Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Summary: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was created by Nintendo as Nintendo created a new gaming system: GameCube. As Nintendo made the transition from Nintendo 64 to GameCube a new, updated version of Mario Kart was need in order to be compatible with GameCube. This game is intended for all ages and personalities (it is rated E for everyone). Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a game intended to provide fun competition for all individuals in a low stress racing environment. While some strategy is involved in the game, players of all abilities can compete using the majority of courses and characters from the beginning of game play. While there is no main story-line behind Mario Kart: Double Dash!! like other Mario games contain, the premise behind the game is that all Mario characters have come together in a racing environment to compete for the title of greatest racing pair. The major change in double dash compared to the previous version of Mario Kart it the addition of the option for players to race in teams. Each racing kart contains 2 characters, which means that 2 players can race as a team (up to 8 players can play!), or each player selects 2 characters. As a result, this game also contains 11 new characters compared to previous version of Mario Kart. The multiple upgrades and changes to game play will also motivate Mario Kart lovers to purchase the game. Outline: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! comes with a small booklet filled with instructions for the game. This paper booklet outlines the basic of game play (the controller set up) as the directions to the game, once played a few times, is very straight forward. Since game play contains the same basic set of instructions each time, this game does not need to have numerous instructions provided throughout game play. The game begins at the start up screen where a user must follow a variety of menu screens (described in user output) to set up the game as needed. The set-up of each game varies depending on the number of players and the type of game play the players would like to participate in. Once the type of game play, characters, vehicles, and course is selected, the game may finally begin. Each race begins with a countdown so the racers know when they should begin controlling their characters. Depending on the type of game being played, the end of the game may come at a variety of times. First, if players choose to play one course at a time, the end of each race is activated when the second to last player crosses the finish line (the last player does not need to finish to record place). Secondly, if the players choose the Grand Prix mode, the game play ends after all courses in the selected cup are completed (4 or 16 races). Thirdly, in time trail mode, the game ends when the player crosses the finish line. Lastly, in battle mode, the game will end either when the time expires or when a player loses all 3 of their lives (balloons). Winning and losing requirements vary depending on the type of game play chosen in Mario Kart. In multiplayer mode, winning and losing is recorded by race. The game will keep track of the number of times each player acquires each place (1 st 4 th ) as race courses continue to be selected. If Grand Prix mode is selected, a player is awarded points based on the place (1 st 8 th ) they receive on each course in the selected cup. At the conclusion of the 4 or 16 races (depending on the cup selected), the character team with the most points is declared the winner and receives a party parade in their honor. In time trial mode, winning and losing is not stressed, but you can win the time trial by settle a new course record. Lastly, you will in battle mode by either having the shine as the time expires, being the last character standing with a balloon during the balloon battle, or accumulating the most bomb hits when the time expires in the bob-omb blast.
Input: The user of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! communicates with the game via the game controller. There are two different types of controller set up summarized below: Menu Controller and Race Controller. Menu Controller - Stick = movement - Green A = Accept option/save Game - Red B = Go Back - Start = Open Start Menu Race Controller - Green A = Accelerate/Rocket Star (start of race) - Red B = Brake/Reverse - Stick = Steering the character - Grey L and R = Drift/Powerslide - Grey X and Y = Use Item/Stop Item Roulette/Sound horn - Grey X and Y + Stick = Throw item forward or backward - Purple Z = switch characters - Start = Pause/Resume Output: The program communicates with the user via the game controller as well as menu screens within the game. The welcome menu prompts the user to press start in order to begin setting up the game.
The set-up screen prompts the user to select the number of players. Once the number of players is selected, game-play options for the number of players selected will appear on the screen. 1 player: Grand Prix 2: Versus, Grand Prix, Battle 3: Versus, Grand Prix, Battle 4: Versus, Battle If Versus or Grand Prix is selected, a speed must also be chosen. 50cc: Slower speed, few items 100cc: Medium speed, more items 150cc: Fast speed, all items available Mirror: Fast speed, all items available, courses are mirrored If battle is selected, the type of battle must be chosen, followed by the location where the battle will take place. 3 Options: Shine-thief, Bob-omb Blast, Balloon Battle After the type of play has been selected, characters and vehicles are selected via another menu screen. The user selects any two characters (unless another player has already selected them) and then is able to scroll through the different car options based on the weight of the characters. The speed, acceleration, and weight of each vehicle is listed along the bottom of the screen. Once the characters have been selected, the user will final pick the course or cup they would like to race. In Grand Prix Mode, the user will select one of the 5 cups and will race multiple races back to back. In Versus mode the user will pick a cup, and then select the specific course within that cup that would like to race. Lastly, the game can also communicate with the user via the controller through vibrations. When a character is about to encounter danger or is encountering danger, the controller will vibrate to relay this information to the player.
Objects: There are a variety of different types of objects used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! : characters, cars, courses, items, and players. Characters Each of the 20 characters used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has specific properties and actions. All characters have their own unique look, sound, weight, and special item. In addition, they have a partner that they generally are assigned to race with as well as a car they are generally assigned too. All characters are capable of completing the same actions: follow racing controls described above during race. Special Items: - Mario & Luigi: Green and Red Flames - Princess Peach and Princess Daisy: heart - Yoshi and Birdo: Egg - Baby Mario and Baby Luigi: Chain Chomp - Toad and Toadette: Golden Mushroom - Koopa and Paratroopa: Triple Shells - Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong: Giant Banana - Bowser and Bowser Jr.: Bowser s Shell - Wario and Waluigi: Bob-omb - Petey Piranha and King Boo: All specials 8 of these teams are default teams and available from the start of game play. 2 of these teams (toad/toadette and petey piranha/king boo) must be unlocked through the winning of cups in various speed modes. Items All the items in the game each have a unique set of properties as well. All Items listed below are standard items and may be obtained by ANY character. The special items are listed in the characters section. - Green Shell - Red Shell - Shiny Shell (Blue) - Mushroom - Triple Mushroom - Banana - Star - Lightning - Fake Item Box All items either aid (help character) or hinder (hurt character) game play at various levels. In addition, each item varies in frequency depending on the player s current place. An extremely helpful item (Star, Lightning, Special) appears more frequently when a player is ranked lower. A less helpful item (banana, single shell, fake item box) appears more frequently when a player is ranked higher and in less need of helpful items.
Cars Of the 20 car options in Mario Kart, each car has an owner, speed, acceleration, and a weight. As a result of the weight components, only certain character combinations can use specific cars. In addition, many of the cars contain an unlocking characteristic that include a milestone that must be met by the player in single player in grand prix model in order to unlock the car. Players Light cars: only teams containing to light characters Medium cars: only teams containing a light and medium character, or 2 medium characters Heavy cars: only teams containing 1 or more heavy characters Each player is its own object as well. The computer must keep track of a variety of different properties for each player. Each player has a player number/controller location, a location for the player s screen, two characters, a car, a current place throughout the race, a current lap, as well as a final place at the end. In addition, in grand prix mode a player will have a points value as well that accumulates the each race in the selected cup takes place. Courses Each course is its own objects as well, as each course contains its own unique properties. Each course has its own design with slow areas, off course areas, acceleration boosts, jumps, item box placements, visiting characters, and obstacles. In addition, they each have a specified lap number (most contain three laps, but some contain two or seven). Lastly, each course also contains a current lap to keep track of racers and how much of the race is remaining. Type of Race The type of race is also its one object type. The types of races (Grand Prix and Versus) require a user to select 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, or Mirror Mode (specify speed and items available). In addition they require a number of players as well as a course or cup selection. In Grand Prix mode the courses completed is a property that must be monitored.