Mario Kart DS, abbreviated to MKDS or MK biggrin S, is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the fifth installment in the series and the first to use Nintendo's free online service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Released in North America and Europe in November 2005, and in Japan in December 2005, it was well received critically, scoring an average of 91% from Metacritic.
Like other games in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart DS involves various characters from various Mario games racing each other in go-karts on tracks themed from locations in the Mario series. Less realistic physics, and the use of various weapons and or items to achieve victory differentiates kart racing games like MKDS from racing simulators like Forza Motorsport.
