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Nintendo's Wii Mini arrives in the US by 'the middle of November' for $100
Despite discontinuing Wii shipments in both Japan and Europe, Nintendo is apparently charging ahead with Wii sales in the US by offering a $100 Wii Mini this month with MarioKart Wii packed in. The previously Canada-exclusive console is the final iteration of Nintendo's extremely popular Wii game console, and looks distinctly different from the original hardware. In terms of functionality, the Wii Mini lacks backwards compatibility with the GameCube and cannot access the internet (yes, seriously). But if your'e looking to play some disc-based Wii games and hate less expensive used Wiis, this is your best bet this holiday.
Metareview (US Edition) -- Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Yes, Europe. It's shocking, but Mario Kart Wii comes out in North America tomorrow. But, y'all are probably over the latest real kart simulator and have moved on to enjoying Wii Fit. The continent where the history comes from already reviewed Mario Kart Wii many moons ago and rated it a perfectly competent experience. What do the American outlets think? Pretty much the same thing. IGN (85/100): "Every player is going to have their own love/hate relationship with Mario Kart Wii, but in the end the game does so many things right that it'd be foolish not to give credit where due. Online seriously raises the bar for Nintendo, trumping even Smash in a big, big way. ... It isn't the best Mario Kart in the series, but it's a must-play experience on Wii, and standard-setting offering as far as online, channel support, and connectivity are concerned. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some online stats to obsess over. " GameTrailers (84/100): "Generally, video game franchises move forward with each successive release. In this case, Mario Kart for the Wii has taken a few steps forward, and one huge step back. This is the first case of Nintendo not finding a happy medium between accessibility and servicing hardcore players. Yet if you get a group of people together on a Saturday night to play you'll be the only one complaining. While the competitive spirit may be quelled, there's no denying that the foundation here is solid, and the addition of bikes, tricks, and online play are all positives that no one can deny." GameTap (80/100): "Mario Kart makes a good case for connecting the Wii online, too. Via the Mario Kart Channel, you race other gamers from around the world in an eight-driver contest; you can even see which countries they represent. This is the way to go for multiplayer karting. ... But online or off, you can't go wrong with Mario Kart. If this is your first experience or you've been absent for a while you're in for a treat. If you're a grizzled MK vet at least you can pit your skills with racers around the world--and still have something to grumble about. " %Gallery-16165% Need a Kart fix? Check out all our coverage of Mario Kart Wii!
Joystiq goes all out with Mario Kart Wii controller comparison
As we're all too well aware, Mario Kart can be serious business for some folks, and Mario Kart Wii will certainly be no exception, which makes the right choice of controller all the more important. Thankfully, our pals at Joystiq have now come through with a meticulous comparison of all five driving options at your disposal. That includes the Wiimote on its own, the Wiimote with Wii Wheel, the Wiimote / nunchuck combo, the Classic Controller, and the tried and true GameCube controller. Somewhat surprisingly, while the GameCube Controller and Classic Controller each helped to put in some solid times, Joystiq actually found the Wiimote / nunchuck combo to the best all around option, with it faring particularly well when using a bike. Lagging far behind, however, was the solo Wiimote (which they recommend to avoid at all costs), although the addition of the Wii Wheel did apparently did help to make things a bit more manageable. Hit up the link below for the full rundown.
