Mario Kart Wii

 Wii
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1245 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,039 out of 1245
  2. Mixed: 155 out of 1245
  3. Negative: 51 out of 1245
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  1. Virus_Driggy
    Oct 31, 2019
    7
    This is a great game but not perfect. Example the items are broken i has multiple times i gotten blue shelled 4 times in 1 race. The motion controles arent that good. Tho ignore that then its pretty good
  2. TrivialAsh
    Oct 12, 2019
    10
    This is easily the best Mario Kart game of all. From a vast range of different characters, to a great selection of tracks and vehicles, this is a truly amazing game. Thank you, Nintendo.
  3. ItzGray
    Sep 25, 2019
    9
    Oh boy, where do I begin with my nostalgia for this game.
    Honestly, I feel like every single "nitro" track design is at least 6 out of 10, except for Moonview Highway. But I believe many MK64 fans would advocate the track as being a return to Toad's Turnpike from that game.
    The retro tracks are loads of fun too, and I will give this a 9/10 even never experiencing the online. I love this    Oh boy, where do I begin with my nostalgia for this game.
    Honestly, I feel like every single "nitro" track design is at least 6 out of 10, except for Moonview Highway. But I believe many MK64 fans would advocate the track as being a return to Toad's Turnpike from that game.
    The retro tracks are loads of fun too, and I will give this a 9/10 even never experiencing the online.
    I love this game, definitely on par with MK8DX. MK7 honestly can't compete with this game.    … Expand
  4. relicofficial
    Sep 25, 2019
    9
    Such a good game with great mechanics. Also why can’t I write a 5000 word essay on why I think Mario Kart Wii is a 9/10 game?
  5. Oreox4
    Aug 16, 2019
    9
    This is one of my favorite wii games. This is definitely the best Mario kart game I've played. The game play is really fun, especially if you pick the right vehicle. The turning on the mach bike is one of the coolest things ever. The abundance of shortcuts is really satisfying too. I remember a couple days ago i was trying to get the lake cut in toad's factory. It took a whole 3 laps and iThis is one of my favorite wii games. This is definitely the best Mario kart game I've played. The game play is really fun, especially if you pick the right vehicle. The turning on the mach bike is one of the coolest things ever. The abundance of shortcuts is really satisfying too. I remember a couple days ago i was trying to get the lake cut in toad's factory. It took a whole 3 laps and i got last place, but when i finally got it, i didn't care. It was a great and satisfying experience. The community for this game is still very active today, especially with the CTGP mod (which did not affect this rating), being implemented. It's kind of amazing how this game lasted this long, and it's obvious why.… Expand
  6. Chippy-T
    Aug 7, 2019
    8
    Nintendo did good with this game, on paper this game should be awful due to its inability to incorporate skill into the mix, but somehow, it works wonderfully. The TLDR is that it is an extremely fun game with an amazing community and a lot of replay value.

    But here is the main/bulk of the review. I am going to split the review up into different sections. 1. Gameplay 2. Graphics 3.    Nintendo did good with this game, on paper this game should be awful due to its inability to incorporate skill into the mix, but somehow, it works wonderfully. The TLDR is that it is an extremely fun game with an amazing community and a lot of replay value.

    But here is the main/bulk of the review. I am going to split the review up into different sections.

    1. Gameplay
    2. Graphics
    3. Music
    4. Community

    Gameplay: The gameplay is quite simple. There is no hour-long tutorial, no text on screen telling you "Do this! Do that!" you press A 4 times and you are in the game. It is that simple.

    Once you get into a race, that's where the game shows a few flaws, mainly in the items. The item system makes it so 1st place has only bananas and other weak items to defend themselves with, meaning that only the skilled get to keep 1st place, and 12th (last place) has more powerful items to push themselves into 1st. The issue comes when players actually play the game. One of the first things you will notice is that most of the hectic action is in the middle so 1st and 12th are the safest places to be, also if you are skilled enough to keep 1st place then you are going to be so far ahead that only blue shells and a really good red shell are going to post any threat to you.

