A 
Review by KamaItachi
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For the most part, Mario Kart Wii makes a good stab at balancing the hectic, cut-throat gameplay of the series with the "anyone can play" appeal and simple, intuitive ideas of motion control that made Wii Sports such a hit. The more simplistic approach, exemplified by the brothers Mario waving their wii wheels in pantomime fashion on the front of the box, enhance the cartoony fun of the series admirably, despite the flaws normally associated with the Mario Kart brand that stop it just short of greatness.
We'll start with the good: The much touted motion controls work remarkably well with a precision and sensitivity bolstered by the durable and ergonomic wheel. Extended periods may cause a bit of fatigue in the arms, but the appeal of foregoing conventional controllers in favour of the little white widget is surprisingly infectious. For those non too fussed on motion control, there are a respectable number of alternatives, from the nunchuk and wii controller to the good old Game Cube pad.
The addition of new vehicles and Miis into the series adds some great variety, and the difference between the bikes and the karts are more than just a cosmetic change and doubtless will cause more than a few heated conversations over which is the superior mode of transport. Miis add more than a few laughs to the proceedings, you'll find your face plastered over the various billboards scattered around the tracks, or catch a glimpse of a massive gold statue of your missus dancing with Admiral Ackbar.
Graphically, while not a huge step up over Double Dash, the game features a clean and simple aesthetic and even with the chaos ramped up with the addition of extra opponents in each race, the frame-rate remains smooth and the action fast. In general, the presentation is excellent, menus simple and navigation easy.
Keeping with the emphasis on simplicity, the longer you drift on corners, the larger the boost coming out and pulling off stunts through jumps and ramps dotted about the circuit allow you, with a touch of skill, to chain together a series of boosts. It's a move which I feel takes the advantage away from those who can waggle a joystick fastest and allows those with more experience with the game to reap the reward and better complements the pick up and play feel.
And then on to the bad. Anyone who has played a previous Kart title will be able to tell you,behind that amiable smile and fluffy moustache, Mario has a cold, dead heart, devoid of love, or empathy for his fellow man or pity for their suffering. The game makes absolutely no attempt to hide the fact that it cheats.
Rubberband A.I, conniving opponents who will often single out the player to sabotage their attempts to win. Genuine challenge takes a back seat to simply victimising the player, often surrounding you like bullies on the playground. Signs of weakness, such as leaving yourself open for the briefest of moments will be met with swift retribution for having the audacity of being on the track. Pulling out to the lead is usually a good guarantee of a green or red shell fired with surgical precision to take you down before a chain of other racers, attacks will see you drop to last within a matter of seconds. The presence of even more unavoidable attacks available in MK:Wii just compounds the teeth-grinding frustration.
In addition, the increased number of people on the track has brought with it a noticeable widening of the courses themselves, making dropped items like bananas and trap boxes greatly reduced in their effectiveness, while almost doubling the number of "show stopping" items like Lightning, the new POW boxes or the dreaded Blue Shells, sure to be unleashed during the home stretch from the lower positions. Racing becomes less a matter of skill than luck. It's a game that tries to level the field by punishing the winner rather than giving incentives to improve skill for lesser players and will cause such frustration as to make you wonder if you might as well have saved the $60 and just spent the afternoon rolling a dice, throwing your hands in the air in victory or punching a wall, screaming obscenities, depending on whether you get a 6 or a 1.
And then we come to the other game, the real reason for Mario Kart, the multi-player and this is where the title really shines. To quote a hackneyed phrase, "It's not the destination, it's the journey" Sitting around the tv with a bunch of friends, or playing though the WFC opens the game up to a totally different experience. Computer opponents are secondary, you're not really racing them, it's your friends you have to beat. Placements in general become the lesser goal to outperforming or outshooting your friends, leaving traps or smashing uncanny lookalike Miis into walls. Despite how hectic or fast you may be going, it actually allows you to enjoy the ride.
Vendettas will blossom, the misfortune of your buddy falling at the hands of the merciless and lethal AI becomes one of the most satisfying things you'll ever see.There are few games that will promote schadenfreude as avidly as Multi-player Mario Kart.
Ultimately, MKW is a game that will be bought by fans of the series. Reviews, good or bad will not do much other than help people rank the game against others in the series as most will already be familiar with the premise and know what to expect.
I would have a hard time recommending this to anyone for the single player alone. It's a fairly unsatisfying affair, all told. I would say that even if you would only play multi once a month, it's a worthy investment.
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I also learned a new word in schadenfreude, which I am impressed you did not capitalize (even though it is in the German spelling ;).
Good stuff, I'd love to see more reviews from you on here!