Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart Wii is the latest installment of the Mario Kart series. Designed from the ground up for the Wii, a Wii Wheel will be packed into the North American release to allow for a more realistic steering experience. Announced at Nintendo’s E3 2007 conference by Reggie Fils-Aime, little information has been released about the game. Its current title is tentative and may change as its release nears. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was confirmed for this game.

Gameplay
Mario Kart Wii is based off of its predecessors. A number of players race to the finish in a multi-lap race around a given circuit. Along the way, players may employ items, horseplay, and shortcuts to earn first place.

It should also be known that a new feature called "Stunts" is now a part of gameplay. In accordance to this, when player performs a stunt, the player is able to gain a momentary boost of speed, as so getting item boxes floating in the air. A possible example of stunt is pulling off acrobatics in air, which are performed by shaking the Wii Wheel up.

Controlling the Kart
The main feature is the use of the motion sensing of the Wii Remote. By tilting the remote, players can steer their karts. Nintendo hopes to address some of the issues game critics faced with Excitetruck, the first racing game Nintendo published for the Wii, by making Mario Kart Wii compatible with the Wii Wheel. Since the Wii Remote is designed to be inserted into the Wii Wheel (as it is not an independent controller) players can also play without the Wheel. So far, Mario Kart Wii showed the compability of playing using any type of crontroller, which can be the Wii Remote with the Nunchuck attached, the Wii Classic Controller or the GameCube controller. (Similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl).

Modes of Play
These game modes are confirmed by Nintendo.


 * Grand Prix
 * Versus
 * Mission
 * Battle

Nintendo has explicitly confirmed the presence of a Battle Mode in this game. Additionally, both normal races and battles are playable online through the use of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (WFC). This is the second game in the series to utilize the WFC and the first to allow for online battles. Battles will now cater to 12 players via Wi-Fi connection. confirmation here

It is also possible that Mirror mode may appear in the game as its predecessors. As evidence, Luigi drives in a mirrored version of Mario Circuit 1 (or 3), which, Luigi's L symbol is mirrored.

It is unlikely that the two-player tournament mode will be discontinued, as it has been a series staple since Super Mario Kart, except Mario Kart DS. This was because players can make a Grand Prix within Versus mode.

On versus and battle modes, players have an option of teaming up with other players. such feature appeared also in Mario Kart DS, where players could choose which team would join.

Major Changes
While every previous Mario Kart game allowed for a maximum of eight racers on each course, up to twelve have been seen in video footage of Mario Kart Wii this could possibly be online. Reggie Fils-Aime promised that Nintendo would release more information about this in the future. As such, it is possible more than twelve may be on a track at one time. No information is available as to the number of players that can participate in the Battle Mode or the online modes.

It is unknown if the title continues the tradition of using personalized decals for Karts, a concept first seen in the DS incarnation of the series. It is unconfirmed as to the number of Karts that will be available to each character. On a side note, the two-person Karts from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! have not appeared, but the possibility has neither been confirmed nor denied.

A notorious change of the game, based on reviews and notes, is the snaking removal, which players tend to gain several consecutive mini-turbos after performing a powersliding. So far, performing a mini-turbo depends on how long a player can hold the button for drifting. However, there is a strategy to use drifting, something that has always kept on each Mario Kart game, as managing drifts to avoid losing speed.

In the last Nintendo event (10/09/2007), Nintendo confirmed Motorbikes as vehicles in the game. Peach is shown in an alternate outfit while riding a motorbike and her traditional outfit while riding her kart. Additionally, two motorbikes have been revealed for Peach. Also the Wario Bike is going to return.

Mario Kart Wii will feature a text chat on Wi-Fi mode, which players can write and send small texts to other users before a race.

Playable Characters
A total of twelve Mario characters are available from the start, while six more can be unlocked.

Unlockables

 * Diddy Kong -  Middle Weight
 * Baby Luigi -  Light Weight
 * Princess Daisy -  Middle Weight
 * Boo -  Heavy Weight
 * Birdo -  Middle Weight

Misc.

 * Mii

Courses
Several racetracks have been revealed in the media put out by Nintendo. Both new tracks and famous old ones from previous games have been seen. It is unconfirmed if the old stages will be in the final version as they were in Mario Kart DS. The DS version’s first video and demo used an old track, Yoshi Circuit, that later appeared in the game.

Race courses will be divided into various Cups again: Confirmed are Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup for new courses and Shell Cup and Banana Cup for old courses.

