mario kart on the wii

[Mr Wilson]

just got this been playing it for the last 3 hours solid what a quality game one of the best games i've played in the last few years,takes a bit of getting used to.  online racing is really good, i'd recommend this to anyone

[patrickl]

It's kinda cute and fun as a party game, but I found the racing sluggish and frustrating. My kid loved it though.

[fjl]

You guys have the European version?

Is the gameplay like the DS version? I found the DS version to be by far the best version of MarioKart. Gamecube version was dissapointing. Hopefully its more up to snuff like the DS version. What's your take?

[SonicSlammaster]

Played this for about 8 hours yesterday with some friends its a real fun game.
Its a lot like the nintendo 64 version but its nicer gfx, faster gameplay and new features
make it well worth while. Grab some beers, call some friends over n have a laugh with this one.

[shmokes]

I'm skeptical of the control.  A racing game needs precise controls.  I don't see how you can get around that.  It goes for Excite Truck too.  It's mildly entertaining, but it's lack of tight control makes the replayability wear thin quickly.  Way too quickly.  The lack of precision means that no matter how good you get, you're still sloppy.  Of course, you have the option of playing with the analog stick, from what I understand, so maybe that cures any deficiencies.

[AtomSmasher]

I'm skeptical of the control.  A racing game needs precise controls.  I don't see how you can get around that.  It goes for Excite Truck too.  It's mildly entertaining, but it's lack of tight control makes the replayability wear thin quickly.  Way too quickly.  The lack of precision means that no matter how good you get, you're still sloppy.  Of course, you have the option of playing with the analog stick, from what I understand, so maybe that cures any deficiencies.

From the reviews I've seen so far they said pretty much the same thing, using the motion controls isn't accurate enough, so you end up using the analog stick.  It seems to have a similar control scheme to Super Smash Bros. in that you can use just the wiimote, wiimote + nunchuck, or a gamecube controller, so you have plenty of options to suit your tastes.  I've never been a big fan of mario kart and since this doesn't seem to break from the mold of previous Mario Karts, I probably won't be picking up a copy. 

[patrickl]

I'm skeptical of the control.  A racing game needs precise controls.  I don't see how you can get around that.  It goes for Excite Truck too.  It's mildly entertaining, but it's lack of tight control makes the replayability wear thin quickly.  Way too quickly.  The lack of precision means that no matter how good you get, you're still sloppy.

Excite truck drives a whole lot better than Mario Kart. Mario Kart responds to the steering like an oil tanker. Although when you are blazing at full speed with Excite truck there is not much steering anymore either.

I actually find Excite truck pretty playable. It's just so fast that you don't actually need that much precision. On the other hand, after finishing all the races, I don't play it that much anymore. Mostly because I get motion sicknes from playing the game though.

With all the stuff flying around and hitting you, Mario Kart is a pretty random racing experience anyway. It's actually a lot of fun when you and your friends throw items at each other, but the constant lightning flashes, bombs and oil sprays (from the AI players) are just annoying. They hit you even when you are half a lap ahead of the field.

Of course, you have the option of playing with the analog stick, from what I understand, so maybe that cures any deficiencies.

I feel that with the analog stick the control is more precise and faster. Other people claim that they have better control with the wheel. Although I saw some youtube clips of these people playing and they had trouble even beating the AI players.

If you like racing then Mario Kart is not it. If you like Zany Cartoony Party Fun then Mario Kart is your ticket.

[SNAAKE]

It's kinda cute and fun as a party game, but I found the racing sluggish and frustrating. My kid loved it though.

"fraustrating" ? like...really ??
I guess I am naturally good at ALL games lol..MK is too easy if anything..


overall good game. 16 brand new stages are all good..wario's goldmine is my favorite

[patrickl]

It's kinda cute and fun as a party game, but I found the racing sluggish and frustrating. My kid loved it though.

"fraustrating" ? 


I guess I am naturally good at ALL games lol..

Actually it's frustrating for good players and not so much for the people who just pick up a controller for the first time.

MK is too easy if anything..

Yes, that too.

[SNAAKE]

...I guess

all MK games were too easy imo. there is room for more complex things to make it interesting. on the lighter note,wii version relies heavy on environment so its anyone's game. 16 players online play is fun. lag doesn't really effect the game that much.

[Jimbo]

I love it.  I find using the wheel is excellent and very accurate, I've not had a problem with it at all. On 150cc, racing against friends in "vs" mode, its great fun, and you can turn off the weapons if you don't like them (or tone them down to non-lethal ones). There's loads of Karts, bikes (all with different stats) and lots of new courses. The online play I didn't really care for, but local multiplayer is a hoot!

[Minwah]

My gf got this on Friday so I had a good play at the weekend (with the game I mean  ).  On my first go I wasn't terribly impressed I must admit. But later on I got used to it and now I think it's great.  I find using 'manual' mode is most rewarding (more like previous Mario Karts), although it is difficult to get the corners right, specifically when you are turbo-ing along.

I found generally the steering wheel to be pretty accurate...sure it takes some getting used to but I think with practice you could be as good as with any control method. Still, I would be interested to play it with a GameCube controller.

Like someone else said, up to now I think my favourite Mario Kart is the DS version. I wouldn't like to say at this point whether I prefer the Wii one or not...

[patrickl]

Indeed the (manual) drifting is pretty funny. Once you do it for a while it comes pretty natural actually.

[patrickl]

and you can turn off the weapons if you don't like them (or tone them down to non-lethal ones).

I guess. Like I said I like it when you do it to each other or when in close combat you shoot an opponent down.

