There have been many imitators - but there's only one Mario Kart. It's been done on Super NES, on Nintendo 64, on Game Boy Advance, and now on Gamecube, each iteration bringing with it new locales, new racers, new weapons, and new features. Though elements have been added and changed along the way, the basic formula remains the same: outrace and pummel your opponents to claim victory.

Of course, despite the joy of the simple concept of Mario Kart, variety is the spice of life, and Double Dash pays homage to this concept. Option for option, Double Dash is larger than all that came before it.

As can be expected, there's no story. Can't a bunch of Nintendo's all-stars just get together for a little competition every now and then?

The traditional Mario Kart player/kart system relied on lightweights with high acceleration and low top speeds, middleweights with medium acceleration and speed, and heavyweights with low acceleration but high top speeds. Double Dash mixes that up with not one, but two racers (one to pilot and one to dole out weaponry, though the two can be switched on the fly while racing), followed by a kart depending on the weight classes of the characters you've picked. There are 16 (plus four unlockable) characters and eight (plus 13 unlockable) karts to choose from, each kart having different configurations of weight availability (what characters can race in it), effective kart weight (how it handles in the turns), acceleration and top speed. Additionally, each thematic pair of characters (Mario and Luigi, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, etc.) has a different special weapon.

The game also has a number of play modes. Grand Prix tours can be played alone or with two karts (up to four players if played cooperatively), and encompass four tracks in a point-oriented grand prix competition with AI-controlled opponents (you'll be glad to know that Mario Kart 64's notorious AI-cheating is gone). There are initially three Grand Prix tours in each of the three difficulties (50cc, 100cc, 150cc), but there's a fourth unlockable tour, an unlockable tour option to race on all 16 tracks, and an unlockable difficulty (Mirror mode). Versus races can be played multiplayer cooperatively (as long as there's more than one kart) or competitively, and take place on a single track with only human-controlled karts. Time Trials are only for a single player, where you can challenge your own best times (or the best times of the game's staff). Battle mode has also received a facelift, now separated into three competitions: old-school three-hits-and-you're-done Balloon Battle, a chase to capture and hold a shine in Shine Thief, or the explosive melee that is Bob-omb Blast. There are four initial battle stages and two more unlockable.

Double Dash's visuals are impeccable, from the wonderfully-rendered karts and characters to the beautiful tracks and landscapes, and well-polished items (being hit by a blue shell never looked so good). The soundtrack is wonderfully diverse, custom-fit to each track for a great ambient sound, and sound effects never fail to let you know what's been dropped and who just got blown up.

A single player has a full plate, as there are 20 Grand Prix tours to play, and nearly all of them unlock something new. Multiple players have enough options and choices that racing won't get old for some time to come. The battle modes are a blast. And though there aren't a whole lot of shortcuts, each track's design is wonderfully deep. Plus, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is LAN-compatible, meaning multiple Gamecubes equipped with broadband adapters can allow a much bigger party. All in all, Double Dash has plenty of fun to offer.

Progress: Won all Grand Prix tours

Rating: Good