Your level of cynicism with the Mario Kart series is probably closely tied to how many of the games you've already played and how you tend to play them. For new Wii owners who are unexposed to the previous Mario Kart games, or who perhaps haven't played one since the SNES or N64 versions, this game provides a lot of exciting new content and cumulative upgrades that are sure to please casual players. It's an accessible, family-friendly racing game that is best enjoyed with a roomful of people who are there to have a good time and don't take the competition too seriously. As a party game, Mario Kart Wii is unquestionably successful.
The trouble with the game is that it also attempts to serve other levels of play, and it fails utterly in many regards. As a single-player game, it provides a massive amount of content: 32 tracks full of shortcuts, dozens of characters and vehicles, challenging unlockables, built-in staff ghosts for time trials, and even a license card that tracks your achievements. Grand Prix is the primary solo mode, and it promises plenty of diversity with three engine classes that differ significantly in speed, aggression, and vehicle selection. Unfortunately, your desire to play through every Grand Prix iteration is likely to die off quickly due to a number of factors. Any experienced fan will find 50cc and 100cc to be mere introductions to the tracks, as the computer opponents put up little opposition at these levels. Playing through every single cup (twice) just to unlock tracks and characters is rather tedious when the game is so easy. You will, however, probably get angry on the rare occasions when you do lose races, as it will almost always be due to item assaults on the final lap, when it's too late for you to recover.
This frustration is merely foreshadowing the 150cc Grand Prix, which has to be one of the most infuriating experiences I've ever had playing a Nintendo game. These racers are fast, and they are at least as aggressive as human players. That should make for fun, challenging gameplay in which you have to fight for every single rank. Instead, it means that most of the twelve racers stay bunched up in a tight pack, and if you get ahead of that pack, you will immediately meet a barrage of combat items against which there can be no defense. Falling from 1st or 2nd place to 12th in a matter of seconds is not just a possibility - it's the norm. The result is that winning and losing in 150cc becomes arbitrary; you need top racing skills just to compete, but you also need very good luck to win consistently enough for a trophy. Yes, this dynamic is what Mario Kart is known for, and it totally works in a group setting where you can all laugh at the proceedings and congratulate the winner, regardless of how he or she pulled ahead at the end; however, it doesn't work at all when I'm playing against computer racers, and there is some valuable unlockable feature on the line if I can win the tournament.
One of the changes to Mario Kart Wii that makes Grand Prix and some other modes more annoying than before is that every race now includes twelve racers. Note to Nintendo: just because you can add more doesn't mean that you should. Having a more crowded field makes an already messy and unpredictable game begin to resemble total chaos, and chaos is not a game because the player has no control over the outcome. The deeper field of racers is particularly unwieldy on some of the classic tracks, and it forces the Battle Mode arenas to be uniformly gigantic and thus poorly designed for anything less than the maximum number of players. Another major factor in the Grand Prix problem is that there are too many "attack everyone else" and "automatically jump six ranks ahead" items, including those from previous games and a few new ones. Now we have so many wide-area attacks, so many racers using these attacks throughout the race, and so few means of strategic defense against these attacks, that the only solid plan to win the 150cc Grand Prix is to get so far ahead that you can be struck by lightning, pounded with a POW block, nailed by a blue shell, and then tracked down by a trio of red shells all in succession and still recover in time to pick up first place anyway. Such a chain of misfortune was possible but very rare in previous Mario Kart games; when it happened, we could just laugh at our own misfortune and then get back into the race. In Mario Kart Wii, it's more shocking when this doesn't happen in every race.
It's time to jump over to more positive aspects of the game. The new track designs are excellent, so much so that they make the classic tracks seem dull in comparison. Taking cues from other Nintendo racing titles like Wave Race and Excite Truck, the new Mario Kart tracks have alternate paths, unique per-track elements, and dynamic features that change from lap to lap. The one exception to my praise is the new Rainbow Road, a roller coaster of a track with such poor sight lines that you're likely to drive right off the edge without realizing you're in danger, and speed boosters that tend to shoot you into the abyss unless you slide into them at the perfect angle. It's a track that demands memorization and perfect steering just to survive, and that's in direct conflict with the spirit of this franchise.
