Mario Kart Wii... I don't get it. Seriously.

So I decided to finally pick this game up, I love me some Mario Kart. I've been trying to enjoy it, I really have, but I seem to have encountered a problem. This game is cheap as hell. I once actually made it near the finish line on the third lap of a course in first place, (100 cc) and was hit by a POW block attack, immediately hit with a shrink attack as well, and hit with a blue shell directly afterwards. I went from first to fifth in the span of five seconds, and was completely powerless to do anything about it. But I soldiered on. But it keeps happening. I keep getting near a finish in a good place, and like clockwork, I get pounded from all angles suddenly by blue shells, red shells, shrinking, POW blocks, and etc.

It may not be so intolerable online, or so I hope. But I don't really play online, at all. Is there an update available if I do play online that corrects the obvious grossly overbearing AI? If not, sadly, I'm definitely turning this game right back in, which is pretty shocking to me to consider with a Mario Kart game. But the game is just way too frustrating, and just not any fun at all.

I never had any major trouble with cheap AI, and I finished with Gold in every possible cup. Either the AI is cheap and I got really lucky for the whole game, or the AI isn't cheap and you're getting really UNlucky.

One way to alleviate any problems, though, is just to get better at the game (and I know how that sounds). You need to be able to set up a course using bananas and such that puts you into such a huge lead that a measly shrink attack and blue shell won't really matter (the POW block should NEVER matter because you can cancel out the effect by shaking the remote right before it hits). You need to be drift boosting at all possible times and taking the quickest routes no matter what, always trying to set up good defensive measures and ALWAYS having a shell or banana in reserve just in case you get shot at.

Whoever might say that skill doesn't matter in MKWii is flat out wrong. There is chance involved, obviously, since the weapon system is (kind of/almost) random, but your own skill will keep you ahead of the pack in 90% of the races, especially against the AI. Even the best players have the occasional unlucky race, but it would be absolutely impossible for players online to have 8000 and 9000 VC ratings if skill didn't make any difference.

I'd give it more time if I were you. Learn all of the ins and outs of a master MK player, and you'll improve.

The games kind of like that and I hated it at the start too. Theres many tips and tricks on how to avoid getting hit by items and various other things to improve chances of winning. I've found the game has a way bigger and steeper learning curve than its previous entrys and I hope you stick with it to see what i'm talking about as its gone from my least favourite to my most favourite mario kart.

I'd give it more time if I were you. Learn all of the ins and outs of a master MK player, and you'll improve.JordanElek

I was just reading the game specific board, and yeah, it seems their is a lot to learn. Too much, for me. I can't believe simple, easy to play and enjoy Mario Kart has been turned into such a complicated game with such a steep learning curve. I always thought of Mario Kart as pick up and play fun, learning they turned it into the Virtua Fighter of Kart Racers really bums me out. (I blame the online for that) I just want to hop in and have some simple fun in quick bursts, but it seems I just can't do that with this game.

Hopefully they take it back to basics with the next game and make it enjoyable for everyone again. Mario Kart doesn't need to be complicated, it just doesn't. Color me super disappointed. As for shaking the remote as the POW block hits to cancel it, I don't think I can as I use the classic controller. I just don't like the wheel accessory, it controls well enough, but it tires my arms out out if I hold it out, and I can't find any other comfortable way to hold it for extended times.

The games kind of like that and I hated it at the start too. Theres many tips and tricks on how to avoid getting hit by items and various other things to improve chances of winning. I've found the game has a way bigger and steeper learning curve than its previous entrys and I hope you stick with it to see what i'm talking about as its gone from my least favourite to my most favourite mario kart.

knuckl3head

I am curious to play this game as I have not, but heard bad about it. It looks as though the courses (new ones) focus to much on stunts.

Aleways have an item ready to defend with and always be sure to shake when the POW block hits.

[QUOTE="JordanElek"]I'd give it more time if I were you. Learn all of the ins and outs of a master MK player, and you'll improve.AndromedasWake

I was just reading the game specific board, and yeah, it seems their is a lot to learn. Too much, for me. I can't believe simple, easy to play and enjoy Mario Kart has been turned into such a complicated game with such a steep learning curve. I always thought of Mario Kart as pick up and play fun, learning they turned it into the Virtua Fighter of Kart Racers really bums me out. (I blame the online for that) I just want to hop in and have some simple fun in quick bursts, but it seems I just can't do that with this game.

