New Mario Kart DS Details and Bundle

In the latest issue of Famitsu magazine there is a interview with Hideki Konno producer of Mario Kart DS, and in it he reveals some new Mario Kart DS details.
Also released today is details of a new bundle for the US with a red DS, Mario Kart, custom decal and a checkered flag thumbstrap, No word yet on a Australian version or bundle.

Details from the Interview are as Follows

– Konno states that the game’s control is meant to be similar to Mario Kart 64, and even though you use the D-pad, Nintendo has been able to acheive control that compares favorably with analogue control.

– The karts have a huge variety, and the game depends on which kart you choose, since some are heavier or lighter. Some karts can move faster over certain courses.

– You can view the karts stats at the beginning of the race, such as how long it takes you to recover a bad turn or making it easy to under steer.

– A 32×32 pixel decal editor is included.

– You can have 60 people in your friends list, and once you battle them in a LAN game, they are automatically added to the friends list.

– You can exchange friend codes with distant players in order to manually build up your list.
– Multiplayer play includes classic modes such as time attack and balloon battle.

– New for MKDS is the “”Collect Shine”” mode of play where players race to collect the most Shines. By hitting your opponent, you can reduce his/her Shine count.

– A new single player “”Mission Run”” mode, where you are given certain tasks to complete (such as making your kart move through tire-shaped gates in order and using items to take out crabs in a free-roaming battle stage) has been added. Completing these tasks allows you to unlock new karts.

Mario Kart debuts here in Australia on the 17th of November.

Source: DS-X2.com