Mario Kart: Double Dash | An Underrated Masterpiece

The highest selling Mario Kart games are often the ones remembered most as they reached the most people, but there's one Mario Kart game that despite being one of the worst-selling entries in the series, is honestly a true contender for best Mario Kart game, that game is Mario Kart: Double Dash!! In this video I take a deep dive into the game and explore its many aspects. I hope you enjoy this Mario Kart: Double Dash retrospective.
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[@sonicfan9144]

This is also arguably the prettiest Mario Kart game. The color palette is so vibrant, and the animation style is so charming.

[@1MyNickname1]

Another special thing about Double Dash no other Mario Kart has, driving all tracks in one giant cup.

[@islaamSama]

Yes it’s finally here! :] Double Dash is just such a good vibe, though I still don’t understand WHY we can’t have double racers back on a cart. It was such a fun idea and hope it comes back soon. Also I didn’t learn Petey Piranha and King Boo were even in this game until last year. :D have a good start to the week everyone (and good morning Mariomikester! Hopefully Petey Piranha comes back in the next DLC wave)

[@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4]

They should also have character exclusive item. It’s harder on a character roaster like this so they may choose to have character set exclusive items rather than per 1 or 2 characters.

[@leonardocaschetto8785]

@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4yeah but i think some people would argue like in smash with the echo fighters

[@anastasiskal2608]

Good news. Petey is back!

[@YoSolo7]

I’m from the future. Your Petey wish has been granted

[@masterpip8891]

For me this game is a childhood classic i always knew this game was a hidden gem and man it rlly does give off that nostalgic vibe

[@PixieMuse1134]

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣🆎️🆎️🆎️🆎️🆎️🆎️1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣🆎️🆎️🆎️🆎️🆎️

[@lalotime]

The soundtrack in the game is unreal. The character selection theme is beautiful

[@YounesLayachi]

Absolutely. And the end credits music 😭 Rainbow Road in particular, this was my first mario kart and racing game as a kid, and when I played rainbow road for the very first time, I was so entranced by the music, I felt transported onto another planet and didn't fall into the void at all, despite 8 years old me being unfamiliar with slippery tracks in general and the layout of this track suspended over the void with little to no guardrails... It only happened the first time though, all the subsequent times I fell off like everyone else xD

[@MDE128]

Way better than Mario Kart 8’s music.

[@LearBrian]

I like the circuit music, city, and sherbet land, and rainbow road themes

[@susiehaltmann3342]

@@YounesLayachiits called a road

[@mattdeluccia153]

That final credits song with the crunchy piano is amazing

[@legendoflink0031]

I wanted this game so bad as a kid. I even dreamed of owning it, the dream was so vivid that I legit woke up and rushed downstairs only to find that I still didn’t own the game. And it’s always stuck with me because of how real it felt. It wasn’t until around 6 months later I got it as a birthday present! It came with a memory card with a Double Dash sticker on it :)

[@evolgrim4139]

That’s awesome! I had the game when i was 3-8 then it got too scratched, I went years of wanting to play it so bad, to go back to those nostalgic memories I had of me and my friends n brother all playing it until about a week ago, I was at a retro game store and I saw it, at that moment I didn’t give a crap how much it was I thin it was like 85 bucks but nonetheless I just wanted it so bad I got it

[@jessicastoker8932]

Back in the day, my cousin and I set a World Record on Mushroom City because of the "shifting weight/punching" mechanic in co-op mode. We studied the hell out of a bunch of courses, and then figured out how to min-max our speed and handling to get an absolutely ridiculous time, because he could take corners faster than anyone should be able to, by simply punching constantly. Which was BRILLIANT. Racing motorcycles and karts with a passenger is an actual sport, and it requires that the passenger lean their weight one way or another to counter-balance the vehicle to keep it going as fast as possible through turns, and stay upright. And that's what it felt like in-game. I think people who just played it thinking "it's like Mario Kart, but sometimes I don't really do anything" were missing the potential - and the point - of the mode.

[@user-ri5tp5zi8u]

That’s awesome!

