We didn't really expect
Mario Kart Wii to have much in common with
Wii Fit other than sales, but that's the approach Nintendo is taking with the kart racer's online features. Nintendo previously announced that
Mario Kart Wii will use a "
Mario Kart Channel" that, like the
Wii Fit Channel, stays accessible from the Wii Menu even when the disc is not in the drive. You can use this Channel to view and download ghost data of other players and race against them (presumably you'll need the disc for the racing parts). Nintendo has released additional information about this Channel which reveals just how useful and smart their detached Channels can be.
The Channel lets you register friends and check their online status (awesome), look at rankings, and view the current Competition. What's a Competition? "Nintendo will on a regular basis invite players to speedy challenges similar to the Missions of
Mario Kart DS." It kind of sounds like Nintendo is actually
encouraging online play for once.
{ Mar 5th 2008 at 9:45AM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shortbuser @ Mar 5th 2008 10:27AM
Bracing for Nintendo to 'revise' this statement.
(Much like the Text Chatting and Number of Karts you can race against)
Tom @ Mar 5th 2008 10:40AM
If