Hopefully they take it back to basics with the next game and make it enjoyable for everyone again. Mario Kart doesn't need to be complicated, it just doesn't. Color me super disappointed. As for shaking the remote as the POW block hits to cancel it, I don't think I can as I use the classic controller. I just don't like the wheel accessory, it controls well enough, but it tires my arms out out if I hold it out, and I can't find any other comfortable way to hold it for extended times.

The game's hardly "the Virtual Fighter of Kart Racers." The only major differences between this game and its predecessors would be the additional 4 characters per race thing and the bikes. The keys to being successful at Mario Kart Wii are no more complicated than it would be with the other Mario Kart games. I would say just get a better grip on the tracks and the items and just take things from there. Knowing how to power slide would also help, and I'm going to guess that you know how to do that.

As for the POW Block trick, if you're not using the Wii Remote, just use whatever button it is that you do tricks with and press it as the block goes off (on the GCN controller, I know it's UP on the d-pad, but I don't have a Classic Controller). You'll lose whatever item(s) you had, but you won't have to re-accelerate.

The rubberband AI is purposely more cheap yes.

Recently Nintendo has been on a quest to deliver the same experience to both the core and the casual audience. So far they have succeeded perfectly, I mean SMG1+2 for example is actually made better for the core at the same time making it more intuitive and easier with well made learning curves for the casuals. The games are more streamlined, but that doesn't mean dumbed down.

However in MKWii they didn't find this kind of solution, so they made a compromise: the core gamers took a hit in order to secure the casual gamer. Looking at those sales figures, I guess they made the right choice :P though I'm confident that the next MK is going to be better in this aspect.

It's not that bad, it gets frustrating once you go for 3 star rating on each cup, but I mean you aren't forced to do them so why bother if you get frustrated by it. After I got at least 1 star on each cup I stopped playing single player and moved on, there are lots of other games to play. Occasionally I don't mind me some multiplayer Wii Wheel action, it's great fun.

[QUOTE="knuckl3head"]

The games kind of like that and I hated it at the start too. Theres many tips and tricks on how to avoid getting hit by items and various other things to improve chances of winning. I've found the game has a way bigger and steeper learning curve than its previous entrys and I hope you stick with it to see what i'm talking about as its gone from my least favourite to my most favourite mario kart.

NaveedLife

I am curious to play this game as I have not, but heard bad about it. It looks as though the courses (new ones) focus to much on stunts.

Actually most of the objects you can perform stunts on, like ramps, are not worth the boost, you go faster by skipping them :P

However you will shake (or press a button!) to do a stunt mid-air on the main road for a small boost when you land, that's basically it.

yea to get out of the pow blocks just press the dpad when the 3rd bump hits... its easier on the GC controller than the wii wheel.

i am dissapointed in this game also... i stopped playing it except with family for the past 6 months but just recently...i decided:

- im not going to play to compete..instead im going to have fun.
- im going to choose the character i like and the vehicle i like best... not choosing the fastest or best winning character or vehicle.
- power drifting is not as fun as it use to be

you know what bothered me from the start? the vehicles turn like crap..

so i use automatic now like all the newbs just so i canturn the dam thing... its also better lol because you can use the B button to easily hold an item and still reach the A button to look back! if you choose manual.. you have to use the dpad to hold an item which easily slips off...not to mention you cant acess the A button when holding an item.

Not a fan of it personally but relly, it is a skill based thing. People don't rack up so many wins off of pure luck. The only thing about it that needs to be fixed is just how the blue shell work. I shouldn't come to players who have no change of winning the race. If the pack is really seperated it shouldn't matter. But if the 6th place guy isn't going to take the lead they don't need a shell. Other than that its fine.

IMO it's the cheapest Mario Kart game so far as far as the single player AI goes. I got through it eventually but more than any other MK game it always felt like it wasn't necessarily my fault when I lost in single player. I know if I was a really dedicated player I could have learned how to become so good that it wouldn't matter - but I'm not interested in doing that for any game, especially Mario Kart.

They need to scale back on the complexity of some stuff for the next one - ideally get rid of being able to choose different cars (or bikes in the Wii version).

Still, Mario Kart Wii is still one of the best games on the platform so I'm still a fan, but yeah on the harder difficulty levels it can be frustrating when you lose to the cheapness of the AI when you're aiming for maximum points..

The game has been heavily criticized for it's "rubber-band" AI and resulting steep learning curve, however this is only present for newcomers to the game and once the first hurdle has been cleared, you will realize that even the hardest AI can be outrun extremely easy and that means getting blue shelled five times in a row should not be an issue. Although it is hoped that Nintendo can provide a minor fix to this slight issue.

