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20 years of Snaking and Waluigi Pinball !
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this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2025
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I actually enjoy the drifting and was saddened that it was dumbed down in later entries
You're calling that "dumbed down", but I'd call the old input arbitrary. I don't see the point of hiding a major gameplay mechanic behind a complex input. You don't use a cryptic button combo to jump in a platform game.
Left-right on the D-pad is hardly a complex input. Just about every child managed to discover it. It was one of the few ways they could make Mario Kart a bit more skill based.
The way to make MK more skill based was to balance item distribution, which they started doing decently after MKDS.
It's not like drifting is automatic in modern MK (well, it is in auto mode, but it's meant for complete beginners and it sucks for anyone who knows how to play). You're still calling all the shots regarding when to drift and for how long. It's just less annoying to do.
It's definitely not cryptic I was like 10 or so when i played that and i figured it out. I think one of the missions tells you how to do it. It also added more agency to how you boost with some risk reward instead of just passively earning boost from drifting.
The best evolution would've been a mix of both. Gain boost passively but speed it up by alternating directions.
I think i bounced off the wii version (didn't own it only played at friends) because i was confused on how drifting worked. Wasn't until i got 8 on the wii u when i realised that alternating directions wasn't needed anymore. 8 is fun, mostly due to track design and the fact it became second nature like riding a bike but i think DS was more actively fun in the moment to moment. Not to mention the mission mode which is a crime it's never returned.
I remember getting in so many stupid internet arguments over this shit as a kid because I couldn't keep up with it LMAO but looking back it added a skill ceiling to this game that I can't say for sure if any future game in the series really matched.
Double dash had the best drifting mechanics in the series imo. Really only DS and DD are the only ones who have more than hold a drift long enough for mini turbo as their drifting mechanics
I've not played that much in not having a gamecube as a kid. I'll have to give it a good shot one time for sure