Topic: Series Series - Wii in Third - Next Round finally up!

[UncleBob]

I fully expect Mario Kart 64 to come in first.  Anything less would be a travesty.

I like the idea of taking the two arcade games and releasing them as budget titles on the Wii.  I'd go a step further, release them (together) at full price and include the Wii Gas/Break Pedal accessory.

[NWR_insanolord]

I went with DS, and it wasn't close. I think the reason I love it as much as I do is that I've spent a lot of time with it in local multiplayer. It's just so great that way. Also, great memories of getting to the semifinals of the Mario Kart DS tournament at PAX, but I'd have said DS before that.

[TJ Spyke]

Having gone back and played it, most of the levels in MK64 are not that good (although Moo Moo Farm is still one of my favorite levels in the series). Multiplayer in battle mode is not even worth it unless you have four players since the stages are so large that you could potentially not even contact the other player.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a good game. It is just that the future MK's improved on all of the faults of the N64 version.

[NWR_insanolord]

Battle Mode in MKDS was fantastic. Basically the same thing as MK64, but with 8 players instead of 4, and if you didn't have that many you can use CPU bots.

[TJ Spyke]

That was what I loved about MKDS, it finally added bots so that you could play battle mode even if there was no one else to play with.

[Mop it up]

Mario Kart Wii by far. It's about the only one I like, actually, because it finally improved what I felt were terrible controls, among fixing/changing other aspects to my liking. It's my favourite Wii game, though that doesn't mean I think it isn't without issues. I'll be the first to point out its problems, such as a lack of balance in vehicles and items; a few poorly designed tracks that are decided by luck; lack of options, especially for the battle mode; and ugly graphics in some places, most notably the character models. Some of these are flaws with the entire series though, so MKWii isn't to be singled out. But it is truly one game that's better than the sum of its parts.

I like the idea of taking the two arcade games and releasing them as budget titles on the Wii.  I'd go a step further, release them (together) at full price and include the Wii Gas/Break Pedal accessory.

Yeah, I'm kind of surprised they haven't seen a console release of some kind. The games are already made and I doubt it would cost much to convert them, so even if they didn't sell very well they'd probably bring in some profit. They probably are too large data-wise to appear on the Arcade section of the VC, unfortunately.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Having gone back and played it, most of the levels in MK64 are not that good (although Moo Moo Farm is still one of my favorite levels in the series).

Moo Moo Farm is the only track in that game I'd ever say I don't like.  It's wide open and boring.

Multiplayer in battle mode is not even worth it unless you have four players since the stages are so large that you could potentially not even contact the other player.

I played it almost exclusively with just one other person, and we never had any trouble finding each other.  I guess you could "potentially" both do donuts on opposite sides of the level instead of attacking each other.  That's how my friends and I learned to power slide.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a good game. It is just that the future MK's improved on all of the faults of the N64 version.

I couldn't disagree more.  Every future home console game added more bad ideas and took away more of what I liked.  The only game in the series I've really liked since Mario Kart 64 is Mario Kart DS, and I can't even play that one without excruciating pain from the unergonomic controls.

[broodwars]

I'm abstaining from this poll.  Frankly, I can't stand any of the Mario Kart games anymore.  Despite fond memories of Battle Mode in the SNES and N64 Karts, I've tried to go back and replay them fairly recently and they just bore me.  The post-N64 Mario Karts are won largely by luck (I'll give Activision credit for one thing in that silly Blur commercial: Mario Kart isn't about racing anymore, but about "making friends."), so I don't care for those either.
 
I will say, though, that Mario Kart DS probably has my favorite tracks of any Mario Kart game, especially Waluigi Pinball and whatever level you flew through Bowser's Airship Fleet.

[Shaymin]

I cast my vote for 64, simply because it's the one I played the most and the blue shell "surprise sex" is set to 3 rather than 11.

[TheBlackCat]

I have both MK64 and the original on VC and, although I have fond memories of them, they just don't hold up.  The controls on the original are just far too loose, I can barely stay on the course.  The courses in MK64 are just too short and lack the variety of features found in later titles.  I haven't played the portable games.

[UncleBob]

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!

[TJ Spyke]

Looks like a run-off will be needed as the N64 and DS versions tied for first.

[broodwars]

Looks like a run-off will be needed as the N64 and DS versions tied for first.

Or given that I was the guy who put in the lone vote for "I have no opinion..." I could just throw my vote in for the DS version and we could call it a round.   

[TJ Spyke]

I would be OK with that.

[Stratos]

Wow. Talk about condensed votes. Looks like we know what 3rd will be.

[BeautifulShy]

I say we have a tiebreaker vote.Put up another poll and have it for 2 days.

[UncleBob]

Damn you guys - a tie on the first round?  Really?

Super Mario Kart (SNES)    - 3 (14.3%)
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)    - 0 (0%)
Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN)    - 0 (0%)
Mario Kart Arcade GP    - 0 (0%)
Mario Kart DS    - 6 (28.6%)
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2    - 0 (0%)
Mario Kart Wii    - 5 (23.8%)
I have no opinion on the remaining titles    - 1 (4.8%)
Mario Kart 64 (N64)    - 6 (28.6%)

Total Members Voted: 21

[UncleBob]

N64 version again.

Really surprised it wasn't a run-away winner.

Also, very surprised that Double Dash, the only real variant in the 3D versions, didn't get a single vote.

[BeautifulShy]

Going with DS since I like the track design more.

[TJ Spyke]

The DS version took the best parts of the series, and improved on it by doing stuff like adding bots for multiplayer (so you could play battle mode even by yourself). The N64 version was good at the time, but it has been eclipsed. Too many of the maps sucked (Choco Mountain springs to mind). I would put it 3rd or 4th in the series.

Going with the DS version again.

[Mop it up]

I usually hate to play the "So-and-so game is only popular because of nostalgia" game, but that's how I feel about Mario Kart 64. It's probably because I've never really found it to be much of a quality title. It was I think maybe the third Nintendo 64 game that I got, so I played it mostly due to that. Age has not been kind to it.

The courses in MK64 are just too short and lack the variety of features found in later titles.

Mario Kart 64 has some of the longest tracks the series has seen (N64 Bowser's Castle is the longest track in Mario Kart Wii). The series has always had relatively short tracks though.

Multiplayer in battle mode is not even worth it unless you have four players since the stages are so large that you could potentially not even contact the other player.

It is only an issue if both players are not trying to actively engage one another. If someone wants to be a coward and run away from the other player, then yeah, it's too easy to avoid the opponent.

[vudu]

If I'm forced to chose between these two for 1st, MK64 wins hands down.

But I still prefer the Wii version.  (I'm hoping for a surprise second place finish!)

[Spak-Spang]

I like the Mario Kart 64 version for multiplayer, and the Super Mario Kart DS for the single player.  So that is a tough decision for me.  I will have to vote Super Mario Kart DS because the single player is rich, and the portability is awesome.

[NWR_insanolord]

The multiplayer in Mario Kart DS is way better than that of Mario Kart 64. Hell, if you take the online out of the discussion it has better multiplayer than Mario Kart Wii.

[Mop it up]

But I still prefer the Wii version.  (I'm hoping for a surprise second place finish!)

It very well could. We'll see where the votes go from those who voted the number 1 choice.