Mario Kart DS

 DS
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 878 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 767 out of 878
  2. Mixed: 78 out of 878
  3. Negative: 33 out of 878
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  1. Natanoksi
    Aug 28, 2023
    10
    This is Mariokart at its finest. This is Nintendos best idea at a Mariokart game, despite it decent graphics for the DS, the gameplay is astinoshing, in this game you find some of the best maps in the whole of the Mariokart series also packed with incredible soundtracks and even after you finish the prix you can play missions which is perfect addition to the game. If you just got a DS buy this.
  2. turbo_dweeb
    Aug 24, 2023
    8
    this game is definitely a game and is pretty good............................................................
  3. 3run0
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    In my opinion, Mario kart DS is the best Mario kart game. It has a lot of fun tracks, characters and karts. Also its pretty awesome that you can play this game on the go. 10/10 recommended to play
  4. RandomReviwer
    Aug 10, 2023
    10
    I haven't played too many Mario karts yet besides playing 64 before ds and still needing to beat double dash and 7 but even if I do still need to beat those other games I come back to DS. DS has a good amount of modes and online was probably good back then but these are reasons why its worth going back too. 1. Is that all the characters are good even though I will admit Dry bones and robI haven't played too many Mario karts yet besides playing 64 before ds and still needing to beat double dash and 7 but even if I do still need to beat those other games I come back to DS. DS has a good amount of modes and online was probably good back then but these are reasons why its worth going back too. 1. Is that all the characters are good even though I will admit Dry bones and rob are a bit of an odd inclusion but I don't mind (probably because dry bones is the best in my opinion) and the track them self are either the best tracks in the franchise or the worse. Now hear me out figure 8 circuit and shroom ridge and etc. aren't bad by any mean but compared o other tracks in the game and in the entirely of the franchise these tracks are pretty forgettable but when they are good here good like waluigi pinball, Luigi's mansion, Delfino square, etc. and this game introduced retro tracks which have been a stable since and gives more replay value. 2. Battle mode is great though compared to double dash there are less modes and the tracks are fine but really the only one I'm going back to are block fort Tho driving on a DS isn't bad. The mode present are balloon battle and newly added shine runners which are both good on their own right and this entry is the first one being able to play by yourself with coms. 3. A reason why you should come back to this entry is because exclusive to DS is mission mode which are 6 levels all with little challenge in each level and when you finish all the challenge there a boss fight and when you beat them you go onto the next level and it's a great addition to the single player side of Mario kart and surprisingly hasn't been in ant future Mario kart games. 4. A couple little thing left like your able to make an emblem that you may see during a race but its still a nice little edition plus the game did introduce online play to the series which had only some tracks you could play (at least that's what I heard). So at the end of the day even with those couple flaws with the game ill still give it a 10 because of a pretty balanced yet wacky races it has plus some exclusives not even in modern titles and some of the most memorable/least memorable in the entire franchise so either way you should get the game already! Actually wait 9.9 they mad baby park 5 laps (but because I can't do decimals ill round it up to 10)… Expand
  5. TrippieSay5
    Jul 24, 2023
    10
    Gra która dała mi wiele radości mimo swej prostoty. I takie drobne szczegóły jak możliwość ustawienia swojego tagu na carcie
  6. bigeli
    Jul 7, 2023
    7
    It has not aged well with its graphics, but what do I expect, its a Nintendo DS game. The tracks are not the best but there are some good ones. The character roster is excellent. The battle mode is amazing. And they should have kept mission mode in future games because it was so good. A good mario kart game but I don't see myself playing it again.
  7. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 6, 2023
    7
    Another incarnation of the hugely popular karting game which no doubt appeals to fans, but the simplified tracks and handling of the karting format plus the sheer ease of progress in solo mode means its multiplayer appeal doesn't really transfer over to the single player game. Reasonably good fun but short lived.
  8. arnuall06
    May 25, 2023
    9
    Uno de los mejores Mario kart incontables horas de diversión, pero no ha envejecido muy bien
  9. Niltrio
    May 5, 2023
    8
    One of the highlights of the DS library and the game which defined the standards for future MK games. Great and memorable tracks, small but solid character roster, sneaking mechanics, and the only appearance of battle mode in MK's history. Despite the years it hasn't aged poorly and can still be great fun to pick up and play.