It just doesn't make sense to me that even when I'm half a lap ahead of the whole field they still manage to blow me up. It's also annoying how you fall straight out of the sky when something like that happens (into a chasm even)

[Minwah]

Yeah the bomb thing that without fail gets the leader is a pain. The other day I was first and got had by one of them and by the time I got going again was back to 9th.

It's a nice weapon to have if you are in 2nd place tho!

[Jimbo]

Ooh the sliding is fun, especially as you can steer whilst sliding to slide for longer and get the turbo boosts   I'm gradually getting to slide most the way around the tracks now, lol.  Yeah its a major pain when you are in front and you get hit by the "bomb the leader" weapon... in fact I've driven some courses nearly perfectly and still managed to come in last... seems sometimes they all gang up on you all at once!  Still, its fun to play... although I think I'm gonna play around with the weapons options a bit to see if playing with only basic weapons is more fun.

Anyone know what the best karts are?  My favourite at the moment is Waluigi's Offroader

[RTSDaddy2]

My two cents on it - I'm pretty crazy about it, and so's my wife.  Coconut Mall is my complete favorite right now, but DK Summit and the partially submerged track (in the same circuit) are quickly becoming two of my favorites.

One highlight about the game so far is how they set up online play - I think it's rather neat that everyone's Mii pops up at their location on the map before gameplay starts. 

Drifiting - if this was present in the other Mario racing games, I must admit I never caught on to it...but this one made sense to me.  Why that is, I'm not real sure.  I love doing the tricks off the jump ramps as well.

Bikes are a neat addition (wife, again, loves them), though not as hard to get used to as I'd heard.  As far as the Wii Wheel goes, I've never been able to use the Wiimote on it's side (as is "Cars") as a steering device very well, so I found the wheel to be a delight - I finally feel like I've got control over my racer.  There are some cool unlockable vehicles as well, but I'll leave that there to avoid spoilers.

Is it the rush that Mario Galaxy or Smash Brothers was? Hmmmm...probably not, but it's certainly a 9 on my fun meter....and once again, replay value is unreal.  It's a nice addition to the series.

[patrickl]

I like it.  The setup with the nunchuck is ridiculous, though.  I've been playing it on 'automatic' to keep it simple and all you do on the remote is hold down A.  They could have easily mapped the gas and item buttons to the nunchuck and just let you play it one handed. 

I have no problems with the nunchuck control. I don't see the benefit in making it single handed. Even if you don't want to look back you need buttons for throttle, breaks, drifts and fire. You cannot map all these functions onto two buttons.

BTW maybe using the wheel is more fun, but i found that if I want to set fast times the only way is to use the nunchuck (or probably a classic controller, but I don't have one)

:edit: Lol, someone did a test on this: The Mario Kart Wii controller showdown

[patrickl]

I don't see the benefit in making it single handed. Even if you don't want to look back you need buttons for throttle, breaks, drifts and fire. You cannot map all these functions onto two buttons.

Are you incapable of pushing a joystick forward?

I can, but forward and backwards on the joystick is already used for throwing items forwards and backwards.

Note I mentioned I was playing on 'automatic' where drift isn't an option.

I noted that. I was thinking more about a general scheme and since other people do use drifting, a control scheme not allowing for drifting is not really an option.

In Mario Kart, you -never- take your finger off the gas button except in the rare instances when you get stuck and need to reverse.

true, but "never" is not the same as "not often".

All Nintendo had to do was allow us to customize the controls.  That's what I'm griping about.

True.

I still don't see the point in turning this into a single handed control. You would make it harder on yourself than is neccesary to progress through the game. Maybe not at first, but for more experienced play the nunchuck alone is not going to be enough.

[fjl]

How are you able to turn off weapons? Is that an unlockable cheat or do I keep overseeing it on the game menu? And is this for VS or only battle?

Overall its a great and fun game but here are some gripes I have with the game.

After having played the game I can comment on a few things. First off I hate the music they place between matches during the online part. It sounds like the type of synthesized music they use for the more realistic racing games. Basically it doesn't have a Mariokart feel to it.

I hate that you can't exit a game during a match. In a way this is good cause I think it kicks everyone off the game if someone does that. But you only have one chance and time to quit and if you accidently press "OK" instead of "Quit" you miss your chance. And to me this usually happens since I press buttons like a madman to hurry up the menu screens.

It seems they removed the whole LAN option that was in the gamecube version. It's where you can have all your friends come over, hook up their consoles together and battle it out in a LAN match, each on their own screen. And because of this, it lacks a tournament mode. You can somewhat get by this on friends mode though.

Another thing that I find annoying is that you cannot view what track anyone else picks until AFTER you have chosen your desired track. On the DS version you can easily see what tracks are being chosen before you pick which I thought was a nifty option so if someone picks a certain track you like, you can increase the likeliness of it being played by also chosing that same map. One thing I thought they should have added was to add the persons name next to the map they are chosing. They made it so you can only see a pic of the Mii they're using.

Another downgrade from the DS version was that you cannot see who is in what place. You can only see what place you are in. Which is another gripe since every match has more or less players, you will see something like "4th place" but wont mention how many players are currently racing. It should say "4th of 8" or however many players are currently playing during that race. Even the N64 version had little icons  that circled the screen to let you know who was where and how far ahead. The current mini map they use for this pretty much sucks and is hard to see.

Yet again another downgrade from the DS was how they showed little icons of the players all next to each other and what items they are currently holding. I know this was used on the second screen of the DS so it doesn't block the main screen but they could have made it transparent so it doesn't interfere. Or they should have done something like ont he N64 version where you can cycle between different icons and such that can be viewed on screen. I sorely miss the speedometer option from the N64.

