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Jan 12th, 2007 at 05:18:29 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC) |
So my Mariokarting was again solo (hopefully for the last time).
This time I decided to take a closer look at why I think Mariokart has been such a hit (besides the social aspects talked about in my last blog).
Racing games are a favorite of mine in general due to the fact that they are easy to learn. The idea of staying on the road while using the gas and break are easy enough to understand. BUT, Mariokart has captured so much more than that. The weaponry provided by driving over the 'question marks' definaltey add a new demension to the game. They give the player something to improve on as they play the game besides the 'stay on the road' part. Each item is good for certain types of attacks/defenses atcertain instances. Mariokart also has other little 'goodies' such as shortcuts for many of the levels, and (one of my personal favorites) the 'blue sparks.' Other little things like the 'dash' that can be achieved in the beginning of the race are things that have become legendary in the mariokart series and again can be developed and leveraged for a more intensive game playing experirence.
I think by maintaining some of the traditions mentioned above while adding subtle new ones (like the blue sparks) allow Mariokart to keep coming back in newer systems. Oh, having better graphics each time is nice too :)
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Jan 12th, 2007 at 04:56:43 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC) |
Normally I am inclined to play double dash with groups of people, however, it is just my luck that I have no one is awake to play with me at this moment in time.
First of all, a little bit of background on me as a 'gamer.' I consider myself a mild expert at a few games with little or no interest in learning very many new ones. As far as mariokart is concerned, I have played considerable amounts of the game on snes, 64, and gc.
My love of this game comes mainly (I think) from its ability to get a lot of people involved in the game at one time. This is especially true for the 64 and gc versions of the game. I like to think that playing video games can be a very social activity. So today, while playing all alone, I started to look for things that made mariokart favorable as a 'get together' game.
One of the great things about the game cube version of this game is the different ways in which 1 up to 4 people can play the game. You can work alone, in pairs, or mix and match. For example, if you have a new gamer learning mariokart, they can work with an 'expert' by being the 2nd driver in a car. This allows them to participate by firing weapons and punching other drivers without having to be an expert themselves.
This game is also great in that it allows you to pick characters and cars for your race, as well as the course on which you will race. Again, you can mix and match skill levels by picking characters and/or cars based on the experience level for each of the drivers.
In short, its the costomizability (is that a word) coupled with a multiplayer design that makes this racing game enjoyable as a group experience.
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Nemo has been with GameLog for 17 years, 10 months, and 12 days |
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