  10. yangfanhong
    May 3, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a fun game and it is amzing to achieve such wonderful graphics on the DS hardware.… Expand
  11. ZackH25
    Apr 2, 2023
    9
    An amazing driving game that an iconic maps, iconic characters and very fun challenges. Some of the challenges include even fighting some mythic hands. My favourite map is either bowsers castle or the rainbow map due to its difficulty. Definitely was a must play for all Nintendo players.
  12. Crocco
    Feb 21, 2023
    10
    If you need some evidence to prove if this game is one of the best on DS, I played it so much that I wore out the R trigger on my DS Lite and had to repair it
  13. onlyinohio
    Feb 1, 2023
    10
    This is THE game of my childhood and probably the first video game I have ever played. I just love every single pixel in this game and still play it sometimes today.
  14. lesiuML
    Jan 27, 2023
    8
    This mario kart have really addictive gameplay! The IA can be very challenging and the courses are versatile with many shortcuts. Visually and content wise of course it us not the best game of all mario kart but handling of the vehicles and fast gameplay is really made this game special. I was surprised how much fun I actually had with this game. Must play for Mario kart fans!
  15. Kdog152
    Nov 25, 2022
    10
    Mario Kart 8 deluxe may be a great, but Mario Kart ds is the best in the series. Yes, you read that right, I think this game is better than Mario kart 8 deluxe and the overrated Mario kart Wii. (No, I don't think Wii is bad). This was the first game I ever played back when I was only 5 years old, and I still love it to this day. This game has only 1 flaw, and I'll to that later. TheMario Kart 8 deluxe may be a great, but Mario Kart ds is the best in the series. Yes, you read that right, I think this game is better than Mario kart 8 deluxe and the overrated Mario kart Wii. (No, I don't think Wii is bad). This was the first game I ever played back when I was only 5 years old, and I still love it to this day. This game has only 1 flaw, and I'll to that later. The controls are perfect; the character roster is perfect, the graphics were decent for the ds, and the tracks are great. The Nitro tracks are very creative and have so many references o past games in the series. This was the first game in the series to properly introduce retro tracks, and for a first try, they did pretty well. Yes, they have been stripped down, but they had to so the ds could handle it. I will say though, this game ruined GCN (Game cube Nintendo system) Baby part and made one of the worst tracks in the series. They shortened it from 7 laps to 5 and made it really bland. Thankfully though, it's the only dud in this masterpiece of a kart racer. There's nothing to dislike about this game, it's a must buy. The mission mode is great, and I wonder why they still haven't brought it bad to this day and the battle mode is perfect in this game. The multi-player and single player vs mode is fantastic as well. This game came out when Nintendo actually cared about their mascot and in a time where they weren't lazy. Too bad they got worse as time went along. Overall, this game is a 10/10.… Expand
  16. hector_bcn98
    Nov 7, 2022
    8
    Diversión, amigos, sencillez. Valores que otorgan a este videojuego un puesto históricos dentro de las consolas portátiles.
  17. Derpcat
    Sep 12, 2022
    10
    This game is so good for no reason. I’m not a huge fan of Mario Kart,(My favorite Mario spin-offs are the Paper Marios) but this game got me hooked. The last Mario Kart, Mario Kart for the GBA, wasn’t the greatest. But in 4 years, they went from trash to treasure. How?

    This Mario Kart had a huge graphical update, as the DS could at least try to do 3d, while the GBA couldn’t at all. The    This game is so good for no reason. I’m not a huge fan of Mario Kart,(My favorite Mario spin-offs are the Paper Marios) but this game got me hooked. The last Mario Kart, Mario Kart for the GBA, wasn’t the greatest. But in 4 years, they went from trash to treasure. How?


