User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1245 Ratings

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  1. Jul 5, 2014
    7
    This is a pretty good game. I like the diversity of the character roster. However, things were too hard to unlock, and should be easier. The items are imbalanced, once I got hit by all three red shells from triple reds. The multiplayer was fun, but Nintendo had to DISCONTINUE IT. The battle mode was good, I just wish you could do a vehicle besides the standard kart and bike. What made meThis is a pretty good game. I like the diversity of the character roster. However, things were too hard to unlock, and should be easier. The items are imbalanced, once I got hit by all three red shells from triple reds. The multiplayer was fun, but Nintendo had to DISCONTINUE IT. The battle mode was good, I just wish you could do a vehicle besides the standard kart and bike. What made me come back though, was the vs. The team vs was great, I'm mad that they didn't bring the team vs into mk7 and mk8. The real donwside is the lack of vehicle parts. Customization was introduced in mk7 and brought into mk8, but you have to use just a body in mario kart wii. It didn't feel very personal, and the vehicles felt underpowered. I also didlike how vechicles are limited to weight, and not for all characters. The biggest downside is that this game has no creative element. It's pretty straightforward, there's no anti-gravity, underwater racing, hang gliding, etc, because of this the tracks felt boring. Expand
  2. Jul 1, 2014
    10
    Great tracks, many characters, good graphics and sound, very large replay value, new fun items, suitable for all skill levels, fun battle mode, offline and online multiplayer - definitely one of the best Wii games of all times.
  3. Jun 30, 2014
    8
    Tons of tracks, karts and characters and a hell of a lot of fun both in multiplayer (although the single-player is fun too for a while). The battle mode was a let-down however when compared to previous Mario Karts.
  4. Jun 5, 2014
    10
    A wonderful installment of the Mario Kart games. It is SO much fun being able to turn an actual steering wheel that isn't plugged in or on a huge stand. I continued playing this game right up until Mario Kart 8 came out, not even a week ago. It's got so many fun things to unlock, and it never, ever gets old.
  5. Apr 3, 2014
    2
    12 players in a race is crazy, especially in 1P mode, considering the lowest placed placed characters get more aggressive items like thunder and blue shells, sometimes the crazy goes race since they didn't fine tune this feature here, many times you'll find yourself about to cross the finish line and someone uses a thunder, you get 2 blue shells, and someone else uses a thunder.
    it just
    12 players in a race is crazy, especially in 1P mode, considering the lowest placed placed characters get more aggressive items like thunder and blue shells, sometimes the crazy goes race since they didn't fine tune this feature here, many times you'll find yourself about to cross the finish line and someone uses a thunder, you get 2 blue shells, and someone else uses a thunder.
    it just doesn't work, at least not without some much needed adjusting, because it still follows the numbering from previous games ( places 5 and under get stars, blue shells, bullet bill, thunder, etc ) so there's at least 6 people under 5th place and it becomes really unfair really fast.
    I'd love to give this a higher grade especially considering how it improved from double dash, but this really keeps me from it, because it makes the game way too frustrating
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  6. Apr 1, 2014
    9
    Mario Kart Wii is fun and exciting and another Wii game that is essential to buy. It has some really cool characters to play as like in other Mario Karts and the same can be said for the race tracks; my favorite tracks were "Toad's Factory", "DK Summit", "Koopa Cape", "Maple Treeway" and "Bowser's Castle". New to this game is the ability to play with the Wii Remote in the style of anMario Kart Wii is fun and exciting and another Wii game that is essential to buy. It has some really cool characters to play as like in other Mario Karts and the same can be said for the race tracks; my favorite tracks were "Toad's Factory", "DK Summit", "Koopa Cape", "Maple Treeway" and "Bowser's Castle". New to this game is the ability to play with the Wii Remote in the style of an actual car wheel with it's motion controls; I know some people didn't like that but I liked playing it that way and that was the way I used it the most. There are also other driving styles you could do like the Wii Remote with the Nunchuk, a GameCube controller and a Wii Classic Controller (I will warn you, I played the game with a Classic Controller, and the controls were actually not that great.) The Wi-Fi was also cool, I heard that some people didn't like it because they may have ran into some hackers, but I didn't and it was fairly enjoyable. Overall I really like Mario Kart Wii, I probably think that is one of the better Mario Kart games despite what some people say (some people really hate this game and I don't get that) and I would really recommend it. I still need to get Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, those looks fun! I also look forward to getting Mario Kart 8 when that comes out and I get a Wii U; but for now Mario Kart Wii will tide me over. Expand
  7. Mar 15, 2014
    9
