MK Wii - The Atheist's Perspective

[Lepruk86]

I have spoken about MK on many occasion within this forum and my views and opinions have not always been positive. So now that I have had a day to sit down and play it do any of my initial concerns hold up or does the game transcend them? I consider the game a let down in several areas BUT these aren't too disheartening and I was preparing myself to hate it entirely.

The Mechanics of The Game

It is no secret on here (or if it was it won't be now!) that MK DS is my favorite Mario Kart game. "Why?!?!! What?!?!?" I hear you yell in your oh so judgmental voices... The game seemed to entice the idea of Boosting down straights using your power-sliding (a skill dubbed as *snaking*) and whether you consider it a 'glitch' with the game mechanics of the traditional Mario Kart series or not; you have to admit to get it precise took a hell of a lot of practice!!! Anyway so the fact that it has been removed and sliding has been simplified it does give the game that *stripped down* feeling rather than the professional finish.

So With the prequel game being one I deem worthy of the Gods; MK wii didn't stand much chance from the start; I suppose I am guilty for judging the wheel before I had even used it; But... I really don't like the feel of it. I may break it out now and again for comedy value (if we have an all wheel race) but otherwise I am sticking with the nunchuck + wii mote combo.

Speaking of which now that I have got some mileage out of it; the controls do feel more like the good ol' 'classic' Mario karting experience we have likely all come to love. I will still always argue it feels a more simple version but that may just be a gripe I have given how technical the DS was.

Oh and before you expect me to moan; I LOVE the karts VS bikes dynamic and also the trick system and sacrifices you make when selecting between the two vehicle types!

The Single Player

it is dull. I really don't feel enticed to play it the way I have done with previous installments for many a reason. I guess the most prominent being the *cheapened* AI. By this I mean although the game has an easier and more casual feel to it; the AI actually seems harder but not because of an amazing amount of skill on the computer's part... but merely because they seem to be able to choose the weapons they get and use them at the point where it will mess you (the player) over the most; Ashame really.

On a side note I am pretty annoyed that Grand Prix 2 player local was removed as it has been a standard in all of the console Mario Kart games and there is no real reason not to have it there...

The Online

This is the point of the game for me. The Online! I am a multiplayer hooker (to coin a term) I will give myself freely to any game that offers a good online experience. MK wii... Does just that. Okay the FC limit is a pain in the tonsils (I get tired of saying rear end) and I hope to God Ninty release a patch doubling your FC limit as 30 is pathetically low.

Granted; there aren't a lot of options (such as weapon modding etc) But it delivers the core gameplay in a seamless fashion and getting into games has never been easier imo. One gripe; Would have liked an option to join a random Grand Prix match rather than that being limited to Friends only. BUT the ranking system is the thing that is going to keep me coming back every single time and at least it adds a *leader-board* feel to the random encounters.

Closing comments

- Too Frequent Weapons which can ruin some races (7 blue shells in one race... come on!!)
- a casual experience where being good doesn't mean winning (a trade mark of the series but way more predominant here)
- Online lacking just a little customizing
- NO Grand prix 2 player local!!!?? Are you nuts Nintendo!!
- Cheap AI

Gripes gripes gripes yup... I still do not think it is an amazing game but simply a very good game... HOLD ON??? WHAT DID HE SAY???

When all is said and done you can have your knit-picks and your moans but addictive, fun, fast paced, semi skilled kart racing? It is simply a winning formula for pleasure.

NOTE: (This isn't another discuss MK thread btw; but thought that thread had become crowded and I needed to get these things of my chest about the game; I hope your eyes can see through the love lens and at least understand my points of view )

Unrelated: I don't mean to come across as an 'elitest' btw but when you have been following a game series since it's very first title I sort of feel like I have a right to feel certain ways towards the direction the series head in.

[Nicko]

Good post mate. Some interesting points to consider there.

[Chill]

very good points however i disagree with a few

[87sarah]

I agree with it all really, I do think that the 2 player random local races is a good idea though, it kind of bugged me in the older versions at some times, they should have included a choice between single races and grand prix!

The thing that annoys me most of all is this blue shell and crappy AI business! When you 1st the whole way through the race, no blue shells or anything that will cause major set backs until you reach the last strip of the last lap. then you literally get bombarded with blue and red shells until you finish worse than 4th place most of the time! I dont understand how the testers of the game didnt see this? If they did, why did they think it would be a good idea to keep it in the game? It is a HUGE setback on the 1 player mode imo... very disappointing.

Other than that, great reveiw Lepruk!

[Tetsu]

Great post.

[BenGmanUk]

There are few things more irritating in MK than being hit by lightning just before a jump over a cavern. grrr....

[OwenR]

Don't ever get a big lead. Hang back with the crowd, get yourself a good power up and then just before the finish line use it.

[Soyabean]

This is my first Mario Kart game, and I am loving it, but it does have some definate flaws.
1st time I played it, my immediate thought was "oh my god why are the karts moving so slowly?". After playing more serious racing games, it can seem so slow paced at first, though it does get better as you go further into the game.
Not being given the option of turning off the weapons/items seems silly - just because 95% of people might like them, doesn't mean it wouldn't still be nice to have the option sometimes of just racing with the result depending purely on driving skill and not on what items the other players are lucky enough to pick up and use against you. I enjoy using the items, but it would be fun to race without them now and then.
And personally I think wheel is pointless, I find the classic controller or nunchuck/wiimote are far better suited to this kind of game.
It's fun for novelty value or for people who aren't used to video games maybe, but it takes a lot of energy moving that wheel sharply left and right and flicking it to do tricks compared with the much quicker smaller movements needed with classic controller or nunchuck/wiimote.
It's like some of those games on the Wii that put motion sensitive controls in where they really aren't needed and it would be better to sometiems just stick to traditional console style controls, or things like in Metroid which has a fantastic control system, but just that one annoyance of having to flick the wiimote to jump in morphball mode when it would have been much easier to just use a button for it. Motion controls are great where they are appropriate and implemented well, but sometimes they get used unnecessarily in wii games.
Still a very enjoyable game though.

[Ross101]

Originally Posted by BenGmanUk

There are few things more irritating in MK than being hit by lightning just before a jump over a cavern. grrr....

blue shell inches b4 the finishing line

[QueenVictoria]

I agree with you even though I'm still loving the game. But I can really see where you're coming from.

I had MK way back in the days of SNES, but I've not played it since on any other machine. And I've only had my Wii for about a month, so I'm still learning my way around it all. So when I get this new MK, and find out that half the race course are blocked I was a bit ticked off. I could remember when I was younger playing these games, and not all that good, and it was such a struggle for me. It just seems a shame that younger players might not ever unlock all the tracks.

So last night I played for hours until I unlocked 8 more tracks only to discover that some of them are re-hashed from previous additions. I thought that must make you long-time players really frustrated because it's like you're paying money for something you already had. And not only that *I* was able to come in 1st or 2nd in just about all of those original tracks. If I could do it, then you Wii-Pros must find the game pretty boring - or you will soon. It's probably only the WiFi aspect of this game that will keep it interesting for you.