    Another good thing is the online mode, now technically this can't affect the score any more as the online got shut down and now you have to mod in the online mode. But from what I can remember (and from what I played on the online mode) it was/is really fun and makes the 20+ hours of gameplay turn into months! (and that's not an exaggeration!)

    2. Graphics

    The graphics are actually where the game fails the most. They haven't improved all that much from the days of the GameCube, personally, I think the graphics are great, they aren't so bad that it affects gameplay, but it would have been nice to see a major upgrade to them.

    3. Music

    This is where the game stands out the most! The music in this game is so good. The frantic, adrenaline-filled, grumble volcano and the sparkle of coconut mall (along with all the other tracks) makes this game a charm to listen to! In most games, your music is based on the theme or main mechanic of the game, if you have something like dark souls you won't be having much uplifting music because you are trying to maintain an atmosphere. But with Mario Kart, it treats every track like it was its own game! Since there are so many different locations, so many different settings, it meant that they really got to experiment with the music and really turn it into something that I love. I would listen to the songs outside of the game itself, and I think most people would too.

    4. Community

    Though not as large as it used to be, the community is amazing. They have done some amazing things with this game! Wiimm, along with other community figures, created wiimmfi which, after the shutdown of the online mode, revived the online community almost instantly! Loads of other community members are creating content like custom tracks and music to keep the game fresh and original, MR. Bean created CTGP which helped people easily access the online mode and helped people easily gain access to hundreds of custom tracks.

    The speedrunning community is still semi-active, and even though most of the tricks and shortcuts have been found these guys still manage to keep the game alive and keep on making there times shorter and shorter.

    SUMMERY

    The game has a lot of playtime, and when modding in some of the extra content the community provides the game gets thousands of hours longer. The music is good and the graphics are nic-