[@dbzbudeaucaille2711]

You forgot to mention that this game had a LAN multiplayer mode up to 8 players, which was obviously a mess since it requires 2 TVs, 2 GameCubes and 2 copies of the game in the same room. Nintendo really wanted to experience the craziest possibilities with this game, which makes a very unique Mario Kart episode.

[@SentinelHirsc]

Up to 16*! You could LAN 8 kart co-op

[@YounesLayachi]

Smash DX also had a 16 player LAN tournament mode

[@MysticNinTorres]

Although I never grew up playing MKDD as a child, I still admire it as one of the most unique releases that not many seem to know about.

[@imaginationsquare]

Don't worry, I know it, I just don't like it

[@OmegaRejectz]

@@imaginationsquare why?

[@horizonfios]

@@imaginationsquareit’s a fun game square😂

[@imaginationsquare]

@@OmegaRejectz I have to be honest, the biggest reason is that I absolutely can't stand the camera in the game, it litterally makes me sick how much it moves, but on top of that, the game just never clicked with me

[@jigzyonline]

It was so fun as a kid, all Mario games on GCN were!

[@NoctarYT]

Underrated mechanic: being able to switch between your items. PLEASE let this be in the next Mario Kart!

[@supersmashmaster43]

Double dash really pioneered how mario kart is today and how it was moving forward, it sucks how it's pretty underrated compared to the rest, with the exception of super circuit, and maybe 7. This was also my first mario kart game and I loved everything about it. Never had a problem with the controls since it was my first mario kart so I wasn't used to any of the other games, but revisiting it years later after playing wii and all the other games, I can see how most find it hard to adjust to. I really love the fast nature of the game, the double dash really is emphasized in the races and every single moment feels thrilling and chaotic! It kinda feels like the melee of mario karts when it comes to speed. Also something else I love is just the details and look of this game, the way all the clouds, flowers, fireballs, iceblocks have eyes and smiles on them, the effects and sounds of this game, the vibrance of everything makes this game feel so alive and dynamic and has made it age so well after nearly 20 years, and makes this game so nostalgic for me. Just mario/luigi circuit music alone brings me back to the first few times I played this game when I was 3-4 years old in my cousins basement back when I had no worries in the world. Double dash will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@Rezector]

i love this comment

[@HydroSnorter3000]

@@RezectorI don’t

[@afrohead_k1ng]

8:13 I knew I wasn't the only one who thought Mario kart 8 was way to easy. Seriously they need to bring back the chaos of double dash and wii

[@mecxu761]

That why i'm boring with mk8 unlike the others mk

[@VilifiedOne]

MK8 is super easy and honestly boring. 7 was a little better but you unlock everything in 150cc, so the rest of the game is actually useless.

[@lilyhat]

People thought the co-op mode was boring? I really liked it! It's how I taught my younger sibling how to play mario kart (They'd manage the items, and I'd drive, and then when we got to easy parts we'd switch off so they could give it a shot). I think this game will always hold a special place for me because of those memories :D

[@sartorialdriver6528]

I like double dash more than any of the others because it hits the nice medium of not being too simple without being overly complex. The ones that can after just seem too bloated with mechanics.

[@diabeticman2194]

My first Mario Kart, and the one I'm most nostalgic for. Loved the double racer mechanic, the tracks are fantastic (Daisy Cruiser, Waluigi Stadium, Dino Dino Jungle and Yoshi Circuit are all bangers), the battle mode is the best it's ever been and the little details of the interconnected world is so cool! Playing with my brother is a core memory, and the All-Cup Tour is a great finale

[@kenyaholloway-reliford8213]

The gamecube era of Mario is really nostalgic. The character designs and aesthetics were so iconic and colorful.

[@FH4Player6397]

Even though MKWii is my all time favourite Mario Kart game, I love MKDD! I still have it on my gamecube!

[@user-ri5tp5zi8u]

That’s supprising! Every Wii fan I’ve asked has hated it. I like Wii too because if it’s great tracks, but I hate the gameplay. I feel like DD did chaos much better because it never feels disheartening or unfun

[@teslafistforge8716]

This game was the first game I ever played and I still adore it to this day.

