Mario Kart Wii
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Wii Platform: 1-4 Release: 2008 Genre: Racing / Action Rating: 8.5 \ 10.0: Fantastic
Above is a scene from the Mario Circuit track
Mario Kart certainly isn't my favorite Mario spin-off (that would be Mario & Luigi), but it's still pretty darn fun. And I'm not the only person who had fun-- Mario Kart Wii is currently the best-selling racing game of all time, having shifted an astounding 34 million copies! MKW introduces some new racetracks, such as Coconut Mall (one of my favorites) and DK Summit, and also reintroduces some of the best from throughout the series. There are also several new playable characters, such as Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, and you can even play as your Mii! In addition to karts, there are now motorbikes (it feels great to pop a wheelie)! One of the biggest new additions to this game is motion control. If you don't fancy a Wiimote-Nunchuck combo or GameCube controller, you can hold the remote sideways and tilt to steer. If you have a Wii Wheel peripheral buried in your closet from the golden age of the Wii, you probably never used it for any game but this. Personally, I find the motion control to be loose and frustrating, and they serves no purpose but to add immersion. This is only a small quibble, and I understand if you prefer this control style. There are two modes-- Battle and Grand Prix. Let's start with Grand Prix-- in it, you must play through in a standard free-for-all, or Teams, in which the racers (both COM-controlled and human, as up to 4 people can play), are split into teams of six, and the team that racks up the most points, based on their finishing positions in races, wins. You can play Grand Prix solo in, ahem, Solo mode, or with friends in VS. By earning trophies, you can unlock more cups, and eventually Mirror mode, in which you can play mirrored versions of raceways. If you're not up for racing, you can engage in Battle mode. You can do a Balloon Battle, in which your team competes to pop as many of the other team's racers' balloons, which serve as health points; or Coin Battle, in which you must collect as many coins as you can to lead your team to victory. As with nearly all games of this style, you'll have much more fun with friends. As always, the multiplayer is chaotic but an absolute blast. There's a good reason that Mario kart is a go-to party game. I must also mention Mario Kart Wii's incredibly catchy soundtrack which floods my mind with nostalgia every time I hear it whether explosions, kart engines, and item warnings are drowning it out or not. But sadly, some courses can be bland and frustrating, and the COM-controlled characters can be overly aggressive, and there's no way top tone them down. Despite these small flaws, Mario Kart Wii is a fantastic game, and you'll enjoy it whether youre both Mario and racing should play it.
Above is a scene from the Mario Circuit track
Mario Kart certainly isn't my favorite Mario spin-off (that would be Mario & Luigi), but it's still pretty darn fun. And I'm not the only person who had fun-- Mario Kart Wii is currently the best-selling racing game of all time, having shifted an astounding 34 million copies! MKW introduces some new racetracks, such as Coconut Mall (one of my favorites) and DK Summit, and also reintroduces some of the best from throughout the series. There are also several new playable characters, such as Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, and you can even play as your Mii! In addition to karts, there are now motorbikes (it feels great to pop a wheelie)! One of the biggest new additions to this game is motion control. If you don't fancy a Wiimote-Nunchuck combo or GameCube controller, you can hold the remote sideways and tilt to steer. If you have a Wii Wheel peripheral buried in your closet from the golden age of the Wii, you probably never used it for any game but this. Personally, I find the motion control to be loose and frustrating, and they serves no purpose but to add immersion. This is only a small quibble, and I understand if you prefer this control style. There are two modes-- Battle and Grand Prix. Let's start with Grand Prix-- in it, you must play through in a standard free-for-all, or Teams, in which the racers (both COM-controlled and human, as up to 4 people can play), are split into teams of six, and the team that racks up the most points, based on their finishing positions in races, wins. You can play Grand Prix solo in, ahem, Solo mode, or with friends in VS. By earning trophies, you can unlock more cups, and eventually Mirror mode, in which you can play mirrored versions of raceways. If you're not up for racing, you can engage in Battle mode. You can do a Balloon Battle, in which your team competes to pop as many of the other team's racers' balloons, which serve as health points; or Coin Battle, in which you must collect as many coins as you can to lead your team to victory. As with nearly all games of this style, you'll have much more fun with friends. As always, the multiplayer is chaotic but an absolute blast. There's a good reason that Mario kart is a go-to party game. I must also mention Mario Kart Wii's incredibly catchy soundtrack which floods my mind with nostalgia every time I hear it whether explosions, kart engines, and item warnings are drowning it out or not. But sadly, some courses can be bland and frustrating, and the COM-controlled characters can be overly aggressive, and there's no way top tone them down. Despite these small flaws, Mario Kart Wii is a fantastic game, and you'll enjoy it whether youre both Mario and racing should play it.
Ups
New motorbikes
Abundance of modes
Incredibly catchy soundtrack
Online connectivity
Downs
Motion controls are slippery and frustrating (for me, that is)
Some bland and frustrating courses
Aggressive COM that can't be toned down
ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief Price: $39.99 (Retail)
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