Excellent, Mario Kart DS at launch. Best news I've heard today. Don't mind if the game disappears for any tweaking needed since it's a must buy for DS.

Someone said something about driving on Ridge Racer DS a while ago, we know that with driving games you need good control. I just hope Mario Kart and other driving games don't all opt for stylus control just because it's there as an option.

From the screenshots if the stylus screen is the map like Asphalt DS that's the better option. Ridge Racer DS looks good enough but I doubt I'd play it with the stylus, even though the option is welcome.

Do remember you developers out there, there are other options besides the stylus, DON'T feel pressured to use it all the time.

I cant imagine it having any use for the stylus really, and if it does hopefully it and others have an option for using it or not.

Its great news for the DS and i really thought it would be well down the line after release before we seen this one being released. A must buy.

I think it is obvious that with Nintendo's emphasis on touch functionality, Mario Kart DS was de-emphasised as it probably doesn't use any touch functionality.

Come to think of it, apart from the possible use of wireless to run multiplayer races, this first party game embodies the type of games that we first thought of when "two screens" was all we knew about the DS. You know, the type of games Nintendo has gone out of their way to try and convince us won't be the only games on DS. You know, "second screen, it'll just be a map" type games.

Not to say this won't be a good game. It's one of Nintendo's flagship products, it was obviously going to appear on DS. It's just the sort of game that won't benefit from touch screen or microphone driven play. With Nintendo trying to emphasis the differences between DS and PSP, this game does nothing for their cause.

I don't think that the recent Mario Kart games have been very good. The DS version won't be on my shopping list. I don't think this game (from what I've heard) makes very good use of either the touch functions or the two screens. The second screen displays map and position functions that really need to be on the main screen so you don't take your eyes off it.

I have the same gripe with Hunters.

I don't think games should have to use the touch functionality.
Wireless multiplayer is making use of the DS's unique functionality too, in probably the best way for Mario Kart. The map also serves it's purpose, as it's the only way you have of knowing where the other players are.