E3 2003 is still some 20 days away, but in time honored tradition, the Nintendo E3 site is already live and offering up brief glimpses of the joy to come. Previously known only as Mario Kart GC, the next installment in the brilliant kart-racing franchise from the magicians inside EAD is now officially titled Mario Kart: Double Dash. The new name offers more than a few hints towards some of the impressive new innovations in this entry to the series, and fans had better hold on tight.

First up is the feature that Miyamoto has been so keen to hide - there are two characters per kart! Yep, this is no longer a single-seater racing experience, as one character is now in charge of the driving, while the other stands at the rear and, according to Nintendo themselves, "doles out damage with six normal items and eight special items that only specific characters can use". Start the guessing now as to what those special items will be (Will Mario once again make use of FLUDD? Will Luigi come armed with his vacuum?) but current screens at least confirm the return of our old friends, the banana peels and shells. In addition, "Racers can swap places at any time," which will surely lead to some comedic multiplayer situations and unprecedented levels of strategy. Racers announced so far (And who'd bet on there not being a few more hidden away?) are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Koopa, and Paratroopa. You can team up any two characters as you see fit, which explains why Luigi can be seen driving a pretty pink vintage model with Daisy in the back dishing out some damage to Donkey and Diddy Kong alongside.

Split-screen multi-player makes an expected return, with both two- and four-player modes being present and correct. The two-player screen offers evidence of at least seven other karts being on track, though the four-player grab seems to indicate that no computer controlled opposition will be joining in those battles (the four players occupying places 1st through 4th). Even more exciting, and as heavily hinted at by Miyamoto recently, is that Nintendo will be announcing details of a LAN option in the game at E3 - allowing a total of 8 players to take part in the fun, as long as they have two GameCubes and two copies of the game, of course.

Graphically, the game is definitely in the Mario Sunshine style, with at least one track looking like it could well be located on Delphino Island. Mario Kart has never been a series that has relied on blow-your-socks-off visuals, instead focusing on an incredibly tight handling model and palpable sense of speed, but that's not to say it looks poor by any means. There are some very nice touches on show: tire marks where Mario and Peach have strayed off-track and the ominous presence of a chain chomp track-side. The game's imagination is as reliable as ever, with Baby Mario hurtling around the track in what appears to be a baby carriage, and Koopa driving a shell with bitty-little shells for wheels.

Another interesting point to note is regarding the one track design shown so far in screenshots (take a close look just above the speedo in the shot showing Mario about to let loose a banana on Bowser & partner). While being pretty basic in terms of shape (a figure-of-eight both pinched in the middle and stretched top-to-bottom), it appears to include a central stretch that is shared by drivers going in both directions - a wide-open four-lane highway of sorts that could very well add another twist to the gameplay.

We can only speculate on how far Nintendo are going to go with this partner theme, but the options are almost endless - will your mixing of characters have any effect on handling/acceleration? Will they be able to 'lean' into the corners to help out with those especially tight bends? Will two players be able to control the two individual characters in one kart for the ultimate in co-operative action? And will they be able to do so on two separate screens via the LAN link-up? In the single-player modes, will the CPU be able take on the driving duties so that you can concentrate on hurling those shells at the opposition? These are the kinds of questions that will only be answered by going hands-on at E3.

Last updated: 05/30/2002

Super Mario Kart is the game that pioneered the mascot racing genre, becoming an internationally loved Nintendo game. Along with being followed up by two sequels on the N64 and recently the GBA, Mario Kart has spawned countless imitators over the years. It was inevitable that the series would come to GameCube and Nintendo confirmed all doubts by revealing a teaser for Mario Kart on GC at E3 2001. Miyamoto has been reluctant to talk about the game, citing the series is one with many copycats and that he’d like to do something completely different with Mario Kart this time around.

We were hoping to see new information at E3 2002 regarding the GameCube version of Mario Kart, but its absence suggests a 2003 release date at the soonest. Months prior to the show during a European press tour, Miyamoto even said in regard to Mario Kart: "I hope to have something to show you early 2003."

However, a few facts have come to light recently. NST is apparently at the helm of the next Mario Kart, but won't reveal how far along the title is. At the E3 Roundtable discussion, Miyamoto says that the game could have been shown, but Nintendo wanted to devote E3 to games releasing this year.

This isn't the only tidbit Miyamoto has dropped. In a previous interview, he suggested rather heavily that we may see SONIC in the next Mario Kart. This, and the persistent rumor that the next Mario Kart may be an online title, and we've a lot to look forward to!