Mario Kart Wii Review

Mario Kart Wii Review

Realistically, there isn't much to Mario Kart Wii that you wouldn't have already experienced in one of the other Mario Kart games. The concept is much the same. A series of Nintendo characters get together for some rambunctious racing action, but it's not like every other driving game that you've played. These characters can pick up some rather amazing weapons that add a unique spin to the racing game genre. Throw turtle shells, drop banana peels, and even leave behind a bo-bomb for your opponents.

Unlike previous Mario Kart games, however, Mario Kart Wii expands the number of racers that can participate in a single game at a time. Instead of just eight karts on the track, the Wii entry into the series allows for up to 12 racers at a time! To accommodate the extra karts, each of the tracks has been slightly widened. This reduces "bumper car" syndrome, but you can still expect to run into a bit of a traffic jam at the beginning of each race.

Reviewing Mario Kart Wii, you'll find that Nintendo has provided an equal sample of new and retro tracks. There are eight "cups" in all, each of which contain four unique tracks. Four of these cups contain only new tracks, whereas the other four contain only tracks that you would have encountered in earlier Mario Kart games. Revisit everything from Delfino Square on the DS to Waluigi Stadium on the GameCube.

Characters, Karts, and Bikes

In this game, you start out with 12 characters: Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, and Bowser. As before, the relative weight of each character makes a big difference in how they race. Lighter characters, like Baby Mario, typically have good acceleration and poor top speed. Heavy characters, like Bowser, would have the exact opposite. There are clearly advantages to either type of character.

Beyond these initial 12 characters, there are also several characters that can be unlocked by achieving certain feats in Mario Kart Wii. Some of the more notable unlockable characters include Diddy Kong, Boo, Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, Funky Kong, and even your Mii character! The Mii integration in this game is very well done, because not only can you race as your Mii, but you will also find your other Miis populating the tracks in the form of poll booth officers, as part of the crowds on the sidelines, or immortalized as statues on the sides of the road.

Like the more recent versions of Mario Kart, the Wii game lets you choose from a few different karts for each character. Unlike other games, however, Mario Kart Wii also introduces motorcycles! The two-wheelers do not achieve the second level of speed boosts, but they can achieve mini-boosts by popping a wheelie. This is done by tilting the Wii Remote or Wii Wheel upwards. It should also be noted that you no longer need to toggle the analog stick to the left and right during a drift to achieve a mini-boost. All you have to do is maintain a drift for a set length of time.

Online Multiplayer Done Right

The graphics are colorful and the action is intense, but the biggest highlight to this Mario Kart Wii review is the online multiplayer action. The implementation of the online play -- via the (free) Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection -- is much better than the system used in Super Smash Bros Brawl. You simply choose the online channel, select whether you'd like race with friends or against worldwide opponents, and wait for the system to match you up to a race.

Both racing and battle modes are available for online play in Mario Kart Wii. The former is much more fun than the latter, especially when you are able to get a game together for a full 12 racers on the track! The connection is fairly speedy and the challenge is great. The unfortunate downside is that Nintendo is still using the cumbersome "Friend Code" system. It would be better if there were just usernames and a "lobby" of sorts.

Racing with the Best

So what's the verdict of this Mario Kart Wii review? The game may not be revolutionary in any sense of the word, but Mario Kart Wii is going to provide hours, days, and months of fun for the entire family. Throw those red shells, drift around those corners... and you'll be smiling the entire time. The free Wii Wheel is a great bonus too.