|
Mario Kart Wii
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Racing
Release Date: April 27, 2008
Platform: Wii
Reviewer: Eric
 In 1992 Nintendo released Super Mario Kart on the SNES. Fans were taken by
storm from this new Mario game that wasn’t a platformer. The arcade style racing
game had simple gameplay, anybody could pick it up and play it without putting
too much time into it. As the series began to show up on other Nintendo
consoles, it was a fact that the Mario Kart series was sticking around for more
than three laps.
Mario Kart’s popularity is based around the gameplay and the Nintendo characters
you can choose from. The games character selection is nothing compared to the
Smash Bros. series, but it still has enough of familiar faces to make Nintendo
fan boys happy.
The Wii has been proving to the gaming world that their new console is more than
just a gimmick. Mario Kart is another fun game to play with friends and with
strangers online. The game isn’t as groundbreaking as other Wii games and the
gameplay still has some minor problems.
Nintendo was nice enough to package Mario Kart Wii with a steering wheel. The
wheel is a hard plastic shell that has a slot for your Wii Mote. It won’t
revolutionize the way people play racing games, but it goes pretty well with
Mario Kart Wii.
Just like Smash Bros., you can use any controller possible for Mario Kart Wii.
Again I keep finding myself using the Wii Mote for this game, putting the
controller in the steering wheel feels natural. I couldn’t imagine playing the
game without the steering wheel, it almost feels like you are driving a car, of
course minus the gas and break peddles.
As much as I enjoy the steering wheel there are a few problems with it, mainly
with the Wii Mote in general. You need to hold down the 2 button to accelerate
your characters vehicle. If you need to reverse you’ll have to press the 1
button, which isn’t bad. What makes the Wii Mote awkward is using your items.
Pressing the B button to do this feels weird; at times it feels like my fingers
are getting all tied up in a ball.
To simplify the control scheme you are best off using the Wii Mote, either with
the steering wheel or holding it like handle bars. With all of the new additions
Nintendo added to the new Mario Kart it feels wrong using a simple d-pad of
joystick.
 The basic gameplay is still the same. Go as fast as you can and make it in first
place all the time. Throughout the race you should pick up items to use against
your foes. The biggest addition to Mario Kart Wii is the tricks. By moving the
Wii Mote when you go off a ramp your character will do a trick. If you are
successful with your trick then your character gains a speed burst. Players that
usually play it safe in Mario Kart have a whole new aspect they have to learn
because these speed bursts help out a lot during races.
Speed bursts can also be gained in a few other ways. Wheelies will give you a
burst whenever you pull the Wii Mote back and doing power slides. Power slides
are not like that use to. Instead of holding a button down and dragging your
character back and fourth you’ll need to try something else. Why would Nintendo
ruin this method that they’ve always done this way since day one?
Mario Kart Wii also offers some new items for you to use during races and battle
mode. All of your favorite items are back, even the damn blue shell. Most of the
new items are either pointless or extremely cheesy. The bullet item is by fair
the cheapest weapon in the game while the new ink squid item is only cool for
the first couple uses.
If you’ve been playing the Mario Kart series since day one you should remember
one problem that always haunts the series. The person in last place always gets
the best items, it’s a proven fact. In Mario Kart Wii it seems being in last is
the place to be. To win some of the later races you have to be in last place to
win, the computer is way too good and will always laugh at your bananas and
green shells. Mario Kart Double Dash made this theory a fact and Mario Kart Wii
makes it a pain in the ass.
 The game features 24 characters, some of which have to be unlocked. Each
character falls into there own weight class and their own set of vehicles. There
are only three real classes and every character as the same type of vehicle;
they’ll just look different depending on which class you pick. All of the
vehicles offer different states, but honestly they all seem to play the same.
Nintendo tried to something new with Mario Kart Wii and for the most part it’s
cool, however gameplay wise it just feels the same.
There are seven cups, with 32 stages, 16 of which are brand new in Mario Kart
Wii. All of the new stages have been spiced up, making them seem like there new.
Every stage, old and new, also comes with a few short cuts. Some might be easy
to use while other short cuts might be a little challenging to use.
Once again Nintendo has brought back the stupid code system. Instead of using
your Friend Code you are given a special Mario Kart code. You need to add your
friends once again to the games buddy list, which is really starting to become a
pain in the ass. Thankfully Nintendo added a new feature; you can send messages
to your friends so they know your Mario Kart code. This is a better idea, but
still having new codes for each game is starting to get real annoying.
Finding games to play online is easy. Yes, people trying to join a game with
random people in it is easy, only a few problems occurred during my first few
hours of gameplay. When Mario Kart finds eight plays (you have to start a game
with eight players at first) you can start the game. There are at least three
different loading screens and I have been kicked out of a game on all three of
these screens. During peek times it might take a little longer to find a game,
but for the most part this is a much needed improvement over most online Wii
games.
 Mario Kart Wii comes with a channel you can install to your Wii. It’s just a
quick stop channel where you can find your friends, send invites, and look at
tournaments. Again this is a huge improvement, almost better than most
Playstation 3 online games, but where is the voice chat? Also why must
everything online, battle mode only, be team based? Trying playing a 2 on 1
game, for some reason the person that is all by themselves gets non stop red
shells.
Battle mode is the same as before. Coin mode, a new addition, is boring. You
have so many minutes to collection the most coins (team based of course). Once
all the coins are gathered you need to attack your enemies. This mode only seems
to be fun if you play it online, don’t ask me why, it just seems that way.
Final Verdict
I think if Mario Kart Wii came out sooner I’d enjoy it a whole lot better. The
game feels a little out dated and the item ratio is the worst the series has
ever seen. Nintendo went all out and made this Mario Kart accessible to casual
gamers; us hardcore gamers will be upset with the finished product here. No
matter what this is a new Mario Kart so you are better off picking it up.
Rating
8 out of 10
Mario Kart Wii Trailer
|