[@fierce.deity00]

Double Dash is the Mario Kart that taught me mastery over this franchise. Unlocking the parade kart is a high that I continue to chase and have still been unable to replicate

[@DubTheProducer]

Most underrated feature I didn't see anyone mention is that this game also ran at 60fps even when playing 4 player split-screen unlike ALL the new ones. My family is very competitive so this was a deal breaker for the new Mario karts because they ran crappy at 30fps on anything over 2 player split-screen forcing us to always bust out DD on family game nights to this day.

[@DanielDapple]

I've played this game with my family since the early 2000s, and made so many great memories together. My best friend and I played the co-op mode non-stop one year, and had probably one of the best Mario Kart experiences yet. Once we both synergized movement and communication, it felt like nothing was gonna stop us. Thanks for making this retrospective; it's nice to reflect back on fun games like these.

[@Vack91]

The double dash mode was much more impressive than it seemed; besides stealing items, the R and L punches, as you said, could alter the driver's course, so it could also be used to save ’em from falling off, hitting a banana or going the wrong way, I loved to be in the back-sit. And, of course, the double dash, which was literally the double super boost you could gain by hitting at the same time in the beginning, and when drifting together. And, of course, focusing just on throwing items, you become deadly weaponry, hehe.

[@artyhist]

Must have been 2004, myself and childhood best friend were gifted a gamecube by her brother with 4 games- MKDD, Animal Crossing, Tony Hawk & Crazy Taxi. We played all 4 constantly!! This will always be my favourite MK, she used to drive and id throw! Thanks for the nostalgia- not a huge fan of the new MK, i feel it was ruined beyond the wii version. DS is a close second to this one. Maybe i’m just old now!

[@HBRO_04]

Mario kart double dash my childhood man :(. I cry everytime I remember double dash because I just wish I can play that game again but retro gaming is hard and I don’t have a PC. Damn I love playing at my after school program every Friday.

[@AndreValentine-dm5fw]

I emulate it on a Samsung galaxy a14 if you have a decent phone you can play it again my dude

[@HolyAarom]

I understand the LAN mode not being mentioned, but I wanna say it does have an interesting approach to it and is worth a try if you ever have a decent group of people willing to try it. All players get a random pair and kart selection, and all characters can use all special items like Petey/King Boo. While on paper that sounds disastrous since it removes strategy and you're at the mercy of whatever the game gives you, I think it's brilliant at seeing if you can race with anything (and not rely on Diddy/Koopas/Bowser Jr. on Barrel Train/Bill Blaster.)

[@Combat6271]

Wiggling left and right to build a mini turbo feels great and feels more engaging Laughs in Mario kart DS

[@harizonflamingice3167]

My personal guess as to why having double racers hasn't come back is that they did it so well in Double Dash that there wasn't a need to do it again (though I do miss special items). This is possibly my favorite Mario Kart and it certainly has my favorite Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road.

[@praxeria3680]

Two drivers mechanic would been so perfect for the switch

[@PhilipGamez]

Mario Kart Double Dash!! is one of my favorites in the entire Mario Kart series! Oh how I wish for another game like it! Nice review man! 😁😁😁

[@danielal.h_youtube]

Currently 2:21am in london, binge watching your retrospectives whilst playing acnh. I’m a natural fan of video essays in general but as an autistic person, I LOVE the constant format your videos have. Not only is it easy to understand for new viewers (like me four hours ago) but it’s fun to tune into for old viewers (like me in an hour). So well written and interesting and even funny at times. Keep it up :))

[@williamsholidayinflatablec]

I remember playing this on the Game Cube at my Youth Summer Camp during the late 2000’s

[@lildplushandgames7959]

Awesome video sharing info about Mario kart double dash its explains a lot I love it

[@jimmy33music]

Love videos like this. Great job, and thanks dude 😄

[@XXXmarquise]

Double Dash was one of the first games I ever played on the Gamecube, my mom and I enjoyed doing the Final Cup Tour on weekends and racing each other. Toadette and Daisy were my favorite combo! Sometimes King Boo instead for all of the special items. Much love to this game ❤

[@Fatih_M177]

I would honestly like to see more Mario Kart Games have gimmicks like these, Double Dash is my absolute favorite Mario Kart game ever, and i had so much fun playing it, They don't need to have a gimmick be the main selling point of a Mario Kart game but rather as a mode or toggle, i think that would be the best. i'm just mad Donkey Kong Jr wasn't able to playable in the game as he was originally meant to XD.

