Look, if you played Mario Kart DS back in 2005, you probably remember the thumb cramps. That little handheld changed everything for the franchise, mostly because it introduced the "Snaking" meta that turned casual races into high-speed drift marathons. But the real soul of the game wasn't just the tracks; it was the Mario Kart DS karts themselves. This was the first time Nintendo really let us go nuts with vehicle variety. You weren't just picking a color. You were picking a stat spread that could genuinely ruin your friends' day if you knew what you were doing.
The game featured 36 unique karts. That sounds like a lot, but most players gravitated toward the same three or four. Why? Because the physics engine in MKDS was weird. It rewarded high acceleration and handling over raw top speed, mostly because of how power sliding worked.
The Absolute Dominance of the Dry Bomber
If you saw someone pick Dry Bones, you knew you were in trouble. Specifically, if they picked the Dry Bomber. Honestly, it’s probably the most "broken" vehicle in Mario Kart history if you're talking about technical play. The Dry Bomber looks like a tiny tank, which is ironic because it’s actually one of the lightest things in the game.
It has an Items stat that is off the charts. In Mario Kart DS, your "Items" stat actually dictates the quality of the items you pull when you're in the middle of the pack. But the real reason the pros loved it was the drift and mini-turbo stats. Because it had such high acceleration and such a short drift arc, you could "snake" (chaining mini-turbos on straightaways) effortlessly. You’d see a Dry Bomber vibrating down the track at 200 miles per hour while a heavy-hitter like Donkey Kong was still trying to get his engine revved up. It felt like cheating.
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Why Weight Classes Actually Mattered
In later games, weight is a bit more balanced, but in MKDS, being heavy was often a death sentence unless you were a master of the "Standard" karts.
- Lightweights: Dry Bones and Toad ruled the roost. Their karts, like the 4-Wheel Cradle and the Mushmellow, had recovery times that made mistakes less punishing. If you got hit by a Blue Shell in a Mushmellow, you were back to top speed in about two seconds.
- Middleweights: Mario and Luigi were... fine. The B Dasher is iconic—it was even the box art car—but it was never the fastest. It was the "jack of all trades" that ended up being the "master of none."
- Heavyweights: Wario and Bowser were basically tanks. The Brute and the Tyrant had incredible top speeds, but in a game where you’re constantly being pelted by Red Shells, having low acceleration means you spend half the race just trying to move again.
Unlockable Mario Kart DS Karts and the Custom Emblem Era
Remember the emblem editor? People spent hours making 32x32 pixel masterpieces (or, let's be real, crude drawings) to slap on the hood of their karts. It added a layer of personality that we haven't quite seen since.
To get the full roster of Mario Kart DS karts, you had to grind through the Grand Prix. Initially, you’re stuck with each character's two signature rides. Once you beat the 150cc Retro Cup, you unlock a third kart for everyone. But the real prize? Beating every cup on 150cc Mirror Mode. That’s when the game breaks the locks. Suddenly, you can use any kart with any character. This led to the hilarious visual of Bowser squeezing his massive frame into the tiny, fragile Peach's Royale.
The Hidden Stats You Didn't See
Nintendo didn't show you everything on the selection screen. There were hidden values for things like "Off-Road" and "Mini-Turbo duration."
The Egg 1 (Yoshi's kart) was a sleeper hit for this exact reason. It looked ridiculous—literally a giant egg with wheels—but its off-road stat was so high that you could cut corners on tracks like Peach Gardens without even needing a Mushroom. It felt like the game was rewarding you for picking the weirdest-looking vehicle in the garage.
The Snaking Controversy
We can't talk about these karts without talking about the "Snaking" technique. This was a polarizing era. If you used a kart with high mini-turbo stats, like the Poltergust 4000 or the Dry Bomber, you could wiggle the D-pad left and right to get a speed boost on a straight line.
Online play on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was dominated by people who could snake. If you were using a "slow" kart like the Banisher, you didn't stand a chance. It created a massive skill gap. Some people hated it because it looked "glitchy," while others loved the high-level technicality. It’s the reason why modern Mario Kart games have a "soft cap" on how many mini-turbos you can chain together.
The Best Karts for Every Playstyle
If you're dusting off your DS or firing up an emulator, don't just pick the B Dasher because it looks cool. Think about how you actually play.
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- For the Perfectionist: Use the Dry Bomber. It is the gold standard for technical racing. You’ll have to get used to the low top speed, but your acceleration is so high that you’ll never feel stuck.
- For the Chaos Agent: Pick the Hurricane (Wario’s kart). It’s heavy enough to bully people off the road, which is a legitimate strategy on narrow tracks like Banshee Boardwalk.
- For the Off-Roader: The Egg 1 is your best friend. It ignores grass and dirt better than almost anything else.
- For the Pure Speed Demon: If you can avoid getting hit, the Rob-LGS (R.O.B.'s unlockable kart) has a top speed that is terrifying. But be warned: its handling is like steering a literal brick.
Dealing with the R.O.B. Factor
R.O.B. was the secret boss of this game. To unlock him, you had to complete all the Nitro Cups on Mirror Mode. His karts—the ROB-BLS and ROB-LGS—were massive. They occupied so much screen real estate that it was actually hard to see the track sometimes. But they had a weight advantage that was unmatched. If a R.O.B. player decided they wanted your spot on the track, they just took it.
The balance in Mario Kart DS karts was tilted toward lightweights, but a skilled R.O.B. player could use that bulk to keep the "snakers" from ever getting a clean line. It was a fascinating meta-game that evolved over the years before the DS servers were finally shut down in 2014.
What Modern Mario Kart Could Learn
Honestly? The simplicity was the best part. Modern games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have so many combinations of bodies, tires, and gliders that it can feel a bit overwhelming. In DS, the karts were distinct characters in their own right. You knew exactly what a "Poltergust" did the moment you saw it. There was a charm to the low-poly models and the way they bounced over the "Moo Moo Farm" hills.
Actionable Tips for Mastering the Roster
If you're going back to play this classic, here is how you should approach the vehicle selection to actually win:
- Priority 1: Acceleration over Speed. In the DS version, the tracks are short and the items are aggressive. You will be hit. Being able to go from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat is more valuable than a high top speed you'll only reach twice per race.
- Priority 2: Master the D-Pad. Unlike the Switch's analog stick, the DS D-pad requires "hard" inputs. This favors karts with high handling stats.
- Priority 3: The "All-Karts" Unlock. Don't settle for the default two karts per character. Grind the 150cc Mirror Mode. Being able to put Toad in the Brute is not just funny; it’s a strategic advantage because you combine a small hitbox with a heavy-hitting vehicle.
- Watch the Item Stat. If you find yourself constantly getting "bad" items like single bananas when you're in 5th place, switch to a kart with a higher Item stat. It genuinely changes the RNG of the boxes.
The legacy of the Mario Kart DS karts lives on in the "retro" tracks of newer games, but the specific feel of that 2005 hardware is something you can't quite replicate. Whether you were a snaker or a casual racer, those karts defined a generation of handheld gaming. Grab your stylus, pick a weird emblem, and maybe give the Dry Bomber a spin for old time's sake. Just be ready for your thumbs to hurt.