Review :: Mario Kart - Wii

[HEXUS]

So the big question is this: does Mario Kart on the Wii do anything new or is it just more of the same only now using the Wii Remote motion sensing stuff? Well the answer to that is both yes and no... read on to find out why...

Read more.

[Azza]

This game make me want to get a Wii even more now.

Game looks so much fun.

[McEwin]

Nintendo have made sure there’s been a version of Mario Kart on every platform from the N64 and GBA through to the GC and DS…

Nick, please can you state every platform from the N64 to GC and GBA to DS? And, of course, their respective Mario Kart versions. Its just, I'm sure you're talking utter rubbish.

[SiM]

Nick, please can you state every platform from the N64 to GC and GBA to DS? And, of course, their respective Mario Kart versions. Its just, I'm sure you're talking utter rubbish.

[Ferral]

Not forgetting that on the N64 you also had Diddy Kong racing, very much a variation of the Mario Kart series. I distinctly remember racing a bull uphill at somepoint on that one which was pretty tough!

Will be getting Mario Kart Wii in a few weeks time, need to get at least 1 other controller and nunchuck first though so me and the kids can play head to head on it!

[Nick]

Nick, please can you state every platform from the N64 to GC and GBA to DS? And, of course, their respective Mario Kart versions. Its just, I'm sure you're talking utter rubbish.

Lol, in what way am I talking rubbish... I often do talk rubbish, as that's how opinions are often perceived, which is fine... but what rubbish in particular am I talking now?

By the way, the only Mario Kart I don't own is the N64 version... I skipped that console entirely.

[McEwin]

"every platform from [N64] through to [GC]" ... there are no platforms between these consoles, and likewise between GBA and DS. I guess you could say that technically the statements correct because of the zero platforms from N64 through to GC, there's a version. But it is kind of meaningless... no?

[pauldarkside]

"every platform from [N64] through to [GC]" ... there are no platforms between these consoles, and likewise between GBA and DS. I guess you could say that technically the statements correct because of the zero platforms from N64 through to GC, there's a version. But it is kind of meaningless... no?

I have to say I agree with that - it's like saying our alphabet has letters from A to B and C to D; there are no letters between A and B, etc

PS: Great review though and I'm looking forwards to trying it for myself. I'll be getting the version without the wheel though - don't see the point in paying out extra for that bit of plastic when it doesn't add anything to the gameplay.

[Nick]

Ohoooh k...

Pedant time:

I'll concede there wasn't anything significant between the N64 and the GC, but you're wrong about the GBA and the DS... and yes, that's splitting hairs but hey, arguing moot points is what the 'net is for...






ps, the answer is the GBSP, but then, if we're talking about the DS Lite, the timeline would've been GB, GBSP, DS, GB Micro, DS Lite...

And you want to be really picky, how about the N64DD... which came between the N64 and the GC?

[McEwin]

Ohoooh k...

Pedant time:

I'll concede there wasn't anything significant between the N64 and the GC, but you're wrong about the GBA and the DS... and yes, that's splitting hairs but hey, arguing moot points is what the 'net is for...






ps, the answer is the GBSP, but then, if we're talking about the DS Lite, the timeline would've been GB, GBSP, DS, GB Micro, DS Lite...

And you want to be really picky, how about the N64DD... which came between the N64 and the GC?

Haha, okay okay, but there wasn't a "version" of Mario Kart for these... i.e. "Mario Kart DS Lite" ... so it still doesn't fit! I do agree, however, that this is a pointless discussion, sorry Nick.

Anyway, I'm finding the game a bit of a nightmare, and find myself constantly shouting expletives at the screen and "frisbeeing" the wheel across the room...

[Nick]

Lol, nah dude, it's fine.. If you can't criticise the critic, where would we be, eh?

And yes, Mario Kart is frustrating in places huh? I bet you were running in first place and got blue shelled, followed up by a red shell or a POW block.... and went from 1st to 8th in seconds, yeah?

[McEwin]

Lol, nah dude, it's fine.. If you can't criticise the critic, where would we be, eh?

And yes, Mario Kart is frustrating in places huh? I bet you were running in first place and got blue shelled, followed up by a red shell or a POW block.... and went from 1st to 8th in seconds, yeah?

Exactly, I do 2 perfect laps, way out in front and then Bam-bam-bam..... bam and its all over - such a shame.

I started using the Gamecube controller last night as you suggested and it does make a massive difference to the precision of the driving - which in the Wii scheme of things is a real shame - but it has improved the gameplay. I'm yet to get cracking with multiplayer (was hoping to master single-player first) but by the sound of things the sooner the better.

[Nick]

You'll love it online or with friends in the same room but I reckon you're not far from finding out you've done all you can in single player...

I'd completed all the cups and cc classes in two days, and that was in no way exclusively just playing MK all the time. Sure, I only managed a silver and bronze in the last two cups but with no 'retry' option for Grand Prix races, I wasn't about to restart the whole Grand Prix on a track I've already raced a bazillion times just in case I might get a higher placing...

[Steven W]

I doubt I'll play single player again. I completed 50CC and half of the bikes and then just thought there was no point carrying on.

Online is where it's at.

By the way, anyone know why tracks are sometimes reversed online?

[JimNastics]

I doubt I'll play single player again. I completed 50CC and half of the bikes and then just thought there was no point carrying on.

Online is where it's at.

By the way, anyone know why tracks are sometimes reversed online?

The speed (50cc, 100cc, 150cc and mirror) of the races online is determined by the average points score of the players in the group... so if you're in a group with lots of high score players (7000+ I guess), you'll end up playing mirror class. A few days back I was in a high scoring group who all kept choosing SNES Ghost Valley 3, which in mirror class online against good players is not that funny

[beanbandit]

Not forgetting that on the N64 you also had Diddy Kong racing, very much a variation of the Mario Kart series. I distinctly remember racing a bull uphill at somepoint on that one which was pretty tough!

Diddy Kong Racing was so much better than Mario Kart 64. MK64 left me cold, so so easy and boring, but Diddy had me playing so much. Reviews at the time stated the same thing, better reviewed than MK64

Back on subject. I've decided that Nintendo have really screwed up MK after the crap that was MK GC. Having read a couple of mag reviews i've decided that i won't be wasting my money on this version.