Gaming Mario Kart Wii

[Ellerby]

[FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]Start your engines because this Friday (the 25th of April) Mario and his friends come to the Wii with an all new control-style and a bunch of new karts and bikes to ride! woo~

[center][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/MKWiiBoxart.jpg[/img][/center]

Alright, so I basically get excited for any Mario Kart game that comes out (so far Double Dash is my all-time favourite for the cooperative play) and that's no different for MK:Wii.

For new characters we've got Dry Bowser (from New Super Mario Bros.), Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy), Baby Peach and Baby Daisy, Funky Kong (!!!) and your Miis. There could be more but that's all we know about thus far. As far as I'm concerned all the characters from Double Dash and Mario Kart DS will be returning.

We've got a buttload of new tracks here as well. Literally, they took tracks from [i]every[/i] Mario Kart game and altered them to fit the games new style of play. I won't bother naming them all but I will say I've seen some of the revamped SNES tracks and they look great.

Let's get to the newest addition to the series, the Wii Wheel.

[center][img]http://i.usatoday.net/tech/_photos/2007/07/13/wheelx.jpg[/img][/center]

Apparently the wheel is very comfortable and works very effectively. Of course if you don't like it you can use one of the many other control types (GCN Controller, Classic Controller...). I think I'll be using the wheel, though.

The game has been received fairly well so far. From wikipedia:

[CENTER][B]Reviews[/B]
Publication Score
Edge 6 of 10
Eurogamer 8 of 10
Famitsu 37 of 40
IGN 8.5 of 10
Nintendo Power 9 of 10
[B]Compilations of multiple reviews[/B]
Compiler Score
Metacritic 82% (13 reviews)
Game Rankings 81% (13 reviews)[/CENTER]

I'm going to be getting this on Saturday. I look forward to racing all of you! :smirk:[/COLOR][/FONT]

[nabgeta]

Yes about time now when I move my hands from side-to-side it will really help and make more sense lol :animeswea

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I really want this game but I haven't even burned myself out on Smash Bros. Brawl yet. Plus I'm still trying to save money for a new PC. So it may actually be a bit before I get Mario Kart Wii. I suggest you guys use the time to practice for when my awesomeness arrives to spank you all.

Also: No more snaking! (Or so I hear.) I got decent at it in Double Dash and MKDS so I could be competitive but I've always thought it was a stupid mechanic. Its abolishment makes me happy.[/color]

[Treble]

I?ll be joining this party too when Mario Kart comes out, but I?ll probably won?t be able to play it until a few weeks after my school finals are over. Of course, me being me I might try to play a few games before hitting the books.

Anyway, I?ve read nothing but good things about the online portion of the game, and having up to 12 players in a race sounds really fun. Bigger tracks and more players = more mayhem. :luv:

As for the wheel, I hope I?ll be able to get adjusted to it easily, if not I?m going to be sticking with the Gamecube controller.

[sakurasuka]

[FONT="Arial"][SIZE="1"]

I can't wait to buy it. Mario Kart 64 has always been my favorte game, and Double Dash has always been up there on my list.

Though I don't think I'll be buying the Wheel, as adorable as it may be. The Gamecube controller is a personal favorite.

[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Ellerby]

[FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"][quote name='sakurasuka'][FONT="Arial"][SIZE="1"]Though I don't think I'll be buying the Wheel, as adorable as it may be. The Gamecube controller is a personal favorite.[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
That's the great thing about Nintendo, the Wii Wheel comes [b]free[/b] boxed in with the game. :D

[quote name='Desbreko][COLOR="indigo"']I really want this game but I haven't even burned myself out on Smash Bros. Brawl yet.[/COLOR][/quote]
Man, I haven't even burn myself out on [i]Rock Band[/i] (I blame good downloadable content) yet let alone Smash Bros. Too many good games are coming out too fast! :p[/COLOR][/FONT]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Mario Kart Wii comes out tomorrow here, so I may pick it up then.

However, I won't be able to play it online I don't think - I haven't got wireless internet set up at home right now.

