The latest addition in the mario party series. Huh?
User Rating: 6 | Mario Kart Wii (w/ Racing Wheel) WII
What a disappointment. This mario kart should be a 8 or even a 9, but instead it's an example of how one problem can ruin everything. It's a shame because Mario Kart Wii's control system is flawless- the wiimote is the wheel. This is the best addition to the mario kart series to date. Also it contains online, which is another good addition, albeit not as good as it would be on xbox 360 or ps3. All these additions combine to make a very enjoyable new mario kart game. Or should I say they would, if not for the fact you may as well be playing a board game. The amount of items being chucked about and madness happening is enough to put off all but the most casual gamers. Once I was first, just about to finish a gruelling 150cc race, then I got hit by a spiny shell. Now this is infamous in mario kart games, but previously, if you had enough of a lead, you could easily still make it first. Bu tin mario kart wii, when this happens, it is immediately followed by a red shell, and, before you can recover, a green shell. Then a banana lands on your head, then a bob-omb blows you up before you can react, and finally, to finish things off, Bowser barges your still recovering kart off the course. By that time, everyone except you has reached the end, and you are 12th. Not your fault. But tough luck- cos that's all it is: luck. But it's made yet worse in the ferocious rubber-banding. I repeat that it's a real goddamned shame because Mario Kart Wii features excellent use of the wiimote with the wii wheel accessory, and has awesome multiplayer and online options. Which brings me to higlight those. Multiplayer is great. This is partly because one thing that contributes to the unfairness of single-player is the ferocious rubber-banding. But with it gonr in multiplayer, it's a blast. The problem is you have to play through the courses in grand prix to unlock them in multi-player, so you'll need to endure those single-player torture sessions to unlock the fun in this game. A good feature is time trials- where you race on your own against 'ghosts', trying to achieve the high score in that track. This is a great feature as it removes both the rubber banding AND the inclusion of complete chance. Unfortunately, just like in the multi-player, you must win the courses in grand prix to unlock them in time trials. The graphics in Mario Kart Wii, though nothing astounding, are good. Additionally to the main game, there are also balloon battle modes, but they suffer from the same problem that the rest of the game has, unless played multiplayer. But the various soundtracks are lacklustre and the voices of the characters are enough to drive a person crazy. I'm disappointed to have to rate this game a six, but I felt that any initial enjoyment gave way to frustration. Sometimes a wii remote is just not enough.
