I got the Mario Kart DS Beta Cartridge

I got my hands on a prototype version of Mario Kart DS - let's explore it!
This is the Mario Kart DS "USA Kiosk Demo", a demo version of MKDS from before the game released with only certain tracks playable, but it contains many interesting and strange differences from the final release. There's also a ton of unused content in the cartridge, ranging from early versions of tracks, cut tracks, graphics of removed items, menus and more! Let's take a look at what it has to offer...
Big thanks to The Cutting Room Floor for documenting the unused content and many of the changes covered in this video. I didn't go over absolutely everything there is to the Mario Kart DS Kiosk Demo, so if you want to learn more about it (or more about cut content from other games) then I highly recommend checking them out: tcrf.net/Proto:Mario_Kart_DS/...
Credit to SaltRad for the Donkey Kong Dancing green screen.

[@Toadfan]

Quick correction about the Shroom Ridge van: L and R don't sound similar to each other in Japanese because they don't separately exist in the language. There's only a sound that's basically a hybrid between our L and R. Thanks to Noble_Trash for pointing this out!

[@Im_Basty]

Thanks for the clarification

[@burnt-potatoes]

Also the file name for piranha plant pipeline is called “mob_dk” which stands for “Mobile Dokan”.

[@b_l_a_c_k-l_i_t_e]

Lmao nice edit😂(didnt address it at all, and this isnt a comedy channel), but seriously what did u pay for that?

[@dizzydaisy909]

The Japanese L/R sound is in English sometimes as a t/d sound which is neato :O

[@tacothedank]

Every so often I remember it and it's crazy to me that the entire Japanese language just doesn't have the "L" sound (or the "V")

[@LandonEmma]

FUN FACT: The DS Modding Community found this kiosk cart in 2005, it was documented a lot before many tools existed for opening DS files, without them it probably wouldn't have been documented for years.

[@baddumtiss6541]

we? Where were you in this

[@LandonEmma]

@@baddumtiss6541 I mean the DS community

[@larrygriffin4343]

​@@baddumtiss6541 why act so hostile...?

[@wertyxq3468]

We were also responsible for building two nuclear bombs and sending them to japan. I mean, the american community. Where's the money and fame?

[@UJustGotGamed]

@@wertyxq3468 i'm responsible for shitting

[@thatdovick29]

Heres a fun fact: 3DS Toad Circuit's layout is actually a mirrored layout of dokan_course, so if you play 150cc mirror on Toad Circuit, you're basically playing dokan_course's layout, just not the map entirely

[@Bluebatstar]

Imagine if these kinds of beta games were far more common, it'd be really cool. It's kinda bizarre seeing a game I grew up with being so different.

[@Toadfan]

There are many early builds of games I wish we knew more about... Really hope more end up surfacing in the future, bet that Mario Galaxy E3 2006 build is hiding a lot of interesting stuff...

[@Toadfan]

@@dylanbanning Found it on eBay

[@Toadfan]

@@dylanbanning No, and I can't see any on eBay right now but I'm sure if you check every week or so you'll eventually find one. They usually ain't cheap though, so keep that in mind

[@STICKOMEDIA]

​@@Toadfanfr

[@zdelrod829]

@@dylanbanning There's an upload of it on the Internet Archive.

[@iDeactivateMC]

This was a really interesting watch, great video! I want a Mario Kart DS Beta cartridge of my own now hahah

[@user-gw2gj2wl3s]

WOW your here awesome.

[@siderinc]

They pop up quite regularly

[@jytvreal]

I use to watch magmamusin and your minecraft videos almost daily nice to see a legend in 2023

[@98SE]

​@@jytvrealsame here back in ~2013.

[@MonkeyMod]

Oo

[@OliGamesCool]

Prototypes are interesting, as seeing what games looked like in development

[@NaraSherko]

Hi!

