Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart DS is a racing game part of the Mario Kart series for the Nintendo DS, developed and published by Nintendo. Mario Kart DS was released first in North America, in November 14, 2005, and is the only mainstream Mario Kart game to be released first in North America. Unlike its predecessor, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, it retains the traditional single-driver kart racing elements in the Mario Kart series, where players race against seven competitors in obstacle tracks, using item-based weaponry to gain further advantages over their opponents. It is the first handheld Mario Kart title to use live-rendered 3D graphics for most of the objects in the game, including characters, vehicles, and racetracks.

Mario Kart DS expands and introduces mechanics that would later become the standard in future titles, most notably the Retro Grand Prix, and the advent of retro courses in general, that revamps tracks from all previous titles from the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart DS supports both single pak and multi-pak gameplay via DS Download Play, and is the first Mario title to support Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to race against opponents by using online services across the world. As of May 2014, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection has been discontinued, making online play no longer possible.

Mario Kart DS has its own mechanics that are not available in other Mario Kart games, such as customizing emblems for the vehicles, and the Missions mode, in which racers are tasked to complete objectives in a short series of events. The game also makes use of the Nintendo DS's features, using the bottom screen to display other HUD elements such as two types of maps, character order, and what items their opponents have.

On April 23, 2015, Mario Kart DS became available for purchase for the Wii U's Virtual Console service via the Nintendo eShop. The Virtual Console version is only playable in single-player mode.

Menu controls

 * - Scroll
 * - Select
 * - Back
 * - Tap selection

Race controls

 * - Accelerate/Rocket Start (hold at 2 during the countdown before the race starts)
 * - Brake/reverse
 * / - Use current Item/Stop Item Roulette/Equip Item
 * - Steer
 * / + - Throw items backward or forward.
 * - Hop/Powerslide/Drift (Hold)/Mini-Turbo (Release)
 * / - Change map view (does not work in Mission Mode)
 * - Pause/resume game
 * - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle), Toggle arrows/Mushrooms on/off (Time Trial)
 * - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle)

Wii U Menu controls

 * - Scroll
 * - Select
 * - Back
 * - Tap selection

Wii U Race controls

 * - Accelerate/Rocket Start (hold at 2 during the countdown before the race starts)
 * - Brake/reverse
 * / - Use current Item/Stop Item Roulette/Equip Item
 * - Steer
 * - Throw items backward or forward.
 * - Hop/Powerslide/Drift (Hold)/Mini-Turbo (Release)
 * / - Change map view (does not work in Mission Mode)
 * - Pause/resume game
 * - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle), Toggle arrows/Mushrooms on/off (Time Trial)
 * - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle)

Game modes
As in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the game introduced sixteen courses for the four main cups: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup, which are collectively known as the nitro cups. The game also includes sixteen courses that appeared in earlier Mario Kart games and are part of the retro cups: Shell Cup, Banana Cup, Leaf Cup, and the Lightning Cup. These cups are sorted by difficulty in the same way as the nitro cups.

In every retro cup, each of the four courses originate from a different Mario Kart game. Every retro cup has their courses ordered in the same way as the release order of the four previous Mario Kart games. Furthermore, every retro course's name starts with an abbreviation of the game console that their originating game was released for: Starting with the following Mario Kart game, Mario Kart Wii, stages originating from Mario Kart DS were included as retro courses and were represented by the abbreviation "DS".
 * SNES, which represents Super Mario Kart
 * N64, which represents Mario Kart 64
 * GBA, which represents Mario Kart: Super Circuit
 * GCN, which represents Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Grand Prix
Grand Prix is a single player-exclusive mode. In it, a player competes in each cup in 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror 150cc engine classes, with ascending speed and difficulty. The game reuses the point system of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! by awarding 10/8/6/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to eighth place respectively. A rating of how well a player performed is shown after the trophy presentation, from highest to lowest: ★★★, ★★, ★, A, B, C, D and E. An overall "game ranking" of ★, ★★, or ★★★ is shown in the Records area if the player has earned the designated rating in every cup and class.

