A unique Mario Kart with two drivers per kart and item swapping mechanics. Speed more measured than today's entries but the level design is top-notch and local multiplayer is a riot. The only Mario Kart with built-in co-op, an experiment never repeated. Essential GameCube cart.
Your verdict
Category
Racing4 players3+
Split screen
Description
Mario and friends pilot two-person karts in this Nintendo GameCube Mario Kart Double Dash. Published by Nintendo, released in the United States in November 2003. Racing game with two characters per kart, special items for each duo and varied Mario universe circuits.
Mario Kart - Double Dash!! review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Sunny rhythms, festive brass and Latin accents give every track an infectious joie de vivre. The music sticks to the unbridled energy of the two-seater races, boosting the good mood as much as the speed. These catchy, timeless tunes remain a sonic madeleine for a whole generation.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Two drivers per kart, one at the wheel, the other on items: the clever idea reinvents the race and multiplies the co-op chaos. Spark-trailing drifts, item sets unique to each duo and festive tracks sustain a rhythm unbeatable in numbers. Less technical than other entries, but with a conviviality that never falters, in the hands.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Two drivers per kart, one at the wheel and one on items: this brilliant idea doubles the dirty tricks and the bursts of laughter. The driving stays accessible, but co-op and shell chaos turn every race into a hilarious battle. With four players, the tension never lets up. A peak of family racing.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Drifting through a corner, dropping a shell at just the right moment and stealing a place on the final lap endlessly renews the urge to go again. Unlocking karts, cups and characters rewards every grand prix, and the two-driver duo adds its own pinch of strategy. The luck of the item draw can grate, yet in a crowd this chaotic race stays furiously replayable.
The NTSC Mario Kart Double Dash!! with Bonus Disc edition is the special US variant distributed with the pre-order bonus disc including LAN Mode Demo and promotional content. Very high collector value: a rare promotional pressing for Nintendo of America's pre-launch marketing, never reproduced outside the US market.
Better with friends
Kart racing with a brilliant twist: two drivers per vehicle, one at the wheel, the other on items, blending cooperation and competition in a single seat. The pair must coordinate, swap roles on the fly and aim true, while the four machines tear into each other with shells. The randomness of items can frustrate the leader, but it's that pinch of chaos that makes every finish memorable.
Is Mario Kart - Double Dash!! still worth playing in 2026?
An atypical entry in the series, Double Dash offers the unique two driver per kart system where one drives and the other throws the items. This idea radically renews strategy and supports unprecedented cooperative play in duo on the same vehicle. The generous content, the inventive tracks and the option to connect two GameCubes via LAN reinforce the appeal. For anyone wanting a different and especially fun Mario Kart in group play, the title keeps a unique flavour still recommendable today without hesitation at all.