[@OliGamesCool]

@@NaraSherkohi

[@TheHutchIsOn]

Water is wet

[@SanicStudios]

i don't know why but the "FLESH" van is just absolutely hilarious to me

[@Thatonerandompersonlol65]

*F L E S H*

[@SuperToad128]

Got my hands on one of these almost 10 years ago for a little over $70. Curious as to whether that was cheaper or more expensive then what you got it for. Regardless, I had so much fun discovering what tracks initially/could of looked like when I plugged it in my Action Replay and entered David’s cheat codes. Was crazy to play it in hand and I spent hours going around the pipe course

[@Toadfan]

They're definitely more expensive these days, so you got lucky. It's cool hearing someone else's experience with the kiosk demo though, playing these older tracks and seeing what could have been is really fascinating

[@VenerabIe]

I also got this cart around a decade ago for fairly cheap! Cool to know it's still out there and still of interest to people.

[@padlowan]

With the pink shell at 15:15, I've seen pink be used as a kind of placeholder colour before, so it's possible they were just using it as a base to apply a green or red colour to. They could have been planning on using the same file for similar textures or just using the pink shell as a starting point when creating shell textures. (Correct me if I'm wrong this is pure speculation)

[@sneslover4158]

It looks like the shells of the new Mario Wonder Koopas

[@Antonio-vf2xj]

It remembers me alot of New Super Mario Bros Ds (dang long name) Maybe some cheat code? some glitch? some game file? or maybe its just the low quality image

[@VT8104]

This video is really good, the editing is great and I enjoyed everything you covered! Also the script is really good!

[@codezero7981]

Mario Kart DS beta version is probably one of my favorite early builds.

[@beanzard64]

It’s always cool to see this kind of thing. Great video!

[@LandonEmma]

It’s the dude!

[@wolfcl0ck]

Finally, a video about an *actual* beta build cart, and not just a standard "not for sale" kiosk demo build that's basically just the final version with things taken out. And what do you know, it's for a game I spent many, *many* hours playing with friends as a kid. Congrats on getting a physical copy!

[@wolfcl0ck]

Oh by the way, I suspect that a lot of the visual details in the beta build that are absent in the final game were probably removed not out of a fear of memory or space or anything, but for design reasons. With a screen as small as the original DS's was, you generally want to minimize how much visual noise you have so that players with poorer eyesights can still make out what's going on. I suspect this is the reason for the moving paintings, Lakitu's shadow,

[@Toadfan]

That's a good theory!

[@MagiCarson08]

That’s no scratch game. Jokes aside, really well done video man! I’m now very sad about E Gadd though.

[@Toadfan]

E Gadd deserves better, lets hope he gets the same treatment as Kamek someday...

[@ninstars]

Waluigi Pinball being originally named after Luigi makes quite a lot of as he had a casino in Super Mario 64 DS.

[@Toadfan]

Good point, now I want a Luigi casino minigame-themed track haha

[@theradman9478]

The cartridge icon of this uses the MarioKart DoubleDash model as well as a red recolor of Toad's kart from the same game

[@dexogames]

Your editing is so clean now, worth the wait!

[@Poyostar]

Gosh, you are so lucky to own such a rare item. I truly hope you keep it in your collection, and be sure not to lose it!

[@ages_dot_mp4]

I've had the demo since literally years and never knew you could zoom in and out of the mini map 💀

[@RKIOrbMage]

This was such a cool video! The editing is on point, and as a massive fan of this game, seeing all of this was awesome!

[@bobby4tw]

What's with the cleaning rubber gloves?

[@treivo]

Man, the editing of this video is AMAZING. Even in 17:21 you can see "Mockup" on the top left, love this details!

[@Nonxisting]

I'm actually really glad you made a video on this. A friend of mine and I were literally looking at this demo on eBay a few weeks ago talking about it and were disappointed to not find any in-depth look at it online really at all, and I wasn't bothered to buy it since it was so expensive. It's super cool to see someone else express an interest in it and actually go in-depth about it. Very good video!

