Super Mario Kart debuted some 15 years ago on the Super Nintendo, setting the standard that is still being followed today. Each game in the series has tweaked the formula, added or mixed up the items, but the core formula remains untouched. Mario Kart Wii still follows the Cup system, with 4 tracks in each of the 4 Cups for a total of 16 brand new tracks. Another 16 classic tracks are included via 4 more Cups to drive the nostalgia level up and to offer more variety and replay value. As usual, you begin with the 50cc slower vehicles and work your way up to the 100cc and 150cc levels. The Grand Prix mode pits you against 11 other computer-controlled karts. The higher you place, the more points awarded. Win the most points in the 4-track Cup and you will net yourself a gold trophy, which oftentimes will unlock a secret character or vehicle.

Of course, Mario Kart Wii brings new things to the table as well. First up is the Wii Wheel, which is included with every game. The Wii Remote fits right into the center and allow for easier control of the vehicles for many gamers (more on that later). Also new to the game are motorcycles. You haven't lived until you've seen Bowser on a bike! In general the cycles have sharper turning and you can pop a wheelie to gain an extra speed boost. Initially only karts can be used in 50cc competition, bikes in 100cc, and both in 150cc, but you unlock the ability to use any combination in all of the classes. Throw in 12-player online, ghost data downloads, tournaments, and more customization options than ever before and you have a recipe for one of the best Mario Kart games ever.

When you first boot up Mario Kart Wii it will prompt you to download the Mario Kart Channel to your Wii dashboard. If you have your Wii online, this is a great tool as it creates an easy way to check and see if your friends are online playing the game, check out the latest tournaments, and check out where you rank versus your friends, region, and worldwide. All of this can be done without needing the game disc in the machine. Adding friends to your game is easy as it uses the same friend codes already on your Wii machine. All you have to do is select from your existing list of friends, a much easier way to manage friend codes and hopefully a standard all future games will abide by.

Speaking of online, you can play standard vs. matches or battle mode with up to 12 players. If you do have a friend currently online, the "Friends" button will blink and a sound will chime, letting you know a friend is playing. You can then select the friend and join in on the fun. If a race is currently underway, you will see a live feed until the game is ready to let you in for the next round. All players begin the online portion with 5000 points. Win some races (or place near the top) and your score will bump up, but lose some races and you'll see it plummet. The score is more of a bragging right than anything else, but it also gives you a quick look at how good/bad a potential rival might be. The battle mode is similar to previous games, except you can play coin runners or the standard balloon pop. Whichever you choose, the participants are split into 2 teams and the object is to win the most points. The standard balloon pop has you racing around and trying to hit as many rivals as possible with weapons in the set time limit. Each time you're successful you'll net your team a point. Gone is the "3 strikes and you're out" rule from previous games. Instead you'll keep on playing even after your initial 3 balloons get popped. Coin runners has players scrambling to collect the most coins scattered across the playing field. Hitting opponents with weapons will cause them to lose some coins, and of course the team with the most coins at the end wins the battle.

All of the battle modes and vs. modes can be played offline as well, with up to 4 players per Wii. There are options galore for the racing modes. You can choose to race with the computer vehicles on for 12 player races, or off if you just want the competition between you and your friends. You can also select how often the more destructive weapons (like the blue shell) appear, or alternatively you can shut them completely off for a true test of racing skill. The number of races can be selected as can the order of the tracks. If you want a true marathon match, set the races to 32 and the tracks to "in order" to see who the true master is.

With so many different people playing, each person may have a preference in the control department, and like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii allows for a plethora of options. The standard Remote can be used by holding it horizontal, like a NES pad. or in conjunction with the Wii Wheel. Players can also hook up a Nunchuk to the Remote and control the vehicles with the analog stick. The A button is gas, the B button power slides and the Z button fires weapons. Those still not happy can use a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller to get their game on.

When I first tried the game I gave the Wii Wheel a try and it only took a few races to really get the hang of it. I really enjoy playing the game with the wheel, but it's a toss-up for me between that and the standard Nunchuk and Remote set up. The Nunchuk allows for more precision racing and it's easier to hold items, like bananas, behind the vehicle to block incoming attacks. Using the Wheel requires you to keep the D-Pad pressed left or right to hold an item behind and it can be tough to use the B button on the back of the wheel to power slide and turn the wheel while holding the D-Pad as well.

