N+ Review: Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
By seaempty. Tuesday, 22. April 2008, 16:34:23
Mario Kart Wii is the latest game in one of the most popular series of all time. Mario Kart DS raised the standard of the franchise, with the addition of online gaming and some fantastic new courses. The Wii version aims to build on this by using the console’s motion controls to bring you closer to the action. The game comes bundled with the Wii Wheel to turn the Wii Remote into a steering wheel. Is it just a gimmick, or does it continue the improvement of the series? N+ hit the track to find out.
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Mario Kart Wii has everything you expect from a Mario Kart game. A great selection of excellently designed and presented tracks, a plethora of your favourite Mario characters to choose from, and crazy, item-fuelled driving chaos that has made the series so much fun to play. Mario Kart takes advantage of its new home on the Wii, having the best graphics seen from the franchise, in-depth options and statistics, online play, and, most importantly, motion controls. This is going to be a key factor of the game's success. Although you can choose from 4 different control methods, Nintendo is heavily pushing using the Wii's accelerometers to steer the karts. It works. It works very well. Whether you use the plastic Wii Wheel that comes with the game is up to you, but the responsiveness of the Wii Remote is perfect. Some people have commented on its lack of accuracy, but I have yet to see this, and indeed my best lap times have been obtained with the Wii Wheel control. The most important fact is that using the Wii Wheel is fun. Throwing the kart into a corner is superb, and it does put you right into the action. The Wii Remote's speaker also plays an important part, warning you of incoming danger. New for this version is the ability to perform tricks, which is achieved by flicking the Remote as you take off the ground, giving you a boost of speed as you land. Having played MK Wiiwith all control options, the Wii Wheel is by far the most fun and intuitive. It may not get you those killer lap times, but you'll certainly have more fun trying.
There are 32 tracks to choose from in MK Wii- 16 new and 16 classic. Whilst the new tracks are as well designed as previous games, with shortcuts and unique aspects and quriks, I have found them to be more hectic than previous tracks. The classic tracks offer less manic races, but with up to 12 karts in each race, the action is always fast and frantic. It may be the Wii's focus on the casual gamer, but MK Wii certainly appears more eager to level the playing field in terms of racing ability. 12 drivers in each race mean more items fly around the track. More often than not, you'll be dragged back to last place from the leading pack after a barrage of shells and lightning have hit you. It can get frustrating, but as your skill improves you learn to drive more defensively, and take advantage of any opportunity you can to move through the ranks. The trick, drifting, and slipstream boosts quickly become invaluable, if you want to succeed. There are a couple of new items, including the POW Block and Thundercloud (at the expense of the Boo Item), but nether of them add much to the game.
Character selection plays a more important role, and you certainly seem to get battered around the tracks if you go for light karts and characters, and off-road driving is tougher on the heavy drivers. There are 19 characters to choose from (when unlocked), including your Mii, and each has a number of karts and bikes to choose from. Bikes are a new addition to the series, and I'm still not sure what to make of them. They handle slightly differently to the karts, and lack a boost from drifting. They can, however, perform wheelies which give you a temporary burst of speed. I have to say that I’m ambivalent about the bikes. They don’t add much to the game, and I prefer the handling of the karts. The game forces you to play a certain number of Grand Prix on the bikes, which at least gives you the opportunity to make a good judgment on them.
Whilst the single player mode offers a lengthy distraction, it’s in the multiplayer modes where MK Wii really shines. Whilst there’s no multiplayer Grand Prix’s (I have no idea why Nintendo stopped this), you can create your own, by choosing four tracks, winning points for places. It means that you can race against CPU and real opponents, which makes the races more interesting. The battle mode returns, with new and classic tracks, and there is a very extensive online multiplayer. Whilst Brawl has suffered from lag and connection problems, MK Wii plays perfectly online. You can join a random continental or worldwide race, each with up to 12 players. I have not experienced any lag, and found a race every time I tried. Due to the increase in drivers, it’s more fun that Mario Kart DS is to play online, and as a bonus, two people can play online at the same time from the same Wii. The Friend Code system returns (which I actually think isn’t that bad a thing), and you can have four Friend Codes per game. You can open up lobbies to organise Grand Prix’s and Battles with your mates, and although there’s no voice chat, there’s a comprehensive list of set phrases to aid communication. It just all works, and works well. In addition to the online multiplayer, the game also gives you the Mario Kart Channel to add to your Wii menu. Through this you can see how you lap times compare to the rest of the world, download people’s Ghost Data to try and beat, and participate in competitions set by Nintendo. It’s very comprehensive, and means that there is a further reason to keep coming back to the game.
MK Wii is a superb addition to the series. The motion controls make it unique, and it oozes quality. It’s stunning to look at, and a joy to play. Any problems I have do little to hamper the amount of fun I have had playing it. Its online features and interaction with the Wii really gives you the impression that the console is going to be able to offer so much more in the future. If this is the standard of things to come, then count me in!
N+ Summary
Game: Mario Kart Wii
Developed by: Nintendo
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-4
Release Date: Out now (EU and JP), 27th April (US)
Rating: Pegi 3+
Supports WFC: Oh yes
Video available: Yes
N+ Points
N+ One of the best looking games on the Wii
N+ The Wii Wheel works well, and is fantastic fun
N+ 12 player online, with no lag
N+ Mario Kart Channel is an excellent addition
N+ Loads to unlock and complete
N+ Bikes
N- Points
N- Increased item use means races are more random
N- Some of the new tracks are very busy
N- No multiplayer Grand Prix’s
N- Bikes
JudgmeN+: 9.5
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(14%)
Alas, two will have to do...
Can't wait 'til next Sunday!
By Spook81, # 22. April 2008, 19:34:57
Wii wheel isn't inaccurate, it's just... not fun to play with. I tried playing with it, and it was just too slow, and too much of a handful. I thought this was because I was a 'vet', but after playing with friends who've basically not played videogames, I found they thought the same. Everyone I've met who's tried it agrees that Classic/Gamecube controllers are the way to go.
I use Classic myself, and I win almost all of the time online (pesky item wins ruin it sometimes). I don't like how it takes me 5 or 6 wins to get 200 Wifi points which can then be lost in a single race afterwards. Ah well.
By Ace Jon, # 22. April 2008, 22:28:38
By Spook81, # 23. April 2008, 04:36:53
By seaempty, # 23. April 2008, 06:14:51