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Mario Kart Wii Wii
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release Date: Apr 27, 2008
Mario Kart Wii Image
Metascore
82 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 353 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Mario Kart Wii comes with the intuitive Wii Wheel, which makes it easy for novices to compete against veterans, so no one is left in the dust. And with a broadband hookup to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can compete with up to 11 other drivers from around the world for racing dominance. The game includes 16 new courses and 16 classic courses from previous Mario Kart games. For the first time ever, players have the option of racing with either karts or motorbikes. Players can also hit the road as their personalized Mii caricatures in addition to the handful of classic Nintendo characters found in the game. True to the series, the game features tons of racing, plenty of power-ups and oodles of objects for players to use to slow down other drivers. And 10 battle arenas keep players busy between trips around the circuit. Mario Kart Wii supports four different control options: Wii Remote with or without the Wii Wheel, Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller combo, Classic Controller and even the Nintendo GameCube controller. So there's bound to be a configuration that fits everyone's style. Mario Kart Wii launches with a new channel added to the Wii Menu to enhance game play: The Mario Kart Wii Channel. This new channel builds on the online community of Wii owners and lets players compete in tournaments, check worldwide rankings, see when their friends are playing and download ghost data. [Nintendo]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 73
  3. Negative: 1 out of 73
  1. AceGamez
    100
    Mario Kart Wii has more variety, more to do, and ultimately more to keep you coming back than any Mario Kart before it (and as a hardcore advocate of the SNES original, I never thought I would find myself saying that); but more than that, it is a flagship title for the Nintendo Wii. Not only is Mario Kart Wii the most important title that will be released on the format this year, but it will stand the test of time as one of the best games the Wii has to offer.
  2. Gamer 2.0
    73
    With Mario Kart being the epitome of racing franchises for many years, it is sad to see how little the game changes its dry formula and actually takes several leisurely steps at addressing failing issues.
  3. Game Chronicles
    42
    Mario Kart boils down to a whole lot of luck and very little skill.

See all 73 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 152
  3. Negative: 16 out of 152
  1. blisss
    10
    This is the best Mario Kart Yet, from amazing tracks to amazing gameplay, to the bullet bills that can help you when youre doing bad, to the blue shells that knock me out of first a lot where it provides a challenge for me to get back into first, to the many fun gameplay modes in multiplayer, especially 3-4 players, is really fun. Its really fun to play with friendss. Its the best Mario Kart yet, and unlike some people believe, even though there are items that can help you, this game does take some skill… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. DukeJon
    6
    The wii wheel and the strong multiplayer presence make this game a good purchase. There's lots to unlock and many courses (although many are quite basic looking). The mario kart channel is also very good. However the reason I gave this game a low-ish score is because racing games should reward you for being a good racer. The problem with Mario Kart is that there are far too many random events that can determine the outcome of a race. Items are very unbalanced - the rocket can put you from last place to first place in half a lap and of course there's the dreaded "blue shell". In so many races I can built up a strong lead only to be hit by a blue shell, followed by a "pow", that both end up knocking me off the course. The recovery times are also very long as well. It's rather frustrating to lose a race for no other reason that you were unlucky. There should be a mode where you can disable items entirely or reduce the recovery time. Then the best racer would win, rather than the luckiest.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. CulleyS
    4
    I agree with the Game Chronicles review of this game completely. There are too many random events, likely conceived as challenges to make the game more entertaining, which too often serve to detract from the game. For instance, blue flying shells can knock a player out of first place, or any player near the racer in first place. Bullet Bills can bring a player in last place (or close to last) flying through the field all the way up to first place. I simply cannot recommend this game. It could have been really fun, but the lack of skill involved (or, more accurately, the lack of being rewarded for skill or penalized for making poor choices) damages the game. Furthermore, I bought this game to play in multi-player mode. The lack of features for 2 or more players is the main reason I've scored Mario Kart Wii so low. No features can be unlocked, no trophies for your license, and really only three types of races can be run in multi-player mode.… Expand
    • 1 of 4 users said yes

See all 152 User Reviews

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