Mario Kart gets the Wii treatment and comes out shining. Perfect online play, terrific tracks and beautiful visuals.
Now with MK Wii, there's more new stuff than ever before. The most obvious change is the controls, from which there are four methods to choose: the Remote on its side (with or without the Wii Wheel), Remote and Nunchuk, Gamecube and Classic controllers. The Wheel, which is packaged in the game, provides the most enjoyable experience of the four, and it really helps with the steering. MK veterans, however, may prefer the comfort of an analog stick, which is also well-catered for.
The other big inclusion is online play. Although MKDS did contain Wifi multiplayer matches (and produced one of the best online experiences on the DS), the Wifi options for MK Wii are astounding, with all 32 tracks now available to play with opponents across the globe. There is also zero lag during races, which must be a first for Nintendo Wifi Connection.
Battle Mode is now also available on Wifi, with all 12 arenas to choose from.
Of course, 4-player multiplayer has also become something of a trademark for MK games, and Wii is no different. Although there is a distinct drop in visual quality during 3 or 4 player matches (its 30 fps rather than 60), the gameplay remains unaltered and can result in many lost hours of your time.
Speaking of visuals, this game has some of the best (if not, THE best) graphics on the Wii. Even in two-player matches, the graphics remain at 60 fps and never miss a beat. The tracks themselves ooze graphical detail, and even the recycled retro tracks hold their own with new visual updates.
There are also some options that are only possible thanks to the Wii. On top of terrific motion-sensing driving, there is also Mii support (your Mii becomes a playable driver after you unlock him/her) and the Mario Kart Channel, which (among other things) allows you to see if your friends are online without even putting the disc in!
It probably seems like I'm being a little overdramatic here, but this really is the finest game on the Wii. I was expecting my mind to say "once Brawl arrives in the UK, I'll think MK is pretty average", but having played both I'm beginning to wonder if MK might actually come out on top...
So why the lost 0.5? Mainly due to small niggles really...
+ Battle Mode can only be played in teams now, and it would have been nice to see an every-man-for-himself option, similar to the battles of MKDS.
+ As I said before, the graphics are reduced for 3- and 4-player matches, which, I suppose, is necessary, but does look a little poor at times.
+ One or two track choices/designs are also a little poor. I loathed Yoshi Falls on the DS, and it makes me sick to see it return here. And Rainbow Road - that other hallmark of the MK franchise - is mind-numbingly difficult this time round, resulting in some rather sour online races which may have you throwing your Wheel against the wall...
+ A few characters seem rather random, and one character - who is a very welcome addition - has had her image ruined by terrible voice acting (I won't spoil it for you, though you can probably guess...)
But overall, this thrashes (and laps several times) any other Wii game on offer. Basically, if you own a Wii you need this game! It's quite easily the best online Nintendo game and one of the finest Nintendo games ever made. The gameplay is flawless, the graphics are astounding and the choice is endless. If only every racing game was this good...