    NintendopleasemakeanHDversionthanks    … Expand
  7. NintendoPlayer0
    Aug 7, 2019
    7
    This game is overrated.
    And no, imma not a hater, this was my first wii game, i didnt get Wii Sports.
    While is fun, the lack of content really hurts this game, the online is decent, but man, go play Mario Kart 8, its better.
  8. igneousInfernos
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    Mario Kart Wii is undoubtly an amazing race-based game. It has a variety of stages each with unique designs. The mechanics of the vechiles are fluid and and refreshing to play with.
  9. ledimi
    Jul 24, 2019
    10
    best kart game I ever played. I hope they will continue to make it better and better
  10. Lelandbigman
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Good game. Better than Sega all stars or whatever it's called. Controls are pretty good for the game being on the Wii with motion controls and such.
  11. JPK
    Jul 20, 2019
    9
    Highly Satisfying
    Mario Kart Wii is another solid edition to the Mario Kart series.
  12. HammerBro101
    Jul 6, 2019
    1
    I thought Double Dash was crazy, but Mario Kart Wii JUST TELLS ME THAT I AM SO SO SO SO SO GOING TO GO TO HELL! This game is nearly unplayable due to the rubberbanding. It is so awful! It makes staying in 1st place and making a comeback nearly impossible! I receive 5 Blue Shells in ONE SINGLE RACE. That is so cruel! This game is also home to the WORST item in the series: the Thunder Cloud.I thought Double Dash was crazy, but Mario Kart Wii JUST TELLS ME THAT I AM SO SO SO SO SO GOING TO GO TO HELL! This game is nearly unplayable due to the rubberbanding. It is so awful! It makes staying in 1st place and making a comeback nearly impossible! I receive 5 Blue Shells in ONE SINGLE RACE. That is so cruel! This game is also home to the WORST item in the series: the Thunder Cloud. This item actually harms me! That is really stupid! This is the reason why having twelve racers on each track DOES NOT WORK in this game. Also, ZERO people like Baby Peach! She is so going to go to Hell! The only redeeming qualities are the POW Block, Mega Mushroom, track selection, music, and roster. Do not play Mario Kart Wii, because this game is so going to go to Hell!… Expand
  13. Hutake
    Jul 3, 2019
    10
    Literaly one of the best games I ever played. Its fun, it have good graphics, great gameplay, good multiplayer racing, cool characters.
    A game just as a Mario Kart should be, perfect.
  14. Pokemon_Trainer
    Jun 10, 2019
    10
    This version of Mario Kart is my all-time favourite - with lovable courses that never get boring, my dad and I have been playing this game for years. My favourite thing about this game is that no matter how many times you play, each race has the potential challenge you and offer some excitement. I highly recommend it to Mario Kart fans who liked the Mario Kart DS game but want the joy ofThis version of Mario Kart is my all-time favourite - with lovable courses that never get boring, my dad and I have been playing this game for years. My favourite thing about this game is that no matter how many times you play, each race has the potential challenge you and offer some excitement. I highly recommend it to Mario Kart fans who liked the Mario Kart DS game but want the joy of using the Wii wheel accessory (which really enhances game play!)… Expand
  15. Marolender
    Jun 5, 2019
    10
    I really enjoyed this game, and it's definitely the best Mario Kart game, or then it's just the nostalgia, which playing it back isn't really. The tracks are unique (except for Mario Circuit, but well), the character selection is nearly perfect, and the rubberbanding, which a lot of people find annoying, actually is really fun for me as it makes it more challenging. Online is also reallyI really enjoyed this game, and it's definitely the best Mario Kart game, or then it's just the nostalgia, which playing it back isn't really. The tracks are unique (except for Mario Circuit, but well), the character selection is nearly perfect, and the rubberbanding, which a lot of people find annoying, actually is really fun for me as it makes it more challenging. Online is also really fun, but it doesn't exist anymore might be what you think but the custom track stuff is really fun too! Wario's Coliseum custom track is good.… Expand
  16. JJTX
    Jun 1, 2019
    8
    A solid entry in the esteemed kart racing series, with lots of variety and some great new tracks.
  17. MJYueill
    May 4, 2019
    10
    This game is no joke the BEST GAME I have ever played and everyone should play this game. Played the crap out of this game.
  18. Ruhtra
    Apr 13, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nintendo Mario Kart 8 global is the worst game I have ever played when it comes to cheat players, bad scoring system and to be designed to infuriate players. a real shame as it could be rated as one of the worlds best!!!… Expand
  19. MissDaisy
    Mar 29, 2019
    10
    There is hardly anything to dislike about this game. It's beautiful and endless fun to play. Especially in multiplayer sitting in front of the TV with a friend and both have these silly white steering wheels in their hands... To me, this is what videogames should be about: playing 1-2 hours together (even with a complete noob), have fun, then switching the console off and go do somethingThere is hardly anything to dislike about this game. It's beautiful and endless fun to play. Especially in multiplayer sitting in front of the TV with a friend and both have these silly white steering wheels in their hands... To me, this is what videogames should be about: playing 1-2 hours together (even with a complete noob), have fun, then switching the console off and go do something else in the real world. These classic games give you that option. Try doing that with Assassins Creed Odyssey.
    Mario Kart is easy to pick up and hard to really master. This is the essence of videogaming.    … Expand