    This is not like the 1997 Nintendo 64 game. It is more detailed than the other game. I actually played the other drinking and having competitions with friends, and I can't do this with the new game. It has more obstacles and things that pop out at you and it's distracting. lol....but, overall it is a great game whether it is 1997 or 2014. Thanks for the good times
  8. Feb 27, 2014
    9
    Tons of fun and I have played it for years. Its great to play by yourself and with your friends with great gameplay and amount of skill this has kept Mario Kart's amazing reputation going. This time with great working Wi-Fi capabilities, smooth online gameplay and brilliant motion controls. My only problem is that it gets repetitive and after a while it can get rage inducing. But still youTons of fun and I have played it for years. Its great to play by yourself and with your friends with great gameplay and amount of skill this has kept Mario Kart's amazing reputation going. This time with great working Wi-Fi capabilities, smooth online gameplay and brilliant motion controls. My only problem is that it gets repetitive and after a while it can get rage inducing. But still you can't get over 4 player split screen Mario Kart with new and all your favorite old stages. Expand
  9. Feb 3, 2014
    10
    Mario Kart Wii is one of best wii games to date
    the first multplayer online mario kart game that i have played
    as well customize karts and bike as well
  10. Feb 1, 2014
    9
    Mario Kart Wii is a Kart Racer game and is the best Mario Kart game. There's a lot of character and tracks to unlock. Half of the tracks is remakes of past Mario Kart games and other are originals. The music good. Character rosters is good, well expect the baby characters. You could eventually unlock your mii. Play online is very fun. But once I unlock everything the game slows down. ButMario Kart Wii is a Kart Racer game and is the best Mario Kart game. There's a lot of character and tracks to unlock. Half of the tracks is remakes of past Mario Kart games and other are originals. The music good. Character rosters is good, well expect the baby characters. You could eventually unlock your mii. Play online is very fun. But once I unlock everything the game slows down. But that's what online for. Well there's aren't a lot to be said about Mario Kart. Is straight forward. Get it if you have a Wii. It will worth it. Expand
  11. Jan 9, 2014
    8
    the only reason i rated this a nine, is because the computers above 50-CC are frustratingly hard to pass up. could you make it any harder? otherwise, this game rocks the world! it was the second Mario kart game to feature customizable karts and choices, and the 1st in the series to feature bikes. what can't you love about this game? well, probably the unstable FPS playing 2P on-line andthe only reason i rated this a nine, is because the computers above 50-CC are frustratingly hard to pass up. could you make it any harder? otherwise, this game rocks the world! it was the second Mario kart game to feature customizable karts and choices, and the 1st in the series to feature bikes. what can't you love about this game? well, probably the unstable FPS playing 2P on-line and more than 2 players offline. at that, I'm rating this an 8. other than that, there really isn't much to hate about this game. it offered a lot of depth throughout! racing games aren't about a story (F-Zero GX/AX excluded). and again, it is the first game to have 12 players total, computer, or on-line. Expand
  12. Jan 6, 2014
    10
    Addicting and fun. Super frustrating, but in a good way. I would often spend hours and hours playing this game. Best racing game out there, definitely.
  13. Dec 28, 2013
    6
    Those blue shells...
    Mario Kart Wii is a fun game that uses the Wii's motion control well to a certain extent. The race tracks are varied and colorful and offer plenty of death-defying jumps and game-changing turns. But, beneath the vibrant environments that Mario Kart has to offer, the experience as a whole is both short and shallow. Each track loses its spark after a race or two and
    Those blue shells...
    Mario Kart Wii is a fun game that uses the Wii's motion control well to a certain extent. The race tracks are varied and colorful and offer plenty of death-defying jumps and game-changing turns. But, beneath the vibrant environments that Mario Kart has to offer, the experience as a whole is both short and shallow. Each track loses its spark after a race or two and there is just no reason to keep playing the campaign unless you are a completionist who needs to have every trophy in his possession. There is no clear advantage or disadvantage to any one racer, feeling like a wasted opportunity. In addition, no customization or skill points for one's Miis is a considerable letdown. But Mario Kart's worst offense is its perpetual frustration in regards to enemy AI. This game is one of those few titles that a player can deem "cruelly unfair." Once you go deeper into the game, the competitions no longer depend on skill or driving ability but how lucky you are in regards to the number of blue shells blowing up in your face. The last race I played before discarding Mario Kart for a long time had me in first place mere feet from the finish line. A string of three shells fired at me in rapid succession dropped me from a first place victory to a 10th place embarrassment, and serves as a lasting reminder of my experience with the game. Mario Kart Wii is hit or miss, but is guaranteed to frustrate even the most skilled of drivers. There are genuinely enjoyable co-op moments and a few incredible tracks, but the difficulty spike is just too infuriating to overcome.

