User Reviews (11 - 21 of 290)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

THANK YOU NINTENDO

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: May 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

1ST Thing Buyer's need 2 know
Mariokart Wii is like any other drug once you have a Taste you can't get enough (GTA IV isn't the only major Title that will take over your life!)

This game does something very few games tend to do in these crazy times of HD-Games, Super over Priced hardware, and one 2 many
First Person Shooter's,
And what does this game do quit simply It makes you feel like a kid on X-Mas day w/ your imagination soring! You actually feel Young,Care free and have fun!!!!

The Wii Wheel surprised me (It works better then i ever would've thought! It also brings a new twist on how to Play a game like this!)

The online play also is Close to Flawless ***** (Maybe one day XBox Live with be Free like Nintendo Wi-Fi is!)

Anyone with a Wii must own this Masterpiece of Gaming Fun!

Sound/Audio -9.5/10
Graphics -10/10 (It's a Nintendo 1st Party title,the colors-Graphics are full rich and colorful like being at a rave party within a hours time you will hear the colors talk to you lol) Jerry Garcia would be Proud!!!!!!!!!
Game Play 10/10 FLAWLESS Anyone can pick it up and play 6-60yrs old. **Fun,Crazy, Fun,Crazy, Fun!!!!!!
Overall the game is Wii's **Must own Game** 10/10

Even Better Than Expected!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

WOW - I Am Hooked! Let me just say that I've anticipated the release of this game since standing in line to get the Wii the first day it was released and I can truly say that it's even better than I expected! For what it's worth, I'm in my late 20's and was a HUGE fan of Kart for the 64 back in the day (I feel it's worth mentioning that since the only negative reviewer thus far said he did not care for the 64 version). It can be a bit frustrating at times, but that's part of the reason why it's so great! You can be in last place and come back to win it all (or get in the top 5 anyway). The wheel works great - feels very comfortable. You press the built-in trigger (or B button) to drift and build speed or if you race in automatic, then it doubles as a special button, but mostly that's the left button on the control pad. 2 is accelerate and 1 is brake/reverse, although I'm not sure the brake works quite as well as it did in the 64 version. Online play is AWESOME, but there are some pretty darn good racers out there (even though it just came out today!) It's difficult to write a elegant review since it's way past my bedtime, but I wanted to tell potential buyers how awesome this game is before I go to bed! I'm not a big fan of Smash Bros - I thought Mario Galaxy was very very good, but in my opinion, Mario Kart is the very best game out there for Wii! If you're going to play with friends at your place, I recommend spending $10 for extra wheels - it makes it much more fun! Race On!

Mario Kart does not disappoint!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: April 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Mario Kart lives up to all the hype it has had this year--and then some. It's a fun, age-friendly game that then entire family can enjoy. For Wii owners, this game is a must have. Mario Kart Wii is easily the best game to come out on Wii yet, and one of the best games of all time.

A disapointment to the Mario Kart Legacy

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 30 / 63
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have owned every Mario Kart that Nintendo has ever released, so I was very excited about the Wii release for this game. There is alot of fun to be had playing this game, but there are some changes made to the game which are the reason for my low score for this review.

There are 32 tracks that are playable, and there are many tracks seasoned Mario Kart players will instantly recognize. It is a great joy to revisit these old tracks and play them on the Wii. The new tracks are exciting and full of new concepts and ideas that Nintendo has implemented expertly.

There is a battle mode, and a multiplayer vs. mode, and a new online mode where you can race up to 12 players at the same time from all over the world.

My biggest disapointment with this game is there is NO MULTIPLAYER GRAND PRIX mode!!! The funnest part about Mario Kart and its progeny was playing with your brother in arms, racing against the computer on the near impossible 150cc class or mirror class, and celebrating, when because of your dual efforts you won the coveted gold cup. Unlocking carts and tracks with a partner on grand prix working together in a campaign mode type effort was the joy of the previous Mario Karts. One person would fight kamikaze style and take out the other opponents while one person would race ahead to the finish. Alas, this concept is no more. In order to unlock other karts and tracks you must play grand prix in a single player mode.

There is a multiplayer mode that is similar to the grand prix style where you can race with several players and choose which tracks you would like to race, but there is no unlocking of items and no thrill of defeating the computer for the first time with a friend. You must unlock and beat the tracks in the single player grand prix mode before you can play the tracks on multiplayer. What is the point of that if I have already played and completed those tracks on my own? It just isn't nearly as fun as it is playing the co-op grand prix mode.

