Just thought I'd resurrect this thread with a quick review of the game, just as I recently did with
Wii Sports Resort. I'm sure many have played Mario Kart Wii by now, but there doesn't seem to be much activity in the Wii subforum so perhaps my review will spur a little more discussion
Introduction
I've racked up a fair few hours playing Mario Kart Wii (from now on referred to as MKW to preserve my sanity), though my earlier experience of the game was a good eight or more months ago now with my old flatmates. I've also spent a fair bit of time in the past playing other variants of Mario Kart, including the DS and Game Boy Advance versions of the game, and a little time on Mario Kart 64 on someone else's console.
Playability
It's worth noting that in the time I've owned MKW, I've played it solely with Nintendo's preferred control method, the Wiimote and Wii Racing Wheel combo. I'd been warned of this combination many times, and had heard everything from "it's way too sensitive" to "it barely responds", so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Within minutes though, I'd made up my mind. It's
fantastic.
Let me clarify though - if outright lap-records are your thing, or being the best online racer in the world, you're probably better off getting yourself a Wii Classic joypad or getting an old Gamecube joypad. Both offer more accuracy and thanks to their purpose-designed nature, all the buttons are exactly where you'd expect them. The joypads are also ergonomically designed than the tiny "Whiil".
However, the remote/wheel combination is fantastic fun, which seems to be MKW's mantra. Control is neither too sensitive
nor too laggy, and the karts respond quickly and predictably. If you have the powersliding option set to manual, a quick flick of the B button and a direction on the wheel followed by a bunch of opposite lock sets you into a big drift that feels far more satisfying than it does on a joypad. It's accurate enough that you can vary the "lock" enough to slide around objects while you're cornering too, so in terms of playability and fun, I'd give the wheel the thumbs up and the nod in preference to a joypad.
Motorcycles are a little more difficult and seem more sensitive, but again, using the Wiimote seems like a very natural method of control.
Control methods aside, general gameplay is as fun as you'd expect. The courses are imaginative and fun, but not without challenge. There are a mix of courses from across the MK spectrum, including inclusions of more recent tracks from the DS game which suit inclusion on the Wii version particularly well. Even earlier courses still manage to be fun thanks to generous placing of power-up boxes and subtle updates to the layout. And of course, you'll be pleased to know that the updated Rainbow Road is as frustrating and downright crazy as ever...
Graphics and Sound
It goes without saying that graphics aren't the Wii's strongpoint, but in MKW they're more than up to the job. As with Sports Resort, the visuals are vibrant and clear, run without a hint of slowing down no matter how much is going on on the screen, and the courses, weapons and characters all look great. Pop-up isn't an issue, and it's never difficult to tell where you're going. Another game that benefits from it's simplicity.
Sound is impressive - the karts all emit a fairly dull buzz but the sound is another area that's enhanced when using the remote. The noise of a locked-on shell and other small touches are emitted from the small speaker on the remote as well as the normal speakers, which adds a semi-surround effect and brings a little urgency to procedings.
Longevity
If I were to conservatively estimate, I'd say that I've probably spent around ten hours playing MKW so far. This is tiny beans compared to most people - MK is the sort of game that, thanks to the online mode, you can enjoy for many hours every day. Thanks to it's popularity, there's never any shortage of people to play against online and I suspect that won't change until such point as Nintendo release something better...
And of course, even in the unlikely event that everyone in the world switches off their Wii, there is still the multiplayer option. No matter how good online competition can be, nothing quite beats thrashing all your friends and being able to mock them in person.
If you don't fancy racing, then there are the battle modes too. Essentially, there's no shortage of modes in which to race or simply cause havoc.
On the negative side, the single-player mode isn't the most long-lasting of affairs. It's possible to get through each CC class in a couple of ours, perhaps with a couple more tries to win every race and walk away with a top ranking in each cup.
I'm prepared to overlook the shortness of single player in light of the Wii and MKW being very family and friend orientated. If you're a hermit, a Wii
really isn't the right console for you.
Conclusion
MKW, predictably, is excellent. It can perhaps disappoint if you're a serious Mario Karter, as your performance isn't directly governed by your skill level like it was on the SNES, for example, and it's equally possible to lose ten places on the last corner is it is to gain them thanks to the weapons and the hectic nature of the races.
It isn't a perfect game, with lack of longevity in single-player and the occasional frustration for experienced gamers that skill doesn't count for much being the reasons for this.
The positives far outweigh the negatives though. The learning curve is perfect, being easy to pick up and even win if you're a complete novice, yet quite difficult when competing online and challenging to make best use of power-ups to get quick lap times if that's your main aim.
Graphics and circuit design are better than ever, and control is as easy and fun as you could hope from Nintendo's occasionally clunky (on some other games) remote.
MKW is one of the Wii's "essential purchase" titles. If you have a Wii, you really should have Mario Kart Wii.
Nine out of ten.