    6/10

    Follow me on twitter. @cbeers2513
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  14. Dec 8, 2013
    10
    Greatest Mario Kart Game In My Opinion! Great Gameplay and With the new feature of bikes makes it 100 TIMES BETTER then all other mario karts COMBINED! To Me The Controls Rock, I Love How You Get The Feature Of Using Any Controller You Like! My Favorite Part is Nintendo Wifi, You Can Race with People around The Globe To Get 1st Place In This Exiting Game! If Your a Mario Fan, You ShouldGreatest Mario Kart Game In My Opinion! Great Gameplay and With the new feature of bikes makes it 100 TIMES BETTER then all other mario karts COMBINED! To Me The Controls Rock, I Love How You Get The Feature Of Using Any Controller You Like! My Favorite Part is Nintendo Wifi, You Can Race with People around The Globe To Get 1st Place In This Exiting Game! If Your a Mario Fan, You Should Get This Game.... No You HAVE TO get this Game!

    Rating 10/10

    ~ KyleCritic
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  15. Nov 28, 2013
    10
    Three words: It's about time. Sorry if it offends anyone, but I didn't like Mario Kart DS. It was too clunky. But then this game took it all back to the way it used to be. The courses are great, the karts are unique, and the graphics are AMAZING. Seriously, once you see your favorite characters on that screen, you never look at them the same way again. The trick element was godly. IThree words: It's about time. Sorry if it offends anyone, but I didn't like Mario Kart DS. It was too clunky. But then this game took it all back to the way it used to be. The courses are great, the karts are unique, and the graphics are AMAZING. Seriously, once you see your favorite characters on that screen, you never look at them the same way again. The trick element was godly. I find myself replaying tracks just to see what kind of tricks I could do. Once I even did a double corkscrew frontflp. I paused the screen in midair just to look at it. Anyway, back to the review. There are a lot of luck based instances, including the murderous Spiny Shell, but that doesn't ruin the game by any means. It's a package of racing that will keep you coming back for years to come. Simply sublime. 10/10 Expand
  16. Nov 26, 2013
    10
    THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER Yah AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YEP
  17. Nov 22, 2013
    8
    Mario Kart Wii is a little better than average at a racing game. The courses are amazing with good music! But after you unlock everything,(Rosalina the game gets kinda boring, making my score an 8 for this game. Other great games for the Wii however, include Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario Party 9 (Mario Party 8 doesn't have many good minigames), Mario SportsMario Kart Wii is a little better than average at a racing game. The courses are amazing with good music! But after you unlock everything,(Rosalina the game gets kinda boring, making my score an 8 for this game. Other great games for the Wii however, include Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario Party 9 (Mario Party 8 doesn't have many good minigames), Mario Sports Mix, and Mario Power Tennis. Expand
  18. Nov 22, 2013
    10
    Nobody are bigger fans of Nintendo Game Legends and five years ago when this came out it was a dream come true. I live every thing about his game the graphics, the characters and the entertainment this game is great.
  19. Nov 7, 2013
    10
    What to say....I love this game...This game is absolutely perfect...I grew up around Mario Kart around the Gamecube decade of it and started off from the SNES version up to the 3DS. Super fun gameplay and awesome characters. The controls are...well kinda easy. The items...woo...the items are sure kinda annoying...but fun...the only reason why I gave this a 10 is because of the fun hacks,What to say....I love this game...This game is absolutely perfect...I grew up around Mario Kart around the Gamecube decade of it and started off from the SNES version up to the 3DS. Super fun gameplay and awesome characters. The controls are...well kinda easy. The items...woo...the items are sure kinda annoying...but fun...the only reason why I gave this a 10 is because of the fun hacks, texture hacks, character hacks, item hacks, course hacks, cup hacks, and other kinds of hacks...but yeah, this game is fun. Expand
  20. Oct 23, 2013
    8
    Without a doubt my favorite Mario Kart game just beating Double Dash, The music is great, the tracks are great and the items are great with the exception of the lightning cloud.
  21. Oct 18, 2013
    7
    Mario kart wii is another installment in the mariokart series This entry is a mixed game The downsides are that this game it's a luck game the CPU are cheap and skill no longer matters it's skill which it's a terrible thing The items/weapons are overused in a cheating way and this game just has unbalanced difficulty The good aspect is that the online is great and the controls are aMario kart wii is another installment in the mariokart series This entry is a mixed game The downsides are that this game it's a luck game the CPU are cheap and skill no longer matters it's skill which it's a terrible thing The items/weapons are overused in a cheating way and this game just has unbalanced difficulty The good aspect is that the online is great and the controls are a great way to play this game Expand
