Add in the tight racing mechanics that have remained a mainstay of the series since its inception and you have the best DS experience money can buy. Mario Kart DS is absolutely drowning in content and we’ve not even mentioned the exceptional and exclusive Mission Mode that stretches the game’s longevity even further. 16 brand-new tracks are spread across four cups and there’s an additional 16 retro tracks featuring classic courses from the earlier SNES, N64, GBA, and GameCube releases. It was the first game in the franchise to allow players from around the world to battle each other (although it wasn’t always the smoothest of experiences), new items like the Bullet Bill and Blooper make their debut and there’s a fun new battle mode called Shine Runners, which will lead to plenty of arguments with your mates. Nintendo’s fifth main game in its popular series introduced a number of firsts that helped it stay ahead of the competition.
