This article is about theNintendo DS game. For the stopwatch program, seeMario Kart DS (stopwatch). For the lenticular jigsaw puzzles, seeMario Kart DS (lenticular jigsaw puzzle 1) andMario Kart DS (lenticular jigsaw puzzle 2).

Not to be confused withMario Kart (Wii/DS).

Mario Kart DS
For alternate box art, see therelated gallery.
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Nintendo DS,Virtual Console (Wii U)
Release dates	Nintendo DS: November 14, 2005[1] November 17, 2005[2] November 25, 2005[3] December 8, 2005[1] December 8, 2005[4][5] December 8, 2005[6] April 5, 2007[7] Virtual Console (Wii U): April 2, 2015[8] April 2, 2015[?] April 2, 2015[9] April 23, 2015[10] May 25, 2016[11]
Languages	English Japanese French (Europe) German Italian Korean Spanish (Europe)
Genre	Racing
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone[?] CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] USK: - All ages[?] RARS: - All ages[12] ClassInd: - General audience[?] ACB: - General[?]
Modes	Single player Local Wireless Play: 2–8 players Wi-Fi Connection: 2–4 players
Format	Wii U: Digital download Nintendo DS: Game Card
Input	Wii U: Wii U GamePad Nintendo DS: Gamepad Stylus Microphone
Serial codes	NTR-AMCE-USA NTR-AMCP-EUR NTR-AMCE-AUS NTR-AMCJ-JPN NTR-AMCK-KOR

Mario Kart DS is a racing game in theMario Kart series for theNintendo DS, developed and published byNintendo.Mario Kart DS was released first in North America, on November 14, 2005, and is the onlyMario Kart game on a Nintendo system to be released first in North America. Unlike its predecessor,Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, it retains the traditional single-driver kart racing elements in theMario Kart series, where players race against seven competitors in obstacle tracks, using item-based weaponry to gain further advantages over their opponents. It is the first handheldMario Kart title to use live-rendered 3D graphics for most of the objects in the game, including characters, vehicles, and racetracks.

Mario Kart DS expands and introduces mechanics that would later become the standard in future titles, most notably the Retro Grand Prix, and the advent of retro courses in general, that revamps tracks from all previous titles from theMario Kart series.Mario Kart DS supports both single pak and multi-pak gameplay via DS Download Play, and is the firstSuper Mario title to supportNintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to race against opponents by using online services across the world until the service was discontinued on May 20, 2014.

Mario Kart DS has its own mechanics that are not available in otherMario Kart games, such as customizingemblems for the vehicles, and theMissions mode, in which racers are tasked to complete objectives in a short series of events. The game also makes use of the Nintendo DS's features, using the bottom screen to display other HUD elements such as two types of maps, character order, and what items their opponents have.

In April 2015,Mario Kart DS became available for purchase for theWii U'sVirtual Console service via theNintendo eShop until March 27, 2023 after the service's discontinuation. Players who purchased the title before this date can still play it as long as it is on their Wii U device. The Virtual Console version is only playable in single-player mode.

Gameplay

Rocket Start

Throughout the entire series, theRocket Start allow drivers to give them an extra speed boost and get a head start when a race begins. To use the technique for this installment, players should stay at the starting line and wait for the countdown to hit two. When it does reach that number and when it starts to fade, players should hold the button to rev up the kart's engine. WhenSTART appears on the race screen, the kart receives a small boost of speed out from the starting line, which is a very helpful move to get first place early on in a race. But, there is a risk to this move. If players hold the button before the two fades, it may make the player's kart falter, and takes a few seconds to get back up to normal speed. If the player holds the after the second "ding" sound is heard and end, the player can get a boost that is a little faster than the normal small boost.

Drifting and powersliding

Yoshi powersliding at Figure-8 Circuit.

In the entireMario Kart series, playersdrift by holding the button on a turn. Gray wisps come out of their kart as they turn around corners, possibly tighter or better than normal turning.

The next step up is powersliding. While drifting, players can move the Control Pad right and left repeatedly to produce sparks behind the kart. If done correctly, the sparks change their colors and intensity from blue to orange on each alternated move. After the sparks turn orange, the player releases the button to stop drifting and release a briefMini-Turbo after powersliding. This can be used to dodgeSpiny Shell if combined with ahop only during 100cc and 150cc races.

A player can perform a useful technique known assnaking by performing consecutive mini-turbos in a zigzagged direction, which offers a player the boost they need to get further ahead. This technique is much easier to perform with karts with higher handling, especially withDry Bones.

Slipstreaming

Back fromMario Kart 64,Slipstreaming is simply moving just behind another player. If racers can stay behind their opponent's vehicle for about four seconds, players get a momentary speed boost that is strong enough to pass the other player.

Controls

Menu controls

• - Scroll
• - Select
• - Back
• - Tap selection

Race controls

• - Accelerate/Rocket Start (hold at 2 during the countdown before the race starts)
• - Brake/reverse
• / - Use current Item/Stop Item Roulette/Equip Item
• - Steer
• / + - Throw items backward or forward.
• - Hop/Powerslide/Drift (Hold)/Mini-Turbo (Release)
• / - Change map view (does not work in Mission Mode)
• - Pause/resume game
• - BlowBalloon (Balloon Battle), Toggle arrows/Mushrooms on/off (Time Trial)
• - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle)

Wii U Menu controls

• - Scroll
• - Select
• - Back
• - Tap selection

Wii U Race controls

• - Accelerate/Rocket Start (hold at 2 during the countdown before the race starts)
• - Brake/reverse
• / - Use current Item/Stop Item Roulette/Equip Item
• - Steer
• - Throw items backward or forward.
• - Hop/Powerslide/Drift (Hold)/Mini-Turbo (Release)
• / - Change map view (does not work in Mission Mode)
• - Pause/resume game
• - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle), Toggle arrows/Mushrooms on/off (Time Trial)
• - Blow Balloon (Balloon Battle)

Game modes

The title screen after the game's completion.

