I went, I saw, I Wifi-ed. Got my copy from the Nintendo World Store on Monday. I was pleasantly surprised when I found my friend and Infendo reader Silent K already there, making new pals via Mario Kart. The 3 of them were already enjoying the free Wifi provided by the store. Soon as I got one of the numerous stocked copies of the game, I sat next to them and the multiplayer was ON.
What hits you like a ton of bricks when you first start it up is how much of a full fledged DS game this is. So many options are at your disposal. Right from the main menu you choose between single, multi, and Wifi races; it makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. From there you can customize the emblem that appears on your kart at all times and above your head in local and Wifi multiplayer. You can also access the friend codes section where you register other people’s 12 digit codes and find your own to give to them. The great thing about Friend Codes is they automatically get traded between players after wireless matches.
Like most multiplayer DS games, not a frame was spared. It plays fast and furiously. The new items like glooper and Bullet Bill aren’t intrusive enough to get annoying, but are effective. Alot of aspects such as the hop powerslide felt weird to this Double Dash weaned karter, but it also felt right once i got used to it. You’ve probably heard this enough by now, but let me tell you, this is THE Mario Kart experience.
Tuesday I’ll return with my man K to burn some more global rubber. It should be available at all stores by then, so fear not the whole “ship date” trip, you’ll find a copy easy. If you live in New York and wanna have a good time with fellow racers in person, stop by the Nintendo World Store. A cool thing of note is that an employee there confirmed that their Wifi is always active, even after they close. For everyone else, my nickname in the game is Rollin and my friend code is 330771 905074. I’ll be the dude with the Infendo emblem, powersliding like a mug.
[Pictures coming tomorrow]