The Nintendo Wii was made to be a multiplayer platform, and that being said, there hasn't been co-op campaign style games as one would have expected. This game was suppose to be one of the biggest releases to date for the Wii, and the fact that a multiplayer co-op mode was left out has made this game a huge disapointment, and that is the reason I give the game the rating I have assigned. I would have given it one star, but it is Mario Kart after all.

not so good

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 24 / 47
Date: May 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Controls:

I wouldn't recommend going out and buying a wii wheel for every controller. It's cumbersome. I felt I had better control of what I was doing without it. I tried to use my GC controller and was frustrated when I found out the button layout was rearranged (from CG DD layout) with no way to modify them to a players liking.

Looks:

I wasn't expecting Mario to be jumping out of the screen at me, but this game really doesn't look any better than Double Dash. I'm using a hd tv with component cables. The game could have been a bit more polished.

Game Play:

cheapness factor-
The computer LOVES to time its Lighting, Spike Shell or POW to make sure you fall off a ledge or make it possible for you to lose your first place slot.

Whats up with the rare weapons like Lighting and Spike Shell coming up multiple times in a race? In former games those were few and far between. Three lightnings in one race? WTH nintendo?

I don't want to lose a race when I have done nothing wrong. That just seems to happen a lot in this game though. Multiple spike shells FTL!

No coop on Grand Prix-
My brother and I enjoyed this feature in past games. This is huge step back for the series.

No free for all in Battle mode -
You have to play on teams.

Thumbs down:
This game sure did have a lot of hype. But after I played it it turned out to be a recycled dud. Sadly most of the market for this game are people who have never played the old classic Mario Karts (snes, n64) so they will think it is awesome.

A Good Entry to the Series

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 16
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Pros:

+A lot of vareity in the races
+Well designed tracks
+A good mix of new material and old makes for good nostalgia
+Tight controls, anyone can pick up and play
+Lots of different racers
+Online is fantastic

Cons:

-Racing against the computer can be hectic at times, particularly when you're getting hit with one item after another
-Battle mode isn't as much fun as previous games
-The character's voices are really annoying

Since its inception in 1993, the Mario Kart Franchise has been a fun joyride for many a gamer. With 2005's Mario Kart DS being an incredible game, Mario Kart Wii has a lot to live up to. In many cases it does. There are a few setbacks, though, but it doesn't separate it from being a fun game nonetheless.

As usual, the game consist of several drivers and like the DS version, they each have an array of karts to choose from. There are now 24 different racers. Lightweights, mediumweights and heavyweights. Some racers you'll have to unlock, and you can even race using your Mii. All characters also have a choice of 12 karts, and for the first time you can use bikes as you race.

There are 32 courses to race on in Mario Kart Wii. Half of which are brand new courses while the other half are from previous outings. You can play with friends and race in vs. in direct competition or on teams. You can also do single player and race the Grand Prix. Either way, you'll have to race to unlock new cups and characters. The new courses are incredibly fun and very well designed. There are also twelve competitors in a race instead of eight Like in previous installments there are also a good deal of items you can collect when you go through the races. Classic items like Lightning, Boost Mushrooms and shells are back. But there are also new items thrown in there like the Pow Block, a Lightning Cloud and the Mega Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros. in there thrown in for good measure. As usual, you get more helpful items the further behind in a race you. They add a lot of variety to the game as a whole.

There are also battle modes. The classic balloon battle where you'll diminish a player's balloons and there's a coin battle where you'll have to collect coins. In both battle setups you roam around grabbing item boxes to pummel your enemies. Up to four people can battle at a time and there are twelve in a match. The other players will be controlled by the computer However, of all the Mario Karts, the Wii version certainly has the weakest battle mode. You're forced into teams rather than having an all out battle and they're also timed. It's not as much fun. While they bring some classic battle courses, it would be nice to battle your friends in a free for all. The AI controlled characters also aren't all that smart. It makes the battle less fun, especially by yourself.

Nintendo has incorporated many ways in which you can control Mario Kart. There is, of course, straight motion sensor controls. The game comes with a wheel to play with, but you don't need the wheel in order to use the Wii Remote as a wheel. This is perfect for Mario Kart Wii and is incredibly user friendly. If the wheel isn't working for you, you can also use the regular Wii Remote and Nunchuck setup or you can use the Classic Controller or the Gamecube Controller. Regardless of which control scheme you use, they're all pretty tight. While the wheel is nice, it takes a while to get used to, especially if you've been playing Mario Kart since the Super Nintendo days.

