User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1245 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. 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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  2. 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.
  3. May 5, 2016
    9
    Mario Kart Wii is a great game, and one that remains a brilliant multiplayer experience even eight years on. There are interesting dynamics throughout many of the courses, such as cows that stumble onto the track and meteors that hail down from volcanoes, and each one adds something unique. While the online has sadly been shut down, it continues to provide plenty of entertainment locallyMario Kart Wii is a great game, and one that remains a brilliant multiplayer experience even eight years on. There are interesting dynamics throughout many of the courses, such as cows that stumble onto the track and meteors that hail down from volcanoes, and each one adds something unique. While the online has sadly been shut down, it continues to provide plenty of entertainment locally between four friends. The balance between items is well done and even if you feel it isn't, there are always options to turn them off or increase them to "frantic". The battle mode is good in its own right, with solid arena courses are character options. This was a real stand out title for the Wii and still holds up today. Expand
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Nov 26, 2013
    10
    THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER Yah AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YEP
  10. 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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  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. 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
  13. sdc
    Apr 4, 2015
    10
    Best... racing game.... EVER! Great graphics, tight controls, cool levels, and some salty gaming makes this a must have for players of all sorts, whether it be having fun in the single player campaigns, or getting drunk with your friends.
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. May 19, 2018
    9
    Mario Kart Wii is an fantastic entry in the Mario Kart series, despite the hate it usually receives (simply for being a Wii game, I guess). I played it again after ignoring it for 7 years, and turns out it was even better than I remembered it. Now, after playing it for a couple of hours, I can safely say that it is my favorite Mario Kart game (I haven't played 8 though).

    First off,
    Mario Kart Wii is an fantastic entry in the Mario Kart series, despite the hate it usually receives (simply for being a Wii game, I guess). I played it again after ignoring it for 7 years, and turns out it was even better than I remembered it. Now, after playing it for a couple of hours, I can safely say that it is my favorite Mario Kart game (I haven't played 8 though).

    First off, bikes are awesome, both aesthetically and gameplay-wise. Handling in this game is very comfortable and responsive (unless you use motion controls, of course. Don’t use motion controls, they make the game so much worse). The mini boosts you gain from performing a stunt after a jump are also a brilliant addition. And so are half-pipes, although I wish these gave you a bit more of a boost, because most of the time choosing to take a half-pipe will just make you lose your position.

    The new tracks are really memorable and fun. Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway, Coconut Mall, and Wario’s Gold Mine are good examples that come to my mind. Special mention to MKWii’s Rainbow Road, easily my favorite track in the series so far. The selection of Retro Tracks is good, for the most part.

    The roster of characters is simply the best out of all the Mario Kart titles, including MK8. Go ahead and try to deny it. All of the best Mario characters are here, and the newcomers are awesome too (well, except for the babies).

    The selection of karts and bikes is also the greatest in the whole series by far. All of the vehicles are so memorable, creative and cool looking. And they have a unique skin for each of the characters, which I really appreciate. This is one of my favorite aspects of MKWii, the variety of character + vehicle combinations.

    Another very positive consequence of having so many characters and vehicles is that you’re going to be unlocking something all the time. This makes playing through the game feel very rewarding, because you’re always unlocking an new character or vehicle for everything you do. Even for playing time trial and beating staff ghosts. This is greatly appreciated by a single player type like me.

    Some people complain that the items in this game are unbalanced and chaotic. I used to think the same when I played it 7 years ago, but now they felt just fine to me. In fact, I think MKWii has probably the most balanced set of items in the series. I’m sad to see all of the excellent new items gone in subsequent MK games. Yes, that includes the POW Block and the Thunder Cloud.

    I’m sad I didn’t make it in time to try the online mode, but I imagine it must have been tons of fun. So overall, Mario Kart Wii is a very solid entry in the series. Excellent as always for multiplayer, and probably the best Mario Kart experience for single player.