[@arin4395]

this brings back great memories :') i rlly miss my copy of double dash . fantastic video as always !

[@nohead7665]

I love those kind of videos, keep up the great work!

[@Invictyn]

My first game was MKDS and I always had so much fun being able to play that wherever I went. It was also the first game to properly introduce retro tracks to the franchise so I got to enjoy some of the GCN tracks on there. Mushroom Bridge was always one of my favourites in that game because you had to dodge the cars and it made for a cool challenge. Also the battle tracks that came back from Double Dash like Pipe Plaza were super cool. I loved the way you would go through one pipe and come out of another. Good times.

[@QKnowDaVibezZ]

Double Dash has always been my personal favorite. So glad you did a video on this gem.

[@phyllojoe5346]

I want the losing music from double dash played at my funeral as I am lowered into the grave

[@Jarvis466]

Thank you for giving some much needed love to Mario Kart: Double Dash. The best Mario Kart; where any characters, be them let's say Luigi and King Boo can team up and wreck the competition. Bring back Double Dash mechanic!

[@yoshiandtailsfan8797]

I'm so happy I got a GameCube back in 2017, I got this game for Christmas in 2019 and I don't regret it. I still haven't fully beaten it but I'm trying to.

[@Lxodl_1234ga]

I really love MKDD, but no one wants to play this game with me because of the controls. They don't like that you have to wiggle the stick to drift and that the steering isn't as precice. I understand that but I think after two races you get into it and it makes reallly fun to play.

[@justnetz4504]

Love your videos man

[@PrincessLadyRain]

My second favorite game of all time and honestly it shows with my videos primarily being about Double Dash and its custom modded content such as custom tracks, characters, karts, etc. Even making the game crazier by extending the item limit a tiny bit and making every item faster, bigger, and more chaotic in general.

[@justhereforgear3441]

This was my first Mario Kart as well and I have so many fond memories of it. My next door neighbor and I would run down the list of grand prix races through all the CC's when it was too cold to play outside.

[@suprmeshaolis]

Yeah, im very surprised the Kart weight class and the special items for specific characters never returned. This definitely is elite!

[@nerve.]

The nostalgia is craaaaazyyy! OMG the love I have for this game is unbelievable!

[@JudTheOne]

Still playing and loving it nearly 20 years on

[@LoganPalm]

Wow! I didn’t know the fact about the Luigi’s Mansion on the track! So cool!

[@davidphillips5030]

Me and my brother used the coop a lot when we were younger. We even used it to complete the mirror all cups race. It was a struggle but we did it and I still have the save file of it all these years later. All so the back sit player is the one that does the boost BTW.

[@Fabian.J]

I see people say how good and fun Mario Kart Double Dash is and it’s the ONLY one I haven’t gotten to play, I hope I find a way to at some point. Another awesome video as usual!!

[@VigilantAnarchism]

Double Dash was the first Mario Kart I played as a kid and to this day, I still play it. And although my skills have kinda slipped now, at 26, I’ve still managed to break some of my fastest times that stood undefeated for a decade and a half at this point; like 24 seconds around Peach Beach for one lap…or 9-10 seconds one lap around Baby Park…damn I love this game, and it really is a shame that since Double Dash, I haven’t really played another entry AFTER it.

[@bigmeatypastry]

Definitely my favourite game in the franchise! Great video showcasing it, don't forget me when you're famous!

[@itzsabbage3830]

I loved being bowser in the bowser kart pushing ppl off the bridge on dk jungle and back shelling bowser shells lol

[@roseythe3rd]

I LOVE THIS GAME, played it again recently with some friends and it’s still such a vibe

[@grandmastermario3695]

This is definitely my favorite mario kart i don't know why alot of people seem to dislike this

[@crossxkiller3816]

Double dash is my favorite Mario cart. I want to get my old game cube back and play again. Not much in the world could make me cry, but playing this game again. Just might do the trick.

