Mario Kart DS

I know that the Wii version probably reigns supreme over this game but sometimes it's nice to play portable online racing. If you ever want to my FC is 2622-8008-2622 and we can set something up!

I've played this game way more than Mario Kart Wii. I used to play this at work every day on every 15 minute break and every lunch break with co-workers. 2 years straight. We usually had about 7 people every time so it got pretty crazy. I use to mess with the less experienced racers and just follow them and hit them with all my items. I never fully learned how to snake but I'm a much better DS Karter than Wii Karter since I purposely handicap myself on the Wii by using the Wii Wheel.

Oh yes, I finally added your FC for this and AC:WW. We should set something up!

Absolutely. Shoot me a time and I'll be there!

Ugh I really like the Wii iteration better than this one, the controls are wonky and snaking is fail on it, to be sure.

Double post fail. Now stare at Karnovs jiggling titties.

This game was very excellent. A ton of value for the money. The thing that killed it for me was, as Tales mentioned- snaking. Snaking pissed me off to no end. "It's not cheating if everyone can do it." You know what? Bull crap. It's not fun if you have to snake just to compete. Major failure there, Nintendo. I like how they redesigned the mechanic on MKW to make certain that couldn't happen again. (You have to turn sharply or for a long time to make the sparks work.)

I'm going to give the nod to Mario Kart DS. Snaking was crap for sure but it wasn't much of a problem online as the usual hacking was, that can be found in both games. I had no problem with the controls. Felt like butter even without an analog stick.

Although I will say it pisses me off that automatic seems to work just as well or better than manual in MKW. You have to drive perfectly on manual to keep up with even someone of medium skill on automatic. Manual still has some advantage on turns, but at the price of poorer steering the rest of the time.

Gonna have to disagree on the manual vs. auto argument. I notice tremendous difference and easily, I mean EASILY, thwomp anyone using automatic. I didn't notice a difference in steering at all, except of course for the fact that you have to press R trigger (i use gcn controller) to drift instead of just turning.

I def. like Wii better than DS, ds controls are not nearly as tight.

You haven't raced my family. Ask Streex. And yes, regular steering (steering while not drifting,) is less responsive on manual than on automatic. They do that probably to make up for the fact that it would be impossible to corner on automatic otherwise. Yes, manual gives you an advantage on turns, because you can still make them better, (at least on vehicles with a tight drift,) and you do get the mini-boosts, but you lose agility compared to automatic when not drifting. This makes it tougher on straightaways and slight turns when fighting and dodging obstacles, which is constant in big multiplayer games.

(I still do manual, anyway, out of stubbornness, but it allows people of somewhat less skill than me to keep up.)

I use automatic because it's awkward for me to use manual with the Wii Wheel. This usually causes me to get blown out in races involving less than 4 racers. When we get a large group together and item usage is bountiful and confusion on the course rules, that's when I get my chance to go for gold.

I don't know how it happened, but Antilles' sister is now better than all of us.

Sorry, Antilles, I just can't agree. Never experienced any handicaps on straightaways, and if there are obstacles on the course I find manuals tighter feel to be the advantage, not the agility you speak of. It really boils down to preference, I suppose.

All I know is, no player using automatic has ever beat me that I know of. Online I obviously cannot monitor it, but when there are 4 of us in a room, shit, everyone I play with knows better than to use automatic; its instant failure.

I'll beat you with automatic ZeldAnTales! Well...we need to get a group of about 7 together. Then it can happen.

I'm pretty sure many of my family members will beat you with automatic as well. Streex and I used to be the best, but now they crush us.

You're too nice. I don't think I was ever the best. I was the best at my old job but that isn't saying much since many there were noobs. Talking about Mario Kart DS of course.

Nah. Manual or GTFO.

Ok... I'm getting the F out.

(Keep in mind, I'm still manual all the way.)

Another annoyance is that any time you swap out vehicles when driving manual, you have to completely adjust the way you drive, as they differ wildly in handling. On automatic, the handling differences are much, much less noticeable, since you don't have to deal with drift.

Also, and I could be totally wrong, but it seems to me as though automatic gets a slight speed increase to make up for their lack of mini-boosts. Totally unfair, I agree, but I wouldn't put it past Nintendo, (as much as I love them,) to do that in the interest of balance and allowing casual players to compete with hardcore ones.

C'mon Streex getcha ballz up and manual it up! :3

I use the Wii Wheel! Manual doesn't jive with it. Too awkward. And being the Peripheral Pimp, that's the way I have to roll.

And Antilles, I think you meant Nintendo gives a speed boost to those that use Automatic, not manual...I'm guessing. I haven't noticed that. Also it can be a struggle going from car to car using auto also. That's how I continue to challenge myself, by using a different dude each time.

Ack! Thanks. I fixed it.