If I get it though, I'll make sure to post my impressions.[/font]

[Zombie_Nosh]

[COLOR="Green"]Oh guys, it's been out in Europe for a week or so. A friend of mine has it, and by golly! This game is a treat! Graphics, characters, courses, everything!

It's a little sensitive, so can get a little stressful when you're toe-to-toe and you turn your wrist that little bit too much.

Otherwise . . . SWEET! [/COLOR]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I've played a fair bit of this over the last couple of days (completed all of the 50cc cups and some of the 100cc cups). I haven't yet played multiplayer local or online so I can't comment on that yet (including battle mode).

I'm not really sure where to start to be honest.

First of all, I should say that in terms of the single player experience, this Mario Kart really doesn't bring anything radically new to the table. The addition of bikes is nice (more about that in a moment) and the ability to do tricks actually does play a role in the racing (more than you would expect at first). However, track designs are generally not mind-blowing in any way (with a couple of exceptions).

The tracks in Mario Kart Wii seem to be a mixture of old and new in terms of layout and design. For instance, the tracks are mostly wider than they have been in the past, but they are also generally quite short. This can be either good or bad, depending on what you're looking for.

The 50cc cups are a nice introduction to some of the new mechanics in the game, such as the new boosting system and the half-pipe elements. On the other hand, 50cc is utterly un-challenging (with challenge only slightly improved on the Special Cup). So, you kind of get this run through of the entire game without any difficulty.

You can only use bikes when you begin the 100cc cups.

Bikes are actually a pretty cool addition - they do control somewhat differently to the karts and they have a bit more flexibility. Their boost mechanic feels quite a bit different too (it's somehow sharper/tighter than with a kart).

I was pretty happy with the bikes on 100cc, both because they were slightly more well-suited to the hardcore player and because the speed was dramatically improved over the 50cc cups.

There were a couple of things I noticed in reviews that I felt were pretty incorrect, too. I thought it would be worth addressing that here.

Firstly, the whole rubber-banding issue. [i]Yes[/i], this is Mario Kart, so of course there is some rubber-banding going on. However, some reviews lead you to believe that it's impossible to get a substantial first place lead simply by being a good driver.

That is totally false.

I discovered that knowing the track and being good with the kart/bike is equally as important (probably far more important) than being good with your item useage. You [i]can[/i] build up a significant lead over your opponents if you are a good driver - the rubber-banding isn't so strong that you're frequently bunched up with everyone else.

Of course, if you're in first place, you will certainly be hit with a blue shell and so on from time to time. Again, though, this isn't nearly as bad as some reviewers make it out to be. Perhaps it's worse on 150cc, but on 50/100cc, it isn't bad at all.

The worst thing is when you get hit with a blue shell and then something else in quick succession - but this is a largely random occurrance and isn't frequent. So this idea that it's better to hang back and dash into first on the last lap is a bit of a misnomer I think; you [i]can[/i] build up a substantial lead and if you're clever with your item useage you can maintain it.

Sometimes you'll just have bad luck, but the A.I. isn't quite as cheap as it's made out to be.

In terms of the boosts... that's another issue. Snaking is no longer involved and I personally find that to be a positive, at least for multiplayer (which I haven't tried yet).

Boosting in general is handled differently in Mario Kart Wii. You can hop your kart/bike and if you hold the button on a turn, you'll eventually develop a boost (and if you hold for long enough, you'll build up a more powerful boost - there are only two levels available in MKW).

The difference in this game is that, unlike the N64 version, you don't waggle the stick back and forth to hit every stage of the boost. Instead, if you can hold your drift for long enough, it happens automatically. You then just let go and get a mini-turbo.

On the one hand, the automatic nature of the drifting makes things somewhat easier for expert players. Having said that, I don't really think it makes a huge difference - in fact, I found the automatic boosts to be somewhat convenient, because you still have to manage your drifts correctly (if you hit anything off track or whatever, your drift will obviously fail - the same is true if you get hit by an item or something).

