New ‘Mario Kart’ game entertains without gore

With so many video games targeting mature audiences, it’s nice to know that at least one game maker hasn’t forgotten about the kids.

Nintendo’s latest racing game, "Mario Kart: Double Dash!!" is a GameCube exclusive with a new twist on go-cart racing: there are two characters per cart instead of one. It might not sound like a big deal, but having a duo aboard makes the game much more entertaining.

One person drives up front while the other mans the rear, selecting various "power ups" — game enhancements — and using them to slow down or eliminate other racers.

My favorite "power ups" were mushrooms, which give a sudden speed boost, and the lightning bolt, which fries all the other carts with a jolt of electricity, then temporarily miniaturizes them. There are plenty of others: slippery banana peels, cart-flipping green shells and stars, which briefly make you invincible.

Since each person on the cart can snag items, don’t forget to rotate the driver and rider every so often by pressing the Z button.

You begin by picking two characters from Nintendo’s roster of digital celebrities: heroic plumbers Mario and Luigi, evildoers Wario and Waluigi, as well as Yoshi the green dragon and Bowser, Mario’s horned, turtle-shelled nemesis. From there, select a cart (there are eight in all).

"Double Dash!!" has four game modes: grand prix, time trials, versus and battle.

With friends, I enjoyed the cooperative grand prix mode the most. Races are staggered in three cups, Mushroom being the easiest and Flower and Star featuring more challenging fare. You win points at the end of each race, and the person with the most points wins a trophy at the end of each cup.

There’s still a so-so single-player game where you race around a selection of 12 tracks as fast as possible against computer opponents in Mushroom Kingdom. One neat aspect of single player is ghost mode, where you load one of your saved races and try to beat yourself.

My only real complaint with "Double Dash!!" is the graphics. While brightly colored and smoothly animated, they look dated.

And the courses, while varied, are sometimes uninspiring. Mostly you just zigzag along nondescript beaches or shimmering frozen roadways.

There were some pleasant surprises, including one desert track that includes a giant, sucking sand trap. I particularly enjoyed the DK Mountain track. You begin with a hilly, winding climb through a jungle, then get blasted through a giant cannon to the top of a fuming volcano. Watch out for boulders and cliffs on the bumpy drive down the mountainside.

"Double Dash!!" is packed with small but important tricks. If you hit the gas at just the right moment during the start of a race, for example, you get what’s called a rocket start that sends you zooming ahead of the pack.

For parents with young children, "Double Dash!!" is a welcome change from more mature games on the shelves. There’s nary a hint of killing and the controls are simple.

It’s rare that a $49.95 game is as certain to entertain parents as their children. Three stars out of four.