If the call of Grand Theft Auto IV wasn't enough to keep you students out there from missing your homework assignments and failing your exams, I’m sure the near simultaneous release of Mario Kart Wii was. With its release, we saw the return of another great first-party Nintendo franchise on the Wii, as well as a new peripheral the Wii Wheel.
Now for the review:
Mario Kart is without a doubt the most well-known Mario spin-off franchise around, ranking with, if not beyond Mario Party. Needless to say, its release is a fairly significant one for the Wii as a console. This is a title that could potentially work towards selling Nintendo more systems (if you can find one) or if nothing else, more Wii Wheels.
Graphically, Mario Kart Wii is solid. I was running the game in 480p and I never had any complaints. That said, Mario Kart is not a game that needs to rely heavily on graphics and new or experimental control schemes. It is for that very reason that I find myself time and time again racing with my friends on our Nintendo 64. It is in the gameplay mechanics themselves that Mario Kart needs to shine. The graphics don't push the system by any means but are still nice and don't detract from the experience in any way.
The racing is fun. All three control schemes work very well depending on what you are used to and your skill level/familiarity with the franchise. I started with the Wii Wheel, but found myself graduating to the nunchuck configuration after just the first few cups. The Wheel was clearly designed with children in mind, not to say that you couldn’t blow all your friends out of the water when using it. It just feels looser or almost sloppier than what can be easily achieved with the analog stick of the nunchuck. There are 16 new tracks with some being near remakes rather than entirely new tracks (I’m looking at you, Rainbow Road), as well as 16 retro tracks from all of the franchise’s previous titles. All of the tracks are solid as well, although the new tracks seem the most full-fledged of the bunch, but I was happy to see some of my favorite DS tracks making their way onto the Wii.
Online play was an absolute necessity for this title and Nintendo delivered on that. The Wi-Fi supports 12 player races and battles, as well as full ghost-tracking and time trial statistics. The game plays fluidly with little to no visible lag despite racing other players at an international level. Out of everything this title is offering the inclusion of internet play is perhaps the most tantalizing of the bunch, although truthfully it is little more than the DS title has to offer as well.
At its core though, the game is the same. Much in the vein of the Mario Party franchise, Mario Kart Wii feels like a different Mario Kart, but not a new one. The old is simply replaced with the new, but nothing is learned from the previous titles nor does the game feel like an evolution of its predecessors.
After shooting countless shells (both red and green), bananas, and bobombs over several cups, it quickly became apparent to me that Mario Kart Wii is Mario Kart 64, nothing more and nothing less really. The inclusion of bikes and 16 new tracks with the 16 retro tracks were both nice touches, but added very little to the gameplay. For the diehard Mario Kart fan or the family that wishes to enjoy simple racing aided by the Wii Wheel peripheral, this title is undeniably a must-buy title for the Wii, but for many, this purchase may warrant a slight sting of regret. Mario Kart Wii is a solid title, but all the same things can be found in Mario Kart 64 that will only cost you 10 dollars on Virtual Console or better yet, will cost you absolutely nothing and give you a reason to finally go dig up that old 64 again and get together with your friends for some split-screen action.
7 Bananas Dodged out of 10
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