Metareview (Euro Edition) -- Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
As we continue to cope with the fact that Europe got a Nintendo game before North America (instead of six months later), we've had the surreal experience of perusing European reviews for Mario Kart Wii a couple weeks before its NA debut. The European outlets have given the game solid marks, but don't expect this iteration to rethink the Mario Kart experience for those who aren't fans. IGN UK (89/100): "Despite a few minor flaws - most notably the failure that is offline Battle mode - the sheer quality of this latest Mario Kart installment pretty much sits it right alongside the near-faultless SNES original. Despite initial fears, this is proper Mario Kart, and it's Mario Kart done right. It's fast, it's fun and still one of the best party games ever created. Thanks to some seriously well-implemented online options though, it brings so much more to the table than its forebears, most notably in terms of longevity." CVG (88/100): "A really solid Mario Kart with a terrific online setup. There's plenty here to make up for the disappointment of local multiplayer, but it does stop short of magnificence." EuroGamer (80/100): "Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised battle modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone. And really, that should be everyone." %Gallery-16165%
Rumor: Mario Kart Wii may also be plagued by disc read errors
Did your nearly two years of anticipation come to an anticlimactic conclusion last month when your stubborn, soiled Nintendo Wii refused to play the pristine copy of Smash Bros. Brawl you'd just purchased? If you were one of the unlucky owners of an unkempt Wii whose dust-covered laser couldn't read the dual-layer Brawl disc, we've got bad news -- there's a chance your bedraggled home console will refuse to read Mario Kart Wii as well.GoNintendo cited German gaming news site GameFront with reporting numerous complaints from owners of the Japanese version of the game, saying it often refuses to load and is plagued by frequent crashes -- likely due to the same dual-layered woes suffered by Brawl. Thing is, we can't find any reports of Mario Kart Wii being a dual-layered game -- on the contrary, some early purchasers (and those who obtained the game through more ... dubious channels) are certain it's single-layered. We doubt it's cause for widespread panic -- but keep a wary eye out for further complaints.
Nintendo's Wii Wheel priced at $14.99
We've known that Nintendo would be bundling a single Wii Wheel in with the forthcoming Mario Kart Wii title, but now it seems that folks riding shotgun (or riding your tail) can grab one of their own. According to a recently released flyer from GameStop, extra Wheels -- should the plethora of steering apparatuses already out there not suffice -- will be sold for a cool $14.99 each. April 27th just seems so, so far away, doesn't it? Check the flyer in full after the jump.[Thanks, Pat]
Japanese Mario Kart Wii video smorgasbord
If you weren't turned off from Mario Kart Wii after the announcement that it would be sans-serpentile-steering, the gaggle of (somewhat poor quality) gameplay videos recently posted by GameTrailers might just tickle your fancy. Featuring the above intro for the Japanese version of the game as well as a number of features on some of the series' returning maps, it certainly fired a nostalgic red shell into our heart of hearts. We'll be bringing those blue sparks when the game hits U.S. store shelves on April 27 -- who wants to be first for a five-course meal consisting solely of banana peels and our dust?
Nintendo details Mario Kart Wii channel, online play
We've known for a while that Mario Kart Wii would support twelve-player online races, but given Nintendo's less-than-stellar online record, we were a little worried about how smooth the online experience would be. Well, we're a little less worried now that the Nintendo UK web site has revealed some details of how online racing on the Wii will work. Among the details discussed: Spectator mode - When you join a room in progress, you can watch the race unfold while waiting for a new one to start. Global friend view - Lets you view your friends' locations and online status. Room structure - Host chooses race type, but player votes determine course selection. The site also revealed a dedicated Mario Kart Wii channel, which can be run independently of the disc-version of the game. The channel lets players view global rankings, share and download ghost data, and download daily missions (similar to those found in Mario Kart DS). Can we suggest a mission dedicated to arranging dropped banana peels into jaunty patterns? That would be awesome.[Via WiiFanboy]
Mario Kart Wii supports 8-player battle mode
