Mario Kart Wii
Template:Infobox Mario Kart Wii is a racing game for the Wii console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series, and the eighth overall. Just like every Mario Kart game, Mario Kart Wii includes new features such as new race courses, along with other older courses that appeared in past Mario Kart games, more like its predecessor Mario Kart DS. New items and characters were included, as well as an increased number of players for the races. Mario Kart Wii also introduced the use of bikes that vary in capabilities along with the classical karts. Game modes are also present such as the Grand Prix, Versus, Battle and Time Trial, many of them making use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for worldwide online play.
A Wii Wheel, designed from the ground up for the Wii, is included in most Mario Kart Wii packages. Mario Kart Wii is, however, compatible with other controllers such as a regular Wii Remote held sideways, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Nintendo GameCube controller, and also the Classic Controller and Classic Controller PRO.
This game requires twenty-three blocks on the player's Wii system to save game data. Also, the game data cannot be copied, so transferring saved game data to another Wii is not possible. The game also includes its own Wii Channel called the Mario Kart Channel which allow players to play in special tournaments and trade their racing profile with others around the world. This channel uses seventy-four to eighty-eight blocks (depending on from which region the game came from), but unlike the game data, players can copy the channel onto their SD cards.
Mario Kart Wii, unlike the preceding Mario Kart games, has twelve players present in normal races instead of eight. All twelve racers head to the finish in a multi-lap race around a given circuit. Along the way, players may employ items, utilize techniques, and take shortcuts to earn first place.
Gameplay
Major Changes
While every previous Mario Kart game allowed for a maximum of eight racers on each course, up to twelve are on course at one time in Mario Kart Wii.
In Mario Kart Wii, players can select twelve types of vehicles – six karts and six bikes – for each of the three classes. Vehicle selection varies depending on the character's size class, and color schemes for available vehicles also vary with regard to character selected.
A major departure from prior games is the change of the drifting system. Performing a mini-turbo depends on how long players can hold the button for drifting and the angle at which they drift. However, drifting can be used strategically and involves managing the drifts to avoid losing speed.
Also, a new feature called "Tricks" is now a part of the gameplay. When drivers perform a trick and lands successfully, they are able to gain a momentary boost of speed, which allows them to do a few different things, such as grabbing an Item Box midair. Tricks consist of mid-air acrobatics and are performed by shaking the Wii Wheel upward, shaking the Wii Remote in the Wii Remote + Nunchuk combo, pressing the 
on the Classic Controller, or pressing the 
on the Gamecube controller.
Motorbikes are introduced in this game. Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina are in an alternate outfit while riding motorbikes, as opposed to their traditional outfit while riding karts. This may be because it's hard to drive a motorcycle while wearing a dress. Oddly enough, although Wario does have a biker outfit of his own from the WarioWare series, he does not wear it when riding bikes.
Special Items, introduced in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, are taken out. Overall, Mario Kart Wii is based heavily on Mario Kart DS and has some influence from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
Mario Kart Wii features a text chat in Online Multiplayer Mode. Users can send pre-written phrases to other users before the series of races starts. There is no facility for a user to type his or her own message[1]. Also, the text chat is only available when racing or battling against Friends.
Another new change is the point system for Grand Prix races. With twelve racers competing in each race, the point value has increased. Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these six games:
| Point Spread Comparisons | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | |
| SMK + MK64 + MKSC GP | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| MKDD + MKDS GP | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| MKWii GP | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP) Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music In Super Mario Kart to Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly three times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Double Dash to Wii, the GP normally goes forth. | ||||||||||||
Controlling
The main feature is the use of the motion sensing of the Wii Remote. By tilting the remote, players can steer their karts. During the development of this game, Nintendo hoped to address some of the issues game critics faced with the first racing game Nintendo published for the Wii, Excite Truck, by making Mario Kart Wii compatible with the Wii WheelTemplate:Refneeded. Since the Wii Remote is designed to be inserted into the Wii Wheel (it is not an independent controller), players can also play without the Wheel if they choose to. Mario Kart Wii can also be played by connecting the Nunchuk Controller or the Classic Controller, or using the GameCube Controller. Controlling the vehicle is divided up into two sections: Basic and Advanced.
Basic Controls
- Accelerate: When drivers hold down the corresponding button, the vehicle goes forward.
- Steer: Steering lets drivers move around corners.
- Brake: Braking slows the vehicle to an abrupt stop.
- Reverse: The driver's kart goes backwards if the driver holds the brake button. If a vehicle reaches maximum top speed, the vehicle will drift instead.
- Look Behind: Drivers can look behind their vehicle. In this way, drivers can be alert from other drivers incoming to steal their place. Drivers can also use this feature to see where they are going while backing up, or to aim a weapon at an opponent following up. This feature once appeared in Super Mario Kart.
- Drift: Drivers drift to keep the vehicle's speed and take corners much easily, with the benefit of getting mini-turbos. The feature can be set to happen automatically or when a button is held.
Advanced Controls
- Rocket Start: Drivers can perform a speed boost when a race begins. If drivers hold down the corresponding acceleration button right after the timer displays the number 2, then he/she will receive an extra speed boost when the word GO! appears on the screen. However, if drivers hold down the acceleration button for too long and when the final beep is heard, their engine bursts and they get an even worse start than a regular one and take a few seconds to recover.
- Mini-turbo: When drivers drift for a reasonable amount of time varying on the vehicle used, blue sparks erupt from the vehicle's rear tires. Releasing the drift button gives them a short burst of speed. In a kart, drivers can keep drifting for longer periods to get orange sparks and a longer boost. However, orange sparks cannot be created on bikes. Of course, the drifting stats of the vehicle used also matters. Drivers can also perform a "standing mini-turbo" by holding the brake and drift buttons at the same time. A mini-turbo can't be performed when drifting is set to automatic, but the standing mini-turbo can.
- Tricks: Drivers can pull off a trick when they jump in order to gain a momentary mini-turbo. Drivers can perform a trick by flicking the Wii Remote, pressing the on Classic Controller, or on the GameCube Controller in any direction when going off a ramp or hill. They obtain a speed boost when landing.
- Wheelie: Wheelies can be performed only when drivers ride Bikes. Drivers can increase their speed when they lift up the front of their bike. While drivers hold the front of the bike up, the bike can hardly turn. The wheelie can be ended by braking, hopping, waiting for the wheelie to end, or simply setting the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote back down or pressing
. If drivers are bumped into while they are performing a wheelie, they lose most of their speed.
Modes of Play
- Grand Prix (1 player) In this mode, drivers race against eleven other CPU players in a quest to finish first. There are eight cups to choose from, ranging from the most to the least difficult. Drivers earn points by placing within twelve positions (see chart above.). A driver with the most points at the end of the four races wins the cup.
- Time Trial (1 player) Drivers race for the fastest time on a selected course. The fastest record is able to be raced again as a ghost. Drivers can also race staff records, Regional Records/Champions (WiFi must be used,) World Records/Champions (WiFi also must be used,) and Friend Records (Friend must be registered, friend must send the ghost for Ghost Races, and WiFi also must be used.)
- VS Race (1 to 4 players, up to 12 online) Drivers can race to their own custom settings, but it is otherwise relatively the same to Grand Prix, other than the fact that drivers can see the other racers' character's names.
- Battle (1 to 4 players, up to 12 online) Drivers team up with each other in a battle for the most points. Items only work against the other team so it won't have an effect to the driver's team. The player can only select the Standard Kart or Bike. There are two ways to battle:
- Balloon Battle: Drivers get points by using
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