[@GamerCat75]

Thank god someone is finally sharing my opinion of this hidden gem

[@mikejr7727]

I gotta say, I think this game is when they were unsure on what to do. They were at a point where management said "go wild" and wild they went. Rules out the window, or still not in place.. no guidelines or pattern or anything. "Screw it, new ideas"

[@kevngyn99]

this was my first mario kart i ever played. i enjoyed playing this with my family soooooo much

[@mistermamamia]

Double dash is easily my favorite! I think it has the most technical driving controls by FAR, and I love it for that. I love the more party and luck based aspects of later games, but I prefer just how much the game rewards skill and mastery of its controls.

[@zerowolf9491]

I play mostly 8DX but i grew playing double dash loved the fact everybody got more offensive items rather than defensive or boosts like dx and 0 invencibility frames if you got red shelled twice you spinned twice

[@wattsnottaken1]

We had a little cart sliding game in gym class back in 2005 and my friend and so would pretend we were playing Mario kart double dash man this game is nostalgia overload

[@spunchii134]

This is my favorite Mario kart game.

[@Nediablo]

All Cup Tour and some beers. Countless weeks lost to just that! Double Dash is still my personal favourite to this day. I still hate the blue shell but feel it's far less common than in Mario Kart Wii! And the special items were so much fun!!!!!

[@DMaster5062]

I need to play this game!!!

[@RabidNemo]

Something else kind of fun with the island shaped like Yoshi There's also a Yoshi helicopter that flies around which that Yoshi helicopter was just turned into a regular helicopter for some reason in the remaster of it in Mario kart 8 deluxe

[@pakostonge8462]

Legit my favorite childhood game ever I would play so much of this on the GameCube

[@dhbomb]

I never owned this game or a GameCube but a few of my friends growing up had it and it was always a treat to play it there. It would absolutely blow my mind and the music still makes me nostalgic and gives me chills

[@closeted-skeleton]

double dash is the only mario kart that i can see getting a remake

[@guimer-3500]

Have very fun memories with my sister and also playing alone, this game is perfectly balanced, no BS and FUN! Also love to read other people’s memories and is good to know I’m not the only one

[@RoseSupreme]

I remember back in the day when my brother and I played the game on co-op to unlock some of the stuff in the game, especially for doing Mirror All-Cup Tour to unlock the Parade Kart! We were playing as the Baby Mario Bros. on that final cup due to how busted (at least to us) their Special is. =P

[@markchamberlain6378]

I had a friend who loved throwing items while I drove, and we had a TON of fun together on this game.

[@devontesavage2738]

This is the best mario kart and i will die on this hill.

[@giraffedragon6110]

I grew up with this game since kindergarten when it came out. By all accounts, I’m an old fogey. But this game always takes me back to my childhood. I started as the runt with no skill and I 100% this game through effort and skill.

[@sleepy9102]

I didn’t know you had to help the driver drift while in the back seat. I have no clue how my big bro would win these tracks back in the day.

[@Ardeeone]

why yes, another banger by currently one of my favourite youtubers

[@gusonian8637]

If this idea is ever done again, they should make inward drift vehicles have the characters swap clockwise instead of counterclockwise! That would be a nice detail

[@deshawnanderson2649]

The first ever game I had for my own GameCube and my favorite game of all time (biased) I’ll always say that the Nintendo Switch had a huge opportunity missed for bringing back Double Dash it was right there

[@hugohottin5227]

Great video! My favourite MK by far (but it's also mainly nostalgia speaking) 5:35 well, technically, the special item mechanic is back in Tour even though it's more of a spin-off (and a gatcha...) I agree it's too bad core games haven't used the special item since then. Maybe the mechanic is also used in the arcade games but never played/found those yet

[@WritingCountingOriginal]

It’s not gacha anymore lmao. And it’s not a spin off.