You can make drifts either automatic or manual, but I don't know why you'd bother with auto. As far as I know, auto just means you'll drift whenever you turn...rather than instigating the drift by hopping. The latter is far better even for casual players, because it gives them that much more control.

Also, because you can now do tricks and use half-pipes, you sort of have a bit more in your arsenal... so the mini-turbos have less importance than they once did (although they will still be used frequently by expert players).

The mixture of tracks is pretty decent, with the retro inclusions being really critical. Without them, the single player experience would be relatively hollow I think.

With them, though, there is quite a strong selection of tracks. There really aren't any duds as such, but as I said earlier, there are only a few that are likely to become highly memorable.

And then there's the Wii Wheel.

I think this peripheral will really be dependant on your general experience with Wii racing games. What I mean is, if you were happy using the Remote to steer in Excite Truck or other titles, you will likely enjoy the Wii Wheel.

I personally never liked using the Remote for steering; that very very slight delay almost ruins the experience for me. The analog stick has superior control and precision, which is a must for an expert player.

So, the addition of the Wii Wheel makes little difference as compared to simply holding the Remote on its own. It's marginally more comfortable, but it's a small wheel (as compared to a normal racing wheel) and it doesn't actually add anything to the experience as such.

One thing that should be clarified, in the wheel's defence, is that the B button on the rear is actually pretty good. Some sites complained about it, but honestly, it feels fine.

So, if you were going to use the Wii Remote to steer anyway... then you're better off using the wheel with it.

But if the Wii Remote was never your thing for steering, then the Wii Wheel certainly won't make the experience any better for you.

I personally feel that the Nunchuk/Remote combo is the best. All of the buttons you need are at your fingertips and the stick gives you perfect control.

It's hard for me to give this game any overall thoughts at the moment because there's still a fair bit I haven't tried.

But, so far... meh. I hate to say it, but I'm not finding Mario Kart Wii to be significantly better than Double Dash. It has some good points, but those good points are mild - they are small inclusions that don't make a huge difference. What the game lacks (multiplayer Grand Prix) are pretty glaring omissions.

I [i]am[/i] enjoying this game slightly more than Double Dash, but it just doesn't feel like any kind of major step forward. It is, essentially, more of the same.

As a huge Mario Kart fan, I was kind of hoping for more. Maybe when I start playing online and stuff, I'll be happier.

As it stands, I [i]like[/i] Mario Kart Wii... and I've enjoyed what I've played so far. But this isn't going to be a revelation for Mario Kart fans.

If you haven't played Mario Kart before, though... then this would be the perfect introduction to it. I think it'll be great for the WiiSports crowd.

It's just that for those of us who have been enjoying Mario Kart since the SNES days, this game really doesn't go far enough to provide anything especially new. [/font]

[Kenso]

[SIZE=1]I have officially come to the conclusion that I am DONE playing this game. VS mode isn't going to be half as much fun without everything unlocked, and unlocking everything is IMPOSSIBLE for anyone who's only an average player. The difficulty level of 150 CC is absolutely ridiculous, and the possibility of an item completely ruining your chances are more like guarantees. On top of that, the same one or two computer characters are the only ones that ever pose a real threat (a constantly reoccurring problem in the series), so if you have just ONE bad race, you're screwed. 150 CC has ripped the fun out of this game entirely, and I'll be leaving it to the other people in my house to play, because I'm done with it.[/SIZE]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Apparently the online multiplayer makes up for some of the significant shortcomings with the single player experience. Since I can't test it now, I simply don't know.

However... if you're going to be primarily using single player on this game, I would almost recommend against it. It's a decent game, but it's hard to compare it favorably to previous Mario Kart titles.

I just hope that this franchise doesn't become another Mario Party. It's still a ways off being that bad (and as I said, it's still quite a good game with many strong points) but it's [i]definitely[/i] more of the same for the most part.

