Mario Artist: Communication Kit

This software is no more than a tool to bring the Mario Artist series online, and as such I can't really review it. As the online service is now offline, plus it doesn't add any gameplay, it is extremely difficult to review. It is still worthy to review the product, if only to stay complete and to attempt to understand how it fits into the Nintendo 64DD universe.

Using NetFront's "Easy Communication Everywhere" software, created by Access Co. Ltd., you could take your Nintendo 64DD system online via RandnetDD. With the software plugged in the Modem cartridge hooked up, you can take your system online and write data to, from, and on the dynamic data disk. You can also swap your creations from Paint Studio, Talent Studio, and Polygon Studio with others online.

Polygon Studio models exchanged to the Net Studio disk, which then gave you the ability to export your home-made 3D object online, allowed to get your very own 3D model printed out in colour on paper and send to your home. So you could then cut and paste it together and see your creation come to life for real! Very cool indeed! Unfortunately RandnetDD was prematurely cancelled, because of lack of members (only 13,000) on February 28, 2001 after being started little over a year before, in December 1999.

With the help of a 60 page manual, the game allowed you to upload/download/exchange your creations from the other 3 inter-exchangeable disk games... online via Randnet! The name Randnet DD originates from the following words: R from Recruit, A from And, ND from NinteNDo, NET from The InterNET, DD from 64 Dynamic Drive.

Unlike pre-release rumours suggest, extra Doshin the Giant levels were never made available as an update through RandnetDD, instead a terrible appendix disk named Doshin the Giant: More Than Giant was released as the last ever 64DD game. Ironically this did not contain any extra levels or updates; instead it only allowed you to play through the game again by swapping between both discs to unlock black and white movies of Doshin.

This title was previously thought to be called Sound Maker, but the sound software was incorporated into Talent Studio. In any event, this Net Studio disk is quite hard to come by, so that always makes for a good collectors item. I can advise to buy it as such only.