Review Time!: Mario Kart Wii

I happened to pick up Mario Kart Wii this Sunday, which puts me in an odd position. On the one hand, I would like to get as much play time in on MK Wii as I can. On the other, Monday is the day I swore I would go to my school Newspaper's staff meeting, a meeting so sadistically scheduled that I would be spending most of my day at school for one meeting. Therefore, I have reached a stunning compromise: practice my writing with a review.

So without further ado, here's my review of Mario Kart Wii for the Nintendo Wii:

Considering that Mario Kart Wii is the sixth installment of this Nintendo spin off franchise, one might think that the well of inspiration in this case has gone dry. I would like to announce, however, that the Mario Kart formula is just as potent as ever, although is it at times showing its age.

Once again, players take the role of one of the many colorful characters of the Mario Universe. This is usual for a Mario Kart game, but MK Wii mixes things up by giving you a choice of multiple karts (and motor cycles, unique for this series), each of which handles differently depending on who is driving it. The game is broken into several engine classes: 50cc (karts only), 100cc (bikes only) and 150cc (karts and bikes). As you progress, new carts, cycles and racers become available, allowing you to choose a combination that best suits the track style needed.

For the first time since Wii Sports, I can honestly say that the Wii's controls have finally impressed me. Sure, Super Smash Bros. Brawl had decent Wiimote and Nunchuk controls, but it was pretty much negated by the fact that they let you use the retro or Gamecube controller to play, which pretty much made Brawl a remake of SSB:Melee. With MK Wii, we finally see a fully realized Wiimote experience. The wheel attachment makes steering easier, yet is not needed to play effectively. The steering controls are a huge improvement over other Wii Racing titles, with less of the unresponsive and jerky mechanics that made other racers unplayable. Thats not to say you shouldn't try the Wiimote and Nunchuk controls if youre having trouble. In fact, the Wiimote-nun chuck is pretty much required to pull off the more complex maneuvers in the game.

Furthermore, the drift-boost first implemented in Mario Kart 64 has been streamlined. In manual drift mode, the strength of your boost is proportional to how long you drift. In automatic, drift-boosting is easier but not able to reach higher speeds. This offers more of a challenge and reward for more experienced players.

Graphically, Mario Kart Wii seems to be Mario Kart Double Dash with a few of the edges smoothed over a bit. It is rather disappointing to me sometimes that Wii titles are so graphically bland. The true strength of this title, however, comes from the design standpoint. The vehicles of this game seem reminiscent of real world vehicles, yet appear distorted when viewed through the eyes of the Mario universe. It was a light aesthetic touch that I found interesting.

The tracks of MK Wii are vibrant and lush, a true staple of the series. Furthermore, the track design is one of the most creative I have seen in racing games, encouraging players to take unique risks in order to get the best rewards. For example, I approach a sharp turn where the outside edge track is raised with a small boost strip and a line of power up boxes along the top. I could simply drift along the turn, gaining a small boost or i could aim for the raised jump and power-ups, hoping for a red shell, or even a pow Box (more on the power-ups later). The tracks are nice, but a good half of them are tracks that have been in previous Mario Karts. Sure, Bowsers castle from Mario Kart 64 was fun, but its a sign of laziness when you use it again.

Furthermore, the difficulty curve is pretty manageable They run the the gambit from "pretty easy" in the early cups and engine classes to "Oh Jesus, you have to be kidding" in the more advanced portions of the game. Like in previous installments, the rainbow road seems borderline on sadistic for all those casual players who are not prepared for it. The only constant frustration throughout is the way the AI racers seems to "conveniently" chain their power ups together. I cannot express the confusion in words when you are on the final lap in the final race of a circuit ready to cross the finish line when suddenly you are hit with a red shell, followed by a lightning bolt, followed by a pow box. I suspect the sinister presence of rubber band AI, although this does not make the game unplayable.

Perhaps the most unexpected pleasure of MK Wii is the extensive online feature. Up to twelve racers can take part in lag free races and battles over Nintendo's WFC. The old mentality of "having to enter someone's friend code and filling out ten items in triplicate" that plagued Super Smash Brothers Brawl is no longer available. Instead, we are treated to a near flawless, lag free multi-player competition of Xbox live quality. Furthermore, the "Mario Kart Channel" added to your Wii's dashboard allows you to join tournaments, download "ghosts runs" for time trials, and check up on regional and worldwide player rankings in real time. All of this is so remarkable, it leads this reviewer to wonder why they could not have done at least some of it for Super Smash Brothers Brawl. The only slight drawback is that players are not allowed to drop out freely. If you choose to enter a game, you are in it until the end. This was most likely done to discourage players from dropping out early and ruining everyone else's experience.

At worst, MK Wii is a more refined version of previous Mario Kart games. At its best, however, it is the most refined game of the Wii's library, as well as the the most rewarding online experiences of the year. Like other Wii titles, it thrives in a casual gamer's party atmosphere. Yet, when considering its online mode, as well as its bevy of unlockable tracks, vehicles and racers, there is something here for the more hardcore Nintendo fan as well.

AYATT's recommendation: Play it!

(my rating system is based on a two sided recommendation. Either I like a game and recommend it or I don't and disavow it. This is a similar fashion to Siskel and Ebert's "thumbs" system. I do not believe in any numerical rating system.