Looking at the cutting-edge Internet that we’ve had installed at great expense at SPOnG HQ, one story currently causing a bit of a buzz is the leak of a full track listing for Mario Kart DS. The best news is that the first fully WiFi and online-enabled DS game is no slouch when it comes to content, containing a reassuring 32 tracks.
The game’s ‘Nitro Mode’ doesn’t stray from the accepted Mario Kart tradition of having four cups – Mushroom, Flower, Star and Special – each with four new tracks. But those of you wishing for a blast from the game’s past can also rejoice in the knowledge that the ‘Retro Mode’ also contains four cups, each made up of four courses, one from each of the four preceding versions on GBA, SNES, N64 and ‘Cube.
Our favourite, it pretty much goes without saying, was the SNES classic, and it’s good to see Mario Circuit 1 and Donut Plains in there. We would moan about omissions, but it seems churlish when you can unlock all the SNES tracks on the GBA version, which the DS will happily play, in glorious Mode 7 with none of this modern 3D Kart nonsense. Here’s the list in full:
Retro Mode
Shell Cup:
Mario Circuit 1 - Super Nintendo
Moo Moo Farm - N64
Peach Circuit - Game Boy Advance
Luigi Circuit - GameCube
Banana Cup:
Donut Plains 1 - Super Nintendo
Frappe Snowland - N64
Bowser Castle 2 - Game Boy Advance
Baby Park - GameCube
Leaf Cup:
Koopa Beach 2 - Super Nintendo
Choco Mountain - N64
Luigi Circuit - Game Boy Advance
Mushroom Bridge - GameCube
Lightning Cup:
Choco Island 2 - Super Nintendo
Banshee Boardwalk - N64
Sky Garden - Game Boy Advance
Yoshi Circuit - GameCube
Nitro Mode
Mushroom Cup:
Figure-8 Circuit
Yoshi Falls
Cheep Cheep Beach
Luigi’s Mansion
Flower Cup:
Desert Hills
Delfino Square
Waluigi Pinball
Shroom Ridge
Star Cup:
DK Pass
Tick-Tock Clock
Mario Circuit
Airship Fortress
Special Cup:
Wario Stadium
Peach Gardens
Bowser Castle
Rainbow Road