Bikes and tricks are seemingly important additions that turn out to be minor, though pleasant, enhancements of the core gameplay. The motorcycles don't feel terribly different from karts, but there are some subtle distinctions that change how you steer and plan your advancement through the ranks. It's also important to note that the bikes and karts are well-balanced; each type has its own advantages in certain situations, and both types are fully viable throughout the game in the hands of a good player. Motion-controlled tricks aren't really a "system" like you would find in SSX or Tony Hawk games; rather, tricks are just one more chance for a little boost whenever you catch air from a ramp (or any ramp-like object). Looking for trickable jumps adds an element of racing tempo that is most commonly associated with Excitebike and Excite Truck. Tricks also open up some new racing lines on the classic tracks.
One addition that doesn't turn out to be so great is motion control with the Wii Wheel. It's easy to see why Nintendo wanted to include this feature and its (free, well-built) accessory, but the implementation is disappointing. When I had over a group of friends to play Mario Kart Wii, everyone wanted to try the wheel right away. One by one, each of my friends decided that it made the game too difficult, and they gave it up in favor of the Remote/Nunchuk combination. Even players who stick with the wheel have to admit that it's an extra challenge. In fact, Nintendo themselves have indicated which players online are handicapped by the wheel – and yes, it's extra demeaning to be defeated by these people. The other three controller options are far more precise, easier to manage, and don't result in power sliding the wrong way, which seems to happen frequently with the motion controls.
On the other hand, tremendous praise is due for Mario Kart Wii's online features. Compared to Super Smash Bros. Brawl and especially to Mario Kart DS, this game is as much a modern, painless online experience as we can expect to have under Nintendo's self-imposed restrictions and technical limitations. Friends can be registered without trading additional codes, and the game will let you know when they are looking for a match. Random matching is quick, and you can keep racing the same group of people even as individual players join and drop out between each round. It's also great that you can participate in these online modes with two players sharing the same Wii system. Downloadable ghosts, friend list rankings, and Nintendo-sponsored tournaments are all handled seamlessly and have real potential to keep you playing the game for months to come. I'm not sure that the Mario Kart gameplay is the best example of something you'd want to do online, but if you do enjoy online racing, there is no doubt that this game's features make it a more attractive package.
Mario Kart Wii is ultimately an uneven package with as many omissions and flaws as there are clever additions and solid ideas. Forgive the list, but…why is Battle Mode now limited to teams? Why was cooperative play needlessly removed? Where are the tracks based on Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros.? Why are there so many lame secret characters? Where are the deep customization options for multiplayer? Why not bring back more popular tracks, like Wario Stadium, and leave out annoying ones like Ghost Valley 2? After the relatively innovative Double Dash and the conservative but carefully balanced Mario Kart DS, this Wii sequel feels like a step sideways. It stands out from its predecessors but is not necessarily improved, except in the area of online features. The game is definitely fun in certain situations, but like some other Nintendo franchises, the core ideas are growing stale, leaving a strong impression that Mario Kart needs a total reboot.
Pros:
Lastability: 9.0
You probably don't want to play too much Mario Kart at once. Doing so will inevitably lead you to the nightmare of Grand Prix mode, which should be completed in small chunks, if at all. Strong local multiplayer modes and excellent online features give the game more longevity than its core gameplay really deserves. A deployable Wii channel and occasional tournaments are admirable tricks to keep you coming back to the game, even if the disc is in storage.
Final: 7.5
Mario Kart Wii isn't the best Mario Kart game. No one was screaming for motorcycles or motion control to be added to this series. However, if you have a solid group of friends to play the game, or if you are keen on nearly anonymous online racing, Mario Kart Wii does deliver on these fronts.
Wait, how would a track be based off New Super Mario Bros? I can see Galaxy, but NSMB? Um..
Wait, how would a track be based off New Super Mario Bros? I can see Galaxy, but NSMB? Um..
NSMB has a lot of classic Mario environments that have never really been used in the Mario Kart series.
Also the always intelligent posters at GoNintendo are bashing the review. (Ok maybe I'm exaggerating about the intelligent part).
I'm not sure that the Mario Kart gameplay is the best example of something you'd want to do onlineLOL!!!
Why not bring back more popular tracks, like Wario Stadium, and leave out annoying ones like Ghost Valley 2?Come ON. OBVIOUSLY there's going to be a few tracks coming back you dislike, but on a whole they did a great job. Delfino Square more than makes up for anything. Double Dash had no old tracks at ALL.
Lacks any personality or true affiliation with other Mario gamesWhat the heck? NOBODY CARES! These "cons" are laughable. They aren't even anything.
You will, however, probably get angry on the rare occasions when you do lose races, as it will almost always be due to item assaults on the final lap, when it's too late for you to recover.
Where are the tracks based on Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros.?
