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Wii
Mario Kart
Wii
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New Import,
Restock on Monday |
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Update: April 10, 2008 at 2:25PM EST
Due to a crush of orders, we are sold out of Mario Kart
Wii as of the time listed above. We expect
restock in 3-5 days. Thanks.
NCS
Game Synopsis
«©NCSX»
Mario and friends ride again in the Wii version of
Mario Kart which is bundled with a
driving wheel called the Wii Handle. Please note the
Wii Handle isn't actually a working controller but
rather an ornamental accessory in which the Wiimote
is slotted into for tactile driving action. Once the
Wiimote is bolted onto the front slot of the Wii
Handle, grab the wheel and twist and turn it in
mid-air like a steering wheel. Welcome to the
magical versatility of the Wii. Despite the magic
however, we still prefer playing the game with the
nunchuk and Wiimote for better accuracy.
In addition to standard karts, players
may also ride upon motorbikes for added variety to
the racing action. The Wi-Fi online mode allows up
to 12 racers to compete against each other.
Jan Code: 4902370516463
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NCS
Game Notes
»
The Wiimote controls are:
A - View behind your racer
1 - Brakes
2 - Accelerate
B - Launch weapon
An alternative control scheme allows the use of the Nunchuk in
conjunction with the Wiimote.
» The game is playable with just the Wiimote by
itself if you don't feel like bolting the controller
into the Wii Handle. Simply hold it horizontally and
tilt it to the left or right to tackle the turns. To
increase the angle of your turn, tilt it further.
» The third racecourse has the karts hopping on
mushroom tops along the track which have to be
bounced upon in sequence in order to get to the
other side. If you veer off course, you'll drop into
the abyss. There's an alternate route for racers who
don't want to take a risk on the mushroom pathway.
The third course also features Goombas who wander
around the track without regard for their lives. If
a racer hits a Gooma, his vehicle will spin out. In
later tracks, cows, burrowing moles, and other
creatures also provide obstacles to avoid when
throttling through a course.
» In addition to the banana peels and koopa shells
used for offensive attacks, there's also a squid-ink
weapon which obscures your field of vision with dark
splotches on the screen which eventually slide away.
There are some weapon power-ups that are too
powerful. For example, we were leading in one race
by a wide margin but then we got hit by what seemed
to be lightning followed by a zooming koopa shell
from behind. The coup de grace was a whizzing aerial
bomb-thing that blew our racer to kingdom come.
» When Baby Mario passes a competitor, he'll turn
his head and squeak "Bye Bye."
» Drift mechanics are in evidence.
» The game racing options are 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc
at the outset. The 50cc races are easy while the
100cc are somewhat more challenging. The 150cc races
are very challenging and the COM-controlled
competitors seem to have an edge when it comes to
maintaining leaderboard positioning during a race.
» The 12 characters featured in the game are:
Baby Mario
Mr. Toad
Mario
Yoshi
Wario
Donkey Kong
Baby Peach
Princess Peach
Koopa
Luigi
Waluigi
Bowser
» If you choose Baby Peach and a 100cc race, she can
ride on three types of motorbikes including one
that's shaped like a bullet. A pink pullet. In the
150cc race, Baby Mario can choose from six different
vehicles including one that's a souped-up baby
carriage. When Baby Mario loses, he'll bawl in his
vehicle and cry out, "Oh no, Ima Lose" or "Mama
Mia."
» When taking a ramp, whip the Wiimote upwards to
perform a twirling stunt or a heels-over-head
loop-de-loop if you're on a motorbike. Motorbike
racers can also pop a wheelie by twitching the
Wiimote upwards which gives a slight improvement in
speed for a short moment.
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NCS Freeloader Update
«©NCSX»
NCS heard news about Mario Kart Wii
[JP] working and then not working on USA consoles
from different sources. Since second-hand
information can never be trusted 100%, we tested the game
ourselves this morning on a USA Wii with v3.0U
firmware and the Freeloader boot disc.
1) Powered up the USA Wii and loaded the Freeloader.
Waited for the two color bars to appear and then
inserted Mario Kart Wii. The game appears on the Wii
Channel but upon choosing it, the screen goes black
and the system locks up. We suspected newer firmware
was needed.
2) Inserted Smash Bros Brawl into the USA Wii and
upgraded the firmware to 3.1U. Reset the system and
then inserted the Freeloader. The color bars appear
and we plugged Mario Kart Wii into the drive once
again. Mario Kart showed up on the Wii Channel and
we booted it. This time:
THE GAME WORKS
3) As usual, we have to test everything for
ourselves instead of relying on wonky third party
information but here it is again:
If you have a USA Wii with 3.1U
firmware and the Freeloader, you will be able to
play Japanese Mario Kart Wii. Our MK Game Notes
linked below were taken on a USA Wii running the
game this morning.
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This document and photos are ©NCSX 2008. All rights
reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of
this document may be made without express written
consent of National Console Support, Inc. |
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