March 29, 2024

By DREW LOGAN

You don’t need a licence to steer your way to victory with Nintendo’s Wii entertainment system game, Mario Kart Wii.
The eighth game in the series offers the same compatibilities as past Mario Kart games, such as Mario Kart for the Nintendo 64. In fact, the game offers a blast from the past by revealing that it uses race levels from multiple previous versions of Mario Kart as well as new ones.
This means you can enjoy the old feel of the Super Nintendo Mario Kart racetrack, such as Super Mario Circuit 3 (SNES Circuit 3) on a Wii Remote. This could be a disappointment to some as this game is not full of completely new material. The gaming modes are the same as previous versions as well.
But the Wii Remote is a bonus. To use it you simply steer it like a wheel. By holding the Wii Remote vertical, you hold the acceleration button down and steer as you would a car. This immediately provides gamers with a new enticing video game that both provokes and challenges players to keep driving.
Let’s not forget the steering wheel you can use with the Wii Remote to better immerse the gamer into the driving experience that is known as Mario Kart.
There are other ways to drive if steering is too difficult. This game is compatible with other controllers such as a Nunchuk with the remote and the Nintendo GameCube controller.
And the one-player mode isn’t easy like other Nintendo Wii games. There are harsh time trials for each course that you are required to beat. Most of the trials were created by the Nintendo staff themselves.
Racing against time trials or playing competitive modes offers the choice of karts and bikes in this game. The more you race, the more you will unlock things.
“Grand Prix” mode offers a hefty challenge with speed of races ranging from 50cc (easiest) to 150cc (hardest). Unlocking of characters requires gradual completion of all challenges, including overcoming a grading system set in each individual race.
And who says you want to be a cartoon character? In Mario Kart Wii you can be who you want to, as it allows you to use your custom-made Mii character on the Wii channel.
This means you could drive as yourself or anyone else you’ve created a profile as on your Mii Channel, found on the Wii home menu.
Nintendo steps outside the box with their Wifi capability with this game, allowing you to play with people around the world. With over 28 million copies sold, it’d be hard to not find someone playing online at any given time of day.
Unfortunately, not everyone online will be using the same remotes, and it is easy to see that players using a GameCube controller will not find as much challenge as when using a Wii Remote, as the remote requires much more mastery.
All in all, Mario Kart Wii is the second best-selling game, next to the infamous Wii Sports, for a reason. The integration of the Wii Remote provides a great addition to any gamer who is looking for something both bold and relatively new.