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| From: Nintendo
Category: Video Games
Buy New: $66.88
New (99) Used (11) from $66.88
Avg. Customer Rating:  340 reviews
Sales Rank: 1
Platform: Nintendo Wii
ESRB: Everyone
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo Wii
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
MPN: WI-RVLRRMCE
Model: rvlrrmce
UPC: 045496901004
EAN: 0045496901004
ASIN: B000XJNTNS
Release Date: April 27, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good Franchise, Good Hype, Good Game, Minor Issues April 29, 2008
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Mario Kart is one of those franchises that instills great memories whether you first played on the SNES like a lot of us old school gamers did, or the N64, or even on the hand helds. It is a franchise that demands more than cookie-cutter remakes that many game developers have been putting out as of late. It is easy to create a lot of hype over a game and then have that hype kill the game when it doesn't meet the insane expectations.
That said, Mario Kart Wii meets all expectations and even goes a little beyond.
One of the first things I was looking forward to was the unique interface that the Wii puts on just about everything. The steering wheel was what I was looking forward to the most since I thought I would get complete control of the character. I must admit, the wheel is VERY responsive... almost too responsive. It is very easy to any beginner or even a veteran to overcompensate and steer into a wall, especially if they're not used to a free-floating steering wheel.
However, we did find that the wheels were critical if one wanted to use the Wii remotes accurately. It is a real pain to steer without a wheel attachment. We literally had to go out and purchase three more wheels because the remotes felt so awkward without one. We later just threw down the remotes and ended up using the gamecube controllers (which you can use) since we're not only used to it but it seems to have much better control.
The next thing I was looking forward to were the new menus, characters, vehicles etc. I was really pleased with the motor bikes included in the game and their exclusive features. I personally found the Flame Cycle with Waluigi to be my personal favorite. It was great they brought back all the old characters and, more importantly, they took out all the unfair advantages some had over others. Now, everyone is not scrounging to play as King Boo or the Plant thingy. I thought it was awesome that I was able to unlock my own Mii to play.
One of the things that really impressed me was the reinvention of retro courses from classic systems including the gamecube, the SNES, Gameboy Advance etc. It was nice to see old courses that I was familiar with. I kinda wish they would've brought back Baby Park from the Gamecube since that was one of our favorite places to do battle.
The items were kinda iffy. We were really annoyed at the Bloopers, that shower your screen with dark ink so you can't see temporarily. It was cute at first but then it got really annoying. The "hot potato" lighting cloud is probably the most annoying; it would tag you and after a certain time, detonate. You could pass it off to another opponent by bumping them but if you're in first, alone or otherwise far behind you are screwed. This item, they could've done without.
The menus were the next iffy part. It took me a while to figure out how to switch the 1st player mode from the Wii remote to the Gamecube controller. You are also seemingly limited to how you team up with friends. Granted the team battle and team races are one of the best changes Nintendo made, but I wish they would allow two-players to partake in the Grand Prix. The menus just don't seem all that user-friendly.
The internet feature is interesting. I'm not accustomed to playing any Mario Kart online (save for the DS) but it was a very nice setup. No more are we limited to annihilating our friends in the privacy of our own home; now we can do that but annihilate world-wide opponents in the privacy of our own home. Not a real fan of online play but loved it anyway, way more than Smash Bros. Brawl.
Lastly is the graphics; the Wii doesn't go beyond 480 resolution so one shouldn't really expect anything grand. The Wii is made for innovative gameplay, not graphics. If you want graphics, get an XBox360 or a PS3.
Overall, despite some small issues, the game is superb all around. A 96% to be certain. Buy it if you find one!
This game is so awesome!!! April 29, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Honestly, I think it's safe to say that this is the best Mario Kart in the series to date. It brings back all the old school tracks, but the experience is totally different with the Wii Wheel!!! Plus there are so many possibilities with all the new playable characters and tracks. The online play is AMAZING!!!! It's super fast and super fun. I definitely recommend this to everyone. If you own a Wii then you must own this game!!
Just plain awesome April 28, 2008
19 out of 24 found this review helpful
Mario Kart has just about always been a safe bet in terms of video game fun, and the eagerly anticipated Mario Kart Wii is certainly no exception. Mario Kart Wii features a large selection of tracks, of which are brand new and remastered tracks from previous games in the series to boot; all of which are well designed and fun to race, albeit the classic tracks aren't nearly as stylisticly designed as the new ones. The addition of motorcycles surprisingly works well, and despite a change in some of the game's old mechanics (drifting has never been easier to perform), the game works and races very well. Most notably is the use of the included Wii Wheel, which surprisingly responds quite well and feels very good as well. Though it may take some getting used to at first, Mario Kart Wii also supports just about every controler available for the Wii, which in itself is a big plus. The game as a whole is easy to get into, the online play is well done, the items (while more unbalanced than ever) are imaginitive, and of course, the multiplayer is spectacular fun. All in all, you really can't go wrong with Mario Kart Wii, which is yet another spectacular triple-A title to come from Nintendo, and another essential pick up for your Wii.
 Another hit for the Wii! April 28, 2008
40 out of 52 found this review helpful
To anybody who has reservations about Mario Kart Wii being a disappointment, let me ease your worries.
Nintendo has hit another home run here. I have yet to play one bad game for the Wii, and this game here just kept me up until 1:30am, which I have to say hasn't happened yet with any Wii title since buying the system back in 2006, which includes Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy.
I didn't really care for the last console Kart, Mario Kart Double Dash!! for the GameCube. While a visually pleasing game, I felt it lacked the heart of the original series, and ended up disliking the "two-person-per-Kart" concept, sappy levels, the feeling that the Karts were only going 10mph and the immense cheating by the AI were a real disappointment. The list goes on.