Time Trial
Time Trial is a single player-exclusive mode. In it, the player's character races to complete a course in the fastest time. The item rating of a kart determines how many Mushrooms the racer can have once they start the race; vehicles with low item rate can only use one Mushroom; the ones with average item rate use two and the ones with high item rate use three. Players can choose to race against their best time as a Ghost, the Staff Ghost (raced by a Japanese Nintendo staff player with a * game ranking), or no Ghost. The game can download records from other players, allowing the player's character to race their Ghosts.

VS
In VS mode (single or multiplayer), player(s) choose their Karts and head out on the race track. They can earn points based of their finish position in each race. The player can also choose what course they race on (provided they've unlocked it). Up to eight players can play locally via wireless - simple mode only uses one game card but is limited. The essential requirement is that everyone has a DS or 3DS system. In VS mode, the player can choose the engine class, the CPU's difficulty level, the way the courses will be chosen - by the player, in order or random; the rules to win races (either free - infinite races; number of wins from 1 to 10 - where only the first racer earns points, or the number of races from 1 up to 32 (functions similarly to the All-Cup Tour from Mario Kart: Double Dash!), and team race mode.

It is possible to have up to eight players play using just one Mario Kart DS game card - using the DS Download Play locally. Here, only the Mushroom Cup and Shell Cup tracks are playable, and everyone except the host must play as a random color of Shy Guy, in which he becomes playable then. If everyone has a game card, all tracks are available and there are no limitations.

When playing in VS races where players place for a set number of races rather than for a set number of wins, players score points based off their finish position. If the game is being played in teams, the amount of points each player earns for each race is multiplied by about 1.5. The point system is the same as the one used in Wi-Fi when playing with 2-4 players and the one used in Grand Prix when playing with 8 players or with CPU opponents. However, when playing with 5-7 players, the distribution is as follows:
 *  Blue  text indicates winning results.
 *  Green  text indicates moderate results.
 * Black text indicates losing results.

Battle
In Battle mode, there are six battle stages, four of which are original and two are from an earlier Mario Kart game:

In single player mode, the user faces CPU controlled racers, whose difficulty can be set in the battle's setup menu. All racers drive their respective standard Kart only within this mode (note that all the standard karts have the same stats in battle mode and only the weight will differ, depending on the weight of the character chosen). Additionally, other players can join a battle locally. However, Battle Mode is unavailable on the Wi-Fi mode. Like in versus, battles can also be played in teams, and rounds in team battles end when all of one team's players have been eliminated.

Mario Kart DS is the only Mario Kart game that have the name of the retro battle courses that do not state the abbreviation of the game console version of the Mario Kart game they were from; in other words, the game does not list Block Fort and Pipe Plaza as N64 Block Fort and GCN Pipe Plaza. Additionally, its retro battle courses do not have the same music as in their original appearances. Instead, they have the same music used for nitro battle courses.

Balloon Battle
The classic battle mode seen in all Mario Kart mainstream, gets a new twist in Mario Kart DS. From previous games, racers begin a match with three balloons. In this game, however, all players begin with a single balloon, though they can get more by blowing up their balloons using the microphone feature on the DS, or just holding the button. Each player has four balloons in stock (five in total) and racers can hold up to three balloons in battle. On the other hand, the less balloons a player has, the more powerful items they will obtain from the Item Boxes. Racers may also take possession of a balloon from their opponents if the thief has used a Mushroom and made contact to the opponent's kart. If the player loses all their balloons they are eliminated.

The following is what the game describes this mode as: "Burst your opponents' balloons with items! If all your inflated balloons burst, you lose! Blow into the mic to inflate your balloons!"

Shine Runners
Adopted from the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! version, nine Shine Sprites are scattered onto the course at the beginning. Players need to capture the Shine Sprites, and to avoid being hit, as it causes a player to lose one sprite. The sprite then moves to a random spot for someone else to grab. In the meantime, a clock ticks down to zero. Anyone with or tied with the lowest Shine total when the clock hits zero is eliminated. The clock resets itself to a lower time and the battle continues until at least one is left (there are nine sprites to avoid a tie, but it is possible to have two players with four sprites each or four players with two sprites each or all eight players with one sprite each trying to get that last one on the course when time expires, or have three players with three sprites each; in either case, no one is eliminated and the clock resets as usual). The less sprites a player has, the better an item is obtained (Spiny Shells and Bullet Bills remain out). Shine Runners is almost the same as Coin Runners in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but instead of Shine Sprites, they use coins.

