Mario Archives — Casefun

Mario Kart Double Dash Celebrates 20th Anniversary, Here’s a Look Back at the 3D Polygonal Masterpiece

Nintendo released Mario Kart Double Dash on November 7, 2003 in Japan, and this 3D polygonal masterpiece most certainly deserves a retrospective. Unlike Mario Kart 64, which only used polygons for the environments and 2D sprites for the racers, Double Dash is the first game in the Mario Kart series to use 3D polygons for the characters.

What didn’t change was the gameplay where players race against each other on Mario-themed tracks, but it did introduce a number of new gameplay features like co-op gameplay with two riders per kart. That’s right, one player drives the kart and the other uses the power-up items. Either player can switch at any time, making Double Dash the only game in the Mario Kart series to allow cooperative gameplay so far. It supports LAN play using the Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter, enabling up to 16 players to compete simultaneously.

The familiar Grand Prix mode lets you race against 7 (or 6) computer-controlled teams in a series of predetermined courses. Players can select from 3 different engine size classes: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. There is a fourth unlockable class, Mirror Mode, that lets the player race through a mirrored version of the tracks with 150cc kart. When in Versus mode, players can choose any course and race against up to 4 local (or 15 LAN) opponents with custom rules like changing the item frequency. As of 2023, 6.96-million copies of Mario Kart Double Dash have been sold worldwide, making it a commercial success.
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Author
Bill Smith

When it comes to cars, video games or geek culture, Bill is an expert of those and more. If not writing, Bill can be found traveling the world.

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Don’t Pay $60, Get Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Nintendo Switch) for $19.97 – Today Only

Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Nintendo Switch) game lets players build a dream team with three heroes, and you can get a copy for $19.97, today only, originally $59.99. The single-player adventure combines turn-based tactics with real-time action, allowing heroes to freely move around the arena to dash through enemies and launch off allies to reach spots outside their field of movement. Product page.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Standard Edition

Build your dream team with three heroes from an eclectic roster of nine.
Take down all-new bosses, along with some familiar enemies throughout the galaxy.
Rescue the uncanny Sparks throughout the galaxy, who provide distinct powers that will help you in battle.

Each Hero is also gifted two action points that can be used to attack enemies, use an item, or activate a special ability or Spark Power. Best of all, gameplay is fully customizable, complete with various difficulty and accessibility options to make the game approachable for new players. For those planning on finishing this game in one go, you could try out this Nintendo Switch OLED mod to make the console run cooler and faster.

Each planet is open and freely explorable, with a unique atmosphere, setting, and characters. Each one is also filled with side quests, challenges, and secrets, which you can discover and tackle in any order. As you explore the galaxy, you can solve puzzles, engage in surprising activities, and find a variety of collectibles,” said Chastity Vicencio, Producer for Ubisoft News.

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Super Mario 64 Gets Ported to Meta Quest 3, Mixed Reality Level Ensues

The Apple TV port of Super Mario 64 is fun, but what would a Meta Quest 3 version be like? Llbsidezll couldn’t wait for an official version, so they programmed their own by utilizing Virtual Desktop’s passthrough feature, which basically displays the user’s computer monitor in a three-dimensional virtual space, along with Blender’s built-in VR support.

Since Virtual Desktop’s Passthrough allows you to see a real-time view of your surroundings while in VR, all Llbsidezll had to do was use Blender to place Super Mario 64 sprites in mixed reality. The end result is a level you’d expect to see in a mixed reality Super Mario Bros. game, and all that it needs now are a few more power-ups as well as Bowser.

Super Mario 64 was originally released in Japan on June 23, 1996 and went on to sell 11.91 million units, making it the best selling N64 game of all-time. Many developers believe it greatly influenced 3D platform games, thanks to its dynamic camera system and 360-degree analog control, both of which helped establish a new archetype for the genre.
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Author
Bill Smith

When it comes to cars, video games or geek culture, Bill is an expert of those and more. If not writing, Bill can be found traveling the world.

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