Full Review for Mario Kart Wii by tbug2007

Introduction

Mario Kart WII is another game added to the Mario Kart series, with many changes that you will either like alot or won't like at all. There are various item changes, character changes, track changes (obviously), kart changes, etc.

Unlike the other games in the series, Mario Kart WII allows you to perform tricks while in the air. If you nail the trick, you get a small turbo. The programmers also added motorcycles! These provide a unique experience in the game, and are in one way similar, one way very different than the karts.

On motorcycles, you will also do tricks, but one of the most useful things is the wheelie. Doing a wheelie makes you go faster for a short amount of time, but make sure you put the front down before a turn, as steering is dificult.

This game also has WIFI, like the DS version of the game. The WIFI is almost totally lag-free, and the only lag is when you play two players, in which the game still does an excellent job staying free of lag.

Please enjoy the rest of the review!

Graphics

Track Graphics- The tracks had good graphics, and so did the remastered versions of the retro courses. The effects are good, and the environment is great.

Item Graphics- Item Graphics were also really good. The round object are actually round, instead of polygonal, and the streams behind projectiles was pretty good.

Character Graphics- Not as good as I would have hoped. The characters look kinda stiff and uncomfortable. Donkey Kong is one of the worst, as he was in the DS version. It comes as a disappointment mainly because the graphics of everything else was good. In two player WIFI matches, everything is toned down to a lower, grainier quality, but it is still OK.

Kart/ Bikes- These were really good. Wario's Bike had a few issues, but overall everything else is pretty good. The sparks from the drifts were good quality, and the fire from the exhaust on the turbos was good. Suspension/ bounciness was pretty perfect compared to the terrain. If on a wooden bridge, every board would make the vehicle bounce a bit. Unlike most games where there is very little detail on the bottom of the car, the bottoms had very nice detail.


Misc. Graphics- The numbers and symbols were amazing compared to previous games, and made it more enjoyable. Maps looked good also. Lakitu has proper shading to his environment for the most part.

Sound

Sound is great.

Tracks had the sound that you would really hear if you were there, and karts/ bikes have different sounds, unlike the older versions which used one constant sound. Some characters sounded odd, different than expected from their individual games. Tricks made cool effects, and when you hit an obstacle, everything was synchronized.

Terrain sounds surprised me, as did environmental sound. When on a certain terrain, the sound of driving was pretty realistic. Environmental sounds changed depending on what place of the track you are on.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the sounds.

Gameplay

Well, it's kinda the same old, same old for GP... In Grand Prix, you race in four game modes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc, Mirror) on eight track sets; four being new tracks, four being retro tracks. As you progress, you earn different things.

There is also a VS. Mode, where you just choose your track and racer and you are off. Useful for practice. Also, a battle mode is installed with Balloon Battle and a coin battle.

Unlike the typical 8 racers per race, there are twelve which is both good and bad.

As said, there is a nice WIFI, where you can race up to 11 other people online. This is probably one of the most fun things to do in Mario Kart WII.


Not much more "good" to say. Now, for the bad.

First off, there is absolutely NO options menu. This is probably one of the worst things a game can lack. There is a set number of laps per track, and you can do nothing with items. You are stuck with the defaults, and nothing but the defaults.

12 contestants is good, by the fact it makes more of a challenge. On the bad side, you won't get hardly any actual racing in. And here is why.

-So many people get items that chances are you will be hit 6 times in 7 seconds. All race long.
-Item boxes are so close together, that when twelve people get items and you're in first, again, you get hit constantly.
-3/4 of the game is dodging and throwing items, not racing.

More about items:
-Since you will be dealing with items pretty much the whole race, the game is more a game of pure luck.
-Items are incredibly unbalanced. You could be in 12 and get something to blast you in fist.
-Red shells can leap alot of gaps. You're in front, you're 95% going to get hit.
-12 people = 11 possible blue shells for you.


Now, something that completely ruined the battle mode for me was the fact that everything was timed.

Balloon Battle- Normally, lose all your balloons and you lose. Not in Mario Kart WII. In this game, it isn't at all that you lose if all your balloons are gone. In this one, you lose your balloons, you are randomly placed on the course with three more balloons to continue the fight. The game is ALWAYS a team match.

Same thing with coins. Just collect the coins by destroying your opponent.

VS. Mode was set up like a Grand Prix. After just four short vs. Matches, you are taken to this demo and receive a trophy. Then you have to go back through the menu and find VS. Mode again, and repeat.

Tracks in this game are alot harder than any other game. On Rainbow Road, you almost always fall off. They are just alot harder, and some beginners just would freak out.

In order to beat the game, you must complete all eight Grand Prix track sets four times. 32 Grand Prixs. You will probably get bored of doing all those tracks over and over.

Lastability

Would be an 8, but items and no options ruins it.

The battles are awful as explained above, and so forth. Eventually you will get tired of having a demo after every four VS. Matches.

On the good side, if you like Mario Kart, you will like this. There is always a new challenge on WIFI, which I almost do all the time because of lack of entertainment from battles.

It is a pretty lastible game, but would be much better if there was an options menu. But since you are stuck with stock controls and options, you better learn to cope with it.

Overall

Poor choice of the programmers by not adding options menu. Poor choice changing battle modes. But the nice tracks and addition of motorcycles really made it interesting, not to mention it is a challenge to beat all the Grand Prixs.

If you enjoy most Mario Kart games, you will probably enjoy this one. If you hate it, there is always eBay.

Great new tracks, great remastering of older tracks, great graphics and great sound make this game very enjoyable.

Thanks for reading my review!
Tbug2007

Final Score: 70%