"Collect more Shines than anyone else! Steal opponents' Shines to add to your total. Those with less Shines get booted over time."

Missions
Missions mode is a new single-player mode for Mario Kart DS in which the player must complete some tasks and earn a ranking similarly to that in Grand Prix mode. It involves seven levels, each containing eight "missions" and a boss battle, most of which are taken from Super Mario 64 DS. The ranks almost always depend on how much time is left or taken. There are varying mission types: There are some one-time isolated missions that are self-explanatory. Each mission takes place on a course, often blocked off in some areas (sometimes even a battle course) and players are given a character in their own standard kart (CPU players are also in standard karts). None of the unlockable characters are playable, and Bowser and Donkey Kong do not fight a boss. Sometimes Mushrooms are laid across the track to help the player to complete the mission. When at least a ★ ranking is achieved on all missions and bosses in the first six levels, Level 7 is unlocked. When the boss battles of Level 6 and 7 are completed, the first version of the staff credits is shown.
 * Driving through gates - driving in between giant half wheels in the ground. Very often the player has to pass these gates in numerical order.
 * Collecting coins - Players must pick up all the coins set in the track. Players may lose these coins by some obstacle of such course.
 * Destroying item boxes - Players must run over Item Boxes. Usually the racer will obtain Mushrooms after taking a box. In some cases, Item Boxes will move, and the player will have to catch up with it. Other missions the player must take care not to pick up the Fake Item Boxes alongside real ones.
 * Using Stars, Bob-ombs, or shells to destroy enemies.
 * Driving backwards - players must use the button to move, and directions on the  are reversed. It is sometimes combined with other mission types.
 * Performing power boosts within a certain lap - as said. More power boosts are often required to finish faster, meaning a higher ranking.
 * Racing a CPU player for one lap - item boxes contain Mushrooms and Stars that the CPU cannot use - the key to win. CPU players will always perform a Rocket Start. This mission type also includes a race against a Red Car and a Chain Chomp.
 * Boss Battle - Unlocked after completion of the first eight missions in a level. The racer is usually required to use items in boss battles. Every boss is from Super Mario 64 DS, and each of them have their own battlefield stage and require a different strategy to defeat.

Missions table
The following table includes the mission number, in-game mission description, time limit for the mission (0:00 signifies it is a race, and the mission finishes at 2:00 if the race is not completed), course, character the player plays as, and item distribution used. For a list of the item sets used, see here. CPU opponents always use set 1.
 * * Conjectural title based on surroundings.
 * ** Denotes that the player drives through the course in the opposite direction.
 * 1Using Green Shells (solo or triple) and Bob-ombs
 * 2The gates don't necessarily have to be driven through in order.
 * 3Players can use any means - normal or powersliding - to finish.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode
Mario Kart DS was the first Nintendo game to support online play (which has since been discontinued) though it's worth noting that it's the second Mario Kart game to support online connectivity, with the Japanese version of Mario Kart: Super Circuit being the first (the use of online connectivity for this game was made primarily to exchange ghost data with other players). Being one of the first Nintendo DS games to feature wireless connection, the game mode required some technical changes in order to avoid connection malfunctions and long time loads during online play.

The following changes and restrictions were applied to prevent excessive lag:
 * Only up to four players
 * Only the 100cc engine class was available
 * 12 of 32 courses were omitted
 * No multi-items
 * No spilled Items onto course to be used; items were just lost
 * Items could not be dragged behind the kart
 * Item roulette could not be stopped earlier
 * Course obstacles could not be destroyed (e.g. boxes in Delfino Square or snowballs in DK Pass)

Connection
Players could connect using a wireless connection or a Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector (preferably high-speed.) Racers would choose to search for other players in "Friends" (more info below), "Rivals" (players with a similar record), "Regional" or "Continental" in Non-American versions of the game (players in same country or continent), and "Worldwide", the latter possible to cause long lags. Other racers searching in the same category were randomly grouped. The game tried to find four players, but eventually settled for three or two if necessary. Players chose their characters, karts, and the course they wanted for the first of four races.

