The Mario Kart series continues it greatness with Mario Kart Wii! Plus, there's a steering wheel!

User Rating: 9.5 | Mario Kart Wii (w/ Racing Wheel) WII
Mario Kart seems to be a series that, despite a lack of kart racing competition, stays on top of the racing genre. Each new Mario Kart game (with the exception of Double Dash) is stunning in not only gameplay, tracks and music but also just sheer fun. Here's the breakdown of the praise I'm giving Mario Kart Wii:

Gameplay: Where do I start? The mechanic of the game is the same as always, but would we have it any other way? The real difference comes in the form of the Wii-specific steering wheel. This new accessory will seem a little unusual at first, but it will soon be a welcome change. You can still use other types of controllers, but I'll go into that in a bit. You can now drive your karts in automatic or manual. Manual means mini-boosts, automatic means none. Simple as that. There is a nice smoothness in each turn on the tracks and there is no out of control sense of speed which is crucial for a game like Mario Kart. The classic racers are back again, along with a few new unexpected ones. Get ready for a neat surprise. Same goes for the tracks. Nintendo got it bang on with this game, no other words for it. 10/10

Graphics: There is nothing in this department that couldn't have been done on the Gamecube with a little effort, but the graphics are beautiful nonetheless. There is a nice, crisp shine to almost everything in the game that looks very sleek. Item animation is also looking good. Mario Kart has definately come a long way in the graphic department. 8/10

Controls: I usually squash controls into gameplay, but gameplay would have gone on too long if I did. There are 4 ways to play Mario Kart Wii.

Controller 1: The Steering Wheel - The new steering wheel, which I mentioned earlier, works very nicely with this game. It just takes a little getting used to. Just stick the Wii remote in it and play!

Controller 2: Remote&Nunchuck - No explanation needed. Works alright.

Controller 3: Classic Controller - Not the best choice for this game, but it still works fine if that's all you have.

Controller 4: Gamecube Controller - If you're really used to the old analog stick way of playing, this is your best option. Probably the next best thing to the steering wheel. Overall Controls: 9/10

Sound: The music is memorable and very clear. At risk of making this review even longer and more boring, I'm ending the sound category now. 10/10

Value: With online play and a few great mode for single racers, this game is absolutely worth the money. You can definately get a lot of replay value out of Mario Kart Wii. In fact, you might not take it out of your system for a long time. 10/10

So, to end all of these shenanigans, Mario Kart Wii is fantastic. It's a must have for any Wii owner. Thnx for reading!