    Score: 8.8
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  18. Jun 1, 2019
    8
    A solid entry in the esteemed kart racing series, with lots of variety and some great new tracks.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. Aug 19, 2014
    8
    Really fun multiplayer game....of course, it's Mario Kart, that's sort of expected. However, although I love Mario Kart (despite the fact I can't drive for garbage) I do have some problems with it that are minor but they are annoyances. For example, the computers get TONS of "POW"s, blue shells, and are surprisingly accurate with green shells. Their AI is annoying especially when racing onReally fun multiplayer game....of course, it's Mario Kart, that's sort of expected. However, although I love Mario Kart (despite the fact I can't drive for garbage) I do have some problems with it that are minor but they are annoyances. For example, the computers get TONS of "POW"s, blue shells, and are surprisingly accurate with green shells. Their AI is annoying especially when racing on teams because they still push each other and the human player ends up dragging the rest of the computer team. Banana peels and boxes are not nearly as effective as they used to be and there's this new lightning cloud thing that should not be there at all as it's not helpful for the player, it's just devastating...

    Still, these are all minor things. Most of the tracks are good. The controls are good, music is what I expect in a Mario Kart... it's all there and it's still fun. I'd just recommend trying to get more human players so there are less stupid computers at least when you play team racing. Good game, lots of fun.
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  24. Sep 11, 2014
    9
    An incredible fun racing game. It is really good in single player mode but with friends in multiplayer mode it is just awesome. There are some points which prevent a 10/10. Overall it is a bit to easy and in multiplayer mode the stats for all carts / bikes were not shown (Lead to some awful combinations). Overall a worthy Mario kart game. If you played one of the previous game you willAn incredible fun racing game. It is really good in single player mode but with friends in multiplayer mode it is just awesome. There are some points which prevent a 10/10. Overall it is a bit to easy and in multiplayer mode the stats for all carts / bikes were not shown (Lead to some awful combinations). Overall a worthy Mario kart game. If you played one of the previous game you will enjoy it except for the blue shell ;-). Expand
  25. Sep 11, 2014
    5
    This is my least favorite Mario Kart game. I like parts of it, but those parts are scattered all over the place and don't really add up to my experience enough to make this a positive review. I liked the graphics, and the tracks had amazing design for the most part.
    The motion controls felt difficult to adapt to, they were a bit too unpolished for me to enjoy. I won't way this with 100 %
    This is my least favorite Mario Kart game. I like parts of it, but those parts are scattered all over the place and don't really add up to my experience enough to make this a positive review. I liked the graphics, and the tracks had amazing design for the most part.
    The motion controls felt difficult to adapt to, they were a bit too unpolished for me to enjoy. I won't way this with 100 % certainty, though, since it could be that the Wiimote fell out of sync, but even when recently synced it still felt kind of unresponsive. The wii wheel was placed in a dark corner never to be used again (that's not really true, I tried it out some more times asking myself "was it really that bad?", but each time it returned to that dark corner of the room). Playing with the Gamecube-controller worked fine, however. A bit slippery, but drifting nullified the slipperiness.
    I don't get why they went back to one-character-per-kart. Double-Dash felt fun and fresh in that sense, you could combine characters that gave you a tactical advantage. Replacing this feature with bikes felt like a weird choice to me, but I can also understand that the developers would want to experiment and bring in new features. It would have been fun to have as an option though.
    I think my major problem with it was the items. They feel unbalanced and since you don't recover fast you can get whacked by combos and go from a big lead to last place in mere seconds. It isn't skill-based either, just random. It's frustrating to say the least. If this was single player only, I'd give it a 2/10.
    However, there is multiplayer, which is this game's redeeming quality. While I still prefer Double-Dash's multiplayer options of either cooperating (on the same cart, mind you) or competing with your friends and play entire cups together, Wii didn't disappoint. I had some fun time with this game (as well as times of face-palming), but when a friend suggests a go of Mario Kart, this is not the version we turn to firsthand.
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  26. May 12, 2016
    9
    Divertido e bem completo. O jogo rende horas quase infinitas de diversão. Falta só um on line melhor. Mario Kart incrível e bem diversificado. O sistema de vacuo agrega bastante ao titulo.
  27. Oct 16, 2014
    9
    Only reason that I do not give a full 10 for this is because of some super appealing items.Let me explain better:A Whole lot of times your in 1st position, and then you get hit 3 or 4 times and fall all the way to last place.Other then that, this game is fine.
  28. Jan 10, 2015
    9
    It appears that most of the games I own on my Wii have gotten a bit boring, but Mario Kart Wii, even after 6 years, still has not. The system that controls items is wonderful, giving more powerful items to those at the back but less powerful items to those at the front, making sure that the players at the back still have a chance. Races are fast, even though they don't feel very fast, someIt appears that most of the games I own on my Wii have gotten a bit boring, but Mario Kart Wii, even after 6 years, still has not. The system that controls items is wonderful, giving more powerful items to those at the back but less powerful items to those at the front, making sure that the players at the back still have a chance. Races are fast, even though they don't feel very fast, some of those 32 tracks do really put you on the edge with those obstacles. With 16 of those tracks from older Mario Kart releases you can see what the game was like previously, but there are still 16 new tracks that are magnificent. There's so much to unlock in this game that it takes, well, a very long time to unlock everything. 6 years and still there's one more character and a few more vehicles I have to unlock. Well designed, and fun for everyone. Expand
  29. Jan 10, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart Wii is an absolute blast to play complete with fantastic new courses, the best cast of characters in the series, and superb multiplayer. The amount of controllers available to use in the game is astounding and the battle mode is as hectic and fun as ever! This is perhaps one of the most underrated games in the Mario Kart series and it's hard to see why.