[@LandonEmma]

You will never understand how so many people loved the kiosk demo, that people would take the Yoshi statue and put it in other games.

[@nathanielhermanson6987]

Because the music is better

[@SuperJonBlake]

Put this video on while going to bed- didn't expect it to hold my attention all the way through! Great editing and coverage, thanks for showcasing this cool info.

[@The524Toadetteguy]

I always wonder what was inside the kiosks or how there played on them

[@z-fam2013]

Well now you know! Also im first

[@Thatonerandompersonlol65]

​@@z-fam2013👉🚪

[@wavedave.-]

Video was incredible well made! Keep it up man

[@storm_corn]

This is the first time I've seen a video of yours and was so impressed! I was a Scratch kid and loved playing your games years ago. It's so cool to see what you've moved on to.

[@8Bit_Studio]

"I spent a lot on this" *1$*

[@savebatsfromscratch]

Oh I am SO GLAD this blew up, you deserve it!

[@Minefnafer22]

Awesome video! I love the editing!

[@_fudgepop01]

Davidevgen is a LEGEND - i literally would’ve never gotten into action replay codes or modding or even game development in general if not for being inspired and awestruck by the awesome codes he made and shared on the ol’ forums ^^ Omg - SUPASTARRIO TOO (@ 11:50 or so), seeing them appear in a video unexpectedly is so cool ahahah

[@LandonEmma]

Same! I actualy talk to him on Discord do you want his tag?

[@thenamesjames3922]

Dang awesome editing, didn't expect this from a smaller creator. Nice vid!

[@hawk2978]

Idk how you only have 5k subs your vids are really high quality and entertaining

[@user-ln1ez7sp8m]

I like watching your videos, it's fun and I actually enjoyed your videos!

[@FrancescoRosi27]

oh my god, I was a huge fan of your Scratch games when I was younger, so good to see you on KZbin as well! great video man!

[@yourmomsboyfriend3337]

I looked at your channel and thought it said 5.25M, and I totally believed it. Your editing skills, research skills, and interest in this topic shines and you are definitely on your way to a successful channel imo

[@AnniePrettyFace]

A really well made and fun video to watch!! Ty!!

[@mrhello39]

I love your projects and quality videos, keep up the good work!

[@chillysu]

absolutely loved this video ! WE DEMAND MORE LIKE THIS

[@elluciano5808]

I like how this channel is the perfect balance between goofy and serious

[@Omega1233]

i remember this r4 i had was pre-loaded with the kiosk demo and that was so cool to me! it was what sparked my interest in pre-release games, modding, ect

[@dyll_pyckle]

Great vid!! Super informative and extremely well edited.

[@austintunon4435]

Yoshi Falls😭 and literally falls from the screen 9:46 😭😂

[@De_Gekke_Lamas]

Fun fact: the mario kart ds booklet that comes with the box also uses the old double dash sprites

[@hhh2092]

this is so cool to see, mario kart ds holds a special place in my heart

[@realyasu]

awesome video! keep up the great work! :)

[@iangchang]

First time watching your videos. Loved the editing ❤

[@TheTomatoWatcher]

This stuff fascinates me as well :) Awesome video! ^^ Loved the editing gags in this one btw wario endlessly falls into a void.mp4

[@mrdarknezz6285]

It’s pretty impressive that you got your hands on a prototype cartridge of Mario Kart DS

[@iamdeadofficial]

This video is very good, I also own a copy of the kiosk demo and yeah your right about it being pricey that’s for sure 😂 but keep up the amazing work man

[@spongebobrocks1187]

Just randomly got recommended a video from someone who's games I played on Scratch a long time ago, but I'm glad because this video's actually pretty good.

[@DaTwilightGamer]

I own that demo too. Found mine at a yardsale.

[@LandonEmma]

That’s crazy

[@MatchaFoxx]

Ooo, so excited to watch this! I got this cart when I was younger and it’s still my favorite rare not for resale/beta content I own. 😁

[@UnderscoreAngel]

i already knew about the Beta and the stuff it had, but Toadfan this video absolutely ROCKS! keep it up!