In addition to the 20 courses listed in order of when it is encountered, there was also a random button. After everyone's selection was placed, a course was chosen based on the responses. If all players each picked a different course, the system randomly picked one. If four players chose two courses, two each, the game randomly selected from those two. On the other hand, the most voted course by a group of users was selected to race. It proceeded like so for four races, then the points were tallied up, and after the match, a player's wins and losses were totaled.

Each player received one "win" for finishing ahead of a player and one "loss" for finishing behind of a player. If a player tied with another player, it did not count as a "win" or "loss". For example: Players could continue after the match to play the same racers again or quit to restart the process to find other players.
 * A player winning a 3-player match, or ties for 1st with one other player in a 4-player match receives 2 wins and 0 losses.
 * A player coming 2nd in a 4-player match receives 2 wins and 1 loss.
 * A player tied for third in a 4-player match gets only 2 losses, as compared to 3.
 * A player tied with all other players, no matter how many players are participating, was simply called a tie and did not affect either player's record.

Issues
Problem: Trouble with friend codes
 * A) Friend Code System. Each copy of the game comes with a 12-digit code known as a "friend code". Players could enter codes into each other's "friend roster" to create a friend list, where Wi-Fi records between the players were stored. When a friend was online at the same time, a symbol would appear above the Wi-Fi strength symbol, whether trying to find racers or during racing. Yet, both (or more) players must have had each (or all) of their friend codes registered and be looking in the friends section at the same time to hook up. If the player were to find a racer to compete against elsewhere online, there was no communication for a friend code swap; the only way to race again is to do it right away by selecting continue after a match.

Problem: Disconnecting racers change the outcome of the match; it is later reflected in the match records.
 * B) Disconnecting. Take this scenario into consideration:
 * Bob started in a four-player match, but two people have disconnected since, and he is now in a two-player match against a three-star player, and has come second and third in the first two races. It is 20-11. Josh wins the next match, bringing the totals to 25-21. But, in the fourth race, the three-star player is a full half-lap ahead with one lap to go. Josh realizes that he might not win this race; however, Josh has researched about Wi-Fi connections and has learned a trick. He leaves his DS untouched, bringing his kart to a stop, then finds his wireless router, and disconnects it. According to the record-book, Bob has won the match from which he has disconnected.

Causes:
 * The two players who disconnected earlier are experiencing certain effects. When a player is disconnected from Wi-Fi via turning off his or her DS, the player is charged with the same number of losses as there are other players. Players can disconnect at any time, but if they cancel before the first course is chosen, there is no effect on the win-loss record. Other players finishing the whole match gain one win per disconnected player.
 * Refer to the point spread chart for WFC. Mid-match, due to disconnected players, the point spread can change. For example, when it goes down from four to three players, the point conversion is not affected for the top three. Yet, from three to two, it is. In the first two races, Josh lost three and six points to the three-star player, under the 10-7-4(-1) point spread. But, if he had won the last two races, under the 10-5 point spread, he would have recovered ten points - and would have won, 31-30, even though he came in third once and only won two out of four races.
 * Players occasionally disconnect when losing. A glitch in the game affects the final results, and this is exactly what Josh does in the scenario. Instead of turning off the DS, he disconnects his actual connection. The three-star player would have gained three wins, but when everyone disconnects, it takes no effect on the winning player's records.
 * To restate and make clear: if Josh would have played it out and lost the fourth race, the result would have been 35-26, in favor of the three-star player.

Drivers
The main game has 12 playable characters, 4 of which are unlockable. The eight starting characters, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser, are the same eight characters available in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. The other four drivers can be unlocked by winning a gold trophy of certain cups in Grand Prix mode. Two of the unlockable characters, Daisy and Waluigi, return from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and the other two, Dry Bones and R.O.B., make their first Mario Kart playable appearances. A 13th racer, Shy Guy, debuts as a playable character, but is only available to players using DS Download Play.
 * Characters highlighted in gray are unlockable.
 * Characters highlighted in pink are only available via DS Download Play.

Other characters
These characters are non-playable. They appear as either spectators, hazards, or obstacles of certain courses.

Courses
In addition to the sixteen standard courses, Mario Kart DS is the first game in the series to include the Retro Grand Prix, which has been carried over into every future installment in the series to date. The Retro Grand Prix consists of sixteen courses from past Mario Kart games updated and compiled into four additional cups. This makes a total of 8 cups and 32 courses. Mario Kart DS is the only Mario Kart game where there is no Mario Circuit in the Flower Cup, unlike other Mario Kart games.

