If driving with the sleek, wireless motion-sensor wheel isn’t enough to get you hooked on Nintendo’s latest installment of “Mario Kart” for the Wii gaming console, racing neck-and-neck with Miss Piggy from Finland and Sr. Jesus from Japan should be. Forget the beautiful new levels, chic new rides and crazy new items, the two greatest additions to the recently released “Mario Kart Wii” are the perfected motion-sensor integration and the ability to play worldwide instantly.
As soon as the Wii remote is placed into the wheel-shaped casing and the green light flashes “Go,” chaos ensues. Players quickly find themselves enjoying a rough, yet very entertaining learning curve, with knuckles firmly wrapped around the lightweight wheel, twisting back and forth to avoid wandering goombas, banana peels and the unbound edges of a newly crafted Rainbow Road (yes, it’s back for another round).
Using the wheel, players control the go-karts just as if they were behind the wheel of an actual go-kart. However, jerk back on the wheel as you hit jumps, and your on-screen kart performs fancy air tricks ranging from double back flips to 360-barrel rolls resulting in an advantageous added boost once back on solid ground.
Although the plastic steering wheel isn’t the most practical in terms of control ““ many gamers prefer the classic “Wiimote” and Wii nunchuck combo for optimal maneuverability ““ it sure is fun to use. Making a fool of yourself while learning is an added bonus.
Once players master the wheel, they can take their game to an international level. Via Wii’s free Wi-Fi connection, up to two players on one system can connect to anyone online for races and battles with as many as 12 players from around the world.
Seamless, competitive and without lag, players toss red shells and “bob-ombs” at each other en route to victory. Online rankings and a cumulative point system keep competition intense. There’s nothing quite like a friendly “Mario Kart” competition among nations.
The Wi-Fi connection is easy enough to set up and allows for endless “replayability” against real people instead of predictable computer characters. Worldwide battle mode is also offered, although it differs from the classic three-balloon format.
Besides these two game-defining features, the basic lovable foundation of “Mario Kart” remains the same: three laps, item boxes, and the ever-elusive starting line boost. However, absent is the tandem format from Nintendo GameCube’s “Mario Kart Double Dash,” but new to “Mario Kart Wii” is the option to race with dirt bikes and mopeds.
Although many of the 32 race tracks are taken from previous games, such as Moo Moo Meadows from the Nintendo 64, Peach Beach from “Double Dash” and Mario Circuit 3 from the original “Super Mario Kart,” the new tracks offer exciting new adventures, such as racing through retail on the Coconut Mall track or Koopa Cape which plunges drivers off of a waterfall into an underwater tube.
“Mario Kart Wii” may take some getting used to, and there are a few faults with the overall look and game play, but the characters and stages are beautifully crafted. And with the addition of the wheel and Wi-Fi, “Mario Kart” is one game that may stay in your Wii for quite a while.
– Michael Lowe
E-mail Lowe at mlowe@media.ucla.edu.