The most annoying thing I HATE and I mean really hate about this game and the Wii in particular is when you go into the MarioKart channel and view the matches or ghosts someone sends you, you cannot use the Gamecube controller to play them. Since the Wii menu only works with the Wii mote, you are forced to use the Wii mote and cannot change to use the gamecube controller unless you back out of all the menu's into the games menu screen then chose the controller. I hate that you cannot control the Wii menus with the gamecube controller. This is my scenario, the Wii mote gets lost as easily as a regular remote control, so I'm pulling up couch cushions looking for it. Once I find it, I have to navigate through the menus to start the game which isn't a big deal but time consuming. I know I have the option to have a game start automatically instead of the Wii Menu but that would also be a hassle since people send me messages on the Wii all the time and I would also be annoying to have to eject the game so the wii menu boots up instead of the game.

Like I said before, this is a great installment of MarioKart but it could have been better.

Man, I'm ranting too much...

[SavannahLion]

The most annoying thing I HATE and I mean really hate about this game and the Wii in particular is when you go into the MarioKart channel and view the matches or ghosts someone sends you, you cannot use the Gamecube controller to play them. Since the Wii menu only works with the Wii mote, you are forced to use the Wii mote and cannot change to use the gamecube controller unless you back out of all the menu's into the games menu screen then chose the controller. I hate that you cannot control the Wii menus with the gamecube controller. This is my scenario, the Wii mote gets lost as easily as a regular remote control, so I'm pulling up couch cushions looking for it. Once I find it, I have to navigate through the menus to start the game which isn't a big deal but time consuming. I know I have the option to have a game start automatically instead of the Wii Menu but that would also be a hassle since people send me messages on the Wii all the time and I would also be annoying to have to eject the game so the wii menu boots up instead of the game.

You can't really fault the game itself for this specific design deficiency. I still play a lot of my GC games, probably about as much as I play the Wii stuff. Not being able to navigate any part of the Wii with the GC controller drives me ape ---Cleveland steamer---. About the only thing I can figure for the reasoning behind this is the Wiimotes power button and the controller assignment. I guess they either figure that if you can't find a Wiimote, you're not going to play any games anyways or they had trouble working out a way to determine which controller port (Wii or GC) should have control of the Wii in what slots. They probably figured it would be easier to just ignore the GC ports than it would be to go through the effort and testing. ---uvulas---.

It's a weird design choice to have this sort of isolation between the two components of the Wii. Can't save GC games to Wii memory (not even at an emulated level) and crippled network play on a console with a wireless adapter built right in and an optional hard line adapter? All of this on top of the controller issues.

[fjl]

Oh yeah, one last thing I hate.

That newly added item, the lightning cloud. For some reason when I play with friends and I'm last place and far away from anyone, the stupid cloud comes out. Sure it might give you a slight boost(nothing near a turbo mushroom) but then I loose what little extra distance I gained cause it strikes me with lightning. And I'm too far away from anyone to pass the cloud to them. It's a pointless and mostly useless item. It's only somewhat fun when you get it and you're currently surrounded by other players, but such instances are usually rare and even less so to get the Lighting cloud during a mass crowd. I certainly hope the next installment of MarioKart is a lot better.

[patrickl]

Oh yeah, one last thing I hate.

That newly added item, the lightning cloud. For some reason when I play with friends and I'm last place and far away from anyone, the stupid cloud comes out.

Really? Doesn't it come only when you are driving between places 4 and 8 (ie in midfield)?

[fjl]

No, I've gotten it being last place and far away from anyone



A number of times! 

[FrizzleFried]

I guess I am in the minority but I've really not liked ANY Mario Kart games... at all.

[patrickl]

I guess I am in the minority but I've really not liked ANY Mario Kart games... at all.

It's not my cup of tea either, but my kid likes it so now and then I join him in a race. We both like Excite Truck better though.

[tk_42_1]

Anyone up to exchanging MKW Friend codes???  I know its fun to race people online but it would be even better to beat people I sort of know once in a while.

Friend code:  4253-3898-7232

[fjl]

Sure, add me...

5284-1806-3802


EDIT:

Says your friend code is not correct. 

[DaveMMR]

I'll add you guys - here's mine: 4554-0659-7921.

Hopefully I'll be able to see you guys online.

[tk_42_1]

Anyone up to exchanging MKW Friend codes???  I know its fun to race people online but it would be even better to beat people I sort of know once in a while.

Friend code:  4253-3898-7232

Oops...I wrote down my Friend code incorrectly. 

Correct Code is 4253-3898-7237

[Moose13]

I have the PAL version in the US. Does anyone know if there are on-line compatibility issues with PAL&NTSC versions playing against each other?
I will post my code tonight/tomorrow.

[lcddream]

i don't think you will have a problem with online.

[Daniel270]

Been playing now for about 4 days... good game, especially online. 

Only frustrating part is being hit with the POW, the homing red turtle shells and the lightning bolt that shrinks you... all of which tend to hit you hardest when you're in first place.

[patrickl]

Been playing now for about 4 days... good game, especially online. 

Only frustrating part is being hit with the POW, the homing red turtle shells and the lightning bolt that shrinks you... all of which tend to hit you hardest when you're in first place.

yeah, I think that's pretty unanimous. I wonder if anyone likes those. Although maybe in a multiplayer situation they can be fun.

Someone claimed that these could be switched off in the settings. I haven't found how to do this. Is it possible to switch off the killer attacks?

[Daniel270]

Good question...

I've been looking and haven't found that option yet.

[tk_42_1]

Been playing now for about 4 days... good game, especially online. 

Only frustrating part is being hit with the POW, the homing red turtle shells and the lightning bolt that shrinks you... all of which tend to hit you hardest when you're in first place.