As inMario Kart 64 andMario Kart: Double Dash!!, the game introduced sixteen courses for the four main cups:Mushroom Cup,Flower Cup,Star Cup, andSpecial Cup, which are collectively known as the nitro cups. The game also includes sixteen courses that appeared in earlierMario Kart games and are part of the retro cups:Shell Cup,Banana Cup,Leaf Cup, and theLightning Cup. These cups are sorted by difficulty in the same way as the nitro cups.

In every retro cup, each of the four courses originate from a differentMario Kart game. Every retro cup has their courses ordered in the same way as the release order of the four previousMario Kart games. Furthermore, every retro course's name starts with an abbreviation of the game console that their originating game was released for:

• SNES, which representsSuper Mario Kart
• N64, which representsMario Kart 64
• GBA, which representsMario Kart: Super Circuit
• GCN, which representsMario Kart: Double Dash!!

Starting with the followingMario Kart game,Mario Kart Wii, stages originating fromMario Kart DS were included as retro courses and were represented by the abbreviation "DS".

Grand Prix

Grand Prix is a single player-exclusive mode. In it, a player competes in each cup in 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror 150cc engine classes, with ascending speed and difficulty. The game reuses the point system ofMario Kart: Double Dash!! by awarding 10/8/6/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to eighth place respectively. Similarly toMario Kart: Super Circuit, a rating of how well a player performed is shown after the trophy presentation, from highest to lowest: ★★★, ★★, ★, A, B, C, D and E. An overall "game ranking" of ★, ★★, or ★★★ is shown in the Records area if the player has earned the designated rating in every cup and class.

Time Trial

Time Trial is a single player-exclusive mode. In it, the player's character races to complete a course in the fastest time. The item rating of akart determines how manyMushrooms the racer can have once they start the race; vehicles with low item rate can only use one Mushroom; the ones with average item rate use two and the ones with high item rate use three. Players can choose to race against their best time as aGhost, the Staff Ghost (raced by a Japanese Nintendo staff player with a * game ranking), or no Ghost. The game can download records from other players, allowing the player's character to race their Ghosts.

VS

In VS mode (single or multiplayer), player(s) choose theirKarts and head out on the race track. They can earn points based of their finish position in each race. The player can also choose what course they race on (provided they've unlocked it). Up to eight players can play locally via wireless - simple mode only requires one game card but is limited. The essential requirement is that everyone has a DS or 3DS system. In VS mode, the player can choose the engine class, theCPU's difficulty level, the way the courses will be chosen - by the player, in order or random; the rules to win races (either free - infinite races; number of wins from 1 to 10 - where only the first racer earns points, or the number of races from 1 up to 32, and team race mode.

It is possible to have players play without owning the game - using the DS Download Play locally. Here, only the Mushroom Cup and Shell Cup courses are playable, CPUs only pick from the eight default characters (the four unlockable drivers can still be chosen by players who own the game) and everyone except the host must play as a random color of Shy Guy, in which he becomes playable then. If everyone connects with a game card, all courses unlocked by any player are available and there are no limitations, although CPUs will not pick the unlockable characters unless everyone in the room has them unlocked.

When playing in VS races where players place for a set number of races rather than for a set number of wins, players score points based off their finish position. If the game is being played in teams, the amount of points each player earns for each race is multiplied by about 1.5. The point system is the same as the one used in Wi-Fi when playing with 2-4 players and the one used in Grand Prix when playing with 8 players or with CPU opponents. However, when playing with 5-7 players, the distribution is as follows:

• Blue text indicates winning results.
• Green text indicates moderate results.
• Black text indicates losing results.

Battle

In single player battle mode, the user faces CPU controlled racers, whose difficulty can be set in the battle's setup menu. All racers drive their respective standard Kart only within this mode (note that all the standard karts have the same stats in battle mode and only the weight will differ, depending on the weight of the character chosen). Additionally, other players can join a battle locally. However, Battle Mode is unavailable onthe Wi-Fi mode. Like in versus, battles can also be played in teams, and rounds in team battles end when all of one team's players have been eliminated.

Mario Kart DS is the onlyMario Kart game to exclude console abbreviations from the names of its retro battle courses; in other words, the game does not name Block Fort and Pipe Plaza asN64 Block Fort andGCN Pipe Plaza respectively. Additionally, the retro battle courses do not retain their music from their original appearances, instead using the same music as the nitro battle courses.

Balloon Battle

Mario in a Balloon Battle atPalm Shore.

Main article:Balloon Battle

Burst your opponents' balloons with items! If all your inflated balloons burst, you lose! Blow into the mic to inflate your balloons!