[@Fundores]

That’s so cool! I’d love to have a piece of Nintendo history like this

[@TetrisBlock001]

This video makes me want to replay MarioKart DS again.

[@oth5secs]

they ended up going for a more futuristic (at the time) vibe to the game compared to Double Dash's cartooniness. Makes sense for the DS

[@Emel_unlegit]

glad to have found someone also intrested in early versions of games. I probably spend days of my life on the cutting room floor or on youtube videos about early versions/betas of games 10:50 finally a mentioning of the hit game ARMS in 2023

[@Nightcaat]

This is a really well edited video! When did you get yours? I got outbid in July and it would be funny if it was this one

[@Toadfan]

I got mine back in December, so that wouldn't have been me

[@dominic0305]

I remember you from back in the day on Scratch! I was one of the people on the Scralaxy Team. This is a really good video by the way, I love the editing and it's very informative too. Keep it up!

[@Toadfan]

Thanks! Recognise you too :)

[@intentcement8631]

bro why tf are your videos so good

[@verylongchannelhandle]

Lovely video btw, really well made! keep it up ^^

[@user-bb2op9he1x]

i like how a lot mario kart games resembles the game before it in the beta stage in many ways what happened to ds with double also happened with wii and ds with being similar to ds at the beginning

[@orsonzedd]

So if you're curious why it is that dk pass music is so much different than the final it's because it originally wasn't a snowy course. It was just the jungle course

[@Alejandro-eq7xq]

Tbh, a jungle version of DK Pass would be better

[@epicgamerzfail4575]

Interesting to see that a lot of early mkds was just borrowing a lot from double dash. Makes sense since it was the most recent game before it. Shame we never got to see chain chomp become a staple though

[@Philboi_DK]

Crazy good content!

[@elwen8525]

man this makes me incredibly nostalgic for mk ds

[@NathanCleek]

What an excellent video!

[@NotShard1]

imagine if this was originally just mario kart double dash ds because there is so many stuff from mkdd

[@CyberNutz69]

I was laughing my ass off when you put Space Race in the background when you said "The Nintendo Vault" at 12:01, nice video!

[@Toadfan]

Ayy someone noticed haha

[@omegahaxors3306]

12:33 OOooo that actually makes sense because Luigi works as a dealer in a casino.

[@watchf]

Yatsee?

[@rampagekurt5030]

What an unexpected banger I’ve stumbled upon

[@luckynow7]

the video editing and your script is really funny and engaging lmao, it was neat! loved seeing all the subtle and major changes of the game. and i think i laughed harder than i shouldve at the "yoshi falls" part ive also always wondered why final games keep their unused/unfinished files... not that i know anything about game design and all that intricate stuff but wouldnt it be nicer to remove all that "bloat" from the final thing? im not complaining though, because then we wouldnt have cool videos like this 😳

[@Toadfan]

Glad you enjoyed :) About the unused files, I'd have to guess its either because Nintendo just forgot about them or didn't see the point of deleting them, as the file size of MKDS didn't really matter as long as it was below the max capacity of a standard DS cartridge. So say for example all the "used" content of MKDS took up half the capacity of a DS cartridge, having some unused tracks or models left in there doesn't really make a difference, unless there's many, many of them. I don't think this sort of thing mattered too much until downloading games directly to consoles became widely adopted, though we do still see unused content in more recent games for whatever reason, e.g. the "Giga Mushroom" inside Bowser's Fury.

[@fuatyyy]

The old player results screen look so amazing

[@Dan_K_Meme]

Very funny and interesting video, I subbed!

