High-Speed Frenzied Fun!

Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii is a classic and welcomed addition to the Mario Kart series of games. True Nintendo fans will clamor for this latest installment, and won't be disappointed.

New Features
-Mario Kart Wii boasts 16 brand-new courses, while still offering 16 "classic" courses from previous Kart games.

-A slew of new items, including a squid that shoots ink blotches across your opponents' screens, and a super mushroom that inflates you to giant proportions.

-A new controller - the wheel! You can use the wheel to drive your kart, or you can select classic controls for a more normal driving experience.

-More cups! With so many courses to race in, we now have more than just the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cups. MKW has also added Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning Cups!

-More characters! I won't spoil them all for you, but I'll tease you with at least one new character: Baby Peach!

-Motorbikes are now in play. As usual there are different models to suit different driving styles.

The Wheel
Mario Kart Wii includes one "steering wheel" controller (more may be purchased for an additional $9.99 MSRP each) with the game. To use it, you just snap your WiiMote into the middle of the wheel, and you're ready to go. The driving controls with the wheel are flawless! I had serious doubts about how glitchy the wheel could be, but I have yet to encounter a single flaw in its use! I opt to use the wheel everytime I drive and find that this controller really is what the Wii experience is supposed to be about. Love it!

Graphics
This is not a huge jump forward from the Nintendo Game Cube MK. However, the game is still beautiful, bright, colorful, smooth, and cartoonish. There is little to complain about, save for the lack of progress just on principle.

So How Much Fun Is It?
Much like previous MKs, this one is hours and hours of tense, laugh-out-loud, high-five-your-friend entertainment. It serves beautifully as a solo game, and even better when shared with friends. If you enjoy light-hearted, wacky - yet challenging - games (especially those from the Mario franchise), you'll be in heaven. If you are more of a gear head hardcore racer, this will probably be a bit fluffy for you. But just like lollipops and sunny days, I have a hard time imagining anyone who won't find some joy with Mario Kart Wii.