Everyone is looking forward to the forthcoming online play for the Nintendo DS, and one of the most anticipated games capable of online play, Mario Kart DS which is shipping this Tuesday. The staff over at IGN.com had a chance to test it out, saying the online play is no Xbox Live. But there is enough functionality in the online component to keep things interesting and fun.

Pros:
- Capable of 2, 3, or 4 player races (with no drones)
- 20 of the 32 tracks are available
- Keep a friends list either by local network or by the unique 12 digit Friend Code
- Automatically connect to Friends, Rivals…people in the same region or worldwide
- Keeps track of your win-loss record against Friends
- Alerts you of when a Friend logs on

Cons:
- Some elements, like the “Three Banana” power-up, have been removed
- Cannot force a one-on-one match-up
- Can’t add online racers to Friend’s list without their Friend Code…but there are no means of contacting the person through the DS or getting any contact information
- Does not penalize disconnected racers
- Can’t see other players overall win-loss record