Mario Kart Wii

[MyCylon]

^
For me, there's really not that many games I'm excited about either, actually. I played a lot in the beginning (Wii Sports) but it went downhill steeply at some point.
Then there were a few games I got as gifts that I played for a short time. That was followed by another slump until Super Mario Galaxy came. I REALLY played that quite a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the best games I've played in years.
However, after I'd completed it fully, again, I fell into a slump. Mario Kart has pulled me out somewhat but as I mentioned above, the rubber-banding is annoying me. So we'll see just how long it keeps me entertained.

 

[-Brett-]

Yep. I bought Mario Kart (which includes one wheel) and got a second wheel so that I can play with my girlfriend .

I'm curious. Does the wheel actually do anything? I was under the impression that it was basically cosmetic and that holding the remote parallel to the screen would have the same effect?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Yep. I bought Mario Kart (which includes one wheel) and got a second wheel so that I can play with my girlfriend .

I'm curious. Does the wheel actually do anything? I was under the impression that it was basically cosmetic and that holding the remote parallel to the screen would have the same effect?

You are correct.

 

[MyCylon]

^
The answer, in my view, is yes and no. It doesn't do anything in the sense that it has no buttons or functions along the lines of those of other input devices and relies upon the Wiimote to work in any meaningful way.

However, although you could use the Wiimote on its own, it's not nearly as usable I think. The wheel gives you something you can hold on to properly as well as adding some (to me) welcome weight. It just 'feels' better in my view.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^
The answer, in my view, is yes and no. It doesn't do anything in the sense that it has no buttons or functions along the lines of those of other input devices and relies upon the Wiimote to work in any meaningful way.

However, although you could use the Wiimote on its own, it's not nearly as usable I think. The wheel gives you something you can hold on to properly as well as adding some (to me) welcome weight. It just 'feels' better in my view.

That's true, and it also makes the B button easier to push.

 

[KLOEN]

While I can easily understand that people feel annoyed by the rubber-banding, I really don't think it's that annoying or even that much of a presence.

Except for the blue shield, all items that affect only you can be avoided og blocked. If you hold down the item-button, your character will dangle the banana, box or shell behind you acting as a one-off shield against shells.

So if you really try and find the proper character and the proper vehicle and get in a lot of practice in time trial, you should be able to maintain a solid lead even when hit by a couple of blue shells.

So I just think the game caters more to people who are really skilled, making it almost impossible to maintain a lead if gained by luck.


I would've liked to see the Yoshi-track from Double Dash, but it's really nice to get to play Bowser's Castle from the n64. AWESOME track.

 

[MyCylon]

^
I've really got to disagree. You can build a lead and stay ahead for maybe two full rounds. Next thing you're not just hit by one blue shell but you literally get bombarded by them and, as your lead shrinks, by all sorts of other stuff.
Yes, you can fend off a red or a green shell with a banana or a shell but you've got to be lucky enough to actually have one to do that.
It seems to me you can go from 1st to last place within seconds - irrespective of how good you're really driving. And depending on how lucky you are in the objects you get you can become first again almost as fast.

And I still can't believe this game actually features one of the IMHO worst design decisions I've ever seen: When you get hit by certain items (e.g. lightning or someone with a star) you lose your own item. That's not so bad when you're the one in the lead but it's positively unfair when you've fallen behind and you're trying to catch up (since the right objects really are the only chance you've got).

I've completed the 50 and 100cc cups and I'm into 150cc. Sadly, the whole problem just seems to get amplified the higher the class. The whole experience just feels like a mess to me where you constantly get hammered by SOMETHING, whether it's lightning, a shell, someone with a star, whatever.
Don't get me wrong. I basically like the idea of these objects but the frequency here just bothers me. In the original, they were like icing on the cake. Here, to me, they've become a nuisance that prevents any kind of racing to actually evolve.

So sadly, I'm becoming less and less satisfied with this game. To me, the designers made some really poor choices that hurt the good things that are there.

 

[firehawk12]

Glad to know that Mario Kart still uses cheapness in order to increase difficulty.

 

[MyCylon]

^
That's really how it feels to me. There's no real challenge in my view. It so depends on the objects you get when you're behind as well as being lucky enough not to be bombarded when you're in the lead.

 

[PK95]

I am excited because I know one week from today I will be playing this game. I cannot wait!!!!!!

 

[unimatrix7]

With regards to rubber-band AI and getting spammed repeatedly by various items, how would you guys compare MKWii to the previous games in the series?

The only Mario Kart game I've ever really experienced any frustration in is Mario Kart DS. I found it outrageously difficult and frustrating to the point where I nearly broke my DS. To this day I still haven't unlocked all the cups...

 

[Campe]

I just picked MK Wii up this morning. So far, I love it. Its frustrating from time to time (particularly the rubber banding) but I like steering as opposed to using a D-pad or an analog stick and as others have said, the wheel feels nice.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Even after a couple of weeks on it, I can't get the hang of manual drifts with the wheel. I can't say I've tried with the thumbstick though.