Balloon Battle returns from previousMario Kart games, though it has been reworked in some parts. For instance, in previous games, racers begin a match with three balloons. In this game, however, all players begin with a single balloon. They can obtain more by blowing up their balloons using themicrophone feature on the DS, or by holding the button. Each player has four balloons in stock (five in total) and can hold up to three of them in battle. On the other hand, the fewer balloons a player has, the better an item is obtained fromItem Boxes. Racers may also take possession of a balloon from their opponents if they dashed towards the opponent's kart using aMushroom. The player is eliminated if they lose all of their balloons.

Shine Runners

Main article:Shine Runners

Collect more Shines than anyone else! Steal opponents' Shines to add to your total. Those with less Shines get booted over time.

Much like theShine Thief mode inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, nineShine Sprites are scattered across the course at the start of the game, and players have at first 60 seconds to capture them. If a player gets hit with an item, it causes them to lose one Shine Sprite. The Shine Sprite then moves to a random spot for someone else to grab. By the end of the game, anyone with or tied with the lowest Shine Sprite total when the clock hits zero is eliminated. The clock resets itself to 30 seconds and the battle continues until at least one is left. If all players have the same number of Shine Sprites when time runs out however, no one is eliminated and the clock resets as usual. The fewer Shine Sprites a player has, the better an item is obtained from Item Boxes. The concept would later evolve intoCoin Runners inMario Kart Wii,Mario Kart 7 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, wherecoins are collected instead ofShine Sprites.

Missions

Yoshi battlingBig Bully in Mission Mode.

Missions mode is a new single-player mode forMario Kart DS in which the player must complete some tasks and earn a ranking similarly to that in Grand Prix mode. It involves seven levels, each containing eight "missions" and a boss battle, most of which are taken fromSuper Mario 64 DS. The ranks almost always depend on how much time is left or taken. There are varying mission types:

• Driving through gates - driving in between giant half wheels in the ground. Very often the player has to pass these gates in numerical order.
• Collecting coins - Players must pick up all the coins set in the track. Players may lose these coins by some obstacle of such course.
• Destroying item boxes - Players must run overItem Boxes. Usually the racer will obtain Mushrooms after taking a box. In some cases, Item Boxes will move, and the player will have to catch up with it. Other missions the player must take care not to pick up theFake Item Boxes alongside real ones.
• Using Stars, Bob-ombs, or shells to destroy enemies.
• Driving backwards - players must use the button to move, and directions on the are reversed. It is sometimes combined with other mission types.
• Performing power boosts within a certain lap - as said. More power boosts are often required to finish faster, meaning a higher ranking.
• Racing a CPU for one lap - item boxes contain Mushrooms, Stars and Red Shells that the CPU cannot use - the key to win. CPUs will always perform aRocket Start. This mission type also includes a race against a Red Car and aChain Chomp.
• Boss Battle - Unlocked after completion of the first eight missions in a level. The racer is usually required to use items in boss battles. Every boss is fromSuper Mario 64 DS, and each of them have their own battlefield stage and require a different strategy to defeat.

There are some one-time isolated missions that are self-explanatory. Each mission takes place on a course, often blocked off in some areas (sometimes even a battle course) and players are given a character in their own standard kart (CPU players are also in standard karts). None of the unlockable characters are playable, andBowser andDonkey Kong do not fight a boss. Sometimes Mushrooms are laid across the track to help the player to complete the mission. When at least a ★ ranking is achieved on all missions and bosses in the first six levels, Level 7 is unlocked. When the boss battles of Level 6 and 7 are completed, the first version of the staff credits is shown.

Missions table

The following table includes the mission number, in-game mission description, time limit for the mission (0:00 signifies it is a race, and the mission finishes at 2:00 if the race is not completed), course, character the player plays as, and item distribution used. For a list of the item sets used, seeMario Kart DS item probability distributions § Special cases. CPU opponents always use set 1.

*Conjectural title based on surroundings.

**Denotes that the player drives through the course in the opposite direction.

₁Using Green Shells (solo or triple) and Bob-ombs

₂The gates don't necessarily have to be driven through in order.

₃Players can use any means - normal or powersliding - to finish.

Options

Result

The emblem maker can be used to make a variety of designs, for example this picture of Mario.

In the options menu, the player can select "Settings", "Edit", or "Erase Data". Under "Settings", the sound output can be changed between stereo, headphones, and surround and the "Locate Friend" feature can be togged on or off. "Locate Friend" notifies the player about friends who are seeking opponents while connected to the internet. Under "Edit", the player can change their nickname and make their own emblem for racing throughout the game. They also have an option to make the emblem show up on the kart they are driving. Additionally, this emblem shows up next to a player's name while driving in a multiplayer or Nintendo WFC race. "Erase Data" clears all save data.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode

Mario Kart DS was the first Nintendo game to support online play (which has since been discontinued) though it's worth noting that it's the secondMario Kart game to support online connectivity, with the Japanese version ofMario Kart: Super Circuit being the first (the use of online connectivity for this game was made primarily to exchange ghost data with other players).^[16]

Being one of the first Nintendo DS games to feature wireless connection, the game mode required some technical changes in order to avoid connection malfunctions and long time loads during online play. The following changes and restrictions were applied to prevent excessive lag:

• Only up to four players
• Only the 100cc engine class was available
• 12 of 32 courses were omitted
• No multi-items
• No spilledItems onto course to be used; items were just lost
• Items could not be dragged behind the kart
• Item roulette could not be stopped earlier
• Course obstacles could not be destroyed (e.g. boxes in Delfino Square or snowballs in DK Pass)

Connection

Players could connect using a wireless connection or aNintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector (preferably high-speed.) Racers would choose to search for other players in "Friends" (more info below), "Rivals" (players with a similar record), "Regional" or "Continental" in Non-American versions of the game (players in same country or continent), and "Worldwide", the latter possible to cause long lags. Other racers searching in the same category were randomly grouped. The game tried to find four players, but eventually settled for three or two if necessary. Players chose their characters, karts, and the course they wanted for the first of four races.

