Mario Kart Wii for Wii Reviews

Mario Kart Wii

Nintendo

Release Date: April 27, 2008

Metascore

Based on

73 Critics

User Score

8.3

Based on

593 Ratings

Summary Back to top

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 alsoMario 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

Starring: Charles Martinet, Charles Martinet, Charles Martinet

Developer: Nintendo

Genre(s): Kart

# of players: 2 Online

Cheats: On GameFAQs

Rating: E

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Critic Reviews Back to top

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

100

AceGamez

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.

Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Still terribly fun with its competitive online modes and a great use of the Wii Wheel. And at the end of the day, it presents the traditional polished and shiny look of all of Nintendo’s big guns that we simply love. [May 2008]

IGN

There are some things that feel completely out of whack though, such as the uncharacteristically cheap AI in 150cc, the lack of voice chat for an extremely social online game, reliance on friend codes, and "everyone's a winner" feeling you get when random items show up and completely turn the game upside down in an instant.

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1UP

You'll assuredly have plenty of fun with this, even if Nintendo's play-it-safe, dumb-it-down approach will make many longtime players yearn for something more ambitious and risky.

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Gameplayer

A must-own Wii racer that pays multiplayer dividends.

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Destructoid

Newcomers will find a fast-paced, easy-to-play title that relishes in its own ability to capitalize on the wacky approachability and fun of Nintendo’s mascot characters.

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Game Chronicles

Mario Kart boils down to a whole lot of luck and very little skill.

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User Reviews Back to top

Positive:

163

Mixed:

Negative:

PowerPuffGeezer

Apr 16, 2008

This really is the best game for racing, don't think buy.

Yoshipie

Dec 14, 2011

Wow. Anyone who plays this game for the first time will definitely get hooked. The player becomes more engaged into this game, more controlsWow. Anyone who plays this game for the first time will definitely get hooked. The player becomes more engaged into this game, more controls and definitely better graphics. So many endless options to improve your racing skills in this one. I was literally speechless when I first played this game. Can't wait to try the 3DS Mario Kart 7.… Expand

blisss

Jun 10, 2011

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 theThis 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

ChrisB.

Apr 28, 2008

Using the racing wheel is much more fun than I imagined it would be. There is a strong feeling of actually being behind the wheel that I Using the racing wheel is much more fun than I imagined it would be. There is a strong feeling of actually being behind the wheel that I didn't expect. Playing with two or more people is a bit difficult because sometimes you can't see much above/below you and therefore don't know what to do. For example the Rainbow Road track is very difficult with a split screen because when going up and down all the "rainbow" hills you can't see what's ahead of you.… Expand

FaloRoy

Dec 17, 2012

Honestly, this game is pretty good, but not amazing. The bikes are definitely neat (anyone who says they're a gimmick is being a purist who isHonestly, this game is pretty good, but not amazing. The bikes are definitely neat (anyone who says they're a gimmick is being a purist who is scared of change), the graphics are beautiful for the Wii, and the sound as a whole is very pleasing. I also think the character list is the best in the series so far with its sheer size and variety. Single player is almost as deep as the DS version; the only little problem I saw was that I had to go online to access the challenges instead of them being there at the start of the game, like the missions in DS. Multiplayer is very fun locally, with a nice amount of customization for your own way to play. Online is a definite improvement with the only drawback being the hackers and the way VR was calculated, otherwise it is very good. Battle mode is okay with 10 tracks, but the forced team battle was head-scratching, along with the Blue Shell making an appearance (that's not necessary). The tracks are pretty cool and creative with some interesting obstacles, I just felt some tracks were a bit over-laden with hazards (like Bowser's Castle), but were mostly full of nice design. The Wii wheel is not a gimmick either, but it does have a learning curve in which you need to hold it right for it to work. And the controls, as a whole, are responsive and fluid with no big sign of unplayability. The huge annoyance that everyone says about this game is, of course, the rubber-banding races as a result of the crazy items. The new items do sound cool, but that coupled with 12 racers on the track make the game way too reliant on items and luck, and little is based on skill. In single player racing this isn't so bad because at least the AI is not very good at driving (believe me, it is very easy), but in multiplayer this can be very frustrating for those that really want to win. If you can fight through this, it really isn't a deal-breaker that kills the experience, but it can be a real screw-over in some instances. In my opinion, it's too flawed to be considered the best Mario kart game, but it's not awful enough that it's the worst/least good version either. An 8.4/10 from me, and I do feel that only a die-hard would give this game anything higher than a 9, and only someone who focuses mostly on the negatives would ever score this lower than a 6. In the end, a solid game.… Expand

ArkonBlade

Mar 22, 2011

the only other mario kart game ive played is the one on the DS which my neice had and i fiddled with it abit to see what it was like andthe only other mario kart game ive played is the one on the DS which my neice had and i fiddled with it abit to see what it was like and thought it was ok and decided to see if the wii one was any good . actaully it is pretty fun but the randomness and lack of skill it takes to win gets frustrating when you are riding high in first place and next thing you know you get hit 6X in a row with lightning , pows, green shells , red shells , ink and a bunch of other crap and pushes you all the way to near last . its not a skill based game one more of luck but it is fun and that being the most important thing . just dont think there is any type of balance to this game because balance and mario kart dont wana mix for some reason.… Expand

RickyA.

Nov 13, 2007

Same characters, nothing new, a letdown, a too fast of a game, pointless and babyish, a disappointment.

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