Game Info
Game Name: Mario Kart Wii
Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Platform(s): Wii
Genre(s): Racing
Release Date(s): April 27, 2008
ESRB Rating: Game Rating
Oh hell…
Mario and his crazy racers are back and tearing up the tracks. Take the wheel and invite your friends for some of the wildest race tracks around. Loops, jumps, and perilous drops are all on your course to the gold medal…this time with motorcycles! Can you come in first?
Mario Kart Wii is essential Mario Kart 6 and a follow-up to Mario Kart DS from 2005. The game was met with positive reviews and many praised the great use of the Wii’s motion controls that give the carts a real steering feel.
You’re a winner!
Mario Kart Wii has all the drivers you expect in a Mario Kart game and more for the most drivers so far. The playable drivers are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, and Bowser as the standard drivers with Daisy, Birdo, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., Baby Luigi, Baby Daisy, Toadette, Dry Bones, King Boo, Rosalina, Funky Kong, and Dry Bowser as unlockables (in addition to your own Miis as racers). The drivers all have different weight classes and stats for their rides and that does give the game a lot of variety and play.
The game came with a Wii Wheel that could be locked onto the Wii Remote for better game play. I have to say the controls for this game are great. Unlike something like Excite-Truck that came out with the Wii’s launch, Mario Kart Wii’s controls have been better fine-tuned and the steering is quite receptive. It just becomes a matter if you want to chuck that Wii Wheel at the TV when you get passed at the last minute in the last lap (which is an unrealistic problem tied to all Mario Kart games). With the different cars and the option of motorcycles, Mario Kart Wii does have a bunch of replay ability.
Peach Beach, I feel I just raced you in Double-Dash
I am a bit upset by course selection. Mario Kart Wii went for a “best of” approach which I feel is a bit of a slap to fans of the series. I had almost all the Mario Kart games and was upset to find sixteen new courses mixed in with sixteen old courses. This isn’t necessarily bad, but four of those courses were GameCube courses and that game wasn’t that old and the graphics of the Wii did not advance them enough for it to feel like I was playing anything new. I wish they had mixed in flying or something to the mix to bring aspects of the great Diddy Kong Racing from the N64 into the mix (or just give us a new Diddy Kong Racing!). If the older tracks had been unlockable or even downloadable that would have been alright…Usually you “drive” a Mario Kart game into the ground so you want all new adventures when you get a new one.
Tripping…Mario Kart style
The game has online playability and twelve drivers can race at once. This is hindered by the Wii’s safety blocks so you pretty much have to choose between your friends who happen to be playing and online through a complex code system. The multiplayer battle modes also return and can be fun for a group to get their frustration out.
Mario Kart Wii is a definite must for Wii owners despite some of my criticisms. It is fun, quick, and can have you cheering or cursing. Some of the characters are very difficult to unlock so you will be playing a while if you are a completist and even the best Mario Kart players might find some challenges…as always the Rainbow Road is a nightmare but keep plugging along and you’ll win. Mario Kart Wii was followed by Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS.
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