  20. KrimsonKatt
    Jan 10, 2019
    10
    This is by far one of the best games ever made, and 100% deserves it's feat of over 50 million copies sold. The game has the best selection of tracks in the Mario Kart series, a ridiculous amount of fun unlockables, the best online on the Wii, (while it was still a thing) none of the stupid cart customization stuff from 7 and 8, a decent level of challenge, (It's actually hard to get SSS,This is by far one of the best games ever made, and 100% deserves it's feat of over 50 million copies sold. The game has the best selection of tracks in the Mario Kart series, a ridiculous amount of fun unlockables, the best online on the Wii, (while it was still a thing) none of the stupid cart customization stuff from 7 and 8, a decent level of challenge, (It's actually hard to get SSS, and even S is extremely difficult) a great battle mode, and is by far the best game on the Wii. (Maybe other than Xenoblade 1, but that't 1 player only and I consider that more of a Wii U/3DS game due to it releasing in limited quantities in the US until recently.) If you have a Wii, or even a Wii U lying around, it's worth keeping just for this game alone. The only bad things I can say about it is that the physics aren't as refined and the graphics aren't as good as 8 and 8 DX on the Wii U and Switch. Also there were an abundance of hackers on both this game as well as the previous game Mario Kart DS. They used illegal home-brew consoles with cheats like infinite blue shells, every item at any time, extra speed, auto steering, and instant Lakitu making beating them impossible. Other than that, I could easily recommend this game who feels like the newer games lack in content, or just have an itch for a different Mario Kart experience.… Expand
  21. BeboFett
    Dec 19, 2018
    8
    A good Mario Kart, quite complete and perfect for the rides between friends.
  22. BenDavies
    Dec 17, 2018
    6
    The game is alright, but it's so bloody annoying. The grand prix races are pretty null and void when it comes to CPU getting good items and end up smashing you with crap-tons of shells and slamming you with a Star. It really does my head in, but the games alright, just isn't the best out of the Mario franchise.
  23. FNaF
    Dec 12, 2018
    9
    This was my first Mario Kart game I ever played, & I will miss the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
  24. SonicSpeedo92
    Nov 30, 2018
    10
    I never thought that any game would be on the same level at MKDS. MKWii proved me wrong. It has some of the best tracks in all of Mario Kart, the character roster is perfect and while the game is unbalanced and chaotic, I feel like that's what Mario Kart is meant to be. Chaotic fun.
  25. AlbertBoris
    Nov 1, 2018
    10
    This game had almost everything a mario kart game should have! Great gameplay, great roster, great music, this game has everything! I'd say 7 is slightly better but this is a close second!
  26. Westimations
    Oct 29, 2018
    10
    This is FAR and AWAY the best Mario Kart in the series. This is also my FAVORITE Mario Kart. Sure, the graphics aren't the best, but the gameplay and available game modes are extremely well done, and the game modes are really enjoyable and fun.
  27. Diegochocho
    Jul 8, 2018
    8
    Juego para divertirse en familia, con buenos circuitos y buena jugabilidad.
  28. yourock
    Jun 23, 2018
    8
    This game is a good Mario Kart. There's a couple of problems like, In battle mode, you can't choose your team. And the game looks kinda muggy but other than those problems, This is a VERY GOOD Mario Kart.
  29. TheMarioMaster
    Jun 22, 2018
    9
    This Version of Mario Kart was a lot of fun, the character roster was really big this time around not to mention the first time adding motorcycles in the game. "Most" of the tracks in this game are really good and well designed except Rainbow Road (That one god damn turn). Anyway the battle mode was mode fleshed out this time around with battle being 3 minutes long (Which is how I likeThis Version of Mario Kart was a lot of fun, the character roster was really big this time around not to mention the first time adding motorcycles in the game. "Most" of the tracks in this game are really good and well designed except Rainbow Road (That one god damn turn). Anyway the battle mode was mode fleshed out this time around with battle being 3 minutes long (Which is how I like it), being split into two teams and have 10 battle courses (5 being new & 5 being old). The one thing I got to praise this game for is having 12 players in both offline/online, speaking of online it ran a good frame rate with little to no lag and F.Y.I. I personally did like the point system in this game instead of the other two games.
    *This is a short review, I'll have a longer one on Youtube soon.    … Expand
  30. Pakon
    Jun 16, 2018
    8
    The Mario Kart for the Wii console. Looks and performs great. However can't say that I was amazed by the motion-steering wheel feature.
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Wii Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared Wii Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 73
  3. Negative: 1 out of 73
  1. Nintendo Power
    90
    With more features, modes and multiplayer options than ever before, fans should be revved up to get behind the wheel. [May 2008, p.86]
  2. Edge Magazine
    60
    Having sacrificed racing integrity in "Double Dash" to side with social silliness, Nintendo has turned 180 degrees into an awkward halfway house. [May 2008, p.86]
  3. DarkZero
    80
    Then there is the Wii Wheel peripheral itself, which if you did not already know is just a plastic housing for the Wiimote. I have to admit though it is a well made bit of plastic, and is not only smarter looking than the uninspired Wii Zapper, but also more ergonomic to hold. Unexpectedly it is very easy to use.
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