In addition to the 20 courses listed in order of when it is encountered, there was also a random button. After everyone's selection was placed, a course was chosen based on the responses. If all players each picked a different course, the system randomly picked one. If four players chose two courses, two each, the game randomly selected from those two. On the other hand, the most voted course by a group of users was selected to race. It proceeded like so for four races, then the points were tallied up, and after the match, a player's wins and losses were totaled.

Each player received one "win" for finishing ahead of a player and one "loss" for finishing behind of a player. If a player tied with another player, it did not count as a "win" or "loss". Players could continue after the match to play the same racers again or quit to restart the process to find other players.

Issues

Problem: Trouble with friend codes

A)Friend Code System. Each copy of the game comes with a 12-digit code known as a "friend code". Players could enter codes into each other's "friend roster" to create a friend list, whereWi-Fi records between the players were stored. When a friend was online at the same time, a symbol would appear above the Wi-Fi strength symbol, whether trying to find racers or during racing. Yet, both (or more) players must have had each (or all) of their friend codes registered and be looking in the friends section at the same time to hook up. If the player were to find a racer to compete against elsewhere online, there was no communication for a friend code swap; the only way to race again is to do it right away by selectingcontinue after a match.

Problem: Disconnecting racers change the outcome of the match; it is later reflected in the match records.

B)Disconnecting. Take this scenario into consideration:

Bob started in a four-player match, but two people have disconnected since, and he is now in a two-player match against a three-star player, and has come second and third in the first two races. It is 20-11. Josh wins the next match, bringing the totals to 25-21. But, in the fourth race, the three-star player is a full half-lap ahead with one lap to go. Josh realizes that he might not win this race; however, Josh has researched about Wi-Fi connections and has learned a trick. He leaves his DS untouched, bringing his kart to a stop, then finds his wireless router, and disconnects it. According to the record-book, Bob has won the match from which he has disconnected.

Causes:

• The two players who disconnected earlier are experiencing certain effects. When a player is disconnected from Wi-Fi via turning off his or her DS, the player is charged with the same number of losses as there are other players. Players can disconnect at any time, but if they cancel before the first course is chosen, there is no effect on the win-loss record. Other players finishing the whole match gain one win per disconnected player.
• Refer to the point spread chart for WFC. Mid-match, due to disconnected players, the point spread can change. For example, when it goes down from four to three players, the point conversion is not affected for the top three. Yet, from three to two, it is. In the first two races, Josh lost three and six points to the three-star player, under the 10-7-4(-1) point spread. But, if he had won the last two races, under the 10-5 point spread, he would have recovered ten points - and would have won, 31-30, even though he came in third once and only won two out of four races.
• Players occasionally disconnect when losing. A glitch in the game affects the final results, and this is exactly what Josh does in the scenario. Instead of turning off the DS, he disconnects his actual connection. The three-star player would have gained three wins, but when everyone disconnects, it takes no effect on the winning player's records.
  • To restate and make clear: if Josh would have played it out and lost the fourth race, the result would have been 35-26, in favor of the three-star player.

Characters

The main game has 12 playable characters, 4 of which are unlockable. The eight starting characters,Mario,Luigi,Peach,Yoshi,Toad,Donkey Kong,Wario, andBowser, are the same eight characters available inMario Kart 64 andMario Kart: Super Circuit (and listed in the same order as those games only with Yoshi and Toad swapping positions). The other four drivers can be unlocked by winning a gold trophy of certain cups inGrand Prix mode. Two of the unlockable characters,Daisy andWaluigi, return fromMario Kart: Double Dash!!, and the other two,Dry Bones andR.O.B., make their firstMario Kart playable appearances. A 13th racer,Shy Guy, debuts as a playable character sharingYoshi's statistics, but is only available to players using DS Download Play. Discounting the multiplayer-exclusive Shy Guy, this is the first game sinceSuper Mario Kart where the player classes are divided evenly, with four characters in each.

Default drivers

Driver	Weight	Class	Signature kart	Standard kart	Unlockable kart	Borrowed karts	Description
Mario	32	Medium	B Dasher	Standard MR	Shooting Star	4-Wheel Cradle Light Dancer Banisher Gold Mantis	Mario is familiar to racers one and all. With a balance of abilities, he is a racer suited to all situations.
Luigi	32	Medium	Poltergust 4000	Standard LG	Streamliner	Cucumber Wildlife Dragonfly ROB-BLS	Mario's younger brother Luigi is ready to race. His superb traction makes it hard for him to spin out.
Peach	23	Light	Royale	Standard PC	Light Tripper	4-Wheel Cradle Wildlife Power Flower Dry Bomber	A generally genteel princess, the heart of a competitor burns deep within her. She is adapt at drifting.
Yoshi	20	Light	Egg 1	Standard YS	Cucumber	Mushmellow Banisher Poltergust 4000 Royale	While Yoshi is usually ridden by Mario, this time he's ready to race. Yoshi's traction is excellent.
Toad	17	Light	Mushmellow	Standard TD	4-Wheel Cradle	Dry Bomber Zipper Shooting Star Royale	Toad uses his tiny stature to his advantage as he skillfully weaves in and out of traffic on the track.
Donkey Kong	41	Heavy	Rambi Rider	Standard DK	Wildlife	Hurricane Power Flower Gold Mantis ROB-LGS	DK overwhelms his opponents with his jungle instincts. He drifts through comers like a mad-man...or a mad-ape!
Wario	44	Heavy	Brute	Standard WR	Dragonfly	Tyrant Zipper ROB-BLS Shooting Star	As his name implies, he's the anti-hero to Mario's heroism. Other than acceleration, he has no foil.
Bowser	50	Heavy	Tyrant	Standard BW	Hurricane	Light Dancer ROB-LGS Rambi Rider Brute	Mario's arch-enemy is superb at using his driving skills to race through curves.

