Baby steps
As a guy who has played almost every Mario Kart game in existence (the GBA's Super Circuit and the Arcade GP being the exceptions), I always go into a new Mario Kart game with some level of reserved expectation. I always feel like there is plenty of potential with a game like Mario Kart, but the series' history of playing it safe has taught me to not hope for too much. And for the most part, this is once again the case with Mario Kart Wii.
That's not to say I didn't like Mario Kart Wii. In fact, I feel like Mario Kart Wii is one of the best Mario Karts yet- definitely the best 3D Mario Kart I've played. It has a ton of solid mechanics that it has carried over from the series' best games. In particular, the tight controls from Double Dash return (compared to the sloppy mess of Mario Kart 64), and numerous mechanics from Mario Kart DS make a reappearance, such as drafting, and the whole thing that causes you to actually slow down when you hit a wall or go off course (making you actually want to stay on the track- a novel concept, I know). It also brings the awesome online service we saw in the DS game over to the Wii, making this easily the best online Wii game so far. In addition, Mario Kart Wii has a few new tricks of its own. I really like the feel of the new bikes, and stunts work surprisingly well to give you that extra speed boost. Finally, I like the changes to drifting- that is, the attempt to reduce "snaking". No longer can you just boost your way down a straightaway. Your drifting boost has to charge as you drift, putting a natural check on how often you can do it, which in turn forces players to use it wisely. Not just spam it.
All of these changes make Mario Kart Wii feel like a tighter, more streamlined racer. It feels more about who can stay on the track and take the turns the best, which hasn't always been the case with the series. The new tracks are also highly creative, and take advantage of these mechanics to produce some hardcore races. At the same time, the standard slew of items return again, which always add that random element to races. Items have always been a hit or miss feature of Mario Kart for me, and it's no different this time around. It's nice to be in last place and know that getting a good item could save you, but we also know how it is to be the one who gets creamed by the blue shell right before you finish the race, going from first to fifth by doing absolutely nothing wrong. Frustrating, yes, but it wouldn't be Mario Kart without it.
And that's kind of how the whole game feels- amidst all the changes, it still feels like even more was left unchanged for the sake of keeping the traditional Mario Kart vibe. So in the end, I'm torn. While I feel that Mario Kart Wii technically stacks up with the series' best games, it also feels like the series is holding itself back. This is a fun addition to this long running franchise, but you'll have to be the type that can forgive more of the same to see it.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.
