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Has Mario Kart DS changed your view of 3D on the system?

Ranger X

Member
Luckett_X said:
Mario 64 DS look better than the N64.

MKDS is indeed looking better than MK64. (expect maybe for some technical aspect but it's what feel with the game at the end that counts).

But Mario 64 DS, i can't figure out how it can look better than Mario 64. Seriously, each time i see the game i instantly see there's less polygons, no filtering on the textures and that the graphics are more shaky. It just not look better on any level, the small screen must trick you into seeing better graphics.
 

Matlock

Banned
M64DS has a bit of refinement over the original--some things are re-rendered (character models, thank god), and it looks better for that.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
But Mario 64 DS, i can't figure out how it can look better than Mario 64. Seriously, each time i see the game i instantly see there's less polygons, no filtering on the textures and that the graphics are more shaky. It just not look better on any level, the small screen must trick you into seeing better graphics.

Have you seen IGN's head to head video. Mario 64 DS clearly looks better in that video side by side.

MKDS is indeed looking better than MK64. (expect maybe for some technical aspect but it's what feel with the game at the end that counts).

MKDS clearly outperforms MK64. Mario Kart 64 used pre-rendered sprites as the main characters. The game also ran somewhere in the 24fps mark. Mario Kart: DS at least uses polygon characters and runs 60fps! Mario Kart: DS really destroys the N64 one. No doubt.
 

bigNman

Member
Mario Kart DS is my first 3d game for the DS and it looks better than I imagined. There is a fair bit of texture variety and its super smooth. You only really notice the blocky textures if you pause it during a replay. Im still pissed about the lack of texture filtering though as a game like Goldeneye where you are up close to textures a lot would definitley suffer compared to how it was on n64.
 

Matlock

Banned
Shikamaru Ninja said:
MKDS clearly outperforms MK64. Mario Kart 64 used pre-rendered sprites as the main characters. The game also ran somewhere in the 24fps mark. Mario Kart: DS at least uses polygon characters and runs 60fps! Mario Kart: DS really destroys the N64 one. No doubt.

The MK64 sprites were compressed a bit, and reused in MK:SC.

And I'm not sure about 60FPS, but Mario Kart DS runs an almost rock-solid (I've seen slowdown once in Battle Mode) framerate nonetheless.
 

SantaC

Member
Matlock said:
The MK64 sprites were compressed a bit, and reused in MK:SC.

And I'm not sure about 60FPS, but Mario Kart DS runs an almost rock-solid (I've seen slowdown once in Battle Mode) framerate nonetheless.

it's 60fps
 

elostyle

Never forget! I'm Dumb!
You can see the difference in the single player intros (3D on boths screens), because those run at 30.
 

Scrow

Still Tagged Accordingly
Y2Kevbug11 said:
Maybe my memory is romanticizing, but there is no level in MKDS like the highway level in MK64. So many trucks and things on the road. There isn't a track in MKDS with all that stuff going on, is there?
i haven't played MK64, but there is a track or two with NPC traffic going up and down the road in MKDS.
 
Y2Kevbug11 said:
Maybe my memory is romanticizing, but there is no level in MKDS like the highway level in MK64. So many trucks and things on the road. There isn't a track in MKDS with all that stuff going on, is there?

The cars/trucks were much bigger than the karts in MK64, and the traffic on either side of the road ran closer together.

For Toads Turnpike style levels, check out Shroom Ridge, Mushroom Bridge and maybe one or two other tracks. MK64 had nothing like Airship Fortress, DK pass or Waluigi Pinball. There are lots of tracks with absolutely huge scope... I really love the track design in this game. Especially those with the Mario 3 influence (A.Fortress and the Desert track FTW)
 

olimario

Banned
The other thing with the levels designed for the DS is that there is so much going on. Sprites or not, the DK Pass level is lined with trees that look good and giant snowballs that bound around the level and cause absolutely no slowdown. And unlike MK:DD, characters in MKDS are actually subject to lighting changes so they look right in their environment. Add in the wonderful texturing, the geat art style, the amazing aimation, and the silky smooth framerate that never drops no matter how much is happening and you have a title I could never imagine on the N64 or PSOne.

*note to self: make video of DK Pass and Waluigi Pinball

I need to add that the reflections also look great, faked or not, and the animation on the 'hand boss' is just superb. It gives me hope for the Zelda:DS Boss fights.

EDIT: I like how the cars on Shroom Ridge look better than the cars in NFS.DS :lol
 
A few things made me think of a Wind Waker style game when playing this actually. Some of the wall textures on DK pass wouldn't have looked out of place on the side of a WW island..

when you first approach Luigi's Mansion, its just a sillouette in the same way that islands are when you approach them on the Great Sea.

The overlapped Water textures (warping/moving white lines on a matte of blue) remind we of WW too. There were some ways that MKDD on Cube reminded me of WW as well, and this is probably because Mario Sunshine, Double Dash and Wind Waker were all based on variants of the same engine. It does have me wondering if they might go the WW style route for Zelda DS.
 

Aurora

Member
olimario said:
EDIT: I like how the cars on Shroom Ridge look better than the cars in NFS.DS :lol

Haha. Damn that's true.

Talking about Shroom Bridge, was anyone else dissapointed that they removed the bridge shortcut? :(
 
Aurora said:
Haha. Damn that's true.

Talking about Shroom Bridge, was anyone else dissapointed that they removed the bridge shortcut? :(

Yeah. The bridge boosts and the pipe cannon near the beginning probably lengthened your time in MKDD, but I still liked using them.

They removed the shortcuts across the grassy areas (near chomp chomp for example) on Luigi Raceway too. The first time I played that track I went smack into 8th place for assuming they'd be there...

I like some of the mission mode tracks where you race them backwards and/or theres "Stop" sign obstructions everywhere.
 

olimario

Banned
I really do need to get some good media of this game. I'd love to do a car comparison between NFS and Shroom Ridge.
 
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