Unlockable drivers

Driver	Weight	Class	Signature kart	Standard kart	Unlockable kart	Borrowed karts	Unlock method
Daisy	26	Medium	Power Flower	Standard DS	Light Dancer	B Dasher Light Tripper Egg 1 Rambi Rider	Obtain a gold trophy for every 50cc Retro Grand Prix cup
Dry Bones(new)	14	Light	Banisher	Standard DB	Dry Bomber	Streamliner Light Tripper Cucumber Mushmellow	Obtain a gold trophy for every 50cc Nitro Grand Prix cup
Waluigi	35	Medium	Gold Mantis	Standard WL	Zipper	B Dasher Poltergust 4000 Brute Tyrant	Obtain a gold trophy for every 100cc Retro Grand Prix cup
R.O.B.(new)	50	Heavy	ROB-BLS	Standard RB	ROB-LGS	Streamliner Egg 1 Dragonfly Hurricane	Obtain a gold trophy for either every 150cc Mirror Nitro Grand Prix cup or Retro Grand Prix cup

DS Download Play only

Driver	Weight	Class	Standard kart	Description
Shy Guy(new)	20	Light	Standard SG	Shy Guy stares out from behind his mask, his gaze revealing the hidden weaknesses of his opponents. Shy Guy only appears in DS Download Play matches.

Karts

The kart selection screen inMario Kart DS with Mario only.

InMario Kart DS, there are 36 different karts (37 if including theStandard SG) in total.

Every kart shows six ratings:

• Speed: How high the top speed of the kart is; how fast the kart can go.Bowser andR.O.B. have the fastest karts.
• Acceleration: The time the kart's top speed is achieved when accelerating (the higher the acceleration, the shorter players wait until they reach their kart's top speed, and the lower it is, the longer they wait).Dry Bones' karts can reach their top speed very quickly.
• Weight: When a vehicle is heavy, the driver can knock a lighter kart. Unlike other stats, the character contributes to this stat, withBowser andR.O.B. being very heavy, and the former of which having the heaviest karts. Characters with a higher weight stat, however, will also apply a penalty to the vehicle'sOff-Road stat (which is hidden to the player).
• Handling: How tight the kart can normally turn without drifting.Dry Bones has the best turning curve.
• Drift: How tight the kart turns while drifting or powersliding.Peach has the best drifting curve.
• Items: The variety of items to use when touching anItem Box (a high Items rating signifies a higher chance of getting Triple Bananas in first place, Triple Mushrooms in third, fourth, etc.).

For all stats, one or more karts will have a rating of one hundred for that stat; for example, theHurricane andROB-BLS have speed ratings of one hundred, theDry Bomber has both acceleration and handling rates of one hundred, theTyrant has a weight rating of one hundred if normally paired with Bowser or R.O.B., theLight Tripper has a drift rating of one hundred, and each character has an items rating of one hundred for their heavier signature kart, an items rating of sixty-six for their standard kart, and an items rating of thirty-three for their lighter signature kart.

Originally, only two karts are available for each character; a signature kart and a standard kart. As the player wins gold trophies in the 100cc Nitro Grand Prix, the player will unlock a second signature kart for each character. When the player wins a gold trophy in either 150ccSpecial Cup orLightning Cup, four signature karts from different characters will become available, bringing the total to seven karts for each character. After winning gold trophies in all eight cups in Mirror Mode, each character can be paired in any of the 36 karts, making 432 combinations (excluding Shy Guy). CPU drivers will only use their characters' respective karts in races and battles.

The following ratings are from zero to one hundred, directly obtained from the values used by the game to fill the bar in the kart selection screen.^[18] The exception is weight, which due to needing to be combined with character weight for the full value, is instead from zero to fifty. On a side note, it is worth noting that a kart with a high items rating will usually have lower overall stats than the standard karts. Likewise, karts with a low items rating will usually have higher overall stats than the standard karts. Karts with a high items rating tend to be heavier than the karts with a low items rating. Karts with high items rating also receive more Mushroom boosts in Time Trial mode. The player will get one Mushroom boost if the items rating is low, two if the items rating is average, and three if the items rating is high. The weight class of the character does not play an important role inMario Kart DS, as the weight does not create kart use restrictions.

Signature karts

The first type of karts are the signature karts. They are all unique and unlocked by default, with one per each character. By collecting all golden trophies in Nitro or Retro 150cc, signature karts are opened to certain other drivers. By collecting all golden trophies in 150cc Mirror Mode, any driver may use any other's signature karts.

