How a Bold Idea Nearly Didn't Make It Into Mario Kart: Double Dash
Back in 2003, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! hit the GameCube with a twist that made it stand out from the rest of the beloved racing series—two characters per kart. While today the dual-driver mechanic is remembered fondly as the game’s defining feature, it turns out that this innovative concept was almost left on the cutting room floor.
A recently translated interview from a 2003 issue of Nintendo Dream reveals that developers at Nintendo were actually working on two versions of the game in parallel: one with the traditional single-driver setup and one with the now-iconic double-driver mechanic. According to producer Shinya Takahashi, the idea to add a second rider came from a desire to shake up the series’ multiplayer dynamic while maintaining the core charm of Mario Kart. But the team was so unsure about the change that they developed the traditional version as a backup.
Tadashi Sugiyama, another producer on the game, admitted that the “two drivers” concept didn’t come easily. It was a product of extensive brainstorming and carried a fair amount of risk. The team even referred to the single-driver build as their "emergency escape hatch" in case the two-character system fell apart during testing.
Originally, they imagined the second character sitting in a motorbike-style sidecar, but that idea was quickly abandoned when it became clear how awkward it would make the races. Side-by-side seating would have made the karts too wide to race comfortably, especially with a full track of racers. Instead, the backseat setup was chosen, though it came with its own issues—namely visibility. This led to the feature where players could switch who was driving and who was tossing weapons mid-race, adding another layer of strategy.
Despite its uniqueness, Double Dash!! has never received a re-release since its GameCube debut. But with the possibility of GameCube titles coming to the next generation of Nintendo consoles, fans might soon get the chance to revisit this inventive chapter in Mario Kart history—or experience it for the first time.