Regarding online, the races are bearable and most tend to race fairly. Note that this is not all skill based and for any Mario Kart, you will require a level of luck in order to succeed. That being said, item management is of extreme importance when online, so learn to utilize what items you have well. This effectively will allow you to easily manage a tiny problem against the AI. Just note that online, hackers tend to be around a lot so just be wary of them.

Am I the only person in the world who laughs out loud whenever something like that happens? :lol:

Just because you're unlucky most of the time, that doesn't make this game cheap.

Mario Kart has always had catchup AI, if your a big MK fan, that should be nothing new to you.Sepewrath

I'm going to plug my MK blogs again here. If anyone is interested, check the MK64 one especially. Here's one of the relevant parts:

Like in SMK, the AI cheats. They can reach speeds unattainable by human players without using speed boosts; the AI will often catch up to and pass you even while you're constantly drift boosting with the fastest character. They also don't fly in the air if you hit them with a shell from a distance. If you're up close, they react normally; but if the computer thinks you can't see them, they'll just stop for a moment then keep driving.I

I tried it again this morning, same thing happened. Everytime I get near the finish, one racer just happens (by sheer coincidence I'm sure *wink* ) to get star power and knock me around passing me, a POW block goes off, and as I slowly crawl to the finish line still clinging to fifth place from having been first just moments before, I get a blue shell as well, just to add insult to injury. How that isn't cheap, I'm not sure. But I'll just have to take your word for it guys, because I'm out.

I'm so eager to be rid of this game I'm actually leaving early for work just to make time to go by Gamestop first. I haven't hated a game like this in a long time, especially one with Mario in the title. (never one with Mario in the title)I'm nbot going to keep a game that absolutely refuses to let me have any fun at all with it.

Haha Mario Kart is no more difficult now then its ever been Sepewrath

I have the SNES original downloaded on my Wii, and the kind of absolute impenetrable wall I'm hitting in terms of trying to have fun, (not just winning, but having any fun at all) doesn't exist in it. I just tried it again this morning in 150cc, had a total blast, very minimal cheap stuff. I didn't place first in every race, but not once did I lose because the AI decided to go crazy on the last lap and start spamming overpowered items to cheat me out of a win. Not once. On MKWii, it happens in every single race on anything over 50cc. It's completely ridiculous, and blatantly cheap.

I have the SNES original downloaded on my Wii, and the kind of absolute impenetrable wall I'm hitting in terms of trying to have fun, (not just winning, but having any fun at all) doesn't exist in it. I just tried it again this morning in 150cc, had a total blast, very minimal cheap stuff. I didn't place first in every race, but not once did I lose because the AI decided to go crazy on the last lap and start spamming overpowered items to cheat me out of a win. Not once. On MKWii, it happens in every single race on anything over 50cc. It's completely ridiculous, and blatantly cheap.AndromedasWake

The older games spoiled us. What the Wii version is missing that all the other versions have is a system that benefits the human player more than anything else. Have you ever thought about the weapon system in the original Super Mario Kart? The other characters just exist for your own target practice. They can't even use weapons other than the character-specific ones that they have an infinite supply of but use at the worst possible times. And if you get last place, you get to replay that course. It literally doesn't allow you to finish in a low position.

And MK64.... If you drop out of first place, you'll start getting good weapons like you're in last place, even if you're just in second or third, and the AI will immediately slow down for you. And the AI never shoots shells, let alone the blue shell.

Double Dash isn't nearly as bad as MK64 in terms of weapons, but the AI will still slow down and let you pass, and they seem to go out of their way to hit anything on the course when they're ahead of you. Plus, weapons hardly do any damage to you at all. Nothing really slows you down significantly.

MK Wii doesn't have so many helps for the player. Rather than skewing the game to be on your side, it basically lets you fend for yourself. I assume this is because of the addition of online play, where the fairness aspect needed to be enforced, so the same ideas went into the single-player mode. I think this kind of acts as a shock to a lot of MK players, since the games have trained us to expect ridiculous helps when we fall behind.

I understand if you think the Super Mario Kart formula of helping the human player is simply more fun than the more balanced system of Mario Kart Wii. It just bothers me (as you can tell :)) when MKWii is called cheaper than all the previous games when that is so far from the truth.

