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Pros:
Cons:Mario Kart Wii
Wii
10 April 2008 (JP)
11 April 2008 (EU)
24 April 2008 (AUS)
27 April 2008 (US)
Racing
Several control styles, including the Wii wheel, great and reliable online play
Enemy AI can be very frustrating at times, graphics similar to Mario Kart Double Dash
Review The Mario Kart series has been around for years now, starting off with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. It's come a long way, and this latest incarnation of Mario Kart takes advantage of the Wii's capabilities, providing a very enjoyable and entertaining racing game.
Visually, it looks great, though some believe that the graphics of Mario Kart Double Dash are much better. While I do believe that the graphics could be improved, I think they're great already. The characters look the way the should, and tracks are large and detailed, whether it be racing in Coconut Mall, or in Bowser's castle.
I don't really pay too much attention to the music in this game, though it's certainly upbeat and cheery for most of the tracks. The only exceptions would probably be any of the Bowser Castle tracks, and perhaps SNES Ghost Valley 2, but given the atmosphere of the tracks, the music is fitting for these exceptions.
Voice acting is also included in Mario Kart wii, though it's usually just limited to taunts and such. However, the voices are clear enough so you know what it is the characters are saying.The gameplay has had a revamp in some areas. For starters, it's now a 12-racer game. Mario Kart Wii has eliminated the one kart with two drivers formula and has gone back to single driver racing. As with the previous Mario Kart games, there are three classes of characters - light, medium and heavy, which affects driving stats.
Then there are the vehicles themselves, each with individual stats, and for the first time, motorcycles have been introduced, which are more than just a comsmetic preference. The controversial "snaking" has been altered so boosts can only be generated when doing turns, with karts being able to generate two levels of boost with turning, whereas bikes only have one level of boost, but make up for this with the ability to do its own variant of boosts at any time by perfoming and holding a wheelie.
The types of game modes have also had a slight revamp. There's the traditional Grand prix and time trial modes, then there's the revamped battle mode. Battle mode retains the traditional balloon battle, but also includes a new mode called coin chasers. The biggest change to this mode however, is that battle mode is all team based now. The biggest advantage I see with this is that it allows beginners to actually play through an entire round without being eliminated early on, and the time limit on these battles also ensures that the rounds don't drag on for too long either. However, it would have been nice to be able to retain the all-on-all type of battle mode as well, though I do welcome the new changes too.
Control wise, this game offers a wide variety of control options available. You can use the wii remote and the wii wheel accessory (which is included with the game), or the remote on its own. You can also use the classic controller, wii remote and nunchuk accessory, or even the Gamecube controller. Given the different ways you can play this game, you'll no doubt be able to find a controller style you'll feel right at home with. Personally, I prefer using the wii wheel for the fun of it, while others may prefer the old-school style of the either classic or Gamecube controllers.
Mario Kart Wii also offers an online mode. Being the second Mario Kart game (the first being Mario Kart DS) to have online gameplay, the service is great. You can either play against friends (via the Wii's friend code feature), or just play against any random person. If you play the latter, you will not have any problems finding someone. Also, there is no lag at all, even when racing against 11 other people.
The biggest criticism of this game that I have is behaviour of the AI in conjunction with the use of items. While I have no problems with a bit of challenge, there will be times when the AI will hit you with multiple items including lightning bolts, red shells, POW blocks and blue shells to boot. This is enough to make some players want to throw the remote in frustration. However, other times, you're not on the receiving end of a spam fest of items. It's very random behaviour.Given that you start the game with only a few characters and vehicles, and that they can only be unlocked by meeting certain conditions, there is definately a lot to do here. Even if you do finish all difficulty levels and unlock all characters and vehicles, there's still the excellent online mode, where you can constantly test your skills against other players rather than against the AI. Then there's of course just racing against three of your friends. There's plenty to do here.
For the more hardcore fans of the series, there will be features that you'll be complaining about. For everybody else, I find this to be a rather solid game that can be played solo, with friends, or against random strangers online. There is certainly something for everybody here, and I find it to be a worthwhile purchase for the Wii.