GameIn
YEAR 2005
GENRE Racing
PLATFORM Wii U, Nintendo DS
ABOUT THE GAME

Mario Kart DS is a 2005 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Like other games in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart DS features characters from the Mario series and pits them against each other as they race in karts on tracks based on locations from the Mario series. It was released in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and in December 2005 in Japan, and re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America and PAL regions in April 2015 and in Japan in May 2016. The game is the fifth main entry in the Mario Kart series, the second for a handheld console, and the first playable via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection online service. Mario Kart DS was acclaimed for its refined gameplay, robust single-player content, and innovative multiplayer features, particularly its pioneering online Wi-Fi functionality. Reviewers highlighted its blend of accessibility, depth, and nostalgic appeal, though some noted limitations in the online mode and frustration with the rubberband AI. The game received several awards, including Editors' Choice Awards from GameSpot and IGN, G-Phoria's Best Handheld Game award, and IGN's Best Racing/Driving Game. Mario Kart DS was the best-selling game in its first two months. It is the third-bestselling Nintendo DS game as of March 2016, behind New Super Mario Bros. and Nintendogs, and the third-bestselling Mario Kart game, behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Wii, with 23.6 million copies sold worldwide.

Source: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 — Mario Kart DS · retrieved October 19, 2026

PROVENANCE

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RECORD FACTS
Developer
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
Publisher
Nintendo
First release
November 14, 2005
Series
Mario Kart
Cover
Official thumbnail
Record ID
Q858564

TIME SHELF

Across decades

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