When you see a POW is going to happen shake the Wii-remote (or do whatever you do when you do a trick/wheelie.)  You will spin out and lose whatever power-up you have but will continue on/recover faster.  Works every time for me so far.  I use the remote/nunchuk option and just start shaking my Wii-remote up and down until the POW is over.  I spin out, lose my power-up but keep going at almost the same speed I was going at before the POW.  I just hope it doesn't stop me spinning towards a drop off.   

The Homing red shells can be taken out with a banana or another shell.  Just before the red shell is about to hit you need to knock it out with your counter-measure.  Same strategy holds true for the green shells.

Good question...

I've been looking and haven't found that option yet.

When you start a vs or multiplayer game, look for the options on the top right when you are choosing the course, I believe.  I will verify this tonight when I get home.  There is no way to turn off certain power-ups.  That would have been a nice feature like in SSBB but you can lower the power of the power-ups (ie, no first place seeking Feathered shells of DOOM or POWs.)  These options cannot be changed for online, AFAIK.

[fjl]

Been playing now for about 4 days... good game, especially online. 

Only frustrating part is being hit with the POW, the homing red turtle shells and the lightning bolt that shrinks you... all of which tend to hit you hardest when you're in first place.

I also hate the pow. It really doesn't slow you down much but I what I really hate is that it forces you to lose your item. You can avoid though by being in mid-air when it hits.

The homing red turtles are a staple of the Mariokart game. They're supposed to follow the person in front of you and knock them out. That item has been in the game since the beginning. That includes the lightning. The first MarioKart game tried to make everything have a Mario Bros. theme. From the characters, the tracks and even the power up items. I think the lighting was the only thing that wasn't from a mario game. The following Mariokart games didn't care so much to stick to the Mario theme.

The red shells have improved a lot since the previous Mariokart games. They where originally meant to attack only if the driver ahead of you was in sight. If they weren't then it would still launch in their direction but would hit a wall. So if a driver is way ahead then red shells where as worthless as the green shells. But with these new red shells, as long as you aim them straight, they will follow the road until they reach their target. I think that's a cool feature.

Although someone said you have to time it to avoid a red shell. Not really so depending on the item you have. Cause you can hold certain items behind you acting as barriers. Just hold down the use button. This works for the bananna, Green Shell, Red Shell and the Fake Item.

Most items do hit harder depending what place you are in. If you get hit by lighting and you are in first place, then you will be the last driver to unshrink. But the opposite holds true for last place items. Like the bullet bill. If you are in last place, the bullet bill will last longer than using it when you are in mid place. The same goes for the golden mushroom and the star. Its good thing too. It balances things out. In previous MarioKart games you could get the GoldenMushroom right before knocking someone out, get ahead then use the mushroom to get even way more ahead. Which was all unfair since the Red shells where useless as previously mentioned. The blue shell was also kind of useless in certain tracks. If the tracks had any kind of holes the blue shell would fall down and be lost. This new blue shell flies over any obstacles and hits the lead driver. The only thing cool about the old blue shell was that it could knock out anyone ahead of you and continue after the lead driver. There is a way to avoid the new blue shell. It requires great timing. If you have a mushroom, you have to use it right before it flies down to hit you, it'll dodge the shell and the explosion. Hard to do though.

[ahofle]

The first MarioKart game tried to make everything have a Mario Bros. theme. From the characters, the tracks and even the power up items. I think the lighting was the only thing that wasn't from a mario game. The following Mariokart games didn't care so much to stick to the Mario theme.

It's too bad they didn't use "Slipice" from Mario Bros somehow.  It would be cool to freeze a section of the track, especially on a tight turn next to a ravine hehe.

[hypernova]

Most items do hit harder depending what place you are in. If you get hit by lighting and you are in first place, then you will be the last driver to unshrink. But the opposite holds true for last place items. Like the bullet bill. If you are in last place, the bullet bill will last longer than using it when you are in mid place. The same goes for the golden mushroom and the star. Its good thing too. It balances things out. In previous MarioKart games you could get the GoldenMushroom right before knocking someone out, get ahead then use the mushroom to get even way more ahead. Which was all unfair since the Red shells where useless as previously mentioned. The blue shell was also kind of useless in certain tracks. If the tracks had any kind of holes the blue shell would fall down and be lost. This new blue shell flies over any obstacles and hits the lead driver. The only thing cool about the old blue shell was that it could knock out anyone ahead of you and continue after the lead driver. There is a way to avoid the new blue shell. It requires great timing. If you have a mushroom, you have to use it right before it flies down to hit you, it'll dodge the shell and the explosion. Hard to do though.

Nuts...I always held on to good items if I got them.  I still will, but the fact they won't last as long may hinder me.  Blue shells falling?  The only time I know of that blues didn't work was in 64, when you shot them at a wall before they could "lock on."  Otherwise, they always hit the target, regardless of obstacles.  DD also allowed blue shell dodges, but they're damn near impossible to do so.  Precision timing.  I can't compare the ease with this one, since I don't have it yet.  I would assume red shells can be dodged by skillful drifting still, correct?

[DaveMMR]

Been playing now for about 4 days... good game, especially online. 

Only frustrating part is being hit with the POW, the homing red turtle shells and the lightning bolt that shrinks you... all of which tend to hit you hardest when you're in first place.

I also hate the pow. It really doesn't slow you down much but I what I really hate is that it forces you to lose your item. You can avoid though by being in mid-air when it hits.