[@hugohottin5227]

​@@WritingCountingOriginalwell, you do have to use pipes with random results to unlock characters. Which seems to be the definition of what a gatcha is. Otherwise you have to pay. 😅 As for the spin off part, it might just be me using the wrong word but I just meant that it isn't a mainline MK on a Nintendo console (a bit like MKGPs)

[@WritingCountingOriginal]

@@hugohottin5227 What? You don’t have to use pipes anymore 💀 that’s what I mean. You just buy what’s in the shops now and there’s no more RNG.

[@doublenikkel]

Mikester: this Rainbow Road my be my favorite in the series, this or Mariokart 7's Also Mikester: *Wii Rainbow Road music*

[@emilands3635]

My brother and I spent countless hours playing coop together back in the day (:

[@Bobmcjoepants]

Baby park, all items on full blast, max laps Absolute chaotic fun

[@RabidNemo]

Also I think the sound effects in this game also deserve a lot of credit in addition to the voice acting

[@nadirhajjour]

Omg is this game 20 years old????? I remember this coming out so well.

[@chavonjames8941]

When I think of DD, first track that comes to mind is GNC Mario Circuit 🤯🤯😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 absolute banger for absolute no reason. Although MKWii is regarded as the best and is imo, this was such a gem to experience. I remember seeing the golden mushroom car WITH 2 DRIVERS!!! 🤯🤯🤯 the character selection was also ahead of its time

[@us3r.l0l]

it’s sad the game cube didn’t have many units sold, i swear that console has so many hidden gems

[@ralfuhlmann8341]

The 8 player multiplayer is insane I love it on Partys sadly I never experienced this as a kid

[@akinahara]

okay now that I think about it, if modern ytubers do gameplays with friends for double dash, we can most likely get some funny ass moments with the co op mode

[@UndeadPasta]

I love this game. My friend and I play it all the time still and although Wii will always be my favorite there's nothing like this game out there

[@CathodeRayKobold]

I love everything about Double Dash, it's just...I can't get used to the controls. I can't get used to the fact that it automatically drifts every time you turn, despite the fact that there's also a manual drift button. I can't get used to how narrow some of the roads and obstacles are, and how at-odds that is with the slippery handling. I can't even make it past the piranha plant pit in Dry Dry Desert consistently. One good thing I CAN say about the controls is that it's the only entry in the series where I can consistently hit someone with a green shell. I don't know how they managed that. I also like that you can't just hold a banana behind you to block a red shell--you have to time it.

[@V1NM12]

Omg my fav characters are Yoshi and Luigi too! They rule!!

[@simongamer987]

9:20 😂 smb2 comment made me laugh

[@AceAngelPrincess]

Godz I love Double Dash!! 😇 I played it so much that I got so good at the game; my main duo of Toadette and Paratroopa made Solo Grand Prix too easy. The only way I could give myself "a challenge" was using the Random selection in the character menu; it was still fun. :D

[@felixdavies753]

I will not listen to someone who says that doubles dash is more chaotic

[@buzinaocara]

I recently have been playing this on dolphin and find the design decisions contradictory in some ways. On one hand, this is one of the most item-heavy and hectic racing games I've seen. The smaller tracks are often filled with shells and bananas and droped powerups, which I love. But on the other hand, the vehicle handling is heavy and slippery, preventing the player from actually engaging deliberatly with all the chaos. The karts actually handle more responsively while sliding than when driving normally, which I think is as un-acessible and anti-casual as it gets. To play the game well, you actually have to focus on the actual racing, and using the curves the best way possible, consequently putting all the crazy item chaos to waste. It feels like they didn't decide if they wanted an arcade battle game with some racing ellements, or a racing game with some items, and the end result is kind of very frustrating at both.

[@JamesVarghese-ub4ty]

Love this game! I might even say its my favorite Mario Kart game. Its so much fun!

[@joshslater2426]

This is the second best Mario Kart behind Mario Kart Wii, and it deserves way more respect. It’s got a unique gimmick, amazing tracks (except Dino Dino Jungle, which I don’t like), a good roster, amazing catchy soundtrack and probably the best aesthetic in any Mario Kart.

[@andersonn330]

Rainbow Road is where legends are made and Double Dash’s RR is the epitome of this.

[@JUSTANOTHERNINTENDOFAN]

That title also describes your channel ❤