Mario Kart for the Wii is fun but it suffers from one huge setback, especially in single player. There are times when the game can be a test in frustration. When racing, the amount of items you can be bombarded with at once is a little over the top. Especially if you go through the race in first place. There are many moments where you'll be hit by one item and find your footing only to be hit by another item instantly (and sometimes you won't even find your footing). This has always had the potential to happen in Mario Kart, but in the Wii version it happens regularly. In one race for example, I was pounded by a Red Shell, Pow Block and Lightning all at the same time, losing my lead and the race. This is even more frequent on higher CC levels. A little breathing room between being pummeled would've been nice. But the worst part about this element, is that getting first place in several races is based more so on luck rather than your actual racing skills. Whatever you do in one race to get 1st place, doesn't usually work on another. This is easily the biggest problem with Mario Kart Wii.

On the other hand, the Wi-fi in Mario Kart Wii shows that Nintendo is beginning to take online gaming seriously. There's a lot of options and a lot of freedom. While you still have to deal with friend codes, that's hardly a problem when you finally start sharing records, racing and battling online. It all works really well. You might experience some lag, but if you've got a good connection it probably won't be heavy. The game also gives you the option of installing the Mario Kart Wii Channel on your Wii. You can get on that and check rankings any time you want. Installing the channel also makes it so you don't have to insert the game to take a look at the latest rankings.

Mario Kart is a good looking game, but certainly not the best looking out there for the Wii. It's got some very well designed tracks and happens to be a good looking game. It's just hard not to expect it to look a little more detailed and fleshed out. The game never slows down, though and consistently runs smoothly. On the whole, though, Mario Kart Wii still looks better than many games out there on the Wii. Just not up to snub with other incredible looking games like Super Mario Galaxy. Luckily, Mario Kart Wii doesn't have to look groundbreaking and new. It just has to play well, and it does. Most of the music is quite forgettable, though. None of it sounds bad, just not catchy. However, in terms of sound, the voices will probably annoy you after a while. You can only hear characters cry after losing or scream and yell during jumps so much before it finally gets on your nerves. You might get used to it, but it will take some time.

Mario Kart for the Wii is certainly fun. It's a great game that's been very well built up. The only major problem is that the Battle Modes aren't as worthwhile as previous installments and that racing against the computer can be a test in frustration from time to time. It's still a fun game and going online is also a lot of fun. Any Mario Kart fan will be glad to pick this up and newcomers will find comfort in the ease of picking it up.

Ruined by exclusively single-player unlockables

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: July 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I feel really torn about this review, because there are elements of this game that are really, really fun and elements that are the bland, boring results of some horrifically awful game design decisions.

Let's start with PROS:

The maps are well-thought and nicely implemented, and there's a reasonable amount of variety, especially when Mirror Mode becomes available.

Controls aren't terrible, even though the wheel can be a bit annoying at times, and the vehicles are all pretty nicely balanced. I can see the merits of using any one of them, really.

It's pretty addicting. My fiancé and I play this all the time, and haven't really gotten tired of it yet. Though the Battle modes aren't the same as in earlier games, they're still quite a lot of fun.

In fact, multiplayer in general in this game is a lot of fun (though more than two players requires a TV of at LEAST 50 inches, and sometimes the network can be a little spotty if you're playing online, especially when playing with someone on the other side of the continent). It's a great game to play with other people.

Which leads me to the CONS:

As with the offerings of most developers these days, the game is designed such that over half the playable content is locked, and you have to spend hours or days of your time unlocking it all to actually be able to play it. The concept in itself isn't really that terrible, and if implemented intelligently can add hours or days of fun and enjoyable gameplay. Unlike with, say, Super Smash Bros Brawl, however, Nintendo seemed to be in a frantic gallop to implement unlockables in Kart in the most annoying fashion imaginable.

See, in Brawl, there are multiple options for unlocking characters and content. That is, you don't have to sit there grinding for hours and hours by yourself -- you can play with one or more friends and all have a good time with the game while incidentally unlocking various things in the process. Not so with Mario Kart Wii: Unlockables are an exclusively single-player experience. Of course, since Kart seems to have always been oriented toward multiplayer -- and the Wii seems no different in this respect -- it just gets boring and annoying and frustrating to have to SIT THERE FOR HOURS BY YOURSELF UNLOCKING THINGS.

And this is my biggest gripe with the game. I adore playing it with other people, and like I said, it's a great multiplayer game. But whenever I sit down for a lengthy grind session to unlock the last few bikes and karts and characters, I can feel my interest in the game drain away and my frustration and rage explode like some kind of nuclear doomsday device.