This is the only Mario Kart game to have three Grand Prix introduction fanfares; one for Figure-8 Circuit, Waluigi Pinball, Mario Circuit, and GCN Luigi Circuit, one for Wario Stadium, and one for the other courses.

Retro Grand Prix
* - Was playable on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Staff Ghosts
Staff Ghosts are Time Trial races that were previously done by a Nintendo staff member. Every course has its unlockable Staff Ghost that the player can race against if their completion time is close to the Staff Ghost's. Most courses require a minimum of completing a course at least 5–10 seconds after the Staff Ghost does.

Items

 * For information on the probability of obtaining each item from an Item Box, see Mario Kart DS item probability distributions.

As with other Mario Kart games, a main element of Mario Kart DS are the pick-up items that allow the racer to take certain advantage over their opponents. An item can be obtained by driving into an Item Box. This causes the item roulette at the top-left corner of the screen. Racers in higher positions receive less powerful items than racers in lower positions. Some items are unavailable in Battle Mode, and in the mode, similar to normal races, leaders with the most Balloons or Shine Sprites receive less powerful items.

Each kart has an Items stats ratio, which determines the variety of items that a racer can receive; karts with a higher items ratio are more likely to receive rare items. In subsequent games, this stat was removed, making position the only factor that influences items. When the Item Roulette has chosen a normal item, it makes a simple plong sound, but if the racer receives a more powerful item, it makes a stronger plong sound.

The game introduces two items, Bullet Bill and Blooper, both of which have since appeared in every subsequent Mario Kart game. Most of Mario Kart DS's item artworks are from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! except for the Fake Item Box, Triple Bananas, Boo, Bullet Bill and Blooper.

Rocket Start
Throughout the entire series, the Rocket Start allow drivers to give them an extra speed boost and get a head start when a race begins. To use the technique for this installment, players should stay at the starting line and wait for the countdown to hit two. When it does reach that number and when it starts to fade, players should hold the button to rev up the kart's engine. When START appears on the race screen, the kart receives a small boost of speed out from the starting line, which is a very helpful move to get first place early on in a race. But, there is a risk to this move. If players hold the button before the two fades, it may make the player's kart falter, and takes a few seconds to get back up to normal speed. If the player holds the after the second "ding" sound is heard and end, the player can get a boost that is a little faster than the normal small boost.

Drifting and powersliding
In the entire Mario Kart series, players drift by holding the button on a turn. Gray wisps come out of their kart as they turn around corners, possibly tighter or better than normal turning.

The next step up is powersliding. While drifting, players can move the Control Pad right and left repeatedly to produce sparks behind the kart. If done correctly, the sparks change their colors and intensity from blue to orange on each alternated move. After the sparks turn orange, the player releases the button to stop drifting and release a brief Mini-Turbo after powersliding. This can be used to dodge Spiny Shell if combined with a hop only during 100cc and 150cc races.

A player can perform a useful technique known as snaking by performing consecutive mini-turbos in a zigzagged direction, which offers a player the boost they need to get further ahead. This technique is much easier to perform with karts with higher handling, especially with Dry Bones.

Slipstreaming
Back from Mario Kart 64, Slipstreaming is simply moving just behind another player. If racers can stay behind their opponent's vehicle for about four seconds, players get a momentary speed boost that is strong enough to pass the other player.

Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode allows up to eight players to play either by multi-card (Normal) or by Download Play (Simple) mode.

In Normal mode, players can select any character and kart combination they have unlocked. They can also pick any track that any Game Card has unlocked.

In Simple mode, players can only select courses from the Mushroom Cup and the Shell Cup. Only three of the battle courses are available—Nintendo DS, Tart Top and Pipe Plaza—which are always selected by the game at random. Download Play participants are forced to play as Shy Guy, whose color is selected by the game randomly. This applies even if everyone in the room has the game.

Karts
In Mario Kart DS, there are 36 different karts (37 if including the Standard SG) in total.