 

[MyCylon]

With regards to rubber-band AI and getting spammed repeatedly by various items, how would you guys compare MKWii to the previous games in the series?

The only Mario Kart game I've ever really experienced any frustration in is Mario Kart DS. I found it outrageously difficult and frustrating to the point where I nearly broke my DS. To this day I still haven't unlocked all the cups...

So far, the only MK games I've played either a lot or quite a bit are the original for SNES and Mario Kart Wii (I tried out Mario Kart 64 and, guess what, found that rubber-banding caused just about every race I tried to be decided in the final round).

I thought the original was great as regards rubber banding in that there was only a relatively small dose of it:

- The field got faster when you were in front and slower when you were behind. But you could always outrun them with enough practice.
- Only the lightning bolt could affect you if you were far ahead and it was seldom and it also affected the other drivers.
- Depending on your driver, there was a pre-determined order that the field would drive in. It was a fun game trying to disrupt that by blasting the original front runner in one way or another

All in all, races were determined over the course of the entire run - not just in the final lap.
That's where I feel Mario Kart Wii is different. I've kind of accepted (the only other alternative would be selling it) but it means I don't really invest much in the first two laps since it's not really worthwhile. You can be last at the beginning or even the middle of the last lap and still win or be first and drop to last position on the final legs.

 

[DBR]

So far? It is just... OK.

I've really noticed how if ever I;m in first place, I get bombarded with shells and ink and shit until I am not having fun anymore. I notice this waaaaay more than I have in any other Mario Kart game, with the exception of maybe the DS version.

Then there's that "rubber band" stuff you guys were talking about (which I thought was hullabaloo when I first read it, with regards to other Mario kart games), but no matter how hot-damn I am, there's the other 11 right behind me every freaking race. Makes sense now.

I've only played it for about 90 minutes today. I look forward to playing online: 2+ player and battle mode have always been the real fun of Mario Kart, in my opinion--and it's something Nintendo has overlooked in previous releases, particularly battle mode.

 

[rType]

I'm halfway through the 100cc cups at the moment, using the wheel. It generally works quite well, I'm sure I'd perform better using the GCN pad but I'm comfortable with the wheel and it does seem to add something to the experience.

I've definitely noticed more items being thrown my way when I'm in first place, however I've also noticed that there's more variation in the performance of the NPC racers. In previous MK games there's always one or two NPCs competing for the top spot, but the field seems more even this time around, which in turn allows the player more freedom to screw up a race and still come away with the trophy.

The track design is generally very strong, perhaps the strongest in any Mario Kart title to date. My favourite tracks are Coconut Mall, Rainbow Road, and Moonview Highway. Also I still suck at Ghost Valley 2 from the SNES version.

 

[unimatrix7]

I've had it since last Thursday now and I was initially very fond of it.

But now that I've started playing the cups in 150cc, I'm considerably less enamoured. The AI is so goddamn cheap. I've never seen anything like it: you get whacked with a blue shell, then before your kart has even hit the ground you get struck by lightning. Then some dufus squishes you. Then a red shell hits you. Then you get inked. Then someone bumps you off the track and you have to wait for Lakitu to take his merry time fishing you out of the abyss. How is this kind of crap acceptable? The game is almost broken...and it makes me so mad that you HAVE to suffer through every goddamn cup in order to unlock the bonus characters and karts. God I hate Nintendo - I can't believe they'd screwup the one franchise of theirs that I care about.*

That said, multiplayer stuff is fantastic . The online play is lag free and never feels as cheap as the single player bullshit. I was on 5600 points the other day...then after a losing streak I was down to about 5000. Now I'm back to 5300




*I'll calm down in a few hours and like it again. I'll always despise Nintendo, however

 

[Samurai8472]

Sometime all the random crap thrown at you can be annoying. I don't despise the squid ink that much right now.

Like someone said before you can be first then all of a sudden flung back to 12th place.......one the third lap.

The tricks could have been more inventive. Right now i've only experienced three types of tricks. I think that's all of them.


Rainbow road is great. Since yesterday was my graduation party the game was a real hit. Finished all 50cc.I was worried there would be hordes of people grabbing a mario kart.

I was only one who asked for one.....out of 9 mario karts left at nine a.m lol. Walmart did run out of remotes but I drove across the street to buy another remote at Target. Game Stop wasn't open yet.

 

[Aragorn]

I'm a Mario Kart fan, but Kart Wii is annoying the hell out of me. The game's always had cheap shots, but this one takes it to a whole new level.

You can be far ahead of everyone else, get hit by a red shell, then get hit by a blue shell, while the squid just waits there for you to stop spinning so it can ink you, but then the second player cart catches up and knocks you off the side of the track, and of course you've lost your stored weapon now and suddenly you're in eighth place!

There is absolutely no skill required to win. It's all luck.

My favorite Kart is still Mario Kart 64.

 

[mr.peany]

^Yes, the 64 version rocks the socks, but the 64 in general is one of my fave gaming consoles.

Im thinking i should save my money and wait for the next version of Mario Kart.