Score
Gameplay:	9
Graphics:	9
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	10
PlasmaFactor:	10
Overall:	9

Mario Kart Wii Review
May 13, 2008 by Jason Large

Nintendo has always managed to impress video game players everywhere, and they somehow manage to sell copy after copy of what is seemingly the same game for every console generation. If the game is a sequel that is one thing, but if it is a rehash then that is something entirely different. With Mario Kart Wii, however, Nintendo attempts to entice players’ curiosity with the addition of the Wii Wheel and, more importantly, a new online component.

Gameplay

Mario Kart Wii’s gameplay does not differ very much from previous games in the series, in the essence of actual game design. Essentially, if you have played one Mario Kart, you have played them all; however, in true Mario Kart fashion, there are just enough innovations to make this iteration feel a little different from its predecessors. To begin with, there are more racers on the track. Mario Kart Wii also features expanded race tracks, which means more items to utilize. At times the amount of item cubes can feel a little overdone, but alternatively it does keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting for the next shell to come your way. If you get the feeling of déjà vu while playing, don’t be concerned because you are in fact seeing a fair number of tracks from other Mario Kart titles. Typically rehashed maps are a negative but since Mario Kart Wii features a wealth of new tracks you probably won’t find these resurfacing classics to be too annoying (you know you miss Ghost Valley 2 from Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo). If you include the throwback maps there is a total of 8 circuits and 32 maps to choose from, which is a substantially larger selection than most racing games provide. With plenty of unlockable characters, vehicles and tracks, Mario Kart Wii is more than your generic sequel.

Mario Kart Wii’s most obvious change in the traditional gameplay comes from the implementation of motion sensing controls, including the introduction of the Wii Wheel. Now players can control Mario Kart Wii with the regular controller or the standard Wii remote, but what fun would that be? While there are other steering wheels for other games, none have responded as well-- or are easier to use-- than the Wii Wheel. All you have to do is pop in the Wii remote and you are ready to go, it’s that simple.

Although it’s probably not as big of a c hange to the series, being able to play Mario Kart Wii online is probably just as important, if not more, than the Wii Wheel. A shallow campaign can get old fast, but being able to go online and play with your friends is as much fun as you will have with any online Wii game. Mario Kart Wii features a great match making process and some great competition that will keep you coming back for more. If there are any gripes with the online component of this game, it stems from the inability to chat online. Mario Kart is a game that was designed to be played with other people and to not be able to enjoy the game with others via voice chat borders on criminal; it is a shame that there is such a blatant oversight. 

Graphics

Graphically, Mario Kart Wii garners no complaints; the visuals aren’t going to blow you away, but at the same time they are not going to hurt your eyes either. The classic tracks are touched up well and are on par with the game’s new ones. Character models are pretty strong and the environments aren’t too shabby either. Most importantly, the game features some premium frame rates, and there are no instances of slowdown.

 

Sound

Mario Kart Wii has all the sounds you would expect from a true party game. The in-game music is very inoffensive and simplistic. The sounds in the game are dotted with quirky sound effects, and corny voiceovers that punctuate the game’s audio. Overall, the sound comes off as being fairly safe and not too out of the ordinary.

 

PlasmaFactor

If you are a hardcore gamer, there might not be very much in Mario Kart Wii for you to enjoy. Mario Kart has always had a light hearted design to it, so if you enjoy blowing people up, than this is not the game for you. Mario Kart has always been a game to be enjoyed and not taken seriously. Despite this mindset, Mario Kart Wii is a lot of fun whether you are online or off. If you have been waiting for a reason to take your Wii online, it has finally arrived. The single player is entertaining enough to have you trying to unlock everything you can and the multiplayer will have Mario Kart Wii in your game library for as long as you own the system.

Although the Wii Wheel is the obvious selling point for the casual Wii fans, Mario Kart Wii’s biggest asset is the online gameplay. Being able to play online really opens up a whole new world for fans of the series, and can be a major draw for the Wii Wi-Fi Connection. As much fun as the Wii Wheel is, the multiplayer is what will keep gamers coming back.

 

Final Verdict

Nintendo should take note of what is possible when you make additions to a series that is desperately in need of renovations. Before Mario Kart Wii, this series had been beaten to death and probably should have made its last appearance on the Gamecube. With the addition of the Wii Wheel, a slew of single player unlockables, and online gameplay, Mario Kart Wii proves why the series has survived for as long as it has. I used to think that motion sensing controls were a gimmick, but the Wii Wheel has proven me wrong and has laid the ground work for a very bright future for racing games on the Wii.