Mario Kart Arrives: New Details

With a matter of hours to go until the final version of Mario Kart is in our hands, here's a closer look at the characters and circuits on offer in the game.

It's all getting very exciting on the GameCube front right now, all thanks to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. By far Nintendo's biggest Christmas title, Double Dash - which was only unveiled for the first time back in May - is destined to be a true hit with all GameCube owners, not to mention a best-seller.

The UK gets MK:DD three days before North America.
For once, British GameCube fans have something to brag about!

With some seriously important last minute handling tweaks in place since the last preview build, the game is more comparable to the Super NES version that the N64 version - which, for those who might not know - is a very good thing.

With the latest UK ChartTrack figures indicating two-games-bundled Xbox is back in the lead after £80 GameCube's stint at the top, the battle for 'second place' is going to heat up again when Mario dashes onto the scene on November 14th in the UK - and strangely, THREE DAYS LATER in North America on November 17. Japan, for those who wondered, get their hands on the game earliest on November 7th. We get it tomorrow though - so stay tuned for a big hands-on, and media aplenty.

Feel the excitement with these new details, taking a closer look at the circuits and characters in the GameCube game of the year.

THE CIRCUITS

MUSHROOM CUP Luigi Circuit - A relatively quiet start to the mayhem, the Luigi Circuit features long straights and speed boosting panels galore. Watch out for the Chain Chomp guarding the short cut! He's noisy and always hungry! Peach Beach - Princess Peach's favourite resort is also a sandy racing track with hazards galore! Dodge the Cataquacks and look out for the tide as you seek that elusive shortcut across the sandy bay! Baby Park - A deceptively straight-forward oval circuit set in a theme park complete with its own rollercoaster! You've got to make sure you take each corner just right and use your power-up items for maximum effect if you plan on winning this race! Dry Dry Desert - A wide and open track filled with ancient monuments and temples. There's no time for sight-seeing here as you'll be avoiding whirling tornados and escaping from quicksand in this fun desert-themed track.

FLOWER CUP Mushroom Bridge - One of Mushroom Kingdom's most famous landmarks! This track has plenty of room to manouver...if you can avoid all the traffic that is. Keep your eyes open for mushroom carrying motors! Mario Circuit - A glorious circuit full of famous landmarks and characters. There's plenty of twists and turns on this course so be sure you've mastered your drifting skills! Daisy Cruiser - All aboard Daisy's luxury liner for a manic race above and below decks. Speed around the swimming pool and dining room, just don't hit any of the tables! Waluigi Stadium - Waluigi Stadium is an off-road track filled with bumps, mud and big jumps, and as if that isn't enough, you've also got to watch out for Piranha Plants and fireballs! This is one race that is definitely going to get dirty!

STAR CUP Sherbet Land - Don't let the ice and snow lull your senses, this is one treacherous course! Careless driving here will end in kart pileups and collisions with all sorts of nasties! Mushroom City - Avoid the late night traffic in downtown Mushroom City by choosing your route carefully and you're bound to come up in first place! Don't get lost in there! Yoshi Circuit - hat could be better than a circuit in the shape of Yoshi? Not much! This circuit will really test your Mario Kart mettle with its tricky corners, bends and straights. You're going to have to push your kart to the limit if you want to finish in 1st place! DK Mountain - Shoot yourself to the top of DK Mountain using Donkey Cannon and hurtle down the side avoiding large boulders and gaping chasms. But once at the bottom, you're not safe yet, you've still got to cross the perilous rope bridge to get to the winning line!

THE CHARACTERS

Mario & Luigi - Everyone's favourite plumbers are back and ready for some serious racing action. This time they're literally playing with fire. Mario and Luigi's weapons of choice are red and green fireballs. Diddy Kong & Donkey Kong - Straight from the jungle with attitude to match! Using their simian strengths to beat the opposition. Fruit is their weapon of choice, so watch out for those huge bananas! Daisy & Peach - Princess Peach is a veteran of the tracks, but new to kart racing is Princess Daisy. Flying hearts surround the royal ladies' karts and any item that hits them becomes theirs to use! Paratroopa & Koopa - Armoured and aggravated, the loyal foot soldiers of Bowser are out for themselves this time round. Throwing triple red and green shells from their kart, these two are best avoided! Baby Mario & Baby Luigi - They may be the two youngest competitors, but don't underestimate their desire to win! Watch out for Chain Chomp, their fiercesome and hungry accomplice who pulls them along at breakneck speeds! Yoshi & Birdo - No ones riding them this time, they've got their own kart and they mean business. Their rolling eggs home in on opponents, and crack to reveal three more items! Bowser Jr. & Bowser - Mario's arch-nemesis and his unruly son are spiny shelled and aching to cause trouble on the tracks. An awe-inspiring giant shell is their special item, creating a path of destruction when thrown! Waluigi & Wario - Ever fond of sneaky and underhanded tactics, it's best to keep your eyes on these two! Armed with exploding bombs that catapult their opponents aside these two are possibly the most determined duo of all the racers!

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com