Comments regarding Wii Wheel
Uh nope. This is just how Nintendo does Mario Kart. We only learned of Double Dash's existence 5-6 months before it came out too. Have you played it Pap? Jonny is comparing a game he played for 2 hours to ones he probably played for hundreds.
The control almost identical to the karts but go faster and give you the ability to do wheelies. I wish they weren't introduced at the expense of the karts, considering this game is still called Mario KART.I think some bikes especially the Mach Bike are completely different to karts. I agree though that karts should be a bit better.
But when using it, it feels like you are steering a semi rather than a go-kart.Have you been karting before?
On the Galaxy NSMB comment: I think this just further exposes how Nintendo needs to open up Mario Kart to include the full Nintendo roster. I'd much rather see Nintendo explore other universes in Nintendo IPs than constantly stretching for new material within the Mario universe.
QuoteOn the Galaxy NSMB comment: I think this just further exposes how Nintendo needs to open up Mario Kart to include the full Nintendo roster. I'd much rather see Nintendo explore other universes in Nintendo IPs than constantly stretching for new material within the Mario universe.
Yeah Metroid could bring never before seen locales like... Uhhh... Outer Space, and Fire Levels... And Zelda would bring... Death Mountain? Some kind of Ice Level? This is a ridiculous idea.
QuoteYou will, however, probably get angry on the rare occasions when you do lose races, as it will almost always be due to item assaults on the final lap, when it's too late for you to recover.
This is an ontological complaint without much merit, mainly because a lot of the times Mario Kart is won and lost is through the snatching of victory by using an item on a CPU opponents right as he would cross the finish line. It certainly FEELS frustrating, but how would they win otherwise?
words words words. Seriously, this sort of score is nothing new for the series, and a 7.5 doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have fun. Heck, GameSpot gave Mario Kart 64 a 6.4!
The sixth game in Nintendo's mascot racing series is now available [....]
Final: 10
Mario Kart Wii does deliver
words words words. Seriously, this sort of score is nothing new for the series, and a 7.5 doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have fun. Heck, GameSpot gave Mario Kart 64 a 6.4!Well MK 64 is the worst in the series, I'd actually say 6.4 is a little generous.
words words words. Seriously, this sort of score is nothing new for the series, and a 7.5 doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have fun. Heck, GameSpot gave Mario Kart 64 a 6.4!
Why was cooperative play needlessly removed?Sure, you're not double-dashing (it never sat well with me) but offline multiplayer Grand Prix races can be done in teams (Red Vs Blue) and is great fun because items are safe from "friendly fire". Does that fill the void?
I'm not sure that the Mario Kart gameplay is the best example of something you'd want to do onlineCould you elaborate on this? It seems to be the only bad thing you can say about the online experience but I don't really understand the point you are conveying.
No one was asking for motion controlsWell. . . .since the Wii controller was shown, a lot of people wanted motion controls for certain games including Mario Kart. Can you imagine if they didnt put it in this game? Reviewers would of torn it to shreds that Nintendo is supposed to be innovating the industry with this console and all they have done is put out their same old games like Smash and Mario Kart and had basic GC controls.
I guess it makes a difference with the whole two items thing. But I'd argue how much more advanced the drifting is, as well as the trick system and wheelies. In combination with the choice of motorcycle or kart, I feel like I'm playing Brawl.Not that I'm debating your statement, but would you care to explain your opinion of the new drifting mechanic? It seems to me that the drifting in Double Dash was more "advanced", as it required you to work the control stick back and forth to build up the desired mini-boost. This led to boosting in many small turns that would be impossible with the new mechanic. I don't foresee any specialized techniques like snaking (like it or not) effectively coming from the new mechanic either.
I don't mind the new mechanic at all. It does still take a little knowhow, since mini-boosts are gained quicker by making sharper drifts. I do sometimes miss being able to quickly wiggle the analog stick in smaller turns however. To be fair though, the wheelies make up for this if you're on a motorcycle. I hate having to make my Mii shorter to use the Mach Bike though! :P
QuoteNo one was asking for motion controlsWell. . . .since the Wii controller was shown, a lot of people wanted motion controls for certain games including Mario Kart. Can you imagine if they didnt put it in this game? Reviewers would of torn it to shreds that Nintendo is supposed to be innovating the industry with this console and all they have done is put out their same old games like Smash and Mario Kart and had basic GC controls.