It just bothers me (as you can tell :)) when MKWii is called cheaper than all the previous games when that is so far from the truth.JordanElek

With all due respect, your view is not the "truth", as it implies my view is a lie, (they can't both be the truth) when I am actively experiencing this at the time I am making these posts. I'm not lying, these things are happening to me now, and did not happen before. It's easy to connect the dots and see that means this game is far more player punishing and outright abusive than any MK game before it. I'm not the only one, either. This reviewer had the same issues I'm having.

"The problems are small, but they stack up to create some seriously screwed (and skewed) gameplay. First of all, there are way too many power-ups on the tracks, and second of all the computer (all 11 of them) are hell bent on coming after you and only you to use them. The better you are doing in the race the more aggressive they become, and it is not uncommon to be hit with up to 3, 4, or more successive power-ups. I was five car lengths from the finish line after driving a flawless race, only to get hit with a red shell, then a green shell, then a POW, and finally the infamous blue shell. I literally sat there while my car tumbled through one animation after the other, losing nearly a quarter-lap lead, and having four cars pass me…all within spitting distance of the finish line."

I'm not experiencing an isolated incident. This game is cheap as hell, and way too hard for a lot of us out here. I'm glad you and some others are able to cope with it and have fun, shame that I have to be excluded, though. It's pretty obvious we just need to agree to disagree, this was made very clear to me when you called Mario kart Wii "balanced". Their is nothing that I can see that is "balanced" about being pummeled with four super powered attacks in a row five seconds from the finish line.

With all due respect, your view is not the "truth", as it implies my view is a lie, (they can't both be the truth) when I am actively experiencing this at the time I am making these posts. I'm not lying, these things are happening to me now, and did not happen before. AndromedasWake

My whole point is that if you're willing to improve, then you'll find that the Wii version is the least cheap of all Mario Kart games. It might not feel that way now because the old games were skewed so much in favor of you as the human player, but the series has improved with every entry to be one step closer to a totally balanced experience. The Wii version isn't perfect, but I still think that's just a natural result of how the game works, ESPECIALLY since there are now 12 players instead of 8, so there are more players in the back who have the possibility of getting big weapons to destroy you in the front.

MKWii. Separating good MK players from bad since 2008.Arc2012

So I decided to finally pick this game up, I love me some Mario Kart. I've been trying to enjoy it, I really have, but I seem to have encountered a problem. This game is cheap as hell. I once actually made it near the finish line on the third lap of a course in first place, (100 cc) and was hit by a POW block attack, immediately hit with a shrink attack as well, and hit with a blue shell directly afterwards. I went from first to fifth in the span of five seconds, and was completely powerless to do anything about it. But I soldiered on. But it keeps happening. I keep getting near a finish in a good place, and like clockwork, I get pounded from all angles suddenly by blue shells, red shells, shrinking, POW blocks, and etc.

It may not be so intolerable online, or so I hope. But I don't really play online, at all. Is there an update available if I do play online that corrects the obvious grossly overbearing AI? If not, sadly, I'm definitely turning this game right back in, which is pretty shocking to me to consider with a Mario Kart game. But the game is just way too frustrating, and just not any fun at all.

AndromedasWake

And online will show you how good you really are supposed to be , not how good you thought you were.intro94

MKWii. Separating good MK players from bad since 2008.Arc2012

It's not an occasional unlucky getting drilled by items at the end of the race, I've tested this on all four available cups, and on anything over 50cc, this happens in every single race of every single cup, consistently. If you would like to explain how this is "more balanced" I'm all ears. You say that the older games were more skewed in favor of the human player, I suppose that's true, but why is skewing things in favor of the AI regarded as better and more "balanced"? Can you be more specific about exactly how getting pummeled with overpowered weapons five feet from the finish in the third lap of every race is fair to me and "balanced" in the grand scheme of the game?AndromedasWake

The sad truth is that the ai is pretty pathetic...intro94

It's not an occasional unlucky getting drilled by items at the end of the race, I've tested this on all four available cups, and on anything over 50cc, this happens in every single race of every single cup, consistently. If you would like to explain how this is "more balanced" I'm all ears. You say that the older games were more skewed in favor of the human player, I suppose that's true, but why is skewing things in favor of the AI regarded as better and more "balanced"? Can you be more specific about exactly how getting pummeled with overpowered weapons five feet from the finish in the third lap of every race is fair to me and "balanced" in the grand scheme of the game?AndromedasWake

I see "balance" as an equal set of rules applied to every racer. When the AI is in the back, they have a much higher chance of getting the big weapons. When YOU're in the back, you have the same chance of getting those weapons. The same applies to when the AI is in the front.If you could watch the AI from the back, you'd see the person in front also getting pummeled. Like I said before, it's your job to be far enough ahead so that the unavoidable attacks won't steal your lead, and you also have to know how to avoid everything that's avoidable.

