The game was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America and PAL regions in April 2015 and in Japan in May 2016.

The game is the fifth main entry in the Mario Kart series, and the first to be playable via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection online service.

[3] Each character has three unique karts to choose from,[2]: 31  each of which vary in attributes such as top speed, acceleration, and handling.

As the Mario Kart game for the Nintendo DS, the developers tested several features that took advantage of the device's bottom touchscreen.

However, the developers found it too confusing because the game already had too many distractions, making it difficult to control where to place items while racing.

[14][15] Mario Kart DS was released to critical acclaim; it holds an aggregated score of 91% on Metacritic.

Finding the game's online shortcomings annoying, GameSpy still believed that the single-player mode and local wireless gameplay more than made up for them.

[27] GameZone also believed that Mario Kart DS "lives up to its legacy" with its inventive courses, "stellar" multiplayer, and "more replay value than any other racer in its class".

[25] Alejandro K. Brown of CBS News appreciated the game's unique use of Nintendo DS features, such as its microphone and wireless connectivity.

[21] 1Up.com complimented the "surprisingly compelling package", describing it as a "portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console".

[18] Eurogamer enjoyed the game's multiplayer mode, calling it "genuinely practical to play with other people".

[19] British publication GamesTM criticized the game for being simply a "polishing of the Mario Kart concept and little else".

[37] Mario Kart DS was the best-selling handheld game in its debut month of November 2005 in the United States.