Be prepared for a million comparisons to MK!

Mario Kart is a strange phenomenon to me. It's quite hard to put into words. I would probably say that it's the most annoying and frustrating game I have ever played, no really! Trouble is, I can be quite irritable when I play a game. Just witnessing me playing CoD online is an eye opening experience with foul language and anger bursting from every conceivable pore.

Now imagine me taking that anger and transferring it to Mario Kart. Picture the scenario, I'm in the lead for the entire race until I reach approximately three corners from the end. Now I get hit by a blue shell and stop dead. I immediately get hit again by a red shell. Then I get immediately hit again by a POW block before finally being smacked into next week by some gimp on a Bullet Bill!! I'm at an unavoidable standstill during this whole episode until I finally manage to get my speed back up. I pass the finish line....LAST!! From 1st place to last in approximately 10 seconds. That is what Mario Kart is all about and that is what sends my 'rage'ometer off the scale. I end up punching my leg in sheer anger!!

This episode is what finally caused me to sell Mario Kart. I wanted to love it I really did, but there's only so many self inflicted dead legs I can take. Yet strangely, I still feel fairly affectionate towards MK but I'm not sure why.

So along comes Sega and Sonic with their offering for some karting madness. I was all ready to rubbish the game without a second thought, "pah, it's just a crappy MK clone" I'd say.

So is it a crappy clone? Well, it's a clone alright, that can't be denied, but crappy? No, far from it!!

I was in the fortunate position of being able to download this game on my 360 to get a feel for it without having to spend my hard earned (well, 'earned' at least) money on it. I was pleasantly surprised. The game is a sight faster than MK that's for sure and the art style is colourful and bold. Although I took a shine to the 360 version it somehow didn't feel quite right on that console. It was the potential of the Wii version that got me excited and it is this version that I decided to purchase.

Let's get this out of the way first, Sumo Digital have blatantly copied many aspects of MK. All the weapons from MK are there, only with a different skin. Instead of red shells you have red rockets, instead of green shells you have green boxing gloves, instead of banana skins you have traffic cones, instead of the ink squid thingy you have a dazzling rainbow.........you get the idea. So there we are, Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing (or S&SASR as the kids are calling it on the streets) has almost no original ideas, at least as far as weaponry goes.

But to be honest I couldn't care less because one thing I did initially notice from the demo was that although the weapons do come into play, they are nowhere near as punishing as they are in MK. Getting hit by a weapon will usually cost you a position or two and once you've been hit you are made invincible for a few seconds allowing you to regain your momentum. Now that I have played the full game I can confirm that my initial observations about the weapons are accurate. They are tuned enough to be a factor in a race, but never to a devastating level. It's this momentum in a race that starts to separate this it from its MK counterpart.

The emphasis with this game is focused very much on speed as opposed to MK's slower weapon heavy gameplay. If I was to make a comparison on track design I certainly wouldn't compare it to MK, I'd say it has more in common with Wipeout or F-Zero with tracks twisting like a corkscrew, turning upside down, loop de looping and more. Speed burst pads are available throughout every course (as you would expect) and are positioned in such a way that you can do almost an entire lap without slowing down. If you miss that vital speed burst have no fear, the familiar drift system from MK has made it into this game also. Simply turn into the bend, hit the drift button and build up your boost. The longer the drift the better the boost, but hey, you've played MK, you know how it works!!

Graphically the game is pretty, but is a slightly mixed bag. The visuals are much busier than MK with so much stuff happening beyond the confines of the track it's unreal!! Take the Roulette Road track. As the name suggests it's based on a casino. This means that you have a giant roulette wheel spinning underneath a transparent section of track, lottery balls rolling down a metal chute, giant fruit machine wheels spinning. It's truly manic. Unfortunately it can be argued that whilst all this very pleasing to watch, it can make the visuals look cluttered and a little 'unclean' when compared to MK's more simple design method. All this graphical content comes at a price when it comes to framerate also. It's certainly not as smooth as MK but it is a consistent framerate without any slowdown and is certainly not an issue during play. I don't really notice it now to be honest.

The audio is nice with some catchy music, decent engine effects that are different depending on which vehicle and character you're using. The only thing may be the commentator, he can be a little irritating at times, but not to worry, you can turn him off if you wish.