The POW doesn't bother me so much since I can shake the Wii controller to keep moving.  I think the Blue Shell angers me the most.  It's a cheap weapon that seems to pop-up more in single-player games (to artificially inflate the challenge) than it does in multi-player games.  Besides the almost impossible to pull off "Mushroom Trick" (how often do you actually get a mushroom when you're in first place?), there's no way to avoid its devastating effects and you just have to sit there and take it.  I hate the lightening for a similar reason, but at least it affects others so it's not "beat up on the front-runner".

That's why online multiplayer is where this game is the most fun.  It seems like those blue shell attacks are a lot less common than on the computer.   

...then again, I'm not in first place very often online.   

I still love Mario Kart Wii.   I just wish they would have balanced out those devastating weapons by now after six games.

This works for the bananna, Green Shell, Red Shell and the Fake Item.

P.S. The Fake Item doesn't work as a barrier for shells.   If you're in first place and you get it, ditch it for something else when you have a chance.

[ahofle]

...then again, I'm not in first place very often online.   

You're not kidding.  Man how do some of these people get so far ahead?  I mean before the first lap, they are already WAY out of range. 

[DaveMMR]

...then again, I'm not in first place very often online.   

You're not kidding.  Man how do some of these people get so far ahead?  I mean before the first lap, they are already WAY out of range. 

I've encountered those people a couple of times (check for a star on their name where the wheel should be).  Unless there's some ultra-fast cart I haven't unlocked or an undocumented cheat, I theorize that they have the courses memorized and choreographed down to every little controller motion that needs to be performed at any given millisecond.   

In all fairness, most of the times I've been online, it's been a completely balanced race with others and first place is not completely unobtainable.   I have come in first many times.   I just don't enjoy that "constant first place" I do when playing 50cc (or 100cc) in the Grand Prix mode.

[tk_42_1]

I would just like to know what this obsession with Rainbow Road is when I play online.  That seems to be a course that alot of people pick and happens to be the one course I detest.

I don't think I am the only one who hates this course also.  I've seen people drop out of the race once that track is chosen.

[Daniel270]

Normally I don't have any problems with motion during games... even racing games.   However, RAINBOW ROAD makes me sick to my stomach.  It's tolerable if I'm driving because I'm partially distracted from the scenery, but if the wife's playing, I have to leave the room.

[DaveMMR]

I would just like to know what this obsession with Rainbow Road is when I play online.  That seems to be a course that alot of people pick and happens to be the one course I detest.

I don't think I am the only one who hates this course also.  I've seen people drop out of the race once that track is chosen.

I hate it too but will play it under protest.

[patrickl]

...then again, I'm not in first place very often online.   

You're not kidding.  Man how do some of these people get so far ahead?  I mean before the first lap, they are already WAY out of range. 

Maybe you need to learn the turbo start? Press the throttle button when the hand is up after the 2 count (look at the thing on the cloud).

Also do trick jumps (wave the Wiimote when airborne) to gain a turbo boost when landing. if you wiggle a lot then on some parts you almost get a continous boost.

I think it depends on the class too. In 50cc karts it's doable to almost lap the (computer controlled) field. With 150cc it's a lot harder.

Personally I find that to go fast you need to use the nunchuck for steering or a (gamecube/classic controller). Might be just me though. I go up to a few seconds a lap faster with nunchuck steering rather than the wheel.

[ahofle]

I know about the turbo start, but not about all the stupid wiimote wiggling to constantly boost apparently.  Personally I'd rather come in last than have to constantly wiggle the wiimote. Also how do GC controller users get such good times if they can't wiggle?

[patrickl]

I know about the turbo start, but not about all the stupid wiimote wiggling to constantly boost apparently.  Personally I'd rather come in last than have to constantly wiggle the wiimote.

Well it's not constantly. Only on parts of some circuits. For instance, driving through the forest, make sure you hit all the roots to get a little jump and then boost.

Also how do GC controller users get such good times if they can't wiggle?

Press a button. Forgot which one, but there is a button for it.

[hypernova]

I theorize that they have the courses memorized and choreographed down to every little controller motion that needs to be performed at any given millisecond.

I'd wager that some of you have found at least a couple of these people.  Ever visited mariokart64.com?  Records for all the Mario Kart games.  Insane records.  People-spend-hours-upon-hours-perfecting-a-track-records.

We'll never stand a chance against any of those guys, unless the field gets alot of good items in their favor.

Man, I'll miss snaking.

[Hoopz]

I theorize that they have the courses memorized and choreographed down to every little controller motion that needs to be performed at any given millisecond.

I'd wager that some of you have found at least a couple of these people.  Ever visited mariokart64.com?  Records for all the Mario Kart games.  Insane records.  People-spend-hours-upon-hours-perfecting-a-track-records.

We'll never stand a chance against any of those guys, unless the field gets alot of good items in their favor.

Man, I'll miss snaking.

I know a 19 or 20 year old who is ranked in the Top 10 in the state and Top 100 or something in the US.  Too much time into one game for me to comprehend something like that.

[fjl]

This works for the bananna, Green Shell, Red Shell and the Fake Item.

P.S. The Fake Item doesn't work as a barrier for shells.   If you're in first place and you get it, ditch it for something else when you have a chance.

Really? Since when did they do this? I think you might be right cause I can't recall blocking a red shell while holding the fake item.

I'm almost thinking Mario Kart needs to drop the ability to hold items behind you and tone down some of the power ups.   

I believe they did this with the GC Mariokart. MarioKart double dash. I felt ripped off after buying that crap.

By the way, I previously mentioned that I thought the DS version was the best version of MarioKart. Even with its hang-ups I now think the new Wii version has taken its place. But I think this because of the multiplayer part. I didn't mention this before but I think the GBA version of Mariokart, MarioKart Super Circuit was the best mariokart when it came down to pure driving. They need to re-add the coin power up from that version.

