Ever since Mario, Luigi, Bowser and the rest of the Mario gang made their first lap around the track in Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, fans of the kart racer franchise practically lose their minds in giddy anticipation for the next entry in the series. Well, that entry is here with Mario Kart Wii for the Nintendo Wii.
Mario Kart Wii, at it’s core, is the same as any other Mario Kart top toy. The first thing you do is pick your racer from 24 different characters from the Mario universe, from well known characters like Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Wario, to some lesser known characters like Waluigi, Toadette and Birdo. Of course, if you don’t want to play as a classic Mario character, you can always play as your self-created Mii. Once you have your character, though, you take to the tracks in a series of racing circuits. The more you win, the more characters you unlock and the more bonuses you obtain.
There are many different ways to play Mario Kart Wii. As of now it is one of the few Nintendo Wii games that utilizes the Wii Wheel that is packaged with the game. How do you use the Wii Wheel? It’s simple: All you have to do is snap your Wii Remote into the proper slot on this best toy, and presto – you’re ready to go. With the Wii Wheel, you can manipulate the kart on screen as though you were driving it with an actual wheel. Nintendo understands that this new method of play may be unfamiliar to many, so thankfully they have included several other options as well. If you decide to, you can play by jut holding the Wii Remote on its side and using the Wii Remote/Nunchuk combination. If you want that retro feel, you can use the Wii Classic Controller, which makes the game feel more like Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. Of course, if you want to use your wireless Wavebird GameCube controller, you can do that as well.
Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel is one of the best values for your dollar, and if you can find it, you should definitely pick it up. Mario Kart Wii for the Nintendo Wii is rated E for Everyone, making it a great kid’s toy for the whole family.
