Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

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Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Release date(s)	November 7, 2003 November 14, 2003 November 17, 2003
Genre(s)	Racing game
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E (Everyone) PEGI: 3+ OFLC: G
Platform(s)	GameCube
Media	1 × Nintendo GameCube Game Disc

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the fourth game in the Mario Kart series.

1 Gameplay
2 Playable characters
3 Voice acting
4 Critical reception
5 References
6 External links

Like previous entries in the series, players choose from a cast of Nintendo characters who are split into different weight classes: light, middle, or heavy. The player's character choice affects which karts can be ridden and which special items they'll be given. Double Dash builds and improves on its predecessors in many ways, the most prominently featured of which is the ability and requirement that each Kart carry two riders; a driver and a gunner. Unlike the other Mario Kart games, this game does not include hopping.

Aside from the many kart drivers available, numerous other Nintendo characters play minor roles in the game. Lakitu reprises his role as the racetrack keeper, signalling 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 also appear within the game, serving as obstacles for the driver to circumnavigate. 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. Classic Mario characters, including Donkey Kong Junior can be seen in the crowds around Waluigi Stadium.

The game includes 21 karts to choose from, categorized by weight. 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 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 are well-balanced, but they cannot hold heavy characters. Of 21 karts available in all, only eight are available from the start. The other 13 may be unlocked by successfully completing races and completing the game.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! features sixteen tracks divided into four cups. All tracks have three laps under the "recommended" setting, excluding Baby Park, which has seven, and Wario Colosseum, which has two. An unlockable fifth cup, the All-Cup Tour, consists of all sixteen tracks in a random order with the exception of Luigi Circuit, which is always first, and Rainbow Road, which is always last.

A notable attribute of Double Dash!! is that it allows LAN play using the GameCube broadband adapter. Up to four GameCubes can be connected, allowing for 16 player multiplayer games (two players controlling each kart).

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! features 20 playable characters. Eight of these were in Mario Kart 64, one has returned from Super Mario Kart, and eleven are new to the Mario Kart series. They are listed below with their Standard Partners, but any two characters can ride together.

* - unlockable

The following voice actors played the following characters in the game:

Charles Martinet: Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi
Jen Taylor: Peach, Toad, Toadette, and Birdo
Deanna Mustard: Princess Daisy
Kazumi Totaka: Yoshi
Scott Burns: Bowser
Dolores Rogers: Bowser Jr.

Among many GameCube releases, this game is one of the most popular. Reviewers including Nintendo Power list this game as "a masterpiece," while GameSpot and IGN considered it above average. It holds an average critic score of 87% at Game Rankings.