Every kart shows six ratings: For all stats, one or more karts will have a rating of one hundred for that stat; for example, the Hurricane and ROB-BLS have speed ratings of one hundred, the Dry Bomber has both acceleration and handling rates of one hundred, the Tyrant has a weight rating of one hundred if normally paired with Bowser or R.O.B., the Light Tripper has a drift rating of one hundred, and each character has an items rating of one hundred for their heavier signature kart, an items rating of sixty-six for their standard kart, and an items rating of thirty-three for their lighter signature kart.
 * Speed: How high the top speed of the kart is; how fast the kart can go. Bowser and R.O.B. have the fastest karts.
 * Acceleration: The time the kart's top speed is achieved when accelerating (the higher the acceleration, the shorter players wait until they reach their kart's top speed, and the lower it is, the longer they wait). Dry Bones's karts can reach their top speed very quickly.
 * Weight: When a vehicle is heavy, the driver can knock a lighter kart. Unlike other stats, the character contributes to this stat, with Bowser and R.O.B. being very heavy, and the former of which having the heaviest karts. Characters with a higher weight stat, however, will also apply a penalty to the vehicle's Off-Road stat (which is hidden to the player).
 * Handling: How tight the kart can normally turn without drifting. Dry Bones has the best turning curve.
 * Drift: How tight the kart turns while drifting or powersliding. Peach has the best drifting curve.
 * Items: The variety of items to use when touching an Item Box (a high Items rating signifies a higher chance of getting Triple Bananas in first place, Triple Mushrooms in third, fourth, etc).

Originally, only two karts are available for each character; an signature kart and a standard kart. As the player wins gold trophies in the 100cc Nitro Grand Prix, the player will unlock a second signature kart for each character. When the player wins a gold trophy in either 150cc Special Cup or Lightning Cup, four signature karts from different characters will become available, bringing the total to seven karts for each character. After winning gold trophies in all eight cups in Mirror Mode, each character can be paired in any of the 36 karts, making 432 combinations (excluding Shy Guy). CPU drivers will only use their characters' respective karts in races and battles.

The following ratings are from zero to one hundred, directly obtained from the values used by the game to fill the bar in the kart selection screen. On a side note, it is worth noting that a kart with a high items rating will usually have lower overall stats than the standard karts. Likewise, karts with a low items rating will usually have higher overall stats than the standard karts. Karts with a high items rating tend to be heavier than the karts with a low items rating. Karts with high items rating also receive more Mushroom boosts in Time Trial mode. The player will get one Mushroom boost if the items rating is low, two if the items rating is average, and three if the items rating is high. The weight class of the character does not play an important role in Mario Kart DS, as the weight does not create kart use restrictions.

In-game statistics
Mario Kart DS features several in-game statistics, some of which are not shown in the kart selection menu. There are three types of Tires, either Small (S), Medium (M) or Large (L). Just like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, there is a Mini-Turbo statistics that corresponds to the length of the Mini-Turbo boost in frames. Acceleration is determined by three triplets of values, that are presumably related to the acceleration while drifting and the acceleration in all other conditions; there is also a deceleration value that determines the speed of the next frame as fraction of the current speed when not accelerating (such as when the kart is spinning or the acceleration button is not being held). There are four different types of off-road terrains, and accordingly the karts have four off-road statistics that are the relative top speed in each type of terrain.

Options
In the options menu, the player can select "Settings", "Edit", or "Erase Data". Under "Settings", the sound output can be changed between stereo, headphones, and surround and the "Locate Friend" feature can be togged on or off. "Locate Friend" notifies the player about friends who are seeking opponents while connected to the internet. Under "Edit", the player can change their nickname and make their own emblem for racing throughout the game. They also have an option to make the emblem show up on the kart they are driving. Additionally, this emblem shows up next to a player's name while driving in a multiplayer or Nintendo WFC race. "Erase Data" clears all save data.

Pre-release and unused content
There were three unused items: the Chain Chomp, Bowser's Shell, and a purple Koopa Shell, although the Chain Chomp was the only one found in the item roulette. The Chain Chomp would have likely functioned the same as in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Professor Elvin Gadd was planned to be playable and would have had the Poltergust 4000 as his kart. Birdo may have also be planned as a playable character as there is a pink version of the Egg 1 found in the data.

Choco Mountain boulder glitch
In Choco Mountain, if the player goes to the lake and the water splashes before they fall, the boulder should hit them. If done correctly, they should start flying. The screen will then turn black as if they fell into the water. Lakitu will then pick them up. This glitch rarely works after the first time it's performed.