    This Mario Kart had a huge graphical update, as the DS could at least try to do 3d, while the GBA couldn’t at all. The presentation isn’t the star of the show here, but it’s certainly quite good. This game is oozing with content. There are tons of single player unlockables, all found through racing. My favorite unlockable is Waluigi, but I don’t remember how to get him. You could also play as R.O.B if you tried enough. The single player modes are the greatest in the series. You can complete missions to get unlockables. They all have challenge, and while you could rage at them, they were fun. There were lots of online stuff to do, like share your best times on tracks, battle modes (My favorite) and, actual racing.

    I’m at a loss of words to explain why this game is so good. I think this is the best Mario Kart game. Praise Waluigi Pinball!!    … Expand
  18. landonreviews
    Sep 12, 2022
    9
    A must have DS game even in 2022, if you are a DS connoisseur then this is the game for you.
    This is the first Mario Kart game with tracks from all the past games, but the tracks they picked were terrible, the new tracks are amazing especially the new karts! People today say this game hasn't aged well but mods like Ermii Kart DS and CTGP-Nitro make this game alive again!
  19. funnymystical
    Aug 30, 2022
    7
    pretty good
    review:
    its mariokart nothing else has to be said except for the fact i have to stretch this out so i can upload this review.
  20. TheDuner13
    Aug 6, 2022
    8
    gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
  21. sarahaj
    Jul 2, 2022
    9
    While the visuals of this title do not hold up very well these days, this is peak Mario Kart, the best mechanics, pioneer in legacy tracks, and the beloved mission mode which is still exclusive to this game. If you can look past the blocky and pixelated textures, there is a ton to enjoy here.
  22. RobertGrob1
    Jun 13, 2022
    9
    Great game with some incredibly hard and satisfying mechanics would reccomend
  23. Benny2028
    Jun 10, 2022
    9
    The best Mario Kart game, and quite possibly the best DS game of all time.

    Great tracks
    Has f*cking R.O.B. the robot
    Extremely boppin' soundtrack
    and crazy nostalgic
  24. diesesphil
    Jun 8, 2022
    10
    The best Mario Kart besides Mk8 Deluxe.
    So much content and revolutionary ideas!
  25. GDsReviews
    May 27, 2022
    8
    Mario Kart DS is easily the best Mario Kart game along with Mario Kart Wii, with a great balance of new tracks, retro tracks, battle arenas, character roster, and unique to DS mission mode. It has an excellent soundtrack too, and still holds up well today.
  26. RandowGuy
    May 16, 2022
    10
    Esse é o mario kart definitivo, se nunca jogou mario kart esse é o perfeito para começar, tanto conteudo e sem falar do singleplayer, meu mario kart favorito.
  27. nintendofan721
    Apr 27, 2022
    9
    I used to feel that this game hadn’t aged very well, until I properly played through it again. There are some excellent tracks featured including Tick Tock Clock, Delfino Square, Luigi’s Mansion, Airship Fortress and the best of them all, Waluigi Pinball! This was the first Mario Kart to introduce retro tracks (not including Super Circuit) and while I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the choicesI used to feel that this game hadn’t aged very well, until I properly played through it again. There are some excellent tracks featured including Tick Tock Clock, Delfino Square, Luigi’s Mansion, Airship Fortress and the best of them all, Waluigi Pinball! This was the first Mario Kart to introduce retro tracks (not including Super Circuit) and while I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the choices and a few of them (the GCN ones) were downgrades, it was a huge step forward for the franchise. The character roster is a downgrade from the previous entry due to it being a handheld, but there were a couple unique additions being Dry Bones and the bizzare choice of R.O.B. The core gameplay is fun and it controls well. While some people hate snaking, you gotta admit it’s awesome to be able to control your drift! My favourite thing about this game is the missions with so many different tasks like collecting coins, driving through tires and boss fights! I hope this mode comes back one day. The graphics are a bit pixelated but the game looked good for the DS at the time. There are some memorable tunes from this game especially one in particular (Waluigi Pinball). It was the first game to introduce online even though the Wii’s was the first to gain popularity. There is a cool extra feature where you can customize your emblem on your car which is unique to this game. The new items are a mixed bag, with the blooper which is completely useless and I have no idea why they kept it around, and the bullet bill which was epic and the best item of all time! The battle mode is great and you can finally play it in single player mode against computers! There are some fun new stages and a couple of retro ones including Pipe Plaza. This might be one of the better Mario Kart games in the series, and it’s jam packed with fun!… Expand
  28. ronkers