The more balanced the game is (again, meaning the more equally the rules are applied to every racer), the harder it is to do well. You won't have abilities that the AI doesn't have, and the AI won't have abilities that you don't have. Again, I don't think the Wii version has arrived at perfect balance, but it's MUCH closer to it than any of the other MK games, especially SMK and MK64.

Yep.JordanElek

[QUOTE="JordanElek"]Yep.AndromedasWake

But it's okay, I'm not trying to convince you that the game is fun. To each his own and all that, and if you're not having fun with this game, then it only makes sense to stop playing it, especially if you don't care to put in the kind of time it might take to get good enough to have fun consistently (that's how I am with online shooters.... I just don't care to spend all that energy getting good enough to carry my own against all those people who play for hours a day).

But you said in the title that you don't get it, and I'm just trying to help you get it.

Did you even read the rest? Because I was just answering your question....JordanElek

[QUOTE="JordanElek"]Did you even read the rest? Because I was just answering your question....AndromedasWake

That will just happen sometimes. The best thing you can do is keep a banana or shell with you in case somebody throws something like a Red Shell at you.

Seriously, I'll say it again, the only thing I think needs to be changed in MK is item freqency, if 3 outta the 8 (or 12) are way ahead it makes no sense to me why like 6-8 gets a blue shell when it has no benerfit to them at all. The shell itself is fine but to me it makes sense for the blue shell to appear when a lot of the pack is closer to even it up for the user. Because to me, if the user doesn't benefit from the item, the is a problem. Getting hit by 3 blue shells when your destroying the pack honestly won't matter. If you had managed to destroy the pack thus far you shouldn't have to much trouble maintaining the lead. The only other thing is that its not always the best stratehy to completely try and lead the whole race. Despite popular belief, holding first isn'talways the best strategy in Mario Kart, race running, etc.

MKWii is my favorite mario kart game, the online MP is really good

[QUOTE="Sepewrath"]Mario Kart has always had catchup AI, if your a big MK fan, that should be nothing new to you.JordanElek

I'm going to plug my MK blogs again here. If anyone is interested, check the MK64 one especially. Here's one of the relevant parts:

Like in SMK, the AI cheats. They can reach speeds unattainable by human players without using speed boosts; the AI will often catch up to and pass you even while you're constantly drift boosting with the fastest character. They also don't fly in the air if you hit them with a shell from a distance. If you're up close, they react normally; but if the computer thinks you can't see them, they'll just stop for a moment then keep driving.I

Thank goodness that I'm not the only one that realizes just how bad the AI in MK64 was. For anyone to call MKWii's AI "cheap," especially after having played 64's single player for any extensive amount of time, just doesn't realize what "cheap" AI really is. All you really had to do was use the character icon-based square display to see just how bad things could be at times. Not only would the CPU catch up to you at super-high speeds, they would at times use the few items they decid to access at what should have been times that shouldn't have been possible (such as using a Starman while you're small), and would even glitch themselves upon certain parts of the track, for whatever reason.

As least in MKWii, you get a sense that the AI at least has skill. If you're part of a race where it's highly unlikely you'll lose, you don't have to worry about being caught up to by some impossible boost of speed on the part of the CPU. You get the feeling that the other characters are competing fairly, since they are using the likes of red shells, POW Blocks, and Blue Spiny Shells to impede your progress (or whoever else might be in first at the time). For what it's worth, I didn't have much of a single struggle in MKWii UNTIL I got late into the 150cc/Mirror modes, and even then, I didn't find myself losing very many races.

Thats the fun man, and why ModNation racers is not fun but thats a story for another day

Does Mario Kart Wii have a battle mode like Super Mario Kart did? And if so, can it be played online?The_Weird_Guy

Yes and yes.

I think MK Wii is the worst of the series.

yeah the items are annoying , almost every one of them. hopefully mario kart 3DS wont have 20 items that hit you not matter what no matter where the user is relative to u in first place and require no skill what soever. its so dum

and no other mario kart was like this , wiht so many incredibly cheep unskillful items,

Wow that's never happened to me. All I can really say is try to get used to it, and if you really don't think you can, it would be a wise decision to return it.