Vehicle	Speed	Acceleration	Weight	Handling	Drift	Items	Owner	Secondary drivers
B Dasher	58	69	41	52	55	100	Mario	Daisy Waluigi
Poltergust 4000	75	76	17	77	33	33	Luigi	Yoshi Waluigi
Royale	41	69	44	45	94	100	Peach	Yoshi Toad
Egg 1	59	91	14	89	41	33	Yoshi	Daisy R.O.B.
Mushmellow	43	87	17	69	69	33	Toad	Dry Bones Yoshi
Rambi Rider	74	44	47	31	74	100	Donkey Kong	Bowser Daisy
Brute	92	53	23	51	49	33	Wario	Bowser Waluigi
Tyrant	90	25	50	25	64	100	Bowser	Waluigi Wario
Power Flower	58	61	35	36	84	100	Daisy	Peach Donkey Kong
Banisher	25	97	35	91	45	100	Dry Bones	Mario Yoshi
Gold Mantis	75	65	29	60	59	33	Waluigi	Mario Donkey Kong
ROB-BLS	100	55	25	69	28	33	R.O.B.	Luigi Wario

Standard karts

The second type of karts are thestandard karts, which are also available by default. They all follow a similar design to each other, with only the color differing, and tend to have more rounded statistics. They are automatically used for missions and battle modes, and are given mildly different statistics in the latter than in normal races, aside from the weight and item stats which are identical for all standard karts. They are not unlocked for alternate characters after collecting all golden trophies in Nitro or Retro 150cc, unlike the signature karts. However, they are still unlocked for other characters along with every other kart after collecting all golden trophies in 150cc Mirror Mode. The one exception is theShy Guys' standard kart, which uses the same statistics as Yoshi's and is only available for Shy Guys as their sole kart.

Vehicle	Speed	Acceleration	Weight	Handling	Drift	Items	Owner
Standard MR	Race: 64 Battle: 50	Race: 72 Battle: 54	32	Race: 56 Battle: 50	Race: 57 Battle: 50	66	Mario
Standard LG	Race: 72 Battle: 56	Race: 74 Battle: 58	32	Race: 73 Battle: 63	Race: 32 Battle: 31	66	Luigi
Standard PC	Race: 47 Battle: 38	Race: 73 Battle: 55	32	Race: 48 Battle: 44	Race: 97 Battle: 75	66	Peach
Standard YS	Race: 55 Battle: 44	Race: 90 Battle: 71	32	Race: 84 Battle: 69	Race: 39 Battle: 38	66	Yoshi
Standard TD	Race: 39 Battle: 31	Race: 85 Battle: 69	32	Race: 65 Battle: 56	Race: 67 Battle: 56	66	Toad
Standard DK	Race: 80 Battle: 63	Race: 47 Battle: 32	32	Race: 34 Battle: 31	Race: 77 Battle: 63	66	Donkey Kong
Standard WR	Race: 88 Battle: 69	Race: 50 Battle: 38	32	Race: 48 Battle: 44	Race: 47 Battle: 44	66	Wario
Standard BW	Race: 96 Battle: 75	Race: 30 Battle: 25	32	Race: 28 Battle: 25	Race: 67 Battle: 56	66	Bowser
Standard DS	Race: 64 Battle: 50	Race: 64 Battle: 50	32	Race: 40 Battle: 38	Race: 87 Battle: 69	66	Daisy
Standard DB	Race: 31 Battle: 25	Race: 99 Battle: 75	32	Race: 96 Battle: 75	Race: 47 Battle: 44	66	Dry Bones
Standard WL	Race: 72 Battle: 56	Race: 63 Battle: 50	32	Race: 56 Battle: 50	Race: 57 Battle: 50	66	Waluigi
Standard RB	Race: 96 Battle: 75	Race: 53 Battle: 49	32	Race: 65 Battle: 56	Race: 27 Battle: 25	66	R.O.B.
Standard SG	Race: 55 Battle: 44	Race: 90 Battle: 71	32	Race: 84 Battle: 69	Race: 39 Battle: 38	66	Shy Guy

Unlockable karts

The third group of karts are unlocked all at once after getting gold trophies on all Nitro cups on 100cc difficulty. They function the same as the default signature karts in that they are based around one character each, are unlocked for select other characters after collecting all golden trophies in Nitro or Retro 150cc, and are then unlocked for everyone after collecting all golden trophies in 150cc Mirror Mode.

Vehicle	Speed	Acceleration	Weight	Handling	Drift	Items	Owner	Secondary drivers
Shooting Star	67	74	14	60	59	33	Mario	Toad Wario
Streamliner	66	71	41	69	30	100	Luigi	Dry Bones R.O.B.
Light Tripper	51	75	20	51	100	33	Peach	Daisy Dry Bones
Cucumber	49	88	38	80	37	100	Yoshi	Dry Bones Luigi
4-Wheel Cradle	33	83	44	61	64	100	Toad	Mario Peach
Wildlife	84	50	23	37	79	33	Donkey Kong	Luigi Peach
Dragonfly	82	46	47	45	45	100	Wario	R.O.B. Luigi
Hurricane	100	34	29	32	69	33	Bowser	R.O.B. Donkey Kong
Light Dancer	67	66	20	43	90	33	Daisy	Mario Bowser
Dry Bomber	34	100	26	100	49	33	Dry Bones	Peach Toad
Zipper	66	59	35	52	55	100	Waluigi	Toad Wario
ROB-LGS	90	48	38	61	25	100	R.O.B.	Donkey Kong Bowser

Actual statistics

Mario Kart DS features several in-game statistics, some of which are not shown in the kart selection menu.^[19] There are three types ofTires, either Small (S), Medium (M) or Large (L). Just like inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, there is aMini-Turbo statistics that corresponds to the length of the Mini-Turbo boost in frames.Acceleration is determined by three triplets of values, that are presumably related to the acceleration while drifting and the acceleration in all other conditions; there is also adeceleration value that determines the speed of the next frame as fraction of the current speed when not accelerating (such as when the kart is spinning or the acceleration button is not being held). There are four different types of off-road terrains, and accordingly the karts have fouroff-road statistics that are the relative top speed in each type of terrain.

