Welcome back to Beyond Co-Op Reviews, our critical look at games that don't feature co-op modes....

Interested in purchasing a Nintendo Amiibo or three next week? We have the latest on which figures will be out when, what sort of games they are compatible with, and a few concerns that you might need to be aware of before buying.

Exciting news comes from Japan with leaked information and pictures of Mario Kart: Arcade GP DX. Nintendo is teaming up with Namco Bandai again to bring us the continuation of the karting classic. It seems the two monoliths are becoming rather well acquainted as they are also bro'ing up for the next Super Smash Bros. title. The catch? It is an arcade title currently exclusive to Japan. Previous installments in the Japanese arcades include Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP2.

Racing games don't usually lend themselves well to co-op.  That isn't to say that a good co-op experience is impossible in a racer; Burnout Paradise is one example that comes to mind.  However, it still leaves a lot to be desired.  One entry into the Mario Kart series featured one of the truest types of co-op I know of in any similar game.  Today, we'll discuss the co-op in the appropriately named Mario Kart Double Dash!! Mario Kart is easily one of the better racing series in gaming history.  From its roots on the venerable SNES to an excellent portable version for the DS, to the latest version, featuring a casual friendly Wii Wheel control scheme, you can pretty much count on a Mario Kart game being good, perhaps even great.  My own first experience with Mario Kart was on the Nintendo 64, and it was one of our favorite games for that system.  Mario Kart for theGBA was a winner too, since you could race each other with only one copy of the game, provided you had the right cables.  (Wireless connections have certainly spoiled modern gamers!)