I almost feel that Mario Kart needs an overhaul on the scale of Super Mario Galaxy (i.e. a rethink of some of the core elements, while still keeping that frantic aspect).[/font]

[Meggido]

I've been going through the cups and I have to say that the frequency of the cpu getting the really good items is annoying. I've had a few times where I've been hit by a blue shell, lightning bolt, and pow block in succession, not including the other combos of items that have come with a blue shell (or 2 blue shells in quick succession). I've heard that nintendo on the other hand have really improved with the online play on this game with minimal to no lag, but that could also be to do with connection speeds as I'm yet to play online. I've only done 50cc and half of 100cc though. need to finish off the 100cc classic races.

The only thing I find annoying about this version of Mario Kart which is similar to my problems with Mario Kart DD, is the fact that we don't get the long tracks anymore. Nothing like rainbow Road from Mario kart 64 which is by far my favourite track.

[Treble]

I just picked up the game today, and played some of 50cc cups. As always, 50cc is a walk in the park. Other than that, I haven't had a chance to try out some of the 100cc and 150cc cups yet, but I bet they will be a lot more challenging with items scattering everywhere.

And between the Wii-Wheel and Nunchuk/Wii-remote controls, I prefer the Nunchuk/Wii-remote combo. The Wii-Wheel is actually not all that bad, but I feel like I have much more precise control with the Nunchuk/Wii-Remote set-up. It works pretty well, and I don't think I'll be needing to use the Gamecube controller anytime soon.

I've also had the chance to play a few online games with random people, and so far my experiences have been lag free (I'm using the LAN adapter). There's something special about playing with human players that seems to be much more fulfilling than it is when playing the single player mode against the computers. And the team battle modes are pretty fun, but I still wish that they would have given us the option to play solo like they did in the previous games.

Well, here's my friend code:
FC: 4425-1900-6458 (Mii: Treble)

Feel free to pm me if anyone adds me so I could add you back. ;)

[Ellerby]

[FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]Kenso, I really don't blame you. Nintendo really dumbed this game up and there is a lot less skill involved. It's unfortunate because the way Mario Kart used to be was it was an easy to pick up game that you could get good at. I don't know why they felt they had to change that.

On the bright side some of the new additions do make it easier to get into first. I found that after playing for a while and getting the hang of tricks, shortcuts and mini-boosts I was able to come in 1st for [I]most[/I] races in 150cc. Like James said, the game has changed but there is still strategy involved. It's just.. different strategy.

The online is amazing. Having the ability to jump on either by yourself or with a friend and face 8 random (you see their Miis and their country) players in a VS or Battle is just awesome. It's a lot different from playing against a CPU (unlike Brawl where often you can't tell the difference).

I really wish they had kept the coop feature from Double Dash, though. Being able to go through the Grand Prix mode with a friend and unlock new vehicles/characters was a great feeling and that has been lost and will be sorely missed.

All in all, I like double dash more. That's all I can say, really. Other then that it is a great game but they just made it too goddamn accessible.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I would have at least liked the ability for two players to do a Grand Prix together (even if it isn't co-op in the same way as Double Dash).

When I used to play Super Mario Kart, we [i]mostly[/i] played Grand Prix in multiplayer... we did that far more than battle mode (although we had plenty of great battle sessions too!)

So I really do miss that option.[/font]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Just played this game for the first time today. I am pleased.

The handling feels really good on both cars and bikes, and I appreciate the new drift system. It aggravated me in Double Dash that in order for your drift to mean anything you had to alternate tapping between both flippers, which made no logical sense to me. I'm mildly disappointed that your turn direction doesn't matter, since you hit (on the GC controller) R no matter what, but at least it functions more like a hand brake and less like kicking the car back and forth.

I like the AI. They're at least solid racers, even late on the 50cc difficulty, and the item usage never really bothered me. Yeah, the blue shell is annoying, but everybody gets hit with the pow block and the lightning, so the only aggravating thing is when the lightning-shooter was right behind you. And even then, items don't make or break the game; if you're a solid driver yourself and know the course and the car, you can overcome any setback....except for those cheap two-inches-in-front-of-the- finish-line red shell bombardments. And that's just random, and doesn't tick me off.