QuoteComments regarding Wii Wheel
I disagree with your opinion that the Wii Wheel is seen as a handicap by most, if only because you undermined said opinion by saying you get beat by people using the Wii Wheel. Obviously THEY don't see it as a handicap and use it to achieve victory. I dunno what the source of the comment is. Either bitterness over being beaten by somebody more interested in having fun (using Wheel) or being beaten by someone using a control method deemed "less effective." As Grub stated, it is possible to mount effective and game-winning strategies using it. It really may be a "wheel that gives more turning"
Once again, these are just functional complaints. I'm sure when I play the game, I'll find time to agree or disagree more.
I've actually been playing with the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo, and I kind of wish that had been the "standard" control, because then they could have done something awesome using the pointer for items.
Hai Guyz, what's going on in here?
Ah, controversial Mario Kart review. Only thing I'll say is I think the whole racing genre needs to be reinvented for consoles, lest it become the next 2D fighter or shmup.
Only thing I'll say is I think the whole racing genre needs to be reinvented for consoles, lest it become the next 2D fighter or shmup.
For more fun reading about Mario Kart Wii, I recommend Chris Kohler's review:
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/05/review-mario-ka.html
Let me say up front that I strongly disagree with Chris's review. It focuses on the battle mode, which I don't think has been good since the first game. But that's the part he cares about the most, so its problems hurt him more.
The comments on that page are pretty hilarious. It didn't take long for him to give up on responding to them.
Personally, adding some giant floating star bits and a minor musical reference to the long-established Rainbow Road theme does not satisfy as an homage to Galaxy, and feels rather token.
I also think James is right about the AI issue - make them capable opponents that we compete with head to head, as opposed to increasing the difficulty by simply ratcheting up the frequency with which we are struck by items activated by distant, unseen opponents. Funnily enough, I think Jonny has played a Mario Kart game before and is very familiar with how the 1player mode has worked in the past, so if he singles it out for being especially frustrating, it isn't just on a whim - it's made in the context of his experience of the series as a whole.
Ultimately, I'm glad to have GP behind me with everythng unlocked and continue to enjoy racing online, which transcends a lot of these issues from 1 player and will provide a lot of fun for a long time.
Mario Kart DS avoided criticism because the game is damn near perfect. Far and away the best Mario Kart game with the only point against it being the absence of certain tracks for online play.
There have been countless unique and interesting areas in a variety of Nintendo games that include series other than Metroid/Zelda. But if we want to look at those, how about Hyrule Field or Kakariko Village, and for the Prime games, how about a "best of" level for each Prime game where you are traveling through the various areas seen in each Prime game.
Mario Kart DS avoided criticism because the game is damn near perfect. Far and away the best Mario Kart game with the only point against it being the absence of certain tracks for online play.
Mario Kart DS avoided criticism because the game is damn near perfect. Far and away the best Mario Kart game with the only point against it being the absence of certain tracks for online play.
MKDS was a great game but the lack of Battle Mode online hurt it IMO.
Mario Kart DS avoided criticism because the game is damn near perfect. Far and away the best Mario Kart game with the only point against it being the absence of certain tracks for online play.
MKDS was a great game but the lack of Battle Mode online hurt it IMO.
I guess I can see that hurting it a bit, personally I'm not a big battle mode fan anyway, so it had little to no impact on me.
With regard to the level themes, I too was disappointed in how generic a significant number of the tracks felt (not that this is something entirely new to the series).
All Mario Karts have those tracks :D
Personally, I think it's the best console Mario Kart, to date.
With regard to the level themes, I too was disappointed in how generic a significant number of the tracks felt (not that this is something entirely new to the series).All Mario Karts have those tracks :D
Such an astute observation, I shall have to remember that.
The point is MKDS felt like a step forward in creatively utilising the Mario heritage, while still maintaining its own identity by including tracks that were based off previous MK tracks and creating unique new ones like Waluigi Pinball. By comparison, MK Wii seems like a backward step. Also, just because something has precedent, that doesn't mean it's commendable.
I have to disagree, some of these unrelated tracks were some of my favorites from the series.
Mario Kart DS avoided criticism because the game is damn near perfect. Far and away the best Mario Kart game with the only point against it being the absence of certain tracks for online play.
And by the way... I had MORE difficulty in MKDS's single player Grand Prix's than I had with MKWii's.
Now that these issues have more or less been resolved, the online play in MKWii is fantasmic, Double KArts are gone and snaking terminated, suddenly we hear parsimonious and nitpicky complaints like "meh, not enough references to other Mario games" or "Creatively using the Mario Heritage" or "The AI is bad because I can't win on more difficult settings." I think more is being said about those people than about Mario Kart.