[@AJwingo2006]

This games Beta is very interesting to hear about 🤔. It's like seeing a game that I always have grown up to play every second of the day in my childhood and seeing what it would of have looked like is just so interesting to me and I'm pretty sure alot of people who grew up with the game like me may say the same to. By the way they kept that green background for character select for the multiplayer lobby room in the final 👍

[@Rafix]

awesome video man! :D

[@Captain_Goomba]

Toadfan: I'm glad we got the goofier sounding Donkey Kong we all know and love instead Dashie: Yeah sure

[@qqjonson1234]

The GCN mario circut is the beta version (But in the final it lacks the chain chomp) and has goombas i beleive idk i haven't played mario kart ds for 9 years.

[@betterthanbrooklyn5806]

Really cool and interesting video! The icon is not creepy or uncanny for me however and I am frustrated that I don't see it that way...

[@dooto]

Wait toadfan?! Omg you have come so far - i have only seen you on scratch until now!

[@NerkMineRaiste]

Nice video !

[@daebxy]

Hands down one of the best Mario Kart’s ever

[@Kris18]

Thank you for your approach on this video! I'm so sick of tons of super padded videos with tons of worthless speculation thrown in, obnoxious reaction cuts/skits, fake enthusiasm, obscenely long backstory/intro that doesn't matter, etc. You showed us what you found, showed footage or sprites when applicable, and kept the "fluff" to a tasteful minimum. And not only that, but you present everything concisely and and in a logical way. Also, kudos for credits and referencing TCRF. That site is amazing. Anyway, mini-rant aside, I mean to say I love the way you put this video together. Thank you!

[@raulgalets]

I agree, the green is beautiful

[@VT8104]

OH MY GOD THIS BLEW UP GOOD JOB GETTING INTO THE ALGORITHM AGAIN

[@VT8104]

ALSO IT DESERVES IT BC IT'S JUST A REALLY GOOD VIDEO

[@JRS06]

There's a lot of things in the prototype version I wish had made it to the final game: E.Gadd, the purple shell, the chain chomp, the bowser shell, Nokonoko_Course, Dokan_Course, SEQ_Circuit 2 and quite a bit more. I'm glad GCN Mario Circuit and Block City were cut as the former got a better remake in Wii and the latter would've been most likely ruined.

[@Emma-xm9gb]

Off topic, but the drawing part at 3:38 sent a surge of nostalgia through me, I totally forgot you could do that in Mario Kart for the DS!

[@TechBaffle]

Very cool to see the beta cartridge! Looks like they polished quite a bit, and give it more of a DS rather than Gamecube aesthetic.

[@Megamon0001]

I have one of those, I knew I had to get it since MKDS gave me such fun with balloon battles on the block fort

[@poisonousPoint]

that early version of waluigi pinball honestly looks more fun than the one we got

[@Enlightenment0172]

17:11 That's my ringtone, I'll be back to the video after I take this call hold on

[@CesarRosasJr]

It's so cool to collect things as valuable like these

[@fantaorangee]

I swear I had a conversation with this lad in tesco once

[@Jemmysponz1]

thanks for sharing

[@Vantoxify]

cool video man

[@luketpd]

Hey, I found out the reason why there is a shell that's pink (maybe). So uhm, in the nes when you wanted to draw a sprite to the screen and you wanted it to have transparency you put a color that will semnalate that it dosen't exist. Usually devs use the color pink (the type of pink from that shell) to do that as it's not usually used in games. Maybe they wanted to go with a simpler route, to just change that color into another one (like red or green) for more storage and performance. I don't know how to check the files of a rom, but i estimate there is not a green shell and red shell. If there are the green and red shell that means maybe it was supposed to be used as a new item but it just got scrapped. I belive it was releated to the poison in new super mario bros. Working like a red shell but affected a little bit more. Anyway, I really enjoyed this video, you should make more of these! I suggest Super Mario 64!

[@BinglesP]

Very small thing to compliment ik but I love how this guy calls design elements on the cartridge "badges". It's pretty a cute, understandable and unusual(at least to me) word choice

[@jakebodicoat2164]

Insane content and editing for such a low sub count, bravo 👏