I am also completely in love with the bikes. Not only are they a good game addition, I think, but they suit my personal racing style almost to a T. They don't seem to have quite the same speed as most cars, but the maneuverability and the wheelie option make up for it. I can start drifting into turns later, come out earlier, and still get the same boost reward as any car, and more than once a wheelie has pulled me one spot higher at the finish line if I had a bad race.

You have to know when to wheelie, as well, since your turning ability is severely reduced. But that's okay; as long as you don't wheelie right before any major turns, you'll be fine. You get a small top speed increase during a wheelie, which makes it a great finish-line tactic, and you can also use it to shake off the stun effect after being shelled or banana'd or lightninged or otherwise spun out.

And the tricks are a great feature. In fact, they're almost essential to winning Rainbow Road; the more controlled time you can spend off the track with a certainty that you'll get back down, the less you have to worry about actually falling off. Also, tricking the right way will allow you to navigate that annoying figure-8 half-pipe without needing to worry about the mid-road holes.

Bottom line, the game is flippin' fun. I've heard some gripes about little things like graphics that should have been better or "should have had Miis on the boat in the 64 DK stage" or menial stuff like that, but when you're going 4-for-all you don't notice, and that's really what the game was designed for.

'Course, I'd still probably play it by myself. But since I'm fortunate enough to have three (younger) siblings, this may be an incentive to actually purchase a Wii for myself now.

----------

As it stand now, I officially own the Daisy Circuit. In the five four-ways we've had so far on that course (and in the Grand Prix) I have yet to lose, and usually lead by a clean six seconds. Rainbow Road is mostly mine as well. But we'll see what later days say. :p[/FONT]

[Akieen Cloud]

So far Knuckles and I love it, the only thing we are not pleased with is that the comp is getting all the good items as it has been said and that they took out the multiplayer grand prix, if you have to unlock it than cool, but I think they should have left that in there, it was my favorite thing.

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]The reason the AI get the major items is because the chance for getting one increases the farther back you are.

If you're in last place, expect to get good items about one in every three or four boxes. If you're in first, expect to get only bananas, green shells, and red boxes, with the occasional boost.

Plus, with more AI comes more low positions, and more chances for three computers carrying nasty items at the same time. It's all just random chance.[/FONT]

[Kenso]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]Well, having seen my fiance playing on the WiFi and seeing that it looked like a lot more fun, I found myself giving this game one more shot. I think the hardest part for me is that when you're racing in the Grand Prix, you pretty much have to drop yourself out of competitive mode and just try to have fun. The problems I mentioned in my last post are still there, but a little patience goes a long way.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]I've taken to ripping through the Time Trials rightn now. You can nab a couple of good unlockables that way, and I'm doing pretty good on it. I've actually got the Expert Staff Ghosts unlocked for all the new Wii courses. I'm gonna hit the retro courses tonight, see if I can't finish off my streak. Crazily enough, I actually unlocked the Expert Ghosts in the Special Cup on my first run throughs (aside from the one in Moonview Highway, which took three runs, as I kept getting flattened).[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]All that said, this game on single-player is definitely NOT for the over-competitive. The AI and item bombardment will likely lead to excessive anger. But playing on the WiFi is loads of fun. Time Trial is actually kind of fun too. It lets you get a good feel for the tracks without most of the stupid crap. However, it will likely make you hate some stages even more, when the in-stage obstacles start killing you.[/SIZE][/FONT]



[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]As a random aside, how does everyone rank in the Grand Prixs? I'm having some severe issues getting star ranks in a lot of them (though I imagine I'd nab them easily on 50 CC and 100 CC if I went back and tried it again now). I think between all the CCs and Mirror Mode, I've only got star ranks in 3 cups (can't check because I'm at work). It seems very random on what it takes to get them. But I'm working on nailing them too, since that nets some SWEET unlocks too. I just wish this was like Brawl, where everything had at least 2 unlock methods (even if it were something like 'race this many WiFi matches'). I liked that in Brawl, where folks who weren't so great could still find a way to unlock everyone.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Meggido]

With the first worldwide competition started what have people been getting for times?

