Mario Kart Memories, pt. 6 - Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

This is part six of a feature on the history of Mario Kart. Today we talk about the most recent console iteration, Mario Kart Wii.

It's no secret that the Wii has been an enormous success. The motion controls and the Wii Sports game took the world by storm, invading households, schools, and rest homes across the world. Nintendo used this motion control to create Mario Kart Wii, the first Mario Kart game to actually let you steer.

Mario Kart Wii originally came with a Wii Wheel. It was a wheel (duh) with a space for the Wii Remote. You can use it to steer your kart just like you would a car. It works really well, actually. Of course, standard controls are available for lazy people like me.

Mario Kart Wii also introduced motorcycles to the Mario Kart universe. Motorcycles can wheelie on straightaways to gain a little speed, but they control differently and do not have the same drift boosts that karts do. It certainly adds some variety to the race.

In addition to motorcycles, players can choose between 5 different karts and 5 different bikes for each racer size class (small, medium, large). The small players get the Blue Falcon. Yes, you read that right. The legendary F-Zero car makes an appearance, and it's one of the fastest karts in the game (the steering sucks, though).

First Played: The day this game came out, I just happened to be at the store and they just happened to put one (just one) copy on the shelf as I was walking past. I grabbed it right then and went home to play it. I was impressed by the motion controls, and kind of annoyed at how hard some of the tracks are. Even now, I think Mario Kart Wii is the most difficult in the series in terms of tracks. But once I figured them out, I enjoyed them. And then I continued to enjoy them. Even now, I find myself enjoying them.

I remember the moment when I finally beat the final GP on the hardest difficulty. I just barely squeaked past stupid freaking Daisy and her stupid freaking face on Rainbow Road. It was a glorious day. Then I immediately started another GP.

Occasionally, I would play online with friends. While you can't laugh in people's faces when playing online, you can still find joy in pushing them off a cliff on the last lap. Or waiting until they get in first place to use the blue shell. Or hitting them with every item you have, even if it means getting last and going the wrong way on the course.

Best Track: Toad's Factory - Pretty much any track with Toad in the name is going to be the best track. Luckily, this one has Toad in the name, and it's awesome. Toad's Factory has you driving around a track filled with conveyor belts, giant pistons that can smash you, and crates full of items. It's hectic racing excitement! As you can see, the track itself is rather simple, but it's the track elements that make it a challenge. As long you can stay out of the water and the mud and make sure not to fall of a conveyor belt or get squished by a giant piston, you'll be fine!

Best New Item: Mega Mushroom - Pulled straight out of New Super Mario Bros., the Mega Mushroom makes you gigantic, letting you run over people, items, cows, and almost anything else. It's a fantastic item that's rare, but is tons of fun. Granted, you won't get it unless you are quite a ways behind, but that's pretty much the case with any good item. Note that you are not invincible from a Starman or Bullet Bill, but pretty much anything else will be smashed by you. If you love smashing things, you will love this item. If you don't love smashing things, then you should probably see a doctor.

(Mario Kart Wii is available in stores everywhere. It is playable on Wii and Wii U.)