Courses

In addition to the sixteen standardcourses,Mario Kart DS is the first game in the series to include the Retro Grand Prix, which has been carried over into every future installment in the series to date. The Retro Grand Prix consists of sixteen courses from pastMario Kart games updated and compiled into four additional cups. This makes a total of 8 cups and 32 courses.Mario Kart DS is the onlyMario Kart game where there is no Mario Circuit in the Flower Cup, unlike otherMario Kart games.

This is the onlyMario Kart game to have three Grand Prix introduction fanfares; one for Figure-8 Circuit, Waluigi Pinball, Mario Circuit, andGCN Luigi Circuit, one for Wario Stadium, and one for the other courses.

Some courses were playable on theNintendo Wi-Fi Connection. They are marked with the service's logo below.

Nitro Grand Prix

Cup	Courses
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

Retro Grand Prix

Cup	Courses
Shell Cup	SNES Mario Circuit 1	N64 Moo Moo Farm	GBA Peach Circuit	GCN Luigi Circuit
Banana Cup	SNES Donut Plains 1	N64 Frappe Snowland	GBA Bowser Castle 2	GCN Baby Park
Leaf Cup	SNES Koopa Beach 2	N64 Choco Mountain	GBA Luigi Circuit	GCN Mushroom Bridge
Lightning Cup	SNES Choco Island 2	N64 Banshee Boardwalk	GBA Sky Garden	GCN Yoshi Circuit

Battle courses

In Battle mode, there are six battle stages, four of which are original and two of which are from earlierMario Kart games. As Battle mode was unavailable over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, these courses were unavailable as well. Nevertheless, the mode was available through DS Download Play with three of its courses;Nintendo DS,Tart Top, andPipe Plaza.

Nitro courses

• 

  Nintendo DS

• 

  Twilight House

• 

  Palm Shore

• 

  Tart Top

Retro courses

• 

  Block Fort

• 

  Pipe Plaza

Staff ghosts

Each race course has aStaff Ghost. Staff Ghosts are Time Trial races that were previously done by aNintendo staff member. Every course has its unlockable Staff Ghost that the player can race against if their completion time is close to the Staff Ghost's. The player's record must be no more than 108% of the Staff Ghost's completion time to unlock.

Course elements

These characters are non-playable. They appear as either spectators, hazards, or obstacles of certain courses.

Hazards and obstacles

Image	Name	Course appearance(s)	Description
	Angry Sun	Desert Hills	The Angry Sun shoots outFire Snakes onto certain areas of the track when the second lap begins.
	Bullet Bill	Airship Fortress	Also in addition to being an item in the game, Bullet Bills are shot out of theAirship towards the starting line, knocking out any racers in their path.
	Bumper	Waluigi Pinball	Bumpers are scattered about in the final section of Waluigi Pinball. Racers bumping into these will bounce off. Bumpers will also cause pinballs to bounce off in various directions. Bumpers with blue and cyan lights are stationary, while bumpers flashing pink and magenta rotate in a circle.
	Burner	Airship Fortress Bowser Castle	Burners drop out of the ceiling onto the ground for a brief moment, setting the racer on fire if contact is made.
	Chain Chomp	Peach Gardens GCN Luigi Circuit	In Peach Gardens, chain-less Chain Chomps are all around the path. Some have a tail ofItem Boxes. In Luigi Circuit, a Chain Chomp chained to a stake lunges at nearby players.
	Cheep Cheep	Cheep Cheep Beach SNES Koopa Beach 2	In both courses, Cheep Cheeps bounce on the shoreline and spin racers out of control if driven into them.
	Fire Bar	Wario Stadium	Different variations of Fire Bars are abundant on the track. Some spin in circles after aDash Panel ramp. Others are in a triangle-like formation. Both set the racers on fire.
	Firesnake	Desert Hills	Fire Snakes are projected from the Angry Sun and bounce around at certain points on the track.
	Flipper	Waluigi Pinball	Two flippers serve as the final obstacle before the end stretch to the finish line in Waluigi Pinball. Racers that get hit by these will spin out. They also can launch pinballs to another direction.
	Goomba	Mario Circuit	Goombas are situated on the track and spin players out of control. IfLightning strikes or if they're hit by shells, they get squashed and dropMushrooms, though they continue walking even while flattened.
	Lava Bubble	GBA Bowser Castle 2	Lava Bubbles jump out of lava pits at several places around the course. If a racer drives into a Lava Bubble, their kart is briefly set on fire, and they also usually fall into the lava.
	Monty Mole	Peach Gardens N64 Moo Moo Farm	Monty Moles peak out of holes and then jump, posing as obstacles for the drivers.
	Pinball	Waluigi Pinball	Large, metal balls that roll along the course of the track. Multiple pinballs are rolling around in the end section of Waluigi Pinball, flung around by bumpers and flippers.
	Piranha Plant	Mario Circuit SNES Choco Island 2 GCN Yoshi Circuit	Piranha Plants pose as obstacles on the race tracks, spinning drivers out of control for a brief moment.
	Pokey	Desert Hills	Many Pokeys appear on the track, creating obstacles for the drivers.
	Rocky Wrench	Airship Fortress	Rocky Wrenches are a stage obstacle. They hide under lids on the track. Their pattern is to briefly peak out before exposing themselves. If a racer drives over a lid which a Rocky Wrench peeks from, their kart jumps slightly into the air. If racers drive into a Rocky Wrench, their kart will be knocked over.
	Sidestepper	Cheep Cheep Beach	Sidesteppers are stationed on the sand, spinning players out of control if driven into them.
	Snowman	DK Pass N64 Frappe Snowland	Snowmen are situated on the track, causing the player to be thrown backwards if driven into them.
	Swoop	N64 Banshee Boardwalk	A colony of Swoops fly towards the racers, slowing them down if they drive directly into the swarm.
	Thwomp	Bowser Castle GBA Bowser Castle 2	Thwomps appear as enemies, performing their trademark slam attempt at the drivers below. Additionally, some Thwomps move side to side on the ground.
	Venus Fire Trap	Mario Circuit	Venus Fire Traps are stationed inpipes and spit fire at oncoming racers.
	Walking Tree	Luigi's Mansion	Walking Trees walk in patterns and pose as obstacles for the drivers.

