42Bytes

Well, I legged out the $80 last week for a copy of Mario Kart Wii and I can tell you now, it’s definitely worth the money.

Mario Kart is one Mario spin-off that has been around since the SNES. A classic party game, everyone loved huddling around their telly’s to play a good game of Mario Kart. Now, with Mario Kart Wii, we can experience all those memories and create new ones as the game has captured that Mario essence.

Taking advantage of the Wii’s motion sensing abilities, Nintendo have created a steering wheel that comes with the game for you to use. When I first heard the idea, I thought it might’ve been some sort of cheap, tacky hunk of plastic to appeal to five year olds. Alas, the game proved me wrong when I picked up the wheel and started zooming around corners with Toad. Turning with the wheel is pretty easy once you get your bearings on how much you have to spin the thing to turn corners and it doesn’t take long to pick up the controls of the wheel as most of the buttons are pretty intuitive. The game doesn’t stop there either, it also allows you to race with the Wiimote, Wiimote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller and the Gamecube controller. It gives you lots of choice of how you want to race and I appreciate the selection it gives me.

The next new thing they added with it was motorcycles. Once again, when I first heard the idea, I fumed at how they might ruin the game by allowing to race with something that isn’t a kart. Nintendo trumped me on that as well as that now the motorcycles are more fun to race then the karts. You can do tricks for boosts, they turn nicer and you can wheelie to go faster. The karts are very traditional so you can’t get any of these lovely speed boosts other than if you go manual and drift you way through every corner.

The next lovely thing is that Nintendo have provided four cups made up of old tracks from SNES, N64, GBA and GCN as well as four cups with completely new tracks. This is great as it allows you to relive your old favourite tracks and experience some of the new features on the new tracks. Nearly all of the new tracks have places where you can jump up like half-pipe, have many places for you to perform tricks and are set in some pretty funky places.

The game also provides an online multiplayer feature being the first game on the Wii that allows you to find players around the world and challenge them on a track. To see online multiplayer Mario Kart is great but the problem with it is that you feel that you are just racing harder computers. There’s no feeling that the people racing you are actually alive other than they are harder to defeat. You get just as much fun out of racing expert computer players in single player than you do in the multiplayer. There’s no sense of competition at all and that disappoints me.

Mario Kart Wii has got a perfect balance of new and old allowing young and old gamers alike to enjoy and experience the Mario Kart series. Though the multiplayer may be a little disappointing it makes up for it in all other fields and I am happy to see it innovated and brought to the Wii.

I know I haven’t posted in a little while but hey…who runs this site. I think that’s me.

Nintendo have announced a date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and I am rejoicing as I have now pre-ordered it for a reasonable price of $79. Due to hit stores on June 26th the game will be a smashing hit as it has been all around the world (if you count America and Japan as the world).

Just thought I would let you all know that I am still alive.

The Nintendo Wii is an awesome, great console that has pushed Nintendo back into the spotlight. Some enjoy playing with their Wii and others have occasional fun but anyone who buys these are a complete die-hard fanboy.

The item description on Cufflinks.com says that they are “For those times that you are away from your beloved gaming system…you can pretend to be fighting your evil nemesis, Gargamel.” They feature a Wiimote on one end and a Nunchuk on the other made out of sterling silver.

The only thing I can say is, that is freaking awesome. Partly because I am a Nintendo fanboy and mainly because any time where a fan goes to length to make something for a video game is awesome. So get suited up for your formal or prom, get Wii Cufflinks!