  I just got my games back from my cousin who had borrowed them a while back. One is Mario Kart: Double Dash.
It's an excellent multiplayer game, and a mediocre single player game. Battle mode especially kicks butt. The Grand Prix race though is what you are left with for just single player though. In it, 16 characters, on 8 carts (paired in teams of 2) race around the various tracks to win the race. There are usually 3 laps, and there are four tracks in a Cup. Each race is scored based on how you placed, and then the overall score of the 4 tracks in the Cup is added together to determine who wins the trophy.
It's not simply Go-Karts though. There are items to pick up along the way. Actually, calling them weapons would be more accurate, although items is better as some are bonuses for your own kart. Along every track there are masses of these item blocks, and each character gets a chance at a special item unique to them and one other character. For example, Yoshi and Birdo are a pair, and they get eggs. These eggs race along the track until they impact the kart ahead of them and spill 3 items onto the track.
Whenever you get hit, you spin out, or are otherwise momentarily slowed up, making it easier for those behind you to catch up and pass you. Explosions are one of the worst things to happen to you. Not only do you get blown high in the air, you are blown straight up, so unlike some other items you can't still move forward a bit and maintain some of your momentum.
Also, you lose any items you were holding at the time. Generally, the game is well balanced, except for one item that I know some have complained about before. The blue koopa shell. This nasty little bugger is only given to players who are not in first place. And for good reason. This shell will fly along the track, totally avoiding anything that might stop it, and seeks out the first place player, and explodes around them. Very annoying to have the lead, and lose it because someone behind you managed to get this item.
There is absolutely no skill involved, and except for invincibility, essentially no way to avoid it. I realized something today while playing though that I think explains why the game designers put it in. When you are racing, and you take first place, you are in a very very safe position. There is no one ahead of you to lay stuff on the track to slow you down, and those behind you can do little to you after you managed to get a small lead.
Basically, if you are a good driver and manage to take first, the race is all but wrapped up. On the other hand, if you are in any other position, you are under assault from other karts both ahead and behind you. This is incredibly annoying, and makes it difficult to catch the first place player as all the karts further back are competing with each other, and so fall further behind the first place kart.
The blue koopa shell evens the odds a bit. It makes it much more dangerous to be in first than it otherwise would be. Overall, I think it is a good addition to the game. Makes it considerably more interesting to play. And more frustrating. But that's what it is all about, isn't it? I'm going to have a chance to play with a bunch of people in a couple of weeks. Four player races is going to be loads of fun. Can't wait. urlLink Blue Koopa Shell 
