Mario Kart Wii

On Nintendo Wii
A world challenger
Alongside delights such as Bomberman, Halo and Guitar Hero, Mario Kart has been the mainstay of any self respecting multiplayer party, it's legend sealed with the first iteration on the SNES.
To compare Mario Kart Wii to the original is a fools errand though – the changes to the series over the years have wrought it into a very different beast, this time including motorbikes, stunts and online play.
Of course there are many similarities – Mario and co race round zany tracks, firing red shells and dropping bananas in a bid to be first past the finish line. In the olden days it was all about the racing line, these days it's more about luck.
With 12 racers now involved, item usage has increased with new additions like POW Blocks that spin-out opponents, causing races to become even more chaotic and spectacular than before, for better or for worse.
Bearing many similarities to the excellent DS game, Mario Kart Wii's new tracks are a carnival of obstacles, speed boosts and jump pads. With a flick of the Wiimote after a jump, your plucky racer can pull an aerial stunt which rewards with a speed boost. Motorbikes can also do speed boosting wheelies while karts get bigger drift boosts, keeping things balanced and different enough to warrant.
With motion sensing the Wii's 'thing', Mario Kart proudly promotes it with a free Wii Wheel to strap your controller into. The motion sensing is surprisingly accurate but ultimately doesn't beat the analogue stick for that sense of control.
Supporting up to four friends racing on one telly, the real difference between this and the original is online play. Racing with up to 11 other Mii faced people from around the world, games are chaotic and fun, and, impressively, can even be raced splitscreen with a friend.
Hoping to level the playing field between experienced players and it's new market, Nintendo have unfortunately robbed the game of much skill. Thankfully Time Trial challenges and exchangeable Ghost Data hold some addictive respite for those concerned with speed, for the rest of us it's an enjoyable riot of shocks and surprises with friends and strangers. Against its cruel AI though is a different story...
7/10