  22. Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Mario kart Wii is excellent. Believe me when i say that i have no problems with this game. Multiplayer was perfect, the online mode was even better, the battles are amazing and the VS Races can make you play for hours!
  23. Aug 29, 2013
    8
    Mario Kart Wii isn't the best Mario Kart game, but it sure is close. The wii is the perfect console to have a racing game due to the motion controls and Mario KArt Wii takes full advantage of it. Due to the layout of the wii remote, the controls feel perfect. Granted, you can find more immersive racers out there, but the motion controls due make Mario Kart very immersive. There areMario Kart Wii isn't the best Mario Kart game, but it sure is close. The wii is the perfect console to have a racing game due to the motion controls and Mario KArt Wii takes full advantage of it. Due to the layout of the wii remote, the controls feel perfect. Granted, you can find more immersive racers out there, but the motion controls due make Mario Kart very immersive. There are more characters in this Mario Kart game then any preceding Mario Kart, in fact it's almost overwhelming. There are more ways to unlock characters now besides winning the grand prix, such as time trials. The courses are some of the best in the series. Highlights include Koopa Cape, Moonview Highway, and one of the best iterations of Rainbow Road. Battle mode is back and is pretty fun. Online play has been improved upon since Mario Kart DS. WIth all this stuff in the game, it's a shock that nearly all of it is flawless. The exception to this is 150cc races. In the 150cc races, the AI cheats big time. The AI will zoom ahead at random points at an absurd speed. This can get ver frustrating. Another problem is the change in local multiplayer. In the last console Mario Kart, Double Dash during local multiplayer the only characters on the course were the players. In Mario Kart Wii however, computers will join in on the races making the local multiplayer less fun. Overall, Mario Kart Wii may not be the best, but it is fun nonetheless. Expand
  24. Aug 29, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Man, this game is a total package! Over 20 playable Mario characters, over 30 tracks, over 15 karts and bikes! The princesses got a athletic outfit, when they're using bikes! But the best character addition is Rosalina. We finally got a great playable character besides all of these stupid Mario enemies! The only thing that sucks is the team V.S. mode because the item rules are pretty unbalanced. But overall, MKW is the best Mario spin-off EVER! Expand
  25. Aug 13, 2013
    9
    This game is and many other Nintendo games are reasons the Wii is a great console. This game has great multiplayer, single players karts and motor bikes and many ways to have fun. This game has addcting gameplay while sometimes frustrating, at least to be the frustration of getting hit by a blue shell only adds to the incentive to keep playing. Because you wanna get your damn revenge onThis game is and many other Nintendo games are reasons the Wii is a great console. This game has great multiplayer, single players karts and motor bikes and many ways to have fun. This game has addcting gameplay while sometimes frustrating, at least to be the frustration of getting hit by a blue shell only adds to the incentive to keep playing. Because you wanna get your damn revenge on the noob who hit you. (which is probably me cause I get hit by f'ing everything) Expand
  26. Aug 8, 2013
    7
    Good selection of characters and courses, but I simply can't appreciate it. It's unsatisfying and you don't get that feeling of accomplishment that you usually do when you've completed a course. Needs more unlockables.
  27. Aug 6, 2013
    8
    A very solid entry in the Mario Kart franchise! There are many amazing new tracks to drive on, and a lot of great remade tracks as well. and this title introduces bike races which adds more variety.

    The downside of this title is that the items are more unbalanced than ever before. The obnoxiousness ever so high, especially with the menacing blue shell which seems to wait till you're
    A very solid entry in the Mario Kart franchise! There are many amazing new tracks to drive on, and a lot of great remade tracks as well. and this title introduces bike races which adds more variety.

    The downside of this title is that the items are more unbalanced than ever before. The obnoxiousness ever so high, especially with the menacing blue shell which seems to wait till you're close to the finish line. In some cases you will be hit with blue shells 4 times in one race! But that's Mario Kart for ya!

    There are a lot of OP elements in Mario Kart Wii, such as certain characters on the ninja-styled mach bikes, which seems to be everyones' go-to setup in multiplayer, but that does not break the game.