The game also supports online play. Whilst it is fairly basic it is at least solid. I have yet to play a race that has lag and the framerate stays consistent all the way through. One feature I do like is the way that it will fill the remaining grid with AI cars if there aren't enough players in the room. This ensures a nice busy race every time.

Whether you're racing offline or online you will accumulate 'Sega Miles'. These are credits that can be used to purchase other characters, music and courses. Whilst this is really a simple 'unlock stuff as you play' mechanic, it does at least feel like you have a choice in what you unlock first. Do you choose to save up your miles to unlock that expensive character first or do you purchase the cheap stuff early on?

It's a sad thing that this game gets caught in MK's shadow. I honestly believe the mixed reviews this game has received is due to the "it's not MK so why bother trying" mindset. If you take a step back and try to judge the game on its own merits it does a fine job and is up to the task. Yes the controls are the same, most of the weapons are the same and the drift mechanic is the same, but it's the courses and the speed that makes this game feel different. I just hope more people buy it because I believe this game can sit proudly alongside Mario Kart in anyone's collection as the other "great karting game" for the Wii.

Overall score: 90%

MKWii Battle Tips

I've been discussing with other forum members how to improve their skills in the Mario Kart Wii battles. Sometimes a picture can express a thousand words far more clearly. Hopefully it will make the regular Monday night session even more exciting than it already is.

Want to burst our bubble? Head over to the Gameov3r Forum

Nearly a year old and

It’s been 10 months since Mario Kart Wii was released in Europe and I thought I’d get in a personal early first birthday retrospective. One of the first major titles to hit shelves in Europe before North America there was much comment, much excitement, and much trepidation from the gaming community prior to release. After the success of MKDS, which has just passed 14 million sales, many found it hard to see how Nintendo could improve on the franchise.

I was one of the many that descended on the 24-hour supermarkets to pick up a copy at midnight, driving furiously home so that I could play the game while most gamers were in bed dreaming of red shells. I got home, unpacked my wheel and began to re-learn how to play Mario Kart. Since then it has barely left my Wii.

Many people couldn’t adjust to the updated control scheme. I recall one blogger likening the Wii Wheel to “strapping a biscuit tin to your wiimote”; many complained about a lack of accuracy. Me? I just plugged away at it getting better with every hour of track time.

Then there were, and still are, those who complain “it isn’t fair” or that the game is “a whole lot of luck and very little skill”. These whining voices are from a generation of gamers who want instant gratification, easy wins and no learning curve. They aren’t prepared to accept that their shortcomings as gamers are to blame as it must be the game’s fault.

Then there are those, like myself, who aren’t naturally brilliant but have learned how to play the game; learned the tricks, the techniques that allow us to improve our scores. We’ve played endlessly online (which is by far the best Nintendo online interface) and been beaten by some of the best out there, but always learning and always getting that little bit better.

I’ve set myself the challenge of hitting a ** rating by the end of the month, a step up from my current * rating. So far out of the 5 revisited Grand Prix I have achieved my goal on the first attempt. Only 8 more to go until that second star is mine!

Mario Kart Wii. You have provided me with many laughs, many tears and more than the occasional swear word. Nearly Happy First Birthday to you.

Why not join in the regular races arranged on the Gameov3r FORUM

Get Behind The Wheel

I was quite surprised to find that the TV ads here in the UK for Mario Kart Wii don't feature the Wii wheel at all, with everyone using the remote and nunchuck in the ones I've seen. Now I'd have thought this would have been a big selling point for the game and it seems Nintendo of America agree... but I'm so glad we didn't get this. How much do these marketing people get paid again?



Wannna pop a wheelie on the GAMEOVER Forum? Get behind the wheel!

Nintendo Why? Fi

As people should be aware it is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving. That's no talking and certainly no texting at the wheel. Nintendo being the law abiding citizens that they are have implemented this into the forth coming Mario Kart Wii. There will be no texting and most definately no chatting during races, but you can text your friends before the race using either a USB keyboard or the Wii remote. If you opt for the latter the race may well be over before you can type 'I'll pwn your face at this noob!' however.

