The 'Shroom:Issue LXVIII/MK:WTC

Mario Kart: Wheel Tips Corner by

Hello, Mario Karters to the Mario Kart: Wheel Tips Corner. This is a special month, guys. Nintendo has chosen this date to finally release the Wii U in North America! The new Nintendo console will be released on Sunday, November 18, but Europe and Australia will get it too on Friday, November 30. And while we wait for those dates, Nintendo reveals new information about its features, new details about its software, online service, Miiverse, etc. We expect that the Wii U will get successful sales during these releases, and listen to reviews and other unknown details about the console and its launch games.

Now let's continue with our tip for this month. Today I'll talk about two more vehicles from Mario Kart Wii. These are the Jetsetter and the Flame Runner. Both of these vehicles are suited for Large characters, so the other size classes, Small and Medium cannot use them.



The Jetsetter (or Aero Glider in PAL Regions) is a Kart that resembles a Le Mans Prototype, a vehicle used in races. The Jetsetter features a three-pointed nose with the central point being shorter and thicker. The points on the sides each have a big headlamp. It has blue wheels, a rear fin and a single dual exhaust port in the back. The decals of the characters are located over the nose in the center and the sides of the kart. It is unlocked by receiving at least a one star rank in all the 150cc Retro Cups. These are its stats:

Like it's real life counterpart, made for races at great speed, this kart has great speed. The Jetsetter is the fastest kart in the game. Its weight looks average but it is the lightest kart among the large class, making it comparable to some karts of the medium class. However, despite its great speed, the other stats of the Jetsetter are rather low. The drift and acceleration are below average, something common in the vehicles within this size class, but the handling, off-road and mini-turbo are the worst in the game. These stats can be challenging for an expert player, specially during professional races, as the kart does not have enough strength to surpass the obstacles that are present in the competitions, like the items and the in-course gimmicks. The Jetsetter, however can be useful in time trials.



The next vehicle will be a bike, the Flame Runner also called Bowser Bike in PAL regions. As it PAL name suggests, this bike resembles Bowser in the shape of a motorbike. The front is shaped like his head. No other vehicles in the game has such features for other playable characters. The characters' decal is rather small on this bike and is located on the sides. The rear of the Flame Runner has a pair of little spikes behind the seat, resembling Bowser´s tail and a pair of large exhaust pipes come out behind the bike. Now let's see its stats:

The Flame Runner's highlights are its speed and weight. It's the second fastest bike of the Large size class and its weight is tied with a Standard Bike L. Its Mini-Turbo and Drift are quite good, one of the best large bikes at this. In contrast, its acceleration and off-road are low, which is typical for a large bike. The Flame Runner has overall excellent stats, that is the most used bike by expert players in several types of races. The reason comes specially with its Mini-turbo power and drift combined with a great speed. Because of its quality, it's not surprising when playing online that you see at least eight players out of twelve using this bike just to be the fastest.

And that's all the tips for today, Karters. See you next time for the last tip of this year here in Mario Kart: Wheel Tips Corner.