I finally got time to have a go at it this morning but the best time I could muster was 2mins. I'm amazed at the best at the moment being 1min 35 secs.

[Ellerby]

[FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"][quote name='Meggido']With the first worldwide competition started what have people been getting for times?

I finally got time to have a go at it this morning but the best time I could muster was 2mins. I'm amazed at the best at the moment being 1min 35 secs.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, a lot of the records for courses are ridiculously fast. It's still fun to see how your records compare to other people (especially the top ten and Nintendo staff) and to try and improve on that.

I just unlocked 150cc Mirror Mode yesterday. I've gotta say Mirror Mode in this game is a lot easier then in Double Dash (mind you I've only had the chance to try the Mushroom and Flower Cup). I don't know why but the courses being flipped doesn't mess with me as much. Maybe the retro ones will because I know them better.

A tip I would give to all of you trying to beat 150cc cups is to use a kart or bike with very high acceleration (a decent speed ontop of that helps too). Since everyone is so fast if you get hit with a shell you can go down like 7 places so having that acceleration [i]really[/i] helps keep you in the top 3 places.

So how are you guys drifting? I've been using manual the whole time (playing with automatic just messes with me) but I found that all my friends who I play with use automatic.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Petie]

[quote name='James'][FONT=franklin gothic medium]I would have at least liked the ability for two players to do a Grand Prix together (even if it isn't co-op in the same way as Double Dash).[/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]This is really disappointing to hear. Grand Prix co-op has always been one of my favorite features and is the main reason that I loved Double Dash. Even if they didn't do co-op in that sense though, I wish they would have at least included it in the same way they did for the rest of the series.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]I'm also rather disappointed to hear the numerous complaints about CPU opponents being rather cheap. Things like that (and certain event matches in Brawl for instance) generally kill the experience for me so I'm hoping that the instances I've been reading about here haven't been recurring (though it seems as though they are).[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]As for the rest of the game, since I haven't had a chance to play it yet, I can't really say anything about it. I'm slightly less excited about the game after reading through this thread though being a fan of the series since the beginning, I still intend to pick it up at some point.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I do think it's worth playing.

In my opinion, the A.I. is not as cheap as many reviews suggest - it's about as cheap as any previous Mario Kart title. As I said earlier, you can still perform well by being a good driver and knowing the tracks well.

Still, I think the truth is that this does feel like more of the same. It certainly doesn't do for MK what Super Mario Galaxy does for the Mario franchise, you know?

So there are some clear negatives for Mario Kart fans, but nevertheless, it's still a solid game when taken on its own merits - and if you're an MK fan it's worth owning. It's just that you shouldn't expect a "next generation" Mario Kart by any stretch of the imagination.[/font]

[Petie]

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]What you're saying makes sense and I'm glad to hear that they're not as cheap as I seem to be thinking. I forgot to comment on this before but I also like what you're saying about being able to win by just being a good driver/knowing the tracks. Item dependency is not how I like to win races.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]I would love to see them do something to MK like they did with Galaxy and I'm sure they will eventually. It's just a matter of time. Thanks for clearing up those couple of points though.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Treble]

[quote name='Meggido']With the first worldwide competition started what have people been getting for times?
[/quote]

The best time I have gotten so far was 1 min and 52 secs. And that?s only because I got lucky with a golden mushroom at the beginning. Whoever it was that gotten 1 min and 35 secs. must be some kind of speed demon or something. That?s outrageous!

Regarding the 150cc cups, I find that using the automatic mode helps make it easier for me to stay ahead of the computers. While you don?t gain any boost in automatic mode, it makes up for it by losing no speed while turning, and because of that, it gives you a sharp handling of the controls. I would recommend it if anyone here is trying to unlock some stuff.

And when I?m not competing against the computers, I normally use Luigi with the manual mode. As he always says, Luigi?s number one! :animesmil