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MARIO KART Wii -- THE RACE IS ON
Fun for the whole family, the new Mario Kart Wii is great for gaining coordination, social skills and confidence in players of all ages. It's especially beneficial for people who have a difficult time with other activities, as it provides a way for them to feel good about themselves and learn in a visual, exciting, entertaining way. This new version of the game has 32 different tracks and can be played by 12 online at once or 4 together in the same room. It is loaded with plenty of hidden character to unlock and new features as well. MORE REVIEWS... BLOG #1 - 4/08) THAT OTHER CAR GAME: "Grand Theft Auto IV" is getting the lion's share of attention this week, and publisher Rockstar Games is expecting that just about everyone with an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3 is going to buy one. But where does that leave Wii owners? Or parents who don't want their kids to be exposed to the lurid shenanigans in Liberty City? Nintendo, which has shown uncanny marketing instincts over the last couple of years, is hoping to meet the demand for an alternative. While every other game manufacturer dodged the "GTA IV" street date, Nintendo took it head-on, releasing "Mario Kart Wii" just two days earlier. It could be a savvy strategy, and Nintendo doesn't have much to lose, since "Mario Kart" is certain to be one of the year's best-selling games. There's still plenty of demand for the Wii itself, and cheapskates who have been waiting for a price cut are going to have to keep waiting. While console prices usually drop over time, Nintendo president Saturo Iwata says, "I don't think that model is correct." And even though the 360 and the PS3 cost less now than they did at launch, the Wii is still less expensive than either. BLOG #2 -- SAVE THE CHILDREN: Industry watchdogs are already sharpening their knives for "Grand Theft Auto IV," preparing to dig out the game's raciest content as evidence that Rockstar is trying to poison the minds of America's youth. The Entertainment Software Rating Board has labeled "GTA IV" Mature, meaning it isn't appropriate for anyone under 17. But the board is trying to make sure parents understand the ratings and know how to use the parental controls on game consoles. So it has teamed up with Andrew S. Bub, creator of the excellent GamerDad Web site, to create a booklet on those subjects that will be distributed through Parent Teacher Association branches throughout the country. The board has also joined forces with the National Institute on Media and the Family, a group that issues an annual report card on video-game sex and violence. The two groups have locked horns in the past, but they joined forces in advance of "GTA IV." "The best way for parents to know what games their kids are playing is by watching what your kids watch and playing what your kids play," ESRB president Patricia Vance and NIMF founder David Walsh said in a joint statement. BLOG #3 -- Wild about Mario Kart Wii Chad Sapieha, April 27, 2008 at 3:32 PM EDT Wii owners might be deprived of the sinful pleasures of Grand Theft Auto IV, which will be available only for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 when it releases on Tuesday, but Nintendo has provided an alternative game that lets Wii owners sit behind a wheel-literally; it comes bundled with a plastic wheel into which a Wii remote snaps-and cause a little mayhem of their own in the form of Mario Kart Wii. *I've spent several hours with this Wii-exclusive over the last few days, and while I've never been a big fan of kart racers (as has already been pointed out, they often seem annoyingly inequitable), I have to admit that I've had a grand time with this one.* It's a remarkably deep and robust little racing game, thanks in no small part to its accessible and well-executed online mode, which allows players to hook up with other gamers in their region or around the world. In fact, a globe pops up before each race that shows you the country in which each competitor resides. It's a great touch, helping to alleviate the feeling that your otherwise anonymous co-racers are just computer-controlled opponents. Online play also offers quick little tournaments, the ability to race against the "ghosts" of other players (and perhaps learn how to cut a few seconds off your lap times in the process), and rankings that let you know how you stack up against your friends, other people in your region, and everyone else in the world. The ranking system also serves as a means to populate races with similarly skilled players, helping to cut down on the frustration often felt by rookies racing against pros. Can't be bothered to connect your Wii to your home network? No problem. There's plenty of fun to be had locally, including both time trials and career competitions. And unlike the bland and repetitive circuits found in most kart racers, +Mario Kart Wii +has offered up a wide selection of stunningly imaginative tracks, many of which are based on popular Nintendo games. I was particularly impressed by a celestial +Super Mario Galaxy +route that was as visually dazzling as it was challenging to navigate, and a BMX track that had several Super Mario Bros.-style flaming windmills and Luigi-eating plants that pop out of green pipes. I also got a kick out of the retro arenas ported over from previous Mario Kart games for Battle mode, a side game in which players drive around in chaotic skirmishes trying to take each other out with the game's potpourri of power-ups, which are capable of shrinking competitors to miniscule size, blinding them with ink shot from a squid, and shocking them silly. And with half a dozen vehicles per character, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses, there's plenty of room to strategize. Yes, you can still expect the typical kart racing aggravation of being blasted to a halt by an opponent mere metres from the finish line, but more often than ever before race outcomes are determined by a player's knowledge of the track, skill in plotting a course through it, and selection of kart. It's still early going, but so far +Mario Kart Wii +is my favourite game released for Nintendo's little white box this year.
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