New Courses
Several distinct courses have been identified from the media. At now, there has been confirmed sixteen new courses, a feature that has appeared along with Mario Kart 64 to Mario Kart DS. Other courses may have been missed due to the montage nature of the video released to the public.

Luigi Circuit
A new version of Luigi Circuit was shown in E3 2007 and Nintendo's press conferences. The course has some Dash Panels on their curves, similar to the Luigi Circuit version from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Luigi's Hat trademark is shown over the audience, seen also in Mario Kart 64.

Moo Moo Meadows
A course resembling Moo Moo Farm from Mario Kart 64 will also appear in-game. This course is distinctly different from the version featured in Mario Kart 64 as players must dodge the cows crossing on the track.

Mushroom Gorge
A course located in a mountainous zone, with canyons. From the abyss, tall mushrooms rise over there, which the drivers can jump on their tops to pass the abyss. The track is not very protected, and any player could fall into the abyss and be off of the course. The course resembles somewhat to some high land stages from New Super Mario Bros where tall mushrooms acts like platforms.

Toad Factory
This course shows some conveyor belts on the track, which can change slightly the speed of the karts and some items that stand still on the track, like bananas and fake item boxes.

Mario Circuit
This course features Princess Peach's Castle and other stone buildings to the side of a very wide track. Lush lawns and trees can be seen at the sides. As such, Toad Town may have inspired this course. The stage's backdrop is reminiscent of World 1 from New Super Mario Bros. A blurry sign that may read "Mario Circuit" indicates that this course may be a new version of the classic.

Coconut's Mall
The course takes place around and inside of a mall or a department store. This course has two levels and features elevators which can be used to gain a short boost.

DK Summit
Seen in the Nintendo conference in 2007, the track bears a resemblanse to DK Pass where racers compete in a snowy-covered slope and racing along in a half-tunnel, similar to a snowboarding track. It is also shown that this course will include a cannon.

Wario's Gold Mine
A course with wide roads set in a canyon has been revealed. A sign with Wario’s face decorates the course along with Warp Pipes and cabins out of reach of the racers. This course features steep declines and sharp turns and may lend itself to the frantic, roller coaster game play of Wario Colosseum from Double Dash. Segments of the track lack siding to allow players to fall off. Additionally, this course employs Boost Pads.

Also, two other tracks are confirmed


 * Moomview Highway
 * Koopa Cape

Reappearing Courses
In addition to graphical updates, current footage indicates that the courses may receieve substantial size-increase. Nintendo has confirmed that they will be graphically updated. Currently there have been confirmed ten courses from previous Mario Kart games.

Shell Cup

 * Peach Beach (Mario Kart: Double Dash)
 * Yoshi Falls (Mario Kart DS)
 * Ghost Valley 2 (Super Mario Kart)
 * Mario Raceway (Mario Kart 64)

Banana Cup

 * Sherbet Land (Mario Kart 64)
 * Shy Guy Beach (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
 * Delfino Square (Mario Kart DS)
 * Waluigi Stadium (Mario Kart: Double Dash)

Other tracks
Screenshot of these courses appeared but it is unkown in which cup they are.
 * Mario Circuit 3 (Super Mario Kart)
 * DK Mountain (Mario Kart: Double Dash)
 * Yoshi Desert (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
 * Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)

Nitro

 * Block Plaza
 * Delfino Pier
 * Funky Stadium
 * Chain Chomp Wheel
 * Thwomp Desert

Retro

 * Battle Course 4 (SNES)
 * Battle Course 3 (GBA)
 * Skyscraper (N64)
 * Cookie Land (GCN)
 * Twilight House (DS)

Items
Nintendo has declined to comment on items or their uses at this point. Three new items have been spotted in the media released to the public which are the Mega Mushroom, the POW Block and the Thunder Cloud. Items can be earned by driving through Item Boxes on the courses. Once a player has done so, an item will be selected via the Item Roulette. In general, players tend to obtain a weak item as a banana or a green shell when they come first. However, if players are in second or a lower place, obtaining a powerful item, as a red shell or a thunderbolt respectively, is more frequent. The item-roulette sound effect comes from Mario Kart DS.


 * Mushroom
 * Golden Mushroom
 * Triple Mushrooms
 * Banana
 * Triple Bananas
 * Red Shell
 * Triple Red Shells
 * Green Shell
 * Triple Green Shells
 * Blooper
 * Blue Shell
 * Bob-omb
 * Star
 * Thunderbolt
 * Fake Item Box
 * Bullet Bill
 * POW Block
 * Mega Mushroom
 * Thunder Cloud