[Blanka]

Well, it all seemed like a good game, until..... there was baby Mario, baby Luigi, baby Daisy and worst of all BABY PEACH 
She completely makes the whole game suck! Only partial sollution left: unplug the stereo. On Mariokart 64 all characters were cool. OK, Peach sucked back then already, as she always came back to second place no matter how hard you hit her with shells. Know what? Peach sucked forever. I have never seen a dumb-ass like Mario hunting a  like Peach for so many sequels. She is the Paris Hilton of computer games. She was put in there to attract Barbie playing girls to Nintendo games, but they really should have made boys and girls versions of all Mario Titles. Plain "Mario Kart" for boys, and "Peach's Baby Buggy Racing" for girls.

[fjl]

I never found any of the characters that annoying. Unless you play with Baby Peach, you should rarely ever hear her sound effects/dialogue. The only time you hear other drivers is when they pass you or vice versa.

[hypernova]

Well, it all seemed like a good game, until..... there was baby Mario, baby Luigi, baby Daisy and worst of all BABY PEACH 
She completely makes the whole game suck! Only partial sollution left: unplug the stereo. On Mariokart 64 all characters were cool. OK, Peach sucked back then already, as she always came back to second place no matter how hard you hit her with shells. Know what? Peach sucked forever. I have never seen a dumb-ass like Mario hunting a  like Peach for so many sequels. She is the Paris Hilton of computer games. She was put in there to attract Barbie playing girls to Nintendo games, but they really should have made boys and girls versions of all Mario Titles. Plain "Mario Kart" for boys, and "Peach's Baby Buggy Racing" for girls.

Done?

Really? Since when did they do this? I think you might be right cause I can't recall blocking a red shell while holding the fake item.

Since always.  Double Dash was like this.  I think the 64 was the same way...or was it?  I cannot honestly remember.

[DaveMMR]

...then again, I'm not in first place very often online.   

You're not kidding.  Man how do some of these people get so far ahead?  I mean before the first lap, they are already WAY out of range. 

Maybe you need to learn the turbo start? Press the throttle button when the hand is up after the 2 count (look at the thing on the cloud).

Also do trick jumps (wave the Wiimote when airborne) to gain a turbo boost when landing. if you wiggle a lot then on some parts you almost get a continous boost.

I think it depends on the class too. In 50cc karts it's doable to almost lap the (computer controlled) field. With 150cc it's a lot harder.

Personally I find that to go fast you need to use the nunchuck for steering or a (gamecube/classic controller). Might be just me though. I go up to a few seconds a lap faster with nunchuck steering rather than the wheel.

Even with using the boost start, waggling the stick over every little bump and even abusing the golden mushroom as soon as I get it, there's still that occasionally blip in the windshield that's some expert who doesn't want to play with any of us.   And of course, I use manual and drift boost whenever I can which does not help in the least.

And I find the nunchuk is better at controlling the game as well.  I have tried the wheel and it does work surprisingly well, but I need more precise control.

Well, it all seemed like a good game, until..... there was baby Mario, baby Luigi, baby Daisy and worst of all BABY PEACH 
She completely makes the whole game suck! Only partial sollution left: unplug the stereo. On Mariokart 64 all characters were cool. OK, Peach sucked back then already, as she always came back to second place no matter how hard you hit her with shells. Know what? Peach sucked forever. I have never seen a dumb-ass like Mario hunting a  like Peach for so many sequels. She is the Paris Hilton of computer games. She was put in there to attract Barbie playing girls to Nintendo games, but they really should have made boys and girls versions of all Mario Titles. Plain "Mario Kart" for boys, and "Peach's Baby Buggy Racing" for girls.

Yes everyone's cool and everyone sucks.  They're all really pretty much the same character anyhow.  Once you just accept that Nintendo games have a "family friendly" (read: kiddie) style to them, you'll enjoy the games a lot more. 

[fjl]

 And of course, I use manual and drift boost whenever I can which does not help in the least.

Not true. If you ever do the time trials you'll know that the drift boosts are essential. The only times they are useless is when used wrong like taking a huge curve/drift to build up the drift boost. If you over exceed the curve the boost gained will not  make up for the extra drifting/curve taken even though you think it does just because you gained a boost.

And I find the nunchuk is better at controlling the game as well.  I have tried the wheel and it does work surprisingly well, but I need more precise control.

This is why I use the GameCube controller

[DaveMMR]

And of course, I use manual and drift boost whenever I can which does not help in the least.

Not true. If you ever do the time trials you'll know that the drift boosts are essential. The only times they are useless is when used wrong like taking a huge curve/drift to build up the drift boost. If you over exceed the curve the boost gained will not  make up for the extra drifting/curve taken even though you think it does just because you gained a boost.

Sorry, I wasn't clear.  I meant that those things don't seem to help me against the hardcore experts online who maintain first place from beginning to end.   I implied that even with those important techniques nailed down, I still see nothing but a faint dot in the horizon that is my opponent with over 8,000VR points and a star.   

[fjl]

The best times are when you use an item and beat that pro right at end of the last track coming in first and causing them to fall way behind. When that happens I literally 

[hypernova]

I was just checking out the official site, since I don't have this game yet...

They have all the characters stats listed as backwards of what it used to be.  Do all the light characters have slow acceleration and high top speed, while the heavy characters have high acceleration with a low top speed?  If so, that doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

[Jdurg]

I LOVED the Super Nintendo version of Mario Kart.  Once I bought and played the N64 version, I forever vowed to NEVER play the series again.  If there is one thing I HATE in a videogame it's "cheating" in order to keep games close.  You can be miles ahead of the computer, but out of nowhere they will catch up with you and nail you with a shell and take the lead.  That's just not fun.  I think if you are good and have the skills to take a huge lead it should remain that way.  In the SNES version, that was the case and that made the game fun because once you took the lead, unless YOU screwed up you were going to keep it.  Once the N64 version came out, if you took the lead you just had to hope that the computer was going to let you keep it.