Mario Kart 64 had the best set of tracks in the series, but MK Wii is a close second. MKDS loses a lot of points in this area due to creating Yoshi Falls, which someone at Nintendo must be insane enough to love because they let it into MK Wii instead of something more worthy like Airship Fortress or Tick Tock Clock.
Also does anyone actually like the squid item? It really does nothing to a good or reasonably good player and I hate getting it.
Also I really LOVE the new track in MK Wii where you go under water (forgot the name) it is great fun.
See how it plays when you throw the wheel INTO THE AIR.
See how it plays when you throw the wheel INTO THE AIR.
I don't use Nintendo's "Wii Wheel". It's either the Classic Controller or the Core Gamer Wii Multi-Axis Racing System (http://www.coregamer.com/coregamer/coregamer.asp?cmd=detail&prodID=83)
Yoshi Falls is terrible IMO, it is so uninspired. It is like a basic circular track with water you can travel through. Now the Pinball level or the Airship Level should have been in this game.
Personally, snaking forced me to think about how I used every INCH of a track and made sure that I completely perfected my technique. Playing in a group of others who also snaked only made you bring your game harder.That's just pure BS, stop embarrassing yourself. I bet you aren't even within 20 seconds of the top time trial times in MK Wii, going fast in MK Wii requires a LOT more technique.
Now in MK Wii you move slow and can only utilize the lame tricks and turns for boosting. Sorry but it slows down the pace of the game to the point where it just bugs the hell out of me.
eh, no I've barely won one match so far.
Also, the shells are a shadow of their former selves in battle mode anyway, they don't hit much cause the courses are to damn open.
Then stages are pretty good, but I have to put in the obligatory, "where's blockfort" comment.
When Mario Kart DS came out I had plenty of other games to play that weren't "non-games" so that argument doesn't hold water, and I imagine it doesn't for many others as well considering a handheld is typically a secondary console for most and they aren't using it to get their main gaming fix.
The removal of snaking ruins this game for me and it being a design flaw is a matter of opinion. Personally, snaking forced me to think about how I used every INCH of a track and made sure that I completely perfected my technique. Playing in a group of others who also snaked only made you bring your game harder.
there is a third wii outfit you can unlock if you get an inhuman 15,000 points in battle mode.
eh, no I've barely won one match so far.
Also, the shells are a shadow of their former selves in battle mode anyway, they don't hit much cause the courses are to damn open.
Then stages are pretty good, but I have to put in the obligatory, "where's blockfort" comment.
I actually think the new block fort stage is pretty good.
Well I'm not going to turn this thread into a petty flame fest. It seems to me that people here don't like snaking and that apparently makes Mario Kart DS crap
I completely disagree with the relevance of the DS situation upon the release of Mario Kart DS, and the relevance of reviewers' opinions. The game stands on it's own right; that situation doesn't dictate the merits of the game.
I also despise the inclusion of the bikes. It is Mario KART not Mario goes Offroading. The bikes are clearly superior to the karts, so they get used exclusively which just annoys the hell out of me.
The bikes are clearly superior to the karts, so they get used exclusively which just annoys the hell out of me
b) As I stated earlier, and as DAaaMan64 pointed out, being good at snaking meant knowing every bend of the stage
c) If bikes are better for Time Trial, who cares about anything else? You may as well roll a dice in GP because even if you race perfectly it's no guarantee that you are going to win. AND I'm saying bikes are annoying because this is MARIO KART, and they outshine the damn karts. That is a personal feeling, NOBODY is forced to agree with me, I couldn't care less.
See how it plays when you throw the wheel INTO THE AIR.
I don't use Nintendo's "Wii Wheel". It's either the Classic Controller or the Core Gamer Wii Multi-Axis Racing System (http://www.coregamer.com/coregamer/coregamer.asp?cmd=detail&prodID=83)
Wow is that a good wheel?
AND I'm saying bikes are annoying because this is MARIO KART
I have decided in response to all of these enlightening comments I will change my opinion of Mario Kart Wii, it is now my favorite Mario Kart! Congratulations you win the thread!
I don't if they were friends or what, but I played several matches and this one guy always got first place. Anytime I would get into first place the SAME guy way in the back of the pack would shoot me with a blue shell, yet I think he only got hit once during 6 different matches. One time I was just yards away from the goal and got whacked by a blue shell and he got first place.
I don't if they were friends or what, but I played several matches and this one guy always got first place. Anytime I would get into first place the SAME guy way in the back of the pack would shoot me with a blue shell, yet I think he only got hit once during 6 different matches. One time I was just yards away from the goal and got whacked by a blue shell and he got first place.
All I'm hearing is "wah wah wah i suck at online"
