Mario Kart is back and better than ever--this time with a steering wheel. Mario Kart Wii is the classic game everyone loves, with new and exciting twists and turns. The Wii version of the game includes dirt bikes, stunts, and new, innovative tracks.
Grand Prix mode is the main racing competition of Mario Kart. It offers three difficulty levels: 50cc (race cars only), 100cc (bikes only) and 150cc (cars and bikes). You start with 12 characters to choose from, including the one of the newest members of the Mario Kart crew, Baby Peach. As you win more Grand Prix events, you unlock more characters.
You can also play as one of your Miis. You then have a choice of three different cars and bikes. And four different cups each offers a new level. There are also four other cups for you to unlock as you continue playing the game. Many of the courses are new, but some are remade from past Mario Kart versions.
You're given many different ways to control your driver. If you prefer the classic controls with an analog stick, you can use either a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller. But to be fancy and perform mid-air flips and wheelies, use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. With just a flick of the Wii remote, you can perform aerial spins off of ramps and half pipes to improve your speed.
Mario Kart Wii also comes with a steering wheel that your Wii Remote fits in. The steering wheel is very accurate and responds well to your movements. Some people pick up the steering wheel and do great right off the bat, but for others, it might take some time to get used to.
Along with the red and green shells, banana peels, and mushrooms from past editions of the game, Mario Kart Wii also includes new items to help you crush the competition. One is the Bullet Bill, which lets you fly automatically through the track, taking out anything in your way. Mega Mushrooms turn you into a speed-demon giant who can squash the other racers. Bloopers, which look like little white squids, blot ink across your opponents' screens, making the track less visible to them. And POW blocks cause mini-earthquakes, rattling your opponents and making them drop their items. Sometimes, a Lighting Cloud will appear in front of you; if you don't pass it off to someone else by crashing into them, you'll get struck.
There are also other modes in Mario Kart besides just racing. There's time trial, where you race against the clock and try to beat your best times, and VS, where you race your friends either one-on-one or in teams. In Battle Mode, you either go up against CPU players or your friends. There are two types of battles: Balloon Battle, where you try to pop the other team's balloons, and Coin Runners, where you and your teammates try to collect as many coins as possible. There is also Nintendo Wi-Fi, where you can race with people around the world.
Another feature that connects you with the world is the Mario Kart channel that can be downloaded onto your Wii Dashboard. On the Mario Kart channel, you can get information about tournaments played on Wi-Fi. You can also compare your best times with people around the world and race their ghost to see how they completed the course.
Mario Kart Wii definitely lives up to its predecessors. The new courses are well thought out and include some obstacles that can really stir up the competition. Playing with a steering wheel or a Wii Remote also adds a lot of excitement to the game.
On top of that, the new items add many surprises to the game. The Mario Kart channel and Wi-Fi connection work very well, but they can get a little complicated if you don't bother to read the directions that come with the game. Mario Kart is a fun and exciting game to play either alone or with friends. Mario Kart Wii was released in the U.S. on April 27 and is available at stores like BestBuy, GameStop and EBGames for $49.99.
Post by Alex Sanfilippo
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