It's not that I suck at video games, but the random chance that makes multiplayer races fun (like getting hit with FIVE BLUE SHELLS IN A SINGLE RACE) can result in your having to play the same sets of courses ten times apiece to unlock some bike. And when you're playing on your own, the whole "SKILL DOESN'T MATTER - RANDOM LUCK WILL EVEN THE SCORE" element of the game just becomes infuriating. It's fun when your friend does it, but when some computer does it, all they're doing is forcing you to ceaselessly replay the same courses by screwing you up and keeping you from placing first or whatever else it is you need to do to unlock whatever random object.

It quickly stops being fun when it's just AIs being jerks and needlessly robbing you of your time -- time that could otherwise be spent playing with a friend instead of marrying yourself to unlocking over half the game's content and in the process becoming so skilled a player that your friends don't even want to really play with you anymore because you always win.

In summary, good game, but really, really a step in the wrong direction with the unlockables. Next time, Nintendo should really consider throwing in some multiplayer alternatives.

Demolition Kart

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 20
Date: April 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I should give this game a two star review, but since I am a nintendo (and especially Mario Kart) loyalist I gave it an extra star. I waited forever for this game to finally come to the Wii and now I have to say that it will probably end up being one of many games I have traded in almost immediately to salvage what little return I can get on the game. Here is why...

I feel this is the first Mario Kart that has taken a step back. From each other release on the three other consoles, there has been improvement. Game Cube was by far the best in terms of play control and overall fun. The Wii has taken a step back in time or maybe a step towards making it a game that everyone can play because skill is no longer really allowed in this game. The driving has taken second seat to the demolition derby that is now Mario Kart. There isn't a single race that I haven't been blasted by at least three of the following: POW, blue shell, red shells, ink, and lightning. The extent of actual driving in Mario Kart shouldn't be called driving, it should be called recovering. I think the best bet is to get a car with rapid acceleration because you won't be at top speed for long and when you are wiped out, you come to a COMPLETE STOP. It makes me long for the game cube days where, with enough practice, we could dodge (yes I said dodge) red shells (and if with a little luck thrown in, blue shells) without the aid of dropping something behind you. Slide turns have been turned in to something completely ridiculous. It is no longer an expert set of motions on the analog stick that allows for a rapid boost of speed, it is whatever preset skills they have given to the kart your driving and the ability to pass time waiting for you kart to pick up speed. I also haven't decided if I am a fan of the boost that can be obtained while doing tricks while going off of jumps. I also play with the Game Cube controller. I found the play with the Wii wheel to be absolutely horrible. I will say that it is kind of cool to be able to turn the car like you are actually driving it, but if you want to win the races with any kind of regularity you should probably opt for the old school style of racing.

I will say that there are some features of this game that I like. I do like all of the new courses. Nintendo has never been at a loss for making up new and interesting courses. However, when including old courses, am I the only one that thinks they really didn't pick the best of the bunch? And, why couldn't they have included all of the old courses?

I also like that there are more ways to attack your opponents during the race. It was time that a couple of new things were added. However, I come back to the fact, that with twelve racers, it is impossible to really race. And, since most of these things are completely unavoidable, it seems like I am playing to recover most of the time.

I am sure that I could go on complaining about how this game isn't all I had hoped for, but I think I will leave with just one more complaint. Does it make any sense not to drive with a character that isn't huge anymore? All the karts that the larger characters can drive come with comparable speeds and accelerations to all the little kart drivers but with the added benefit that you can completely drive through all of the little drivers. It makes no sense to be a small driver anymore. It's like watching a 500 lb. man wrestle a 50 lb. midget.

But, my brother does like playing it. So, maybe I am the only one that feels this is a step back. Yet, I don't have the desire to invite all my friends over every weekend for round after round of mario kart where the races were decided by the best drivers and their abilities to use and avoid special items and not by the racer who happens to be lucky enough to recover or avoid or be hit with whatever at the exact right time to go limping across the finish line in front of everyone else.

I think the bottom line I have learned from all of the video games I have eagerly anticipated and reserved in advance is this: rent, rent, rent, rent! Then I will avoid the catastrophes that were assassin's creed, mario kart, two worlds, etc.

But I will probably be in the minority here, and maybe we will get lucky and see another (improved) mario kart for the Wii before the next system is released.

A n awesome update to a great long running series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Any fan growing up with a Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64 system should be more than familiar with the Mario Kart series. A fun go kart series of games using popular Mario universe based characters and puts them into the drivers seats of various karts. Each driver having pros and cons due to his size and weight and other differing characteristics.

This popular series has been on almost every system made by Nintendo, and it was only a matter of time before it would find its way to the Wii as well. Would it live up to the standards that the series has come to be known for over the years? That's a matter of opinion but I would have to say 100 times yes.