Nintendo say they did toy with the idea of not only including a plastic wheel with the game but also a small bundle of sticks. Using these, players could rub them together vigorously to create smoke signals to organise online matches and chat to friends in a more reliable way than the Nintendo Wifi connection. The only reason these were removed from the final boxed version was that sending friend codes via this method proved even more time consuming than using the Wii remote. Well, that and the fact that players were winning races in a very real 'blaze' of glory!

So here's a plea to Nintendo. If you really are serious about charging to play certain games online, sort out the basics first. You only have to scan through the forum quickly to see the constant problems people are having trying to play any DS or Wii game online. The Geometry Wars online scoreboard is still an annoyance for me too, being something close to useless. Extensive was the word used on the box I believe, so why can't I choose to see my friends scores? And isn't it called Wii Connect 24? I assumed this meant 24hr and not the average number of times I would have to connect and disconnect from Nintendo Wifi to upload and view the scores. Still a great game though.

Update: Reading through a preview from people who have played the actual game it's said that the chat feature is even more limited than originally thought, consisting of a few preset phrases you can send to each other. The preview rated the game extremely highly but did say the plastic wheel control was rubbish and to stick with the other methods available.

Burning to get something off your chest? Come and tell us on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Mario Kart Wii

So Mario Kart Wii is just around the corner and will launch across Europe on April 11th 2008.

I'm starting to look forward to this one a bit now and I actually think the little wheel to slot your remote in that will come bundled with it could be quite effective. I expect an initial learning curve similar to how Excite Truck felt at first. Once mastered though that game shone and I'm hoping this one will too with all its online trimmings and the fact I can play as my Mii!

It seems Nintendo are pulling out all the stops with the online functionality as a new Wii Channel, the Mario Kart Channel, will also be launched with Mario Kart Wii. Players will be able to monitor their ranking against others with data compiled from races completed online as well as also access and share Ghost Data to download. Why not see if your friends are playing by checking their status or even better still set up a room in which you can chat to them before a race starts? Players even have the possibility to join in on their friends races in progress as a spectator and jump into the race when the next course launches. Through this channel, users will be exposed to a host of new online features allowing them to join a community of racing fans from all over the world as well as participate in special worldwide events organised by Nintendo.

It seems the Wii is starting to live up to its online potential. Just make sure you've got enough servers backing it all up before the launch Nintendo!

Visit the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart is coming to the Wii and everyone that has ever played a Mario Kart game is excited. If you’ve never played Mario Kart you’d be better off reading the blog entry below then returning to your rocking chair to practice knitting one and pearling one. Or something.

Those that have played Mario Kart know exactly what to expect from this new version. All of our favourite Nintendo characters will be there, all the over the top circuits themed on Nintendo worlds will be there and all the weaponry – red homing shells, green shells, turbo mushrooms and all the usual obstacles and turbo strips will be there. Something new we’re all expecting is that this Mario Kart will make use of the motion controls to steer your kart. Nintendo are even bundling the game with a white steering wheel that allows you to slot in your Wii remote for that authentic Go-Kart feel.

If someone told me I could have a new version of Mario Kart but it would just be more of the same and that I’d have seen it all before would I care? Of course not! Mario Kart is the best racing series ever and more of the same when it comes to Mario Kart is enough to stir my and many other gaming souls and if the controls work perfectly, Nintendo are hardly going to fluff the handling of their own controls now are they, this could be the best Mario Kart EVER!

I have to say that one aspect of Wii MK that has me a little bit worried is the inclusion of motorbikes and the impact this will have on the gameplay and the series as a whole. Right from the green light, When Super Mario jumped into his Kart on the SNES, the karts in MK have always handled perfectly. Will Nintendo, can Nintendo get the handling of the bikes and the balance of the gameplay right? Normally I would trust Nintendo to get this right every time but this time I’m worried. Why? You ask. Well, have you ever seen a motorbike that you steered with a steering wheel!?!

The inclusion of 2 wheeled transport has also meant a rename is on the cards and Miyamoto has apparently been working closely with Nintendo Europe HQ in Germany, because most greasy, denim jacket wearing, hairy (sorry Sasquatch!) bikers allegedly originated there, and they have come up with “Mario Birts” and “Mario Kakes”. While I like neither the latter has reminded me that I have to go and get some lunch.

Hungry? Tuck into something sweet on the GAMEOV3R FORUM