    Apr 10, 2022
    9
    extremely fun game, its my first and currently only mario kart game. pulling off a mini turbo always feels satisfying. it has amazing tracks but also some bland ones that i can excuse. i felt as if there wasn't enough variety in the missions which just seems like wasted potential to me. there's WAY too much blue shells up your ass at all time i like the idea of a blue shell but sometimesextremely fun game, its my first and currently only mario kart game. pulling off a mini turbo always feels satisfying. it has amazing tracks but also some bland ones that i can excuse. i felt as if there wasn't enough variety in the missions which just seems like wasted potential to me. there's WAY too much blue shells up your ass at all time i like the idea of a blue shell but sometimes I'm at the end of the match and i get blueshelled causing me to come 3rd or something. racing on rainbow road was very annoying cause it's a very pretty and iconic track but every time i bump into anyone i get sent flying behind into the void. tick tock clock makes me cream everytime i play on it. Overall love love love!… Expand
  29. zemzem
    Apr 9, 2022
    9
    One of my favorite games. 150ccm is exactly the fitting difficulty for me. The items mix a little bit of unpredictability in the game, but it still seems fair. They are not entirely random, but based on your position and item stats. Sometimes it feels more like a shooter or fighting game when there are intense item battles. Please don't hate me for this, but I don't even hate the blueOne of my favorite games. 150ccm is exactly the fitting difficulty for me. The items mix a little bit of unpredictability in the game, but it still seems fair. They are not entirely random, but based on your position and item stats. Sometimes it feels more like a shooter or fighting game when there are intense item battles. Please don't hate me for this, but I don't even hate the blue shell. Of course it is frustrating for players who are excellent at racing and always get the top spot right away. However, if it is a suspenseful, balanced race, where you have to struggle to get to the first position, it can actually help you just as much.

    The minimap on the DS is absolutely brilliant, one thing that Mario Kart 8 is missing. Also, the drifting feels very satisfying, better than in the sequels. You have to give your D-pad a little jerk to spark the boost, it actually feels like lighting a match or a lighter. The stages also strike the perfect balance between detailed and simple. A lot of the sequels have tracks that feel more like labyrinths, or have you racing upside down or other weird stuff. I enjoyed the linear design of this game far more, the few secret short cuts actually feel special because there's not five of them in every track.
    The crown jewel of the game is obviously the balloon mode. Fighting with the items is actually more fun than racing. Of course the graphics are very old and crappy, but the courses still look good enough, and the characters drive by so fast that you won't even pay much attention to their appearance. The gameplay is just so fast and so much fun that is doesn't matter.    … Expand
  30. sosuke1121
    Dec 13, 2021
    9
    This game first introduced the drift controls that we have now, and it is good. There's new items like Blooper and Bullet Bill.
    However, I have to applaud Mario Kart DS for its numbers of content. It remade lots of old tracks, from GC to SNES. The game is birth to Waluigi Pinball, Delfino Square, and Wario Stadium. It has a good range of characters, and the kart selection is decent.
    The    This game first introduced the drift controls that we have now, and it is good. There's new items like Blooper and Bullet Bill.
    However, I have to applaud Mario Kart DS for its numbers of content. It remade lots of old tracks, from GC to SNES. The game is birth to Waluigi Pinball, Delfino Square, and Wario Stadium. It has a good range of characters, and the kart selection is decent.
    The Bosses and Challenges are fun, and for me I think this is the most interesting Mario Kart game.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best DS Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Discussed DS Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Shared DS Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. 1UP
    90
    Everything about MKDS comes together into a surprisingly compelling package, a portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console.
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  2. eToychest
    95
    Reason alone to own the DS platform. All of the fun that has been intrinsic to the series is intact, and the much-anticipated online component simply seals the deal. This is best game in the series by far, and perhaps the best kart-style racing game ever to come along.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    95
    It's hard to imagine how Nintendo's going to improve on what they've done for this stunning portable rendition. There's so much gameplay and depth in this design, moreso than the series has ever had in the past.
    Read full review
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