The biggest addition to the series of course is the fact that it being on the Wii it is going to use the Wii Remote as a main controller to drive. And it was a perfect way for Nintendo to get in a new gimic type of holder to put the remote into. That being the Wii Wheel. A plastic mold shaped like a steering wheel that your remote snaps into easily. Sure its just a piece of plastic holding the remote in place but I must admit it is fun to play the game using a steering wheel. Adds a new something to it that just pushing a button on a controller doesn't provide. But rest assured , if you don't like the gimicy device, you can play the game with the remote and nunchuck or even the game cube and classic controllers. So that really is another plus to the game how you aren't limited in how you want to control the karts. And no matter which method you use, the game controls are smooth and easy to get used to.

Like all Mario Kart games you are given a choice of various Mario themed characters to choose and then its off to the races. You can unlock even more characters as you progress through the game and choose not just one vehicle but various vehicles. This go around there are karts of all sizes and shapes, motor bikes and super karts too. So you will be able to have so many different experiences playing this game through the differnet characters and vehicles you can use.

Kept true to the series they still have the various items you pick up while driving and using as ways of catching up to those in front of keeping those behind you where they belong, eating your dust.

The biggest and maybe most appealing addition to this version of the game is the online play features that are now available. You can play on line against anyone in the whole world who happens to be online at the time. Or against your own friends who own the game. So that too will add a long replayability to the game. You can either play people from across the world or your own friends across the country at any time. There are battle modes and team based modes and even classic stages from previous versions of Mario Kart now updated and ready to play on in a Wii graphically updated way.

This game is really all that and more. Ever since I got it I haven't been able to put it down. And I think you won't be putting it down any time soon either. Once you get hold of that wheel there is no telling where you will be driving to as you try and beat the competition to be top kart driver. If you have a Wii and are a fan of the Mario Kart series this is must have. And if you never played a Mario Kart before, no better version to start with. This is well worth it, especially with the online capabilities. The fun factor is high and those who can't get this are truly missing out.

Thanks Nintendo. You have done it again.

The game that has everything, and yet nothing.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: May 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

When I first heard that this game had been announced, I nearly cried for joy. "How can it be," I thought, "That two of the greatest games to hit Wii (Brawl and Mario Kart) will come out in less than two months apart!" Needless to say, I was ecstatic. While Brawl (mostly) lived up to my high expectations, Mario Kart Wii was an utter disappointment; and I regret ever selling Double Dash to help pay for this unworthy sequel.
The game seemed to have it all. New Wii controlls, some fancy looking courses, miis and bikes, and especially the first amazing online experience to hit Wii. But it is a shame that two seemingly minor errors made the game almost unplayable to the hardcore crowd.

The first problem I encountered was the fact that the battle mode was completely reorganized into a frantic, non-competitive excuse for a battle mode. I tried desperately to find an OPTION button, but all I could see is that Mario Kart's best feature was history. I decided to at least give it a try, and that's when the real disappointment hit me like a pile of bricks. Items.

Items are a key feature in Mario Kart games, given that all modes besides Ghost use these underhanded trinkets to race or battle your way to victory. This Mario Kart's line-up of bad boys includes many trusty classics, such as bananas, green shells, mushrooms, fake items, and even red shells were a welcomed addition, since you can still block them with a banana and what not. And then there are the infamous weapons of death, including pows, bullet bills, wing shells, and of course, lightnings. But how bad could it be? These weapons have all been in previous Mario Karts. There's nothing there that we couldn't handle before! Right? Wrong! Sure all those elements were still in the others, but add 12 players, and remove item frequency switch, and you've got one heck of a chaotic game, that really takes one percent skill and nintey-nine percent luck. I find myself racing past players, being first place for two whole laps, and suddenly, 20 yards before the finish line, I get struck by lightning, which is immediately followed up by an ominous wing shell. The end result? Nineth place, and a game that doesn't stay in my Wii longer than ten minutes. Seriously, Nintendo, didn't you every think that maybe, just maybe, some players may actually want to COMPETE in a racing game? But, regardless of the tedious chore this game is to play, I'm starting to realize that Nintendo did know what it was doing. They know that us hardcore Mario Kart fans can't resist buying the game at launch date (even if we hate it later, we still end up handing over fifty bucks for the boring game), and the casual crowd, which probably doesn't know what Mario Kart is, will enjoy it since they don't feel they're getting schooled by their hardcore competition. My sister, who I can barely get to play Wii Sports, much less Brawl, LOVES this game! My little brother and she play this game constantly, while I'm on the computer writing about how monotonous this game is.

So, maybe Nintendo did hit a home-run for the casual crowd, but couldn't they have just added two small options, and make a touchdown for the hardcore crowd, too?

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions