Mario Kart for Wii Review
By Kyle McCoy
Mario Kart for Wii is a great game, though not without its flaws. But the question it has to answer is: Is it the best Mario Kart? With so many versions out there (SNES, 64, Doubledash…) is this the version to play?
CONTROL and CHARACTERS
As I said, it’s great. It’s fun. It’s addictive. I, personally, use my old Gamecube controller. I think it’s the most effective when it comes to handling the vehicle and I like using the trigger to shoot off my items. I have tried to use the WiiWheel, with less than stellar results, and you can read that short review here.
CONTROL and CHARACTERS
As I said, it’s great. It’s fun. It’s addictive. I, personally, use my old Gamecube controller. I think it’s the most effective when it comes to handling the vehicle and I like using the trigger to shoot off my items. I have tried to use the WiiWheel, with less than stellar results, and you can read that short review here.
There are many vehicles to choose from and all of them have different stats in categories such as Speed, Handling, Off-Roading… I can’t feel a huge difference in any of the vehicles, except the different between bikes and cars in general. The only control difference I notice is in the characters themselves. Daisy can speed off while big, heavy Bowser has to work up some momentum. Of course, once he’s going strong, he can knock Daisy off the track effortlessly. So, it’s more about finding which body type you’re most comfortable driving, ranging from the bulky ones (Donkey Kong, Wario) to the lightweights (Toad, Baby Mario).
Speaking of which, I’m all about having a variety of characters... but Toadette? Baby Daisy? Who is asking for these guys? Time to let Link, Samus or Fox McCloud in the race.
COURSES
The tracks are probably the best yet. They're imaginative and full of obstacles, speed ramps, boost opportunities and hidden shortcuts. A few favorites include the new Bowser’s Castle, which features a giant (robot?) Bowser blowing firey-boulders down a long, stretch of track while you avoid them by doing ollies back and forth. There’s also Wario’s Gold Mine, which is essentially like racing on the track of an old wooden rollercoaster. Very cool.
Speaking of which, I’m all about having a variety of characters... but Toadette? Baby Daisy? Who is asking for these guys? Time to let Link, Samus or Fox McCloud in the race.
COURSES
The tracks are probably the best yet. They're imaginative and full of obstacles, speed ramps, boost opportunities and hidden shortcuts. A few favorites include the new Bowser’s Castle, which features a giant (robot?) Bowser blowing firey-boulders down a long, stretch of track while you avoid them by doing ollies back and forth. There’s also Wario’s Gold Mine, which is essentially like racing on the track of an old wooden rollercoaster. Very cool.
I have mixed feelings about the inclusions of older Mario Kart tracks. While there have definitely been some classics that I love (Wario Stadium) and hate (Rainbow Roooad!), most of them are pretty forgettable and ripped straight from older games. I can’t decide if that’s cool or just lazy. What's that? They call them the 'retro tracks?' Must be cool then.
ITEMS
Plenty of familiar items here any Mario Karter would recognize: banana peels, red shells, fake item boxes, stars... Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of many of the new additions. There’s a blooper, which squirts ink all over everyone’s screen, a Bullet, which blasts a person up several places in seconds, the POW block, which spins everyone out, and a storm cloud that if you don’t get rid of by hitting someone, strikes you with lightning! Yes, you can get an item that HURTS YOU. Also, my red shells will often avoid my opponents in favor of hitting a stray banana peel or crate. C’mon, red shells! Prioritize!
ITEMS
Plenty of familiar items here any Mario Karter would recognize: banana peels, red shells, fake item boxes, stars... Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of many of the new additions. There’s a blooper, which squirts ink all over everyone’s screen, a Bullet, which blasts a person up several places in seconds, the POW block, which spins everyone out, and a storm cloud that if you don’t get rid of by hitting someone, strikes you with lightning! Yes, you can get an item that HURTS YOU. Also, my red shells will often avoid my opponents in favor of hitting a stray banana peel or crate. C’mon, red shells! Prioritize!
Most of the items themselves are fine but they occur way, way too often. Many times I’m getting inked, then struck by lightning, then POWed all at once. And they’re completely unavoidable. By then, I’ve been spinning out for 30 seconds and am probably dead last. Oh, but that’s okay because I can get the Bullet Bill, which was basically designed to keep the less skilled players somewhere near the action. Sure, your little brother wants to play with the older kids. Nintendo understands that. So, toss him a Bullet so he can keep up. I get it. But wait, then he gets it and zips past everyone and over the finish line! It basically eliminates any importance of the entire first two laps, because it only matters who gets what item in the end.
The problem is too many items that affect everyone in the race. Remember when getting the Lightning used to be a rare thing? Or the elusive blue shell? In Mario Kart Wii, people are hit with a blue shell several times a single lap! I'm not alone in this! Here's an article where the creator has to defend their over-use of the blue shell. I've had races where I've gone from being first to eighth to fourth to twelfth in, literally, four seconds. I'm sure Nintendo would like to spin that as "exciting!" and "it's anyone's game!" but it's just annoying. The focus on driving has become secondary to what item everyone is getting because it can randomly change the entire placing order.
To be fair, you can adjust some game settings regarding the items, but there are only three settings and I didn’t find a combination I liked. I’m picky, I know.
OVERALL: Despite my item-rant, Mario Kart for Wii is still an excellent game. Unfortunately, there’s one drawback I have yet to discuss. You can only unlock anything new in single player mode. In a game, most intended for multi-player, they’ve taken away one of the trademark team aspects. So, now, if you and your friend get sick of racing those same eight courses/characters and want the full 16, you’ll have to sit there and watch as only one of you can play at a time. This may not be a big deal to some but I prefer to unlock all the stuff with a buddy. There’s a feeling of accomplishment; beating the game. So, what do I do now? Unlock everything myself and wait to replay it all with a friend? A major misstep in an otherwise successful installment of a great Nintendo franchise.
I realize I didn't really get into Battle Mode, Time Trials or Online gameplay here. I feel that those areas aren't nearly as important as the main course and while they're enjoyable extras, it's not really what Mario Kart is about. Although, once you're sick of all those CPU jerks, the empty tracks in Time Trials will become your best friends.
To be fair, you can adjust some game settings regarding the items, but there are only three settings and I didn’t find a combination I liked. I’m picky, I know.
OVERALL: Despite my item-rant, Mario Kart for Wii is still an excellent game. Unfortunately, there’s one drawback I have yet to discuss. You can only unlock anything new in single player mode. In a game, most intended for multi-player, they’ve taken away one of the trademark team aspects. So, now, if you and your friend get sick of racing those same eight courses/characters and want the full 16, you’ll have to sit there and watch as only one of you can play at a time. This may not be a big deal to some but I prefer to unlock all the stuff with a buddy. There’s a feeling of accomplishment; beating the game. So, what do I do now? Unlock everything myself and wait to replay it all with a friend? A major misstep in an otherwise successful installment of a great Nintendo franchise.
I realize I didn't really get into Battle Mode, Time Trials or Online gameplay here. I feel that those areas aren't nearly as important as the main course and while they're enjoyable extras, it's not really what Mario Kart is about. Although, once you're sick of all those CPU jerks, the empty tracks in Time Trials will become your best friends.
Is this the Mario Kart game to play? I’ll say this…if you have a Wii then you can download MarioKart 64. It doesn’t have bikes or Baby Luigi but it also doesn’t have an endless barrage of items hitting you every second. And it’s certainly cheaper at $10. It keeps the formula for enjoyment simple. Mario Kart Wii became a bit too much for me. There’s more players/items than ever but I often feel the tracks are overcrowded and the items are used to the point of ad nauseam.
FINAL RATING: GOLD MEDAL- Mario Kart 64
SILVER MEDAL- Mario Kart (SNES)
BRONZE MEDAL- Mario Kart Wii
FINAL RATING: GOLD MEDAL- Mario Kart 64
SILVER MEDAL- Mario Kart (SNES)
BRONZE MEDAL- Mario Kart Wii
