Karacters
As far as Mario and his friends go, players will see many familiar faces in the driver's seats of Mario Kart Wii. Unlike the GameCube version, there can only be one character per kart or bike, so assistance with item use is not available.
Previously, a Grand Prix consisted of only eight drivers. For the Wii version, this number has been increased, so now a solid twelve can kick each other around during the race or battle. Online play can get pretty complex with this volume of participants, but for the local party houses only four people can play per Wii console (and there are even limitations beyond that, but we'll discuss these later).
My Cheerleader Mii in a car on the Coconut Mall course.
The lineup has changed a bit, though most of the unexpected characters have to be unlocked. Apparently, this game marks the first appearance of Baby Daisy, and previous Mario Kart titles haven't provided Baby Peach, Rosalina (from the recent Mario Galaxy), Funky Kong, or Dry Bowser. Some avid Kart fans will be sad to see an absence of some past favorites like Double Dash's Petey Piranha or R.O.B. from the D.S. version, but one of the somewhat fun changes to the character lineup is the option to drive as your personal Mii. Be warned, however, that the voices for some of the Miis are cheesy and distracting. Outfit options can also be unlocked for the Mii character, allowing further personalization.
The size of the driver impacts the selection of karts and bikes available. Smaller characters like Toad, Baby Mario, and a short-statured Mii choose from the lighter, more compact vehicles. The Medium range cars are designated to the likes of Mario, Peach, and Luigi, and Bowser, Donkey Kong, and King Boo drive the large ones. It might take some time and perseverance to find the right character/kart combination, but when you land on the right one it's like magic.
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SonicIce - Saturday, May 31, 2008 - link
taking pics of the screen... anadtech has not evolved to the point of capturing the video output? come on, even a 10 dollar capture card can receive s-video :)crimson117 - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
Wouldn't it be "kluster f***"?
Cygni - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
Zing!I agree though, i rented this game to try and decide if it was worth picking up... and it just wasnt for me. And im a HUGE Mario Kart fanatic. It just seemed rushed or something, with little (but ridiculously important) menus crammed in weird places. Im going to rent it again in a few weeks, when ive beaten GTAIV, and give it another shot.
wchall01 - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
"If you want to play battle mode with only two people, too bad. Want to play with four? Too bad! Your only option is to be on one of two teams and play with twelve players"I was very frustrated the first time I encountered this issue. But there is a "Rules" button in the upper right hand corner on the menu screen before you click "Battle" or "Coin Runner". Simple select "None" for CPU and you can battle with just 2-4 of your friends.
The same options apply on the local multiplayer racing menu.
Laura Wilson - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
Thanks for pointing out the error, we have updated the article.DerekWilson - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
WOW ....I had no idea about this -- way confirms the ergonomics / UI issues pointed out though.
I'll let Laura know about this and ask her to update the article.
thanks for pointing it out -- you've just made me a lot happier with the game :-)
Bremen7000 - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
s/loose/lose/SniperDaws - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
This is by far the best Mario kart yet, and is unique because of the wheel.But 2 player Wifi is pointless because the 2nd player is a guest so doesnt really feel as part of the game.
But thats all that ruins it for me so far.
DerekWilson - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
i know i'm lame, but i love the n64 version ...to me n64 and GC are tied for best mario kart.
the DS version is good, but the Wii version is really a better DS version that doesn't quite live up to the n64 or GC. with a wheel.
seriously guys, if you want to compete for near the top in tournaments and time trials, you'll want to look into not using the wheel (where the tournament allows it).
Locutus465 - Friday, May 30, 2008 - link
You'd have to use kluster f*** :DIn all seriousness, I love this version of the game... Yeah, it has it's issues but it easly owns the GC version (which I also own). I love using the Wii wheel though I'm still not quite as good at manual power sliding as I need to be, and since I play mario with medium karts power sliding is essential to staying on course (I'm sure it is to varying degrees for all characters).
As an added testiment, and I'm sure many on these bords will be shocked... In my appartment I bought this and rented GTA4 at the same time... Mario Kart got serious play time, GTA4 sat around my apparment until it was time to return it (basically).