Mario Kart: Double Dash!! [GC]

While a pudgy plumber and his cartoon pals may not seem like the best folks to buckle up and take to the racing circuit, that's never stopped Nintendo from revving up its Mario Kart franchise since the golden days of its SNES console.

Sure, the ultra-realism of cars in Gran Turismo 4 make the karts in Double Dash -- from tree trunks to baby carriages -- seem pretty goofy, but that's the whole point. The animated series has always been about the things the other racing romps don't care about: wacky courses, zany characters, and at the heart of the game, a huge emphasis on no-holds-barred, high-speed combat.

Unlike the last installment of the franchise, though, players won't be driving solo. Each kart has been lengthened to accommodate a passenger who handles the very important task of dishing out pain to opponents. Using a plethora of weapons, obtained by rolling over item boxes placed conveniently around every track, the secondary character is able to toss everything from banana peels to heat-seeking turtle shells to help nab the coveted first-place trophy. Mario Bros. series regulars, like Boo and Waluigi, also get their driver's licenses in Double Dash. And of the 20 racers, each has an exclusive projectile to knock out the opposition. Toad is armed with a golden boost mushroom, while Luigi can blast a wave of fireballs at passerbys.

With an added character in each kart, the gameplay is a bit more complicated this time around. Incredibly, Nintendo gives gamers a choice. If you feel like you're competent enough behind the wheel, you can take on the other motorists all by your lonesome. Or you and a friend can race cooperatively in a single vehicle. The choice is yours. In two-player mode, however, one person controls all the straightforward racing aspects, while the other commands weapons and power-sliding (a slick maneuver that lets you smoothly navigate sharp turns and get a tiny boost at the end).

Whether you're playing alone or with buddies, that two-character dynamic also provides a unique opportunity to mix and match characters with a variety of karts. With a cast of 20 and garage of 21 vehicles, there are over 2,700 combinations in all. Some characters are heavier, like Donkey Kong, thus slowing down the proceedings. Yoshi, on the other hand, is a bit thinner, giving him better acceleration but a lower top speed. The process of finding the perfect match, based on your driving habits, is quite engaging.

As in previous Mario Kart offerings, Double Dash also includes a handful of battle modes, allowing friends to forget about lap times and just explode the hell out of each other. "Balloon Battle" follows the basic three-hits-and-you're-out blueprint, while "Shine Thief" plays more like capture the flag. "Bob-Omb Blast" is just all-out chaos, involving dozens of explosions cluttering the onscreen action. Winning is more chance than talent.

With local-area-network capabilities, eight GameCubes can be hooked up together to support 16 player parties, making Double Dash a nearly endless game. If only the graphics weren't so low-res and outdated. After all, even Mario deserves a next-gen face-lift.

Then again, if you're being assaulted by giant, spiked turtle shells and spotted homing eggs, the cartoon rush lives little time to ponder whether you can see Bowser's pores or not.