Mario Kart DS

I do not read gaming news, except for what shows up on Penny Arcade, and even then I often kind of skim over it, making note of what's funny or interesting or stupid and then forgetting it not long afterwards.

But today...today there is news of Mario Kart!

Mario Kart DS is also ridiculously comprehensive, with thirty two maps that span the entire life of the series. It also lets you hop or powerslide, and brings back traditional battle mode with an odd twist. Instead of three balloons, you have five, only three of which are available at a time: you manually inflate your stock, whether by holding select or by, ahem, blowing into the microphone. You may feel ridiculous, but it's faster, and such is the price of victory. There's also Shine Runners, where the coveted shines appear throughout the level, you grab them, you lose some when hit, and the people with the lowest scores are dropped at interval. It's a stupid amount of value for thirty-five bucks, especially when you think of eight players racing off a single cartridge.

Hopping or powersliding!!!!!!!

As my friends all should know well by now, I am a Mario Kart fiend. This is not to say that I always win, but I do always trash talk :> And it's hella fun!

So now I just need to get one of those DS thingies.