That being said, I was a bit apprehensive to buy (not rent) the new Mario Kart, until I saw someone playing it the night before it went on the shelves. No question I had to buy it. While Mario Kart Wii is basically the GameCube version with stepped-up graphics, a lot of what made MKDD stink (in my opinion) was removed. It feels more like a true sequel to Mario Kart 64, much like Super Mario Galaxy is considered to be a true sequel to Super Mario 64.
What Works: The biggest feature of course here is the Wii Wheel, which your Wii remote fits in. You can go without the wheel, and use the remote and Nunchuck, or a GameCube controller, but the Wheel really adds to the game. The cars and characters are a blast to see and hear. When you pick up a Turbo Mushroom, or transform into a massive Bullet Bill to catch up from behind, or blast through a cannon, you can feel the speed. This was something I felt lacking in Double Dash. Motorcycles are now available, and you can now choose either Manual or Automatic controls with whichever vehicle you choose. Manual allows you to "jump" your Kart, which was an omission from Double Dash which I sorely missed. When jumping before hitting a curve, you can drift and release to gain a small burst of speed. While easier, automatic doesn't do this for you. If you hang behind an opponent, you can gain speed by drafting. This is a cool little feature which works well. When in midair, you can do little stunts, I haven't figured that out just yet. The boards are terrific, colorful, and addicting. There are even a bunch of throwback boards to each Cup, with some of the best of the best in the series, including the music which you're sure to remember. By far though, the best feature is the online play. You can play with opponents from all points on Earth, which is an absolute blast. You can even use your Mii character to play, which I think has to be unlocked. Again, I just bought the game, I haven't gotten that far. Too many pluses to go on.
What Doesn't Work: One thing I wish they'd get back to is the Coins. After all, it is "Mario" Kart, and the coins were a nice touch. The more coins you got, the faster your Kart. The original SNES and Mario Kart Super Circuit for the GBA were the only Kart games (I think) which had coins. I kind of wished they'd return here, but oh well. Another downside is what plagued Double Dash, which was the AI rubber banding. If you're way out in front, you are sure to get nailed by a POW block, red or blue shell, or some other obstacle which will leave you in 4th place. I haven't run into it much so far in the 50 or 100 Cups, but the 150 I heard is insane. Anyway, I'm too happy with the game to complain, and the online gaming, to me, more than makes up for what the AI does.
Folks, if you're a Mario Kart fan, and have a Wii (or if you don't have one yet, get one and this game) you won't be disappointed with this game. I had my reservations, but they are a thing of the past.
The best Mario Kart yet. April 28, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is without question, the ultimate Mario Kart game, this is every Mario Kart fan's dream come true. Anything I could have asked for, has been implemented into this game.
Anyone comes to a Mario Kart game looking for the best graphics around is making a mistake, the series is about game-play, so don't expect any mind blowing visuals. However, I'm not saying Mario Kart is not a good looking game for the Wii. At first glance you won't really notice any difference between this and Double Dash, and any even say they didn't change it at all. Well, trust me when I say that when in motion this game looks way better than Double Dash. This is the result of several small things I noticed that add up to a big difference in my opinion. Firstly, this iteration carries the series tradition of no pop-in and a silky smooth frame rate. The character and vehicle models are much more detailed. Even the weapons are more detailed, you can see genuine grooves in the shells rather than just drawn on lines, the wings on the dreaded blue shell flap now, and more. The textures have been upgraded a little bit, and the lighting is vastly upgraded. Now when you drive by lava, there will be a red glow on you, or multiple colors of glow on Rainbow Road. You can see much farther now, which is a good thing because the backgrounds are much more detailed now, even on the retro tracks. There's a bunch of particle effects now, it may be leaves falling from trees, or snow, either way it looks good and adds to the atmosphere. So, separately these things don't sound like much, but combined it truly makes a difference.
Soundtrack hasn't ever really been a strong point in the Mario Kart series. Its not that they have bad music, but its not amazing either, mostly because this sort of game doesn't call for an epic soundtrack. Having said that, I think some of the music on the new tracks is better than usual, although having your character yell with joy every time they go off a jump can be irritating.
Now we come to the best part, game play. Mario Kart has always been about game play, and MK Wii is no different. We can start off with characters. There's several more characters than there were in Double Dash, some of them are really cool like Dry Bowser, while other like Baby Daisy make you question if listening to her is really worth it to play this game. They all have their own list of karts and bikes of course, which are much more diverse than before in terms of speed, acceleration, toughness, and handling. This brings me to bikes. I thought the newly added bikes would be stupid, but I was wrong, they actually work quite well and are a welcome addition to the series in my opinion. The new tracks are very cool and are the most intricate and imaginative I've seen in the series, while the retro tracks are welcome, they all have received a bit of a face lift, but still look like their original versions. There's also online play, which everyone has been waiting for since the Gamecube came out, unfortunately for you I can't comment on it because I don't play games online, partly its because I'm too lazy to hook it up, and partly because there's a lot of irritating people online. I have play local split screen though and its very fun, as it always is with this series. As for the Wii wheel, well it works pretty well actually. I was very surprised they got the motion controls down. However, I still prefer the Gamecube controller, it is a little bit more accurate, but its probably mostly just because I'm more used to the analog stick than motion control. The wheel works extremely well for those who are new to gaming, even my mother, who is extremely funny to watch try to play games, got the hang of it very quickly and actually won a race in 50cc mode.
I really don't see many faults in this game. It could maybe look a little better, and it could've added more retro tracks I guess. The only thing I could really ask for in a sequel is a track editor. Overall this is an amazing game if you just want to have fun, or want some sweet multi-player. If you own a Wii I'd highly recommend it.
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