Topic: REVIEWS: Mario Kart Wii

[deathstar45]

I've just got through getting 3 stars ratings on every cup in every class, and I too can confirm that the more destructive items are way more frequent in the GP modes than the online mode. For those that haven't attempted to three star a cup, you HAVE to get a first in all four races, consistently maintain your lead in those races, and fall off course/off-road as little as possible.

I would like to add that another more serious problem with the GP is the rubberbanding that goes on, mainly in the 150cc and Mirror classes. All too often, I would be running a perfect race with the fastest vehicle you could select only to be constantly trailed by my rival (the CPU character that's almost always destined to get first if you don't get first), usually driving in a much slower vehicle. You can probably guess what ends up happening at the end of the race. Blue Shell: perfect run ruined. It doesn't happen all the time, but it happens nonetheless. When attempting to get 3 stars, I've had to retry cups way too many times because of this.

However, in the game's defense, there is the VS mode that a lot of people neglect to mention, where you can almost create your own custom GP against CPU racers, like how you can change the difficulty of the CPU racer and alter the frequency of the more powerful items to where the blue shell never appears.

[Mario]

Thank god when it's over, it's over, and you never have to play it again like that.

So what about the new Galaxy / New SMB exclusive characters? Isn't that an improvement over ROB? Also I can't be the only one who notices the Bowsers Castle Galaxy reference? I don't think there's a consistent point here at all.

[Rhoq]

Personally, I think it's the best console Mario Kart, to date.

[DAaaMan64]

Personally, I think it's the best console Mario Kart, to date.

I'm almost tempted to think that myself. It really is very good.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

See how it plays when you throw the wheel INTO THE AIR.

[GoldenPhoenix]

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

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.

[DAaaMan64]

I agree with GP on that. I loved these new tracks. Maybe it's their uniqueness to the Mario series that creates identity?

[Arbok]

I have to disagree, some of these unrelated tracks were some of my favorites from the series.

Preach it! The highway level in 64, and its later equivalents, have always been my favorite. Do those have any relevance to the Mario series? Lord no, hell I have never even seen a normal car in the Mario games outside of it. But who cares?

I personally like a mix of related and unrelated tracks personally, which have been the norm in the series now and I'm fine with that.

[Deguello]

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.

No way.  Snaking basically ruined playing anybody random, which forced you to only race people you knew and who agreed not to exploit this severe design flaw. Limiting the online play to 4 people meant that the 4th person would always get mega-destructive items in 4TH PLACE, meaning that having a Bullet Bill and then getting into first place normally usually meant that person would just coast to victory.  Or even worse, having lightning in first place on the last lap was just a giant "I win" sign.  That was frustrating and lame, moreso that being in first and being knocked down to 5th after being hit by a random item.  And by the way... I had MORE difficulty in MKDS's single player Grand Prix's than I had with MKWii's.

MKDS is more flawed than MK Wii, and those flaws are only polished over by it being a title nobody expected much from and then were "suddenly surprised" at how good it was, despite being about the same quality as the rest of them.  Many reviews talked about the DS's affinity for "non-games" and how it was "refreshing" to have a "real game for real gamers."

I was talking with Mario in a private chat about this and he brought up a point I think was very profound.  We both remembered how Mario Kart Double Dash lived and died on the non-existant online play and snaking and ZOMG DOUBLE KARTS.  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.

[Nick DiMola]

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.

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.

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.

When it comes down to it, you like the new Mario Kart sans snaking and I don't. Aside from snaking, I feel GP mode is significantly more annoying in MK Wii and that the tracks were hands down better in the DS version.

[Arbok]

And by the way... I had MORE difficulty in MKDS's single player Grand Prix's than I had with MKWii's.

I second this. I find the AI in the Wii one to be much more forgiving, and it's also not abnormal to see the points distribute in a way that's not totally locked into just two CPUs claiming the 1-3 spots. I think the only problem with the Wii one is that you have to get a Star in each to unlock certain things, like Dry Bowser who took me awhile to get; consequently, this makes those races where you get knocked down to 5th or lower just as you have almost finished the final lap frustrating knowing that you have to now restart the whole thing.

[LuigiHann]

I do agree that MKDS had the best tracks. Both the out-of-nowhere (Waluigi Pinball) and the ones pulled right from Mario history (Tick-Tock Clock, and the SMB3 references) were awesome.

[NWR_insanolord]

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.

[ShyGuy]

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.

This is right on the money. It reminds me of what Jonny said in a podcast a few episodes back. He was complaining about Mario Galaxy and said that because it's good, and he has spent a lot of time with the game because it's good, he ends up talking/complaining about it more.

[DAaaMan64]

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.

Wow I though people loved Yoshi Falls, so glad to hear there are haters out there. I FREAKING HATE THAT STUPID TRACK.

Also does anyone actually like the squid item?  It really does nothing to a good or reasonably good player and I hate getting it.

I'm still deliberating whether this is the best MK or not... It could be, but  I'm very picky.

[GoldenPhoenix]

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.

[Arbok]

Also does anyone actually like the squid item?  It really does nothing to a good or reasonably good player and I hate getting it.

I like the kalamari item. It doesn't do much... but there are times when it becomes really troublesome. Basically, I like it because it's not hugely effective, and I think the game needs things like that to strike a good balance with other items like Bullet Bill.

Also, I fully agree with everyone... Yoshi Falls is easily my least favorite stage in Mario Kart Wii. If they wanted a simple stage, they should have used Baby Park from Double Dash. That stage, due to being so small, can be rather fun since you can easily lap people which leads to very frantic weapon crossfire which would have been great with 12 racers.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I wonder if the reason for not bringing some of the cooler stages from MKDS was because they didn't want to take the time to "update" them for Wii. The Yoshi Fall one is pretty simple to translate over compared to the more complex ones like the Airship or the Pinball one. Also I really LOVE the new track in MK Wii where you go under water (forgot the name) it is great fun.

[Arbok]

Also I really LOVE the new track in MK Wii where you go under water (forgot the name) it is great fun.

Koopa Cape, which is a quite enjoyable stage and I love the F-Zero-like tube section (especially once the Blue Falcon is unlocked). There are a lot of great stages in MK Wii though, and oddly enough they are the ones least related to the Mario franchise like the Coconut Mall, Moonview Highway (my personal favorite), DK Summit and the simple but great Moo Moo Meadows. In fact, I really like all the new stages... except Bowser's Castle due to the one section with the fireballs.

[GoldenPhoenix]

The fall themed stage is fun as well, I love the Wiggler section.

[DAaaMan64]

I like Toad's Factory.  But I do like Moo Moo Farms better than Meadows.

[Rhoq]

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

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Throw it in the air.

[GoldenPhoenix]

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

Wow is that a good wheel?

[Nick DiMola]

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.

This level was great in Mario Kart DS for Time Trial runs, not so great in MK Wii or in GP mode in general.