    Though the online
    Mario Kart Wii is an absolute blast to play complete with fantastic new courses, the best cast of characters in the series, and superb multiplayer. The amount of controllers available to use in the game is astounding and the battle mode is as hectic and fun as ever! This is perhaps one of the most underrated games in the Mario Kart series and it's hard to see why.

    Though the online isn't functional at the time of this review, it was still fun while it lasted and I never had any lag or internet connection problems which is a rarity in most of the games I play. One of the downsides in the game is how much luck plays into your races. When racing on 150cc, you will be constantly bombarded by Blue Shells, POW Blocks, and the like. It can be really frustrating and may ruin the experience for some.

    The game more than makes up for this in the quality of its courses. While some of the retro picks are questionable, the new courses are simply amazing. Standouts include Maple Treeway, Koopa Cape, Coconut Mall, DK Summit, Dry Dry Ruins, and Rainbow Road. The latter is an extremely tricky course and can be difficult to master.

    Overall, Mario Kart Wii is an enjoyable experience with fantastic courses, multiplayer, and reparability but the items can be a bit too harsh and luck-oriented. Still, in my opinion, the game is better than its successor Mario Kart 7 and provides a fun family-friendly experience.
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  30. Oct 29, 2015
    10
    Mario Kart Wii, my favourite Mario Kart game is one of the Best Selling Games on the Wii. It is really fun and great. The graphics look amazing. The tracks are great in design. The Character Selection is the Best in the Series IMO. The Motion Controls are great. The Battle Mode is awesome. Online is jacked up but it doesn't count towards my final score (Mainly because there were SO MANYMario Kart Wii, my favourite Mario Kart game is one of the Best Selling Games on the Wii. It is really fun and great. The graphics look amazing. The tracks are great in design. The Character Selection is the Best in the Series IMO. The Motion Controls are great. The Battle Mode is awesome. Online is jacked up but it doesn't count towards my final score (Mainly because there were SO MANY HACKERS!) I had this game since around 2008, and since then, I have played a tremendous amount of it, and I still play it today. Mario Kart Wii is a very awesome game and if you hate it, you're BEYOND silly as JB. 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.