Background characters

Image	Name	Course appearance(s)	Description
	Boo	Luigi's Mansion N64 Banshee Boardwalk	In addition to being items in the game, Boos appear at certain parts of the race and make their trademark noises. These Boos are merely there for decoration, and are not hazards nor obstacles.
	Bubba	N64 Banshee Boardwalk	Bubba jumps out of the water over the track. It does not hit any of the racers.
	Moo Moo	N64 Moo Moo Farm	There are several Moo Moos in the background of the track, only posing as onlookers.
	Pianta	Delfino Square	Piantas appear as spectators of the race. Additionally, a Pianta statue is found in the beginning of the track.

Items

For information on the probability of obtaining each item from an Item Box, seeMario Kart DS item probability distributions.

As with otherMario Kart games, a main element ofMario Kart DS are the pick-up items that allow the racer to take certain advantage over their opponents. An item can be obtained by driving into anItem Box. This causes the item roulette at the top-left corner of the screen. Racers in higher positions receive less powerful items than racers in lower positions. Some items are unavailable inBattle Mode, and in the mode, similar to normal races, leaders with the mostBalloons orShine Sprites receive less powerful items.

Each kart has an Items stats ratio, which determines the variety of items that a racer can receive; karts with a higher items ratio are more likely to receive rare items. In subsequent games, this stat was removed, making position the only factor that influences items. When the Item Roulette has chosen a normal item, it makes a simple chime, but if the racer receives a more powerful item, it makes a stronger chime.

The game introduces two items,Bullet Bill andBlooper, both of which have since appeared in every subsequentMario Kart game. Most ofMario Kart DS's item artworks are fromMario Kart: Double Dash!! except for the Fake Item Box, Triple Bananas, Boo, Bullet Bill and Blooper.

Image	Name	Instruction booklet description
	Mushroom	Provides a short speed boost.
	Triple Mushrooms	Each press of or uses up one Mushroom.
	Golden Mushroom	Allows you to use Mushroom boosts as many times as you want for a short period of time.
	Item Box	Drive through the item boxes on the tracks to get the items contained within. The item inside is determined randomly.[a] In Balloon Battle, if the player is eliminated from the game and gets an Item Box, the player only receives an Item Box, as an actual item. This can be placed on the floor, and someone not eliminated can use it, but it only lasts for a short time before disappearing.
	Fake Item Box	Looks just like an item box, but when you run into it, it knocks you over.
	Banana	Makes karts spin out when run over.
	Triple Bananas	Press or to deploy behind the kart. Tap the button again to drop one.
	Green Shell	When thrown, this shell travels in a straight line and knocks over the first kart it hits.
	Triple Green Shells	Press or to deploy, then press the button again to launch a shell. Each one has the same effect as a single Green or Red Shell.
	Red Shell	These automatically lock onto and chase after the next kart in front of you. When hit, the kart rolls over.
	Triple Red Shells	Press or to deploy, then press the button again to launch a shell. Each one has the same effect as a single Red Shell.
	Spiny Shell	This shell travels and chases after the lead kart and blows up when it reaches its target. Any kart in the blast radius will be knocked over or spun around.
	Star	Makes you invincible for a brief period of time. While invincible, you will knock over any kart you hit.
	Lightning	Makes all opponents spin out, drop their items, and shrink for a brief period of time.
	Bob-omb	Explodes after a brief pause or when another kart comes near it. Any kart in the blast radius will be knocked over or spun around.
	Blooper	Sprays ink on all of the karts in front of you, obscuring those drivers' view of the track.
	Bullet Bill	Briefly transforms the user into a Bullet Bill that soars through the air along the track, knocking over karts along the way.
	Boo	Unleashes Boo, who turns you invisible for a brief time, making you impervious to enemy attacks, and steals an opponent's item.

Unlockables