Over the 4th of July weekend I dragged an extra TV into my living room, bought some hooch, had a few friends over, and decided to fire up a Double Dash LAN session for the first time. Since there was only 4 of us we didnt need a LAN, truth be told, but more screen space is always a plus.
Setup was easy enough, but we were met with disappointment early when we discovered there was no Bob-omb Battle option. Weaksauce. It would likely be far too hectic on most maps with 5+ karts, but thats no reason to exclude it. Instead we tried out Balloon Battle, which turned out to be fairly entertaining, but nothing spectacular. If youve played any of the previous Balloon Battle incarnations in the series, you know what to expect here.
Fortunately, the unexpected star of the night was the previously untouched Shine Thief mode. Holy shit. For those that arent familiar with Shine Thief, you essentially grab the Shine sprite and try to be one holding it when the timer runs out. The other players attack the driver with the Shine. A successful attack knocks the Shine from their grasp and prevents the now previous owner from immediately reclaiming it for a few brief seconds. When the Shine is dropped, the timer resets based on how long its been captured, how many people have held it, and how much time is left when its dropped. Since the clock always resets to a minimum of 11 seconds, you always have a chance of reclaiming the Shine before the game ends.
The matches are fast and frantic, and because there is no kart or driver selection between games, the action is nearly non-stop. The random assignment of karts and drivers was a smart (perhaps unintentional?) move and compliments the games pace quite nicely and its effect on game balance is minimal. Youll be so busy screaming as your friends hound you relentlessly or laughing maniacally as you steal their Shine with a well-aimed green shell, you wont care what youre driving or who is driving it.
Unfortunately, we didnt get around to trying out the Grand Prix mode. Hopefully in coming weeks well get a chance to give it a spin. I have a feeling I wont care for random kart assignment in this instance, and I dont think its necessary considering the considerable amount of play time between Cups.
Though it has already been pointed out by nearly every gamer on the planet, the game is just begging to be online, as are most of Nintendos peripheral Mario based franchises. That being said, if a future Mario Kart does provide online play, I hope the LAN play isnt ignored. With a bunch of friends (and maybe a little alcohol), even with its flaws and quirks (give me more maps and my Bob-omb Battle!), its not to be missed.
Setup was easy enough, but we were met with disappointment early when we discovered there was no Bob-omb Battle option. Weaksauce. It would likely be far too hectic on most maps with 5+ karts, but thats no reason to exclude it. Instead we tried out Balloon Battle, which turned out to be fairly entertaining, but nothing spectacular. If youve played any of the previous Balloon Battle incarnations in the series, you know what to expect here.
Fortunately, the unexpected star of the night was the previously untouched Shine Thief mode. Holy shit. For those that arent familiar with Shine Thief, you essentially grab the Shine sprite and try to be one holding it when the timer runs out. The other players attack the driver with the Shine. A successful attack knocks the Shine from their grasp and prevents the now previous owner from immediately reclaiming it for a few brief seconds. When the Shine is dropped, the timer resets based on how long its been captured, how many people have held it, and how much time is left when its dropped. Since the clock always resets to a minimum of 11 seconds, you always have a chance of reclaiming the Shine before the game ends.
The matches are fast and frantic, and because there is no kart or driver selection between games, the action is nearly non-stop. The random assignment of karts and drivers was a smart (perhaps unintentional?) move and compliments the games pace quite nicely and its effect on game balance is minimal. Youll be so busy screaming as your friends hound you relentlessly or laughing maniacally as you steal their Shine with a well-aimed green shell, you wont care what youre driving or who is driving it.
Unfortunately, we didnt get around to trying out the Grand Prix mode. Hopefully in coming weeks well get a chance to give it a spin. I have a feeling I wont care for random kart assignment in this instance, and I dont think its necessary considering the considerable amount of play time between Cups.
Though it has already been pointed out by nearly every gamer on the planet, the game is just begging to be online, as are most of Nintendos peripheral Mario based franchises. That being said, if a future Mario Kart does provide online play, I hope the LAN play isnt ignored. With a bunch of friends (and maybe a little alcohol), even with its flaws and quirks (give me more maps and my Bob-omb Battle!), its not to be missed.