    The online experience is great while the online lobbies and setup are annoying, but once in a race it's fun to race real people. Be ready for some aggravation, this Mario Kart will have you cheering one moment nad throwing your controller the next!
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  28. Aug 1, 2013
    6
    What a disappointment. The latest mario kart should be a 8 or even a 9, but instead it's an example of how one problem can ruin everything. It's a shame because Mario Kart Wii's control system is flawless- the wiimote is the wheel. This is the best addition to the mario kart series to date. Also it contains online, which is another good addition, albeit not as good as it would be on xboxWhat a disappointment. The latest mario kart should be a 8 or even a 9, but instead it's an example of how one problem can ruin everything. It's a shame because Mario Kart Wii's control system is flawless- the wiimote is the wheel. This is the best addition to the mario kart series to date. Also it contains online, which is another good addition, albeit not as good as it would be on xbox 360 or ps3. All these additions combine to make a very enjoyable new mario kart game. Or should I say they would, if not for the fact you may as well be playing a board game. The amount of items being chucked about and madness happening is enough to put off all but the most casual gamers. Once I was first, just about to finish a gruelling 150cc race, then I got hit by a spiny shell. Now this is infamous in mario kart games, but previously, if you had enough of a lead, you could easily still make it first. Bu tin mario kart wii, when this happens, it is immediately followed by a red shell, and, before you can recover, a green shell. Then a banana lands on your head, then a bob-omb blows you up before you can react, and finally, to finish things off, Bowser barges your still recovering kart off the course. By that time, everyone except you has reached the end, and you are 12th. Not your fault. But tough luck- cos that's all it is: luck. But it's made yet worse in the ferocious rubber-banding. I repeat that it's a real goddamned shame because Mario Kart Wii features excellent use of the wiimote with the wii wheel accessory, and has awesome multiplayer and online options. Which brings me to higlight those. Multiplayer is great. This is partly because one thing that contributes to the unfairness of single-player is the ferocious rubber-banding. But with it gonr in multiplayer, it's a blast. The problem is you have to play through the courses in grand prix to unlock them in multi-player, so you'll need to endure those single-player torture sessions to unlock the fun in this game. A good feature is time trials- where you race on your own against 'ghosts', trying to achieve the high score in that track. This is a great feature as it removes both the rubber banding AND the inclusion of complete chance. Unfortunately, just like in the multi-player, you must win the courses in grand prix to unlock them in time trials. The graphics in Mario Kart Wii, though nothing astounding, are good. Additionally to the main game, there are also balloon battle modes, but they suffer from the same problem that the rest of the game has, unless played multiplayer. But the various soundtracks are lacklustre and the voices of the characters are enough to drive a person crazy. I'm disappointed to have to rate this game a six, but I felt that any initial enjoyment gave way to frustration. Sometimes a wii remote is just not enough. Expand
  29. Jun 27, 2013
    8
    Mario Kart Wii is without a doubt the biggest Mario Kart to date. It had over 32 courses, 16 new (each one awesome) and 16 old (with revamped graphics). There are more characters to choose from, more cars, and now there are motorcycles. There's even an online component to the game that works really well, never once lagging. The only issue with this game is its reliance on chance. No matterMario Kart Wii is without a doubt the biggest Mario Kart to date. It had over 32 courses, 16 new (each one awesome) and 16 old (with revamped graphics). There are more characters to choose from, more cars, and now there are motorcycles. There's even an online component to the game that works really well, never once lagging. The only issue with this game is its reliance on chance. No matter how good I got at this game, a blue shell could always best me, leaving me in 8th place. For latter installments, I recommend an item select screen, similar to that of Super Smash Bros, in order to fix this issue. Expand
  30. Jun 19, 2013
    9
    Mario Kart is a game that many people associated with memories, might even think of as nostalgic. It's got a great amount of unlockables, but not so many that you will spend years and years just trying to get them all, some of which are easy to obtain for people who aren't that skilled at driving games, but lots of hard-to-get ones for the pros. It's also a good game when you want to haveMario Kart is a game that many people associated with memories, might even think of as nostalgic. It's got a great amount of unlockables, but not so many that you will spend years and years just trying to get them all, some of which are easy to obtain for people who aren't that skilled at driving games, but lots of hard-to-get ones for the pros. It's also a good game when you want to have a less luck based version of coin tossing or drawing straws. It's frustrating enough to make us angry racing beasts, but not so frustrating that we give up on the game. It's a big salad of emotions, but it pretty much just boils down to happiness. The happiness of being able to conquer your friends and gain superiority over them. Heavily recommended if you have ever desired to CRUSH others. Expand

Awards & Rankings

18
2
#2 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared Wii Game of 2008
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 73
  2. 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. 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.