Is the Wii version just as horrible with the cheating?

[hypernova]

I LOVED the Super Nintendo version of Mario Kart.  Once I bought and played the N64 version, I forever vowed to NEVER play the series again.  If there is one thing I HATE in a videogame it's "cheating" in order to keep games close.  You can be miles ahead of the computer, but out of nowhere they will catch up with you and nail you with a shell and take the lead.  That's just not fun.  I think if you are good and have the skills to take a huge lead it should remain that way.  In the SNES version, that was the case and that made the game fun because once you took the lead, unless YOU screwed up you were going to keep it.  Once the N64 version came out, if you took the lead you just had to hope that the computer was going to let you keep it.

Is the Wii version just as horrible with the cheating?

You must be on crack.  The SNES version was even worse at the cheating.  The lagging CPU would catch back up even faster than newer versions.  The only way to totally screw them was sticking a banana peel on a ramp.  They'd hit it once, not make the jump, and have to do it over again, but for some reason, they'd be unable to make the jump over and over again.  One of the Mario named tracks...the final race of either the mushroom or flower cup.  Also, there was absolutely NO random element to the CPUs, unless you screwed one up at the very end of the race.  They always stayed in the same order each race.

In Double Dash on GC, you could get far enough ahead that a few blue shells and even a lightning bolt or two won't make a difference, because you're still leaving things for them to hit, and they're hitting each other occasionally as well.  One thing that was annoying.  You're in 3rd.  CPU 2nd place will always aim for you, not 1st place CPU, and that goes for everything.  But it needs that.  Otherwise it's waaaaay too easy.  As is every version.  I still don't have the Wii version, so I can't speak for it, but from others, it sounds like it still exists.

Someone's gotta be in first place.  And someone's going to get blue shells.  There are instances where I'm not in first, and the CPU is getting nailed by it.  I'm just usually the one in first.

Also, just because you have the lead doesn't necessarily mean you achieved it through your 1337 skill-age.

[Jdurg]

I LOVED the Super Nintendo version of Mario Kart.  Once I bought and played the N64 version, I forever vowed to NEVER play the series again.  If there is one thing I HATE in a videogame it's "cheating" in order to keep games close.  You can be miles ahead of the computer, but out of nowhere they will catch up with you and nail you with a shell and take the lead.  That's just not fun.  I think if you are good and have the skills to take a huge lead it should remain that way.  In the SNES version, that was the case and that made the game fun because once you took the lead, unless YOU screwed up you were going to keep it.  Once the N64 version came out, if you took the lead you just had to hope that the computer was going to let you keep it.

Is the Wii version just as horrible with the cheating?

You must be on crack.  The SNES version was even worse at the cheating.  The lagging CPU would catch back up even faster than newer versions.  The only way to totally screw them was sticking a banana peel on a ramp.  They'd hit it once, not make the jump, and have to do it over again, but for some reason, they'd be unable to make the jump over and over again.  One of the Mario named tracks...the final race of either the mushroom or flower cup.  Also, there was absolutely NO random element to the CPUs, unless you screwed one up at the very end of the race.  They always stayed in the same order each race.

In Double Dash on GC, you could get far enough ahead that a few blue shells and even a lightning bolt or two won't make a difference, because you're still leaving things for them to hit, and they're hitting each other occasionally as well.  One thing that was annoying.  You're in 3rd.  CPU 2nd place will always aim for you, not 1st place CPU, and that goes for everything.  But it needs that.  Otherwise it's waaaaay too easy.  As is every version.  I still don't have the Wii version, so I can't speak for it, but from others, it sounds like it still exists.

Someone's gotta be in first place.  And someone's going to get blue shells.  There are instances where I'm not in first, and the CPU is getting nailed by it.  I'm just usually the one in first.

Also, just because you have the lead doesn't necessarily mean you achieved it through your 1337 skill-age.

You must have never played the SNES version then.  I would typically lap the second place computer player.  There was no catch up logic in that version of the game.  That's probably why they went overboard with it on the N64 version.  (Just to verify this, I played the SNES version again and won by a massive distance.  Played the N64 version and it was always a photo finish).

[fjl]

I must admit that I too hated the N64 version when I first tried it. First off, I don't believe the CPU ever used any kind of shells in MarioKart64. I could be wrong, but I do recall that one of the early MarioKarts, the CPU never used them. It could have been the SNES. Regardless, I thought that totally sucked.

The SNES version was fun but it wasn't really for me. Or at least back then it wasn't. I hated how linear the CPU was. They weren't randomly controlled. They all had a set pattern and never changed it regardless of the characters being used. It was obvious that each driver in the SNES version had its own characteristics but this was completely ignored in the SNES version when being controlled by the CPU. They all drove the same, turned the same and had the same speed. Like a game of follow the leader. It was ridiculous. If you played the game enough, you would know the exact line of path the CPU would take so you can put a banana in that path and the first one to reach it would get hit. If you missed their line of path then they would never touch that banana or turtle shell. Making it an obstacle for yourself because it will forever be there unless you hit it yourself. This lessened some on the 64 version but was still a bit apparent.

