It's rare when a game's title perfectly captures the essence of its gameplay—such is the case with Mario Kart Wii. From our hands-on time with the game during Nintendo's Media Summit in San Francisco last week, it's clear that this truly is classic Mario Kart slapped onto Wii--nothing more, nothing less. The game smartly sticks to the basics, altering the racing mechanics little in the shift to this new platform.
New courses, vehicles, and even online play provide added value to the game, but it's driving via the Wii Remote that differentiates the game from previous installments. Driving can be done using a Wii Remote turned on its side or inserted into a Wii Wheel, which is included with the game. In both cases, holding down the 2 button allows you to accelerate and the 1 button acts as a brake.
Steering correlates to movements of the Remote or Wheel—simply put, tilt the Wheel to the left or right and your kart drifts in that direction. Initially, the lack of precision in steering with motion controls makes it seem inferior to using an analog stick; however, there's no denying the energetic feel of twisting the Remote while zipping through races. You're free to connect a GameCube controller, although the Remote works fine. The B button, which is used for power sliding when handling is set to manual, is larger on the Wheel than the Remote; although, it doesn't make the Wheel better than the Remote for sliding. Using the Wii Wheel is far from necessary; in fact, there is no discernible benefit to sitting the Remote inside the plastic shell. Sure, it comes packed in with the game but the advantage to using the Wheel over the Remote alone isn't clear.
Since steering is done by moving the Remote or Wheel, the directional pad comes in handy for using items. You simply tap up to use your currently equipped item or hold down to shoot it behind you. You can even drag an item at your side by holding down left or right on the directional pad. Nearly all of the items are holdovers from previous installments ranging from mushroom boosts to homing red shells and invincibility stars.
Deploying items becomes vital to winning when competing in a slate of a dozen racers. Whether you're driving solo or with buddies in multiplayer, you'll have to contend with relentless computer-controller racers. Placing in the top three proved difficult in the few races we finished. Characters drive perfectly through the tracks, which makes it challenging to zoom ahead and secure pole position. Items give you an edge, especially since computer-controlled racers tend not to be aggressive with offensive items.
Making a clean run through the new courses is the first step to staying competitive. You won't be able to even use items on your opponents if you fall too far behind because you keep veering off-track or crashing into obstacles. Three new courses highlighted our hands-on preview: DK Summit, Coconut Mall, and Wario's Gold Mine. By far the most difficult is Wario's Gold mine, a lengthy track that weaves through mining caves. As you follow the winding curves of the course, bats flying into your kart slow you down and the lack of rails make it easy to slide off the track.
DK Summit offers a slightly easier ride, although it still dishes out a good challenge. Instead of rolling through the tropical jungle, this Donkey Kong-themed stage actually slides down the side of a snowy mountain peak. Thick snow banks serve to slow down racers, whereas slippery ice patches make steering tough. A notch down in difficulty, Coconut Mall doesn't feature any obstacles that alter handling; however, there are plenty of objects that can easily bring your kart to a grinding halt. Navigating through the colorful mall requires scaling escalators and weaving through tight hallways lined with pillars. Go up the wrong escalator or slam into a pillar and you're guaranteed a spot at the bottom of the pack.
