Obstacles

Mario Kart Wii - Obstacles and Hazards

Sometimes your worst enemy is the track itself. Learn all about everything that tries to get in your way here. Some obstacles are easy to get around, while others will be a constant pain.

I grouped similar enemies together, but overall they’re in no real order.

Bob-omb Car

- A giant Bob-omb on wheels. Probably the scariest thought in a Mario game. Just a slight scratch and these will explode in blazing glory, sometimes taking out an entire section of track, making it so anyone near you also gets hit.

Car

Truck

- Trucks and cars come in several shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing. Drive straight into them to get crushed, hit them from the sides and you’ll be sent into the air. These people also need to have their licenses revoked...

Mii Car

- These cars will go back and forth, sometimes blocking your dash panel. Time it carefully to get around.

Piranha

- This Piranha is pretty harmless. It wont reach out and grab you, rather it just sits there as an obstacle.

Pipe Piranha

- This version of Piranha is much more vicious. If you get anywhere close to it, it lowers its head and bits you, sending you into the air.

Mechanical Piranha Plant

- Comes out of and retracts into that green pipe. I just acts like a movable wall.

Mechanical Bowser

- This evil form of Bowser shoots huge fireballs at you. You can dodge them using the halfpipes, or just by driving up the center (mostly, it touches ground a few times). You’ll spin out if you hit the fireball.

Bowser Statue

- While cool, they are so far off the track that unless you majorly overshoot the drift they aren’t a threat.

Fire

- It’s fire. You know, the hot kind. Avoid it or be burned.

Fire Snake

- Fire Snakes are weird jumping balls of fire. Definitely from Mars. Go to the opposite side of the track when passing these, as they can jump a long way, and pretty quickly too. They’ll make you spin out.

Boo

- Boos are just a distraction. They wont actually mess with you, but they can hinder your vision slightly.

Chain Chomp

- Chain Chomps are vicious creatures. Watch for it to jet out at the first thing to cross it’s path. If that happens to be you, try to be far enough away that it cant reach you. It that’s not you, drive by between it and the stake holding it in (it wont come back fast enough to hit you). He’ll send you flying into the air.

Moo Moo

- What game would be complete without cows? They’ll aimlessly wonder into the road. They act like moving walls.

Sidestepper

- These annoying little crabs move erratically and quickly back and forth. Watching their movement tells you nothing. Just drive right past them. If you hit them, you hit them; it’s best not to worry about it. They’ll cause you to spin out.

Podoboo

- Podoboo (yes, they have a name) come in several types, but are normally attached like giant spinning arms. Watch the rotation and dodge. You spin out if you hit one.

Cataquack

- Cataquacks are from Super Mario Sunshine. They’ll toss your kart high into the air and make you drop your items. They come in several colors.

Goomba

- Goomba’s are a classic. Hit them and spin out. They don’t move fast, but are often placed in areas where you wont have a chance to dodge them (like around drift turns).

Monty Mole

- Moles can be annoying. While they can pop up and knock you up like a shell, that’s rare. More so the issue is their underground paths tilling up the ground making it rough and slowing you down.

Penguin

- Penguins are awesome. Some will waddle about while other will dive down and slide  a ways before getting back up and doing it back again. Hitting a sliding one will cause you to spin out. Larger ones act like walls. You can use a star to go though, but do you really want to hurt a penguin? They’re so cute...

Koopa Zapper

- Koops Zapper is evil. If you touch any of the lighting arms coming out of it, you shrink and lose all your items. Carefully time your approach.

Shy Guy Snowboarder

- There aren’t enough of these to make them much of a threat. Spin out if you hit one.

Pokey

- Pokey’s don’t move fast, and they also wont throw things at you or fall on you (like they do in other games) instead they just wiggle about. Very easy to dodge. You spin out if you hit one.

Swooper

- They will ram your kart and push it backward/off the edge. Timing is nearly impossible, so just charge though.

Thwomp

- Thwomps are dangerous. The come down and crush you. Carefully time your kart to go under them. If you cant, you can normally go around.

Wiggler

- These clueless creatures wonder around in circles, stopping every so often. Time your kart and go around. If you hit one, its just like hitting a wall.

Cannon Ball

- Cannon balls are launched from the Shy Guys ship out at sea. Their accuracy leaves much to be desired (hey, its hard to see from under that mask...) but the explosion following is nothing to laugh at. Steer clear of these once they land.

Gumball Machine

- These will come out of the ceiling and crush you. Not exactly without warning, as you can plainly see them, but you should still time your movement to get under them.

Mine Cart

- These are a pain until you realize: They’re on a track! Watch the track and time the movements of the cart to get around.

Mushroom Jump Pad

- Jump pads actually help you. They give you a boost and increase your jump as you go flying to the next pad. However, steering on them is nearly impossible, so line your jumps up carefully.

Waterfall

- Waterfalls can swiftly sweep you over the edge if you’re not careful.

Pile of Leaves

- Doest do anything to you directly, but will sometimes be hiding a banana peel. The alterative is that sometimes it’s hiding a mushroom. Drive through at your own risk.

Small Wall

- I know what you’re thinking “luz. wat, wut?” but small (and even large) walls and barriers will be one of your worst foes. Just so much as a scrap or bump against them and you’ll be slowed to a crawl. Beware!