Mario Kart Wii - Review

The Mario Kart series has been around for a while now, and like any 15 year-old franchise, it has been argued that the games have continually grown stale. After the gameplay-filled Mario Kart DS helped shred that reputation with its online races and Mission Mode, it looked like the series would find ways of growing. Unfortunately, the latest edition of the series not only doesn’t advance the formula, it seems to put the series in reverse.

Some people may argue that the game’s new additions to the races do advance the series in a new direction. These people would be wrong. The main new addition to the series is the ability to race on motorcycles. These new vehicles are fun at first, but are ultimately little more than a gimmick, as the karts prove to offer the more rewarding race experience.

There are some refreshing additions to the series, however. The new trick system, which rewards a well-timed action when launching off jumps, is a great way to keep skill involved in the series after removing the controversial “snaking” tactic. Additionally, the Wii’s motion controls translate remarkably well to the arcade racer. Granted, tilting the Wii Remote alone is a broken system, but the inclusion of the Wii Wheel shell makes a world of difference. After a few races, this control method feels incredibly natural, and surprisingly, makes the other control option unnecessary. This is even true during the hectic and highly competitive online matches. These races are even more hectic and competitive than before thanks to the addition of four racers per race, bringing the total to 12 drivers per race.

However, while these additions help make the races more fun, the overall package is still hurt by the lack of the Mission Mode. After Super Smash Bros. Brawl brought a huge variety of gameplay types to its formula, it would have been nice to see Mario Kart follow suit. Unfortunately, this means there are no alternatives for players tired of racing. Once this happens, the only option is to turn the game off.

While this lack of depth hurts the game’s overall score, it is difficult to rate the game too low. The 12-player races and some great track designs make Mario Kart Wii the best racing experience on the system, especially with a group of friends.

Mario Kart Wii Racing to Stores Late April

After months of speculation, Nintendo officially confirmed today that Mario Kart Wii is set to release in the United States on April 27. This means that North American gamers will have to wait until after their counterparts in Japan, UK and even Australia gain access to the game in early April.

Mario Kart Wii is scheduled to borrow some concepts from the similarly blandly-titled Mario Kart DS. This includes online play and the inclusion of 16 classic tracks from previous entries in the series. Unfortunately, a recent article in Nintendo Power stated that the Mission Mode would not be making a return in this iteration.

The new addition to the series will also be bringing some new features to the race. For the first time in series history, the number of racers will change from eight to 12, making the famously frenzied races even more hectic.

Additionally, if you were never a huge fan of Mario characters or karts, you now have an alternative to both of those issues with the inclusion of bikes and the ability to play as your very own Mii.

Also, following in the footsteps of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii will allow for complete customization of how the game is controlled. Four control options are available; the GameCube controller, Classic Controller, Wii-mote and Nunchuk, or the included Wii Wheel. The latter is a holder for the Wii-mote, similar to the Wii Zapper, and is intended to replicate the feeling of actually using a steering wheel.

Expect a review of Mario Kart Wii shortly after its release date.