As I mentioned before, MarioKart 64 seemed to me like a blasphemy when I first tried it. Single player wasn't the same like in the SNES version. It seemed more deathmatch than racing with its 3 pair shells and golden mushroom. It was too easy on single player. The snes version had more difficulty. But this isn't to say that I hated Mariokart 64. Cause for multiplay it rocked! Although it was less about driving and more about beating on each other. The Snes version was more about driving.

It wasn't until the GBA version that MarioKart went back to its roots and focused on driving skills instead of deathmatch skills. But I'll gladly mention that the Wii version almost has it right by combining a bit of both.

[danny_galaga]

played this the other day in a supermarket. i quite liked the controls. seemed acurate enough to me. but then my driving isnt about precision (",)

[hypernova]

(Just to verify this, I played the SNES version again and won by a massive distance.  Played the N64 version and it was always a photo finish).

What CC on SNES?

[Jdurg]

(Just to verify this, I played the SNES version again and won by a massive distance.  Played the N64 version and it was always a photo finish).

What CC on SNES?

I typically play on the 150 cc circuit.

[hypernova]

Now you make me want to check it out, because I remember the computer doing better.

[massive88]

Now you make me want to check it out, because I remember the computer doing better.

I remember lapping computer opponents regularly in the SNES version, at the hardest CC however, they provided a challenge, but a skilled player could reliably win.

On another note, I just played the Wii Mario Kart this weekend, and was agast at the battle mode.  I cant believe they butchered it so much to make it not fun. 

[DaveMMR]

Most fun I had was when I power slid into a column on the N64 version and got stuck.  Took me 10 minutes to get out. 

I think after about 30 seconds you should have accepted that you'll lose the race no matter what and hit reset.  That would be an extra 9 minutes 30 second you could have spent having fun.   

[Turnarcades]

Battle mode was was made the SNES version a multi-player classic, but it was crap in every other version due to the different gameplay dynamics, so racing became better. Personally I've not been a big fan of it since the SNES version, but I got online with the Wii version and it rocked.

Now however, everyone is online and I, as well as others, have noticed strange glitches and unfair races meaning even the best players get bitched rom every angle and your ratings go through the floor. Many people have mentioned there may be a 'regional bias', or a small group of people who've developed and are exploiting a way of cheating (not just the time trial thing).

I've witnessed people picking up bullets in first place, people emerging from walls or straight back on track when they fall off, as well as the 'slow down' handicap not dragging people back. I hate the handicap thing myself, but it just doesn't seem to affect some people.

[bishmasterb]

The Bobomb Blast battle mode in Double Dash was incredibly fun I thought.

I agree with others that the battle mode in Wii Kart is pretty uninteresting.

[fjl]

Battle mode was was made the SNES version a multi-player classic, but it was crap in every other version due to the different gameplay dynamics, so racing became better. Personally I've not been a big fan of it since the SNES version, but I got online with the Wii version and it rocked.

Now however, everyone is online and I, as well as others, have noticed strange glitches and unfair races meaning even the best players get bitched rom every angle and your ratings go through the floor. Many people have mentioned there may be a 'regional bias', or a small group of people who've developed and are exploiting a way of cheating (not just the time trial thing).

I've witnessed people picking up bullets in first place, people emerging from walls or straight back on track when they fall off, as well as the 'slow down' handicap not dragging people back. I hate the handicap thing myself, but it just doesn't seem to affect some people.

I can't speak for the other glitches but the people emerging from walls or straight back on track after falling off the track is usually a result of lag. I've seen lag cause an item to be used twice like using one  red shell, it will hit one opponent, continue and hit the next opponent. I've even seen this happen to me.


I've stopped playing the game myself cause there is too many unfair players who are always in the lead somehow and are clearly unstoppable. I now only play with a certain group of friends.

[Daniel270]

I haven't been playing as much lately as I probably should have... 

The wife's started playing backgammon and Uno on the 360 and I've been stuck on Spore. 

But, the handful of times I've logged in online to check if anyone's playing usually ends up being futile... I never see anyone on.

[Dervacumen]

And now for a totally different perspective...

This is the first driving game I've found that my 4 1/2 can and wants to play.  Sure, we're not throwing anything at one another yet... but for those of you with a little one, it's a great fun-time investment.

...and now back to our regular programming.

[Blanka]

This is the first driving game I've found that my 4 1/2 can and wants to play.

So what are we grown ups actually talking about?
This is not a game.
It is a nice visual mix with recognition and baby sounds. Anybody connect this concept to the Teletubbies? 

[ChadTower]

Just got it.  We're enjoying it a good amount.  Best part for us is that it supports Gamecube controllers.  We can all play at once even though we only have two wiimotes.

[patrickl]

This is the first driving game I've found that my 4 1/2 can and wants to play.  Sure, we're not throwing anything at one another yet... but for those of you with a little one, it's a great fun-time investment.

My 5 year old liked Mario Wii kart for a while too, but he quickly got bored of it. He doesn't like the randomness of it and there is not enough challenge in it. The game is simply too easy to control which makes it boring.

He likes Excite Truck better. He's been playing that game since I got it more than a year ago.

[bishmasterb]

Just got it.  We're enjoying it a good amount.  Best part for us is that it supports Gamecube controllers.  We can all play at once even though we only have two wiimotes.

You reminded me of something. We've been using a mix of GC/wheel/nunchuk controllers for playing Wii Kart.

What I've noticed is that even though I love the GC controller, having my hands free to rest comfortably apart using the nunchuk controller is extremely comfortable, versus having a single controller that forces them together.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

[ahofle]

What I've noticed is that even though I love the GC controller, having my hands free to rest comfortably apart using the nunchuk controller is extremely comfortable, versus having a single controller that forces them together.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

I've absolutely noticed this too.

[ChadTower]

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

I do that too.  Same reason.