Delfino Square boardwalk glitch
When the player goes up to the boardwalk that has the one item box, they must press when they are on the wall. If timed correctly, the player can float on the side of the road. This will work in any mode.

Pipe Plaza Bob-omb glitch
In Pipe Plaza, if the player has a Bob-omb and drops it near one of the pipe holes, another player or a CPU should hit the Bob-omb. If done correctly, the player should go through the pipe hole and he/she will fall. Lakitu will pick the player up as usual. This can also be done with a Star, but is harder to pull off.

Luigi's Mansion Freeze glitch
To perform this glitch the player must pick the Luigi's Mansion track in any mode with any character and kart. Once the race starts, the player must then park their character on the stairs at the entrance of the mansion. After that, hold down both and  to drift in place. If the player tries to turn, the game will sometimes freeze. This glitch was fixed on the Wii U Virtual Console release.

Mini-Spin turn item glitch
To perform this glitch, the player must drive towards an item box in any mode (battle mode is preferred) and sit themselves right in the center where it appears so that they continuously break it open when it appears again. Then, the player should hold either left or right on. When the item box appears again, it will break as usual, and the player will turn a very small amount in the direction pressed. Given time, so long as the player doesn't move, the player can turn all the way round in the direction pressed.

Staff
A few staff members from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returned to work on this game, including Hirotake Ohtsubo and Yoshihisa Morimoto as course designers and Yasuyuki Oyagi as one of the directors. Hiromu Takemura, who also worked as a course designer for Double Dash!! and a map designer for Super Mario Sunshine, led as the course director. Hideki Konno returns as a producer after being absent from Double Dash!!'s development. Shigeru Miyamoto served as the general producer and Satoru Iwata served as the general producer.

Reception
Mario Kart DS received critical acclaim. It currently maintains a 9.2 average at Gamestats, the highest score for a Nintendo DS game on the site (as of December 2006).

Gamespy reviewer Bryn Williams said that online, Nintendo "trimmed it back a little too much for my liking", but was certain that "Even with a few online flaws, this is the best Mario Kart ever." With a rank of 5 out of 5 and describing the multiplayer experience as "great".

GameSpot reviewer Justin Calvert had similar quips with the online feature: "Whether these opponents were leaving voluntarily or because of network problems is anybody's guess, but it's equally irritating either way." He finished up similarly by saying "Mario Kart DS is without a doubt one of the best games to hit the Nintendo DS to date." Mario Kart DS received a score of 9.2 out of 10 and was regarded as GameSpot's Editor's Choice and DS game of the year.

IGN gave an overall score of 9.5 out of 10, granting the game the IGN Editor's Choice Award and DS game of the year. Reviewer Craig Harris commented that "it's just hard to ignore just how limited the online presentation is.", but ended the review with this: "The only way to finish this review is just to say it: this is the greatest Mario Kart game ever developed, and is without a doubt the best DS game of 2005."

Sales
Mario Kart DS is the 3rd best selling game for the Nintendo DS, selling 23.60 million copies worldwide.

