblem
* Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
* 1080 Avalanche
* Pokemon Colosseum
* Kirby Air Ride
* Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
* SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
* NBA Live 2004
==Trivia==
*Donkey Kong Jr. makes a cameo in this edition of Mario Kart.
*This is Toad's only Mario Kart appearance as an unlockable racer.
*The smiling golden crown variant of the Special Cup logo was introduced in this game.
*This is the only game in the Mario Kart series where Toadsworth is shown.
*This is the only Mario Kart game to have 2 people per kart.
*This is the only Mario Kart game to feature Koopa Paratroopa as a playable character.
*This is the first Mario Kart game since Super Mario Kart to feature Koopa Troopa as a playable character.
*This is the first Mario Kart game where Princess Daisy, Waluigi, Diddy Kong, Birdo, Bowser Jr., Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi are playable characters.
*This is the first Mario Kart game where Donkey Kong is provided with a voice actor.
**Chimpanzee Screeching sound effects were previously used for the character in the last 2 Mario Kart titles.
*This is the first appearance of Toadette in the Mario games.
*This is the last game in the Mario Kart series to disregard gaps in the course map.
==External links==
*North American website (Wayback Machine)
==Gallery==
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