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No online Battle Mode for Mario Kart DS, admits Nintendo

Wireless LAN play only.

Mario Kart DS' hugely-popular Battle Mode will not be playable online, Nintendo confirmed last week.

In an interview with French website Puissance-Nintendo, the producer of the game Hideki Konno admitted that Battle Mode will be restricted to wireless LAN play only; a revelation that will come as a blow to fans looking forward to full online action with players from around the world.

However, Konno-san promised that the online mode will support four-player head-to-head racing, with the Xbox-Live style service allowing players to create their own buddy lists and quick race against anyone. Likewise, Nintendo's DS online service will automatically store racing stats and be able to match players with similarly skilled racers.

Konno-san also revealed some new power-ups in the game, including a squid that enables players to obscure their rival's main playing screen with ink temporarily.

With Nintendo's London-based games extravaganza taking place on Thursday of this week, expect some more news on Mario Kart DS and more soon.