Nintendo of America has released new details on Mario Kart DS multiplayer modes.
The game will support both DS Download Play and multi-card play in local wireless mode. Two to eight players can participate in this mode, and both racing and Battle modes (Balloon Battle and Shine Thief) are available.
If playing with DS Download Play, only eight race tracks and three Battle arenas are available. Only the 100cc engine class is available, and DS Download Play users will use the Shy Guy player icon. Owners of the game get to use their own customized player icons as well as have their statistics tracked.
It is currently unclear whether players using DS Download Play will be able to select characters. In the GBA title Mario Kart: Super Circuit, players without a copy of the game were limited to racing as Yoshi.
When using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players have access to only the racing modes of the game, and are limited to four players. Players can choose to race against members of their friends list (assembled by exchanging Friend Registration Keys or by playing together in local wireless mode), random players of similar skill level, recent opponents, or any players within either their own region/country or world-wide.