Mario Kart Wii.. you could and would be forgiven for having some concerns about this title. Never before has there been a bad game created under the name Mario Kart. Life long fans and supports will be excused for having doubts about the Wii’s latest contribution.
If you’ve been following the development of Mario Kart Wii, you’ll know that Nintendo has been rather keen to chuck lavish new features at its famous mascot’s latest racing title. You now have bikes, which are all new to the series. Likewise, the stunts that have been thrown into the gameplay to mix things up and give It that fresh feeling. Round that off with the Wii Remote, which lets be completely honest, hasn’t been the easiest thing to use while playing certain games. The controls of many games have been over complicated and tricky, making the game an annoyance to play. But far from cocking things up, the way Nintendo has been able to integrate these seemingly out-of-place elements has, if anything, improved the experience as a whole. Well done Nintendo!!
The control system is a fine example of this logic defying brilliance. Thus far, the Wii Remote hasn’t exactly shone when used with racing games, and on first impressions, Nintendo’s Wii wheel sounds exactly like any other half assed plastic solution to fixing the awkward controlling system. But yet, it works. Thanks to the sturdy feel of the wheel coupled with the fact that it’s well-weighted. It’s responsive enough to allow you to hold a drift or string together a tricky sequence of corners with a well timed correction or a swift flick of the wrist. Having said that it’s also (dare I say) clever enough to understand that when you move the wheel slightly, your not trying to do a u-turn. So you don’t go careering off into the scenery. Admittedly, it’s not without its flaws. While the degree of control it offers is impressive, the Wii Remote/wheel combination still isn’t quite as precise or responsive as a more traditional control method, such as the Classic Controller. But while it may take the edge off your lap times, there’s no denying that playing Mario Kart with the Wii Wheel is simply more fun. The 7.99GBP price tag on an additional wheel isn’t a bad price. It might be worth getting one for your second player as they make the game far more enjoyable.
The brand new assorted additions to the gameplay also work well. The boost system is particularly well done. Perform a stunt or pull a drify and you’ll be rewarded with a boost, the amount of which received being dependent on the length of time you spend performing said manoeuvre. For instance, if you can hold a drift for long enough, and you’ll find blue (or if you’re really good, red) sparks appearing behind the wheels of your Kart as the boost charges up. As a result of this, you find yourself encouraged to go back and learn the tracks to figure out how to extract the maximum boost possible, offering a whole new dimension of longevity in the process. And then there’s the addition of the bikes. While Nintendo’s decision to include these raised a few eyebrows (based largely on other games’ attempts to unify two and four wheels), the truth is they work rather well. Although they require a bit of getting used to, the bikes do provide a nice alternative to the karts. Generally speaking, they drift less and are slightly less responsive through corners than the karts, but for that, are able to perform wheelies on the straights to get a slight speed boost. To be honest we tried both and found ourselves enjoying the bikes a little more than the karts. But while they’re undoubtedly different and slightly more fun, they’re very evenly matched against the more familiar karts as well.
Either way, you’ll have plenty of scope to familiarise yourself with both forms of vehicle: the two opening classes are restricted to one type of vehicle apiece (50cc for karts, 100cc for bikes), before allowing the two types of machine to go head-to-head in the 150cc class.
Indeed, there’s considerable variation within the two types, with a whole host of different types of kart and bikes available to unlock for each character. But for all these additions, the game remains faithful to the original formula where it counts. Anyone familiar with the Mario Universe will instantly recognise the cast of characters. The 32 locations featured also have their own uncanny sense of familiarity, either because they’ve been lifted straight out of previous Mario Karts or from elsewhere around the Mario franchise. Even the silly catchphrases the characters shout and the tunes you drive around to are as Mario-esque as you’d like them to be.
But above all else, it’s the frantic nature of the gameplay that is the most familiar element of all. There have been some changes, but generally, these are for the better: The alterations made to the way your boost charges up means that the annoying ‘snaking’ of previous Mario Karts is now a thing of the past. The equally annoying ‘rubber banding’ of old is also a lot less prominent this time around and thanks to the AI being more robust, the machinery better balanced (such as individual boosts being a tad less effective) and the range of weapons refined and broadened, the AI is better able to keep up with you. The net result of this means that the racing action feels more legitimate, without losing any of its characteristic mayhem in the process.
In time honoured Mario Kart tradition, it’s still possible to drop a couple of places or have victory snatched away from you after getting walloped by a red shell on the finish line. But because the AI is able to hang onto your coattails, when these events occur, you don’t feel cheated as you would have in previous games. Of course, the smaller touches from previous Mario Karts remain. Nail a perfect start, hit a rival with a well placed green shell or notch up a new record in time attack, and you’ll still get that same familiar buzz that’s been a trademark of the series since its inception.
With the ability to download ghosts and times from the Mario Kart Wi-fi channel, the time attack element alone should keep you going long after the vast array of cups have been completed.
In short then, Mario Kart Wii does exactly what you’d want a sequel to do. Additions such as downloadable ghosts, motion sensing controls, bikes and the feeling of progress in the series without spoiling it. Of course, with the online mode offering support for up to 12 players, we’ve probably yet to see the best of what Mario Kart Wii has to offer. But even if that is the case, what we’ve seen so far more than justifies the price of admission. 34.99GBP is a steal and should be on your shelves come April 11th