References to other games

 * Super Mario Bros. 3: The course Airship Fortress is based of the many airship based levels in this game. Desert Hills is based on World 2 of this game, even featuring the Angry Sun, Podoboos, Firesnakes, the pyramid, and two pipe formations taken from a level in this world. Water Arena and Sand Arena use various objects from this game. A sprite of Mario and Luigi's heads appear on the Single Player and VS. mode bars.
 * Super Mario Kart: Mario Circuit 1, Donut Plains 1, Koopa Beach 2, and Choco Island 2 return as retro courses.
 * Donkey Kong Country: The Rambi Rider is based off Rambi from this game.
 * Super Mario 64: The course Tick-Tock Clock is based off of the level of the same name in this game.
 * Mario Kart 64: Moo Moo Farm, Frappe Snowland, Choco Mountain, and Banshee Boardwalk return as retro courses, and Block Fort returns as a playable battle course. Also, the name "Wario Stadium" is reused. Lastly, part of the credits theme from this game is used in the second part of the credits when Mirror Special Cup or Lightning Cup is beat in first place and the eight playable characters that are available from the start are taken from the eight playable characters in this game, including the same eight colored karts.
 * Donkey Kong 64: Donkey Kong's voice clips are reused in the Beta Kiosk Demo of this game, but not in the final version.
 * Mobile Golf: The Gold Mantis is based off Foreman Spike's excavator from his artwork for this game.
 * Mario Kart: Super Circuit: Peach Circuit, Bowser Castle 2, Luigi Circuit, and Sky Garden return as retro courses. Also, the eight playable characters in this game were reused as the starting characters. The Lightning Cup returns as the highest-tier retro cup.
 * Wario Land 4: The Brute is based off the Wario Car in this game.
 * Luigi's Mansion: The Poltergust 4000 is based off the Poltergust 3000 from this game. Also a course of the same name is based on this game.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: The course Delfino Square is based off the main area of this game, Delfino Plaza. Piantas also appear as spectators in this course.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Luigi Circuit, Baby Park, Mushroom Bridge, and Yoshi Circuit return as retro courses, and Pipe Plaza returns as a playable battle course. Also, Wario Stadium seems to use elements from Waluigi Stadium. Some sound effects and some of the playable characters' voice clips are also taken from this game, and the character icons from the character select menu are used at the end of a Grand Prix race and a VS. match. The 3-2-1 starting countdown is also taken from this game, and it has appeared in every recurring game since then.
 * Super Mario 64 DS: All of the bosses, with the exception of King Whomp, return from this game. Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Yoshi also have voice clips recycled from this game.
 * Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: Many of Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled from this game.

References in later games

 * Nintendo Monopoly: The kart design on the space Mario Kart, the ? Block card "Take a spin in the Kart", and on the Brick Block card "Renew kart license" is the same from this game.
 * Mario Kart Wii: Yoshi Falls, Delfino Square, Desert Hills, and Peach Gardens appear as classic race courses. Twilight House is a classic battle course. The item roulette and countdown chimes were reused in this game. The opening portion of Rainbow Road's music is used in the music for Rainbow Road in this game.
 * Mario Sports Mix: Waluigi owns a pinball-themed course in this game, Waluigi Pinball.
 * Mario Kart 7: Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, DK Pass, and Airship Fortress appear as classic race courses. Palm Shore is a classic battle course. Also the design of the standard kart is similar but has a rounder appearance. Also, part of the credits theme is similar to that in Mario Kart DS, the karts B Dasher and Egg 1 re-appear too. The item roulette and countdown chimes were reused in this game once again.
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP 2: Several character-exclusive karts greatly resemble ones present in this game.
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP DX: Some of the character-exclusive karts present in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 return in this game.
 * Mario Kart 8: Cheep Cheep Beach, Wario Stadium, and Tick-Tock Clock return as classic race courses. The B Dasher returns as one of the four karts included in the first DLC pack.
 * Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: An arrangement of the music for Luigi's Mansion is used in . Shroom Ridge, Waluigi Pinball, Peach Gardens, and Mario Circuit reappear as classic courses in the Booster Course Pass.
 * Mario Kart Tour: Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, Shroom Ridge, DK Pass, Mario Circuit, Airship Fortress and Peach Gardens return as classic race courses. Twilight House returns as a classic battle course. The B Dasher, Poltergust 4000, Streamliner, Royale, Egg 1, Mushmellow, Rambi Rider and Dragonfly return as karts. Challenges with unique objectives return as the fourth and final race in every cup.

Trivia

 * This and Mario Kart Tour are the only Mario Kart games in which Lakitu does not start the races.
 * If the game is played on the original Nintendo DS, Mario says "Yahoo!" on the Nintendo logo screen, but if it is played on the DS Lite, DSi, 3DS, or Wii U, he instead says "Here we go!"
 * Mario Kart DS is one of the few Nintendo DS games with a "Language Block", meaning that the in-game language (except Japanese) is the same as that of the Nintendo DS system. Japanese is the only language available for Mario Kart DS releases in Japan.
 * On page 12 of the Mario Kart DS instruction booklet, the text for the Blooper reads, "Sprays ink on the all of the karts in front of you", where there is an erroneous "the" between "on" and "all". Earlier versions of the instruction booklet also featured a misspelling of "perform" as "perfprm" on page 9, but this was fixed in later releases of the booklet.