Twelve players might be a nice round number for straight-out races, but we've still been waiting patiently to see how many online opponents Nintendo will allow us in Mario Kart Wii's version of the classic battle modes. Jeux France reports that eight players will be able to duke it out in the game's battle modes. To arrive at the magic number yourself, check out the radar in the lower-right of the above picture. Eight icons are clearly visible, making for ample amounts of balloons to burst, and stars to steal. We're sad that twelve-player support isn't possible in the battle mode, but we'll definitely take what we can get. [Via Wii Fanboy] %Gallery-16165%
Mario Kart Wii features text chat; still no voice support
The Wii is woefully behind the curve in terms of online features, a problem that Nintendo is slowly trying to fix with upcoming AAA titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii. While the former won't offer much by way of in-game communication, the latter will in fact feature chat room options, allowing users to text it up with anyone on their Wii Friends list.IGN reports that the texting option in Mario Kart Wii is limited to people you've swapped friends codes with (of course), and text-chatting is only possible before, and presumably after, racing matches. Text entry via Wii Remote is assumed, and IGN wagers that USB keyboards may be supported as well, as keyboard support has been included in most Wii software.It's no voice chat, to be sure, but at least we'll be able to argue with friends over the fairness of blue shells.[Thanks, Bigfoot]
Mario Kart megaton: Mii integration, online menu navigation, and tracks exposed
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/nintendo/Mario_Kart_megaton_Online_Miis_and_tracks_exposed'; Hot on the heels of yesterday's news (and today's, for that matter) on everyone's favorite upcoming racer, Mario kart Wii, comes fresh screens depicting a variety of the game's selling points. We get to see Mii integration (above), as well as a taste for some of the tracks making their way into the game, new and old alike. Not only that, but we get some screens for navigating the online arena and setting up a race.For all of the eye candy, check out our gallery below. %Gallery-4772%
Mario Kart Wii preview discusses new control methods
Mario Kart fans worried that the Wii remote/Wii Wheel combination would lead to an uncomfortable lack of precision in the upcoming Mario Kart Wii (yes, that's the official name) can breath a sigh of relief. A new 1UP preview of the game reveals that, much like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the racer will also support more traditional controls via a GameCube pad, a remote/Nunchuk combo, or the Wii's Classic Controller.While the preview notes somewhat predictably that the Wii Wheel controls "took a little while to get used to," the other play styles were reportedly "quite responsive and instantly familiar." There are some advantages to the motion-sensitive controllers though -- while a quick shake of the Wii Wheel and/or Nunchuk will perform the game's new mid-air tricks, the Gamecube and Classic controllers require players to "awkwardly [reach] for the directional pad," according to the preview.The full article goes into more detail on the game's new items, new motorcycles, new power-sliding options and a new Mario Kart channel for online play. Check it out if, uh, you like hearing about new stuff.
GDC08: Nintendo sheds more light on Mario Kart Wii
IGN got their lucky, lucky hands on the latest build of Mario Kart Wii recently, taking the time to carefully analyze the differences between this game and the installments of old. Following this, they wrote a five-page preview on the game. We've read the whole thing (omg no wai?!). We're excited.First of all, each racer now has a plethora of rides to choose from: three karts and three bikes each. These are available from the start of the game. Also, the CC classes return, but with a small twist. The 50CC bracket is for karts only, the 100CC bracket is for bikes only and the 150CC is a mixture of both. IGN notes the difference between the two as the bikes having a tougher time with turns, but being easier to boost with (tip the wheel back to do a wheelie, hold it then zoom off). As for karts, they'll get boosts from powerslides, providing more boost depending on how long the player holds it, eliminating the need to slam on the d-pad to generate these anymore (we're not sure if this means no more snaking or not). Stunts will also provide boosts, allowing a player to perform a mid-air stunt off of a jump and shoot off once they land on the track.%Gallery-4772%
Mario Kart screens reveal playable Koopa Troopa, stunt track
The folks at Nintencast have posted a clutch of new Mario Kart Wii screens, and even taken the time to extract fresh factoids about the game from said shots. While one or two of their findings are less than earth-shattering ("Luigi's circuit is still a simple track"), the odd nugget will prove interesting to those following the game's progress.For instance, we now know that Koopa Troopa will be making only his third appearance in a Mario Kart game (having previously appeared in Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), that race spectators will comprise entirely of Miis, and that the game will feature a kind of "half-pipe" track, presumably to encourage players to pull off stunts, a new addition to the series. We're still not totally convinced by the sight of Donkey Kong performing a handstand while riding a motorbike, but Nintendo doesn't often drop the ball on this series, so we'll remain quietly confident for now.Admittedly, a handful of these screens did already appear in the Famitsu scans we posted a couple of weeks back, but the majority are new to us. Accelerate past the break for more, or race over the "Read" link at the bottom of this post to access the full set.%Gallery-4772%
Wii Warm Up: On Mario Kart Wii
We've been hearing new details about Mario Kart Wii recently, and it's pretty clear that there's going to be some notable tweaks made to the tried-and-trusted formula. Firstly, we should make one thing clear: we are genuinely thrilled about many of these modifications. Online leagues, global rankings, and online multiplayer for up to twelve people is the stuff dreams were made of back in 1991, when Super Mario Kart (above) was soaking up our afternoons like a particularly fun, addictive sponge (and on a tangential note, how well has that game aged?).But look at some of the other changes being made: we already know about the bikes, but it looks like the game will also include aerial tricks and bike wheelies, introducing some sort of stunt element to the experience. Is this a case of Nintendo over-egging Mario Kart, in the same way that it over-egged Mario Kart: Double Dash!!? There's an awful lot to be excited about when it comes to Mario Kart Wii, but are you Mario Kart traditionalists concerned by some of these new developments, or is it simply too soon to tell?
Animal Crossing and Kirby coming to Japanese Wii in '08
According to Nintendo financial documents, "social networking MMO" Animal Crossing and a new Kirby title will hit the Japanese Wii this year, along with some other notable titles. ShackNews posted the Nintendo financial docs showing that beyond Animal Crossing and Kirby, there is also Wii Music, Disaster: Day of Crisis, Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball, and Everyone's Common Knowledge Television -- that last one sounds like it might stay in Japan. The document also shows that Mario Kart Wii is still expected for the spring in North America and Q2 for Europe, but there isn't much more beyond that at this time. That doesn't mean Nintendo doesn't have something up its sleeve, just that it isn't on this financial document from Nintendo Japan.
ONM: Mario Kart Wii supports 16 online, includes DS maps [Updated]
We haven't heard much about Mario Kart Wii since it was unveiled at E3. Thanks to one intrepid forum goer with just a scanner and a dream, we now have a little more info on the game from the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine. Apparently MKW will support up to 16 players in a game (does that translate to 16 different characters?) and will be the first in the series to offer Battle Mode online. Oh, and you can now perform stunts in the air. We're not yet sure if we should be troubled by the fact that in addition to some Wii-exclusive maps, "classic DS tracks will be recreated with Wii graphics." We're going to hold off on getting worried until we see how many new tracks are being included. But let's hope for at least half-and-half, eh? Update: According to CVG, Official Nintendo Magazine has released a statement saying, "The details printed in Official Nintendo Magazine 21 regarding Mario Kart Wii were healthy speculation on our part and are in no way an official announcement from Nintendo. We are sorry if we have mislead anyone. We do not set out to mislead our readers. ONM apologizes profusely for any misunderstandings that this has caused." So, did ONM spill a few beans too early, or were they just making stuff up? [Thanks, Ian]
Nintendo packing Wii Wheel with Mario Kart for Wii
Let's not bandy about here, we're pretty much God's gift to green shell snipes, and hook us up with a few red shells and perhaps a banana or two and you can pretty much kiss your Flower Cup goodbye. Nintendo just announced some extensive online functionality for its upcoming Wii-based Mario Kart title, including an undisclosed amount of "more" online competitors, which is always a plus. Nintendo is also packing a free Wii Wheel with each copy of the game to help ease the newbs into the Kart action. No word on how much the new wheel will cost on its own, but we'll be seeing both it and Mario Kart in the first quarter of 2008. More pics after the break.