The GameCube controller is the worst option, at least in my experience. To hold items behind you have to hold the "L" trigger, but more times than not it would let up on its own and the item would fall to the track. Also, you lose the interactive speaker that's in the Wii's Remote. The game uses the speaker all the time to deliver sound effects. When you hit a wall, or come down from a jump, or perform a trick you'll hear it through the remote. Even better, when you're about to get hit with a weapon the remote will emit a warning sound allowing you a couple of seconds to whip out a defensive item if you have one in waiting. New to the game are tricks, which are pulled off by rapidly pulling the remote or steering wheel back while launching off a ramp or hill. When successful, the driver will do a trick animation and upon landing will receive a speed boost. This is more difficult with the GameCube controller as you have to press the D-Pad, which involves taking your thumb off the Control Stick for a split second. It's not intuitive and really seems like an afterthought. Bottom line? Use the Remote or the Remote and Nunchuk combo and you'll get the most out of the game.

For the most part the standard weapon set returns, complete with: green, red, and blue shells, mushrooms, bananas, the star, fake item blocks, and the dreaded lightning bolt. New to the game are the POW block (spins everyone out), the lightning cloud (shrinks the person who has it; to get rid of it you have to touch another racer to pass it along), and the mega mushroom (super-sizes you so you can run over anyone in your way). Also making a return from the DS version are the Blooper (throws ink on your rivals' screens), Bullet Bill (turns your vehicle into a Bullet Bill on cruise control wiping out everyone in your path), and Bob-ombs (throw to cause an explosion or drag behind you to drop).

Features I Like

1. Items can be held behind vehicles - I like being able to use items as defensive weapons. Bananas and shells can be held behind your vehicle once again to avoid those pesky green and red shells. This feature was taken out of Mario Kart Double Dash and wasn't available in the online portion of Mario Kart DS. Thankfully the developers have put it back in to Mario Kart Wii, both offline and online.
   
2. Stat Keeping - This game keeps track of nearly everything you do in the game.
   
3. Good Speaker & Rumble Use - The speaker is used for many different things in the game, and it adds a level of immersion to feel your controller shake and also hear the crash through the Remote.
   
4. Ambient Sound Effects - The Wii doesn't support Dolby Digital 5.1, but this game really shows off ambient sound effects. In one level you'll drive past a steamboat filled with Toads cheering you on. In a few levels the music will slightly change when you enter a cave or enter a tube and of course the sounds of your vehicle will echo as well.
   
5. Upgraded Visuals - The older tracks have been revamped to not only look great, but also feature some new hazards.
   
6. Music - Mario Kart probably isn't at the top of anyone's favorite game music list, but this one features some really nice tunes and the classics are great, especially the SNES levels.
   
7. Online - Flawless so far, after over a week of playing. Easy to find friends and join up and the game plays great online.
   
8. Tons To Do - This game packs in the features. You could spend weeks just playing the Time Trials or downloading Ghost data to try and beat.

Features I Don't Like

1. Ghost Power-Up Gone - A staple in the series has been removed. No more ghost power-up! This was a great weapon that allowed your kart to become invisible for a short time, but the best part was stealing your friends' weapons and pissing them off. Sad to see it disappear for the more annoying weapons, like the POW block.
   
2. Character Voices - Is it just me, or do the character voices sound really odd? Wario doesn't sound at all like he did in the N64 version and many of the characters simply sound horrible, especially Diddy Kong. What were they thinking?
   
3. No 2-Player GP Mode - This is a glaring omission. Previous games in the series allowed 2 players to gang up on the computer in the Grand Prix mode. This has been taken out, which makes the game a lot more difficult to beat, especially since there are now 11 computer racers after you instead of the usual 7. Lack of a second player makes the game more frustrating than ever.
   
4. Battle Mode - What happened here? Why do I have to be on a team? Why do my 3 balloons come back after I've lost them? This mode is still fun, but these game-altering decisions should have been options instead.
   
5. Baby Characters - Get rid of them all. There are so many other cool characters that could be used. Where's Wart, Kamek, Mouser, Clyde, or even the Kooplings?

Mario Kart Wii is a great multiplayer experience. It should appeal to anyone who likes games and I have a hunch the Wii Wheel will bridge the gap by inviting new gamers into the fold. The new tracks are fun and the old ones are a joy to play through again with some enhancements. The addition of bikes to the game doesn't really seem to add much and it IS called Mario KART, but more options are always nice I suppose. The game loses a bit of its luster if you're only going to play single player. The DS version at least had some challenge modes to play through for those going solo, but here the emphasis is clearly on partnering with some friends. Mario Kart Wii is the ultimate multiplayer experience on the Wii, and a must-own title for anyone serious about gaming.