Mario Kart Wii Developer Nintendo Publisher Nintendo Genre Racing Platform Nintendo Wii Release Out Now Mario Kart is a staple of a Nintendo console since the days of the SNES. First bursting into our living rooms with all it's Mode7 glory and fun gameplay, Mario Kart has evolved and grown over the last 16 years. The series has hit a low with Mario Kart Double Dash on the Gamecube and seen highs with Mario Kart DS which very rarely loses it's place in the top 20 for Famitsu game rankings. However, with Mario Kart Wii storming onto the Wii, will it make or break the series?

Mario Kart Wii is a racing game, so there isn't a story. However, the game does build upon already fine-tuned gameplay mechanics, moulding them to new, steering-wheel like controls using the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote and the addition of motor bikes to Mario Kart... Making the 'Kart' part of Mario Kart a bit old-hat.

Gameplay, if you're an experienced Mario Kart-er, you'll find a slight bit of comfort adapting to the controls in Mario Kart Wii. You're no longer relying on pin-point accuracy of a analogue stick to see you through tight corners, you have to always keep yourself straight when holding the remote and when you go to drift, you have to ensure you approach correctly. While we're on the subject of drifting, you remember in Mario Kart DS where you had people 'snaking'? (Snaking is when a person drifts on the track continuously and uses the left-right boost increase to cheat their way to victory) Well, they're a thing of the past. You get speed boost increments when drifting by how long you hold onto the drift. Jumping, drifting are handled on the B button, acceleration is on Button 2, breaks are on Button 1. To use an item forwards (throwing shells and banana peels forwards) press right on the D-Pad (it's up on the D-Pad if you hold the Wii Remote horizontally like in Super Paper Mario) to place and item behind you, press left (down if holding horizontally). All and all, it should take a Mario Kart veteran just a few minutes to adjust to the new control scheme and power on through to victory. Don't panic, though. You can use a Gamecube controller, Wii remote and Nunchuck setups to also play Mario Kart Wii which play like older Mario Kart games.

Sound, if you play Mario Kart for it's great and interesting range of musical genres... Well, there's probably very little help for you. Mario Kart has some of the dullest, yet memorable tunes in the video game world. It fits the fast-paced action of the game while keeping to the cartoon styling of the game. During Mario Kart Double Dash on the Gamecube and Mario Kart DS on the DS, Nintendo fell in love with trumpets, saxophones and whistling. Thank heavens Nintendo have finally moved on from this phase and gone back to actually making generic menu/win race/result music and it's cool. Course music is now more like in Mario Kart 64 on the Nintendo 64 when music was more in-line with the visual design of the course. If the course is in a city, the music will reflect the typical kind of 'city' music in cartoons or games. It's very nice music, however, nothing that is truly memorable like previous Mario Kart games.

Visuals, don't judge the game's visuals on what you see near the start of the game. If you hold out for later courses in the game, you will be presently surprised at the visuals in Mario Kart Wii. Soft glowing effects, reflections and nice high-resolution visuals make the game look terribly pretty through-out. Although the game consists of 'classic' tracks from all kinds of other Mario Kart games in the past, the visuals used for these tracks are generally upgraded, however there are the odd instance where you'll find similar, higher-resolution versions of the original surface textures used in older games dating back to the original SNES Mario Kart game. Character models don't look better, nor look worse than Mario Kart Double Dash on the Gamecube. However, overall the game is a great improvement on the visuals from Mario Kart Double Dash.

The addition of bikes to Mario Kart, Kart races lose the 100cc race type, with them going directly to bike-only races. 50cc races are kart-only and 150cc races are a mix of bikes and karts. It's obvious just using both types, that they both have their advantages and disadvantages, but most the time, if given a choice, you're best to go with a bike. It's more nimble, and given you don't crash or go off-course, you're sure-in to trounce who ever picks a kart over a bike. However, you go off-course, you're basically embracing defeat.

So, you've heard all the praise, so here's where the game falls down on itself. Much like Mario Kart DS, skill and victory are looked down upon. You get a significant lead from the rest of the pack, you're more than sure to be heading straight into a mine field of hindering items from behind. Red shells, thunderbolts, squids... They'll all seem more numerous and more irritating when you've gained quite a lead on the rest of the pack because you're more skilful. From the other side, however, it leaves a window of opportunity for other players to catch up. A cheap victory, but when you're playing against friends, it's always a good for laughs. Also, please refer to my own made philosophy: "In the game of Mario Kart, Victory is one Blue Shell away from failure." It's as true now as it was for Mario Kart DS.

Overall then, I found that I have terrible Mario Kart Rage... It's like Road Rage, only... On Mario Kart. But other than this, the game is fun and entertaining, sure, you'll feel robbed sometimes, but that's Mario Kart. The game is frustrating, but keeps you on your toes. After a while, the game just becomes easy and the range of cups, courses, ghost data and multiplayer both online through the Nintendo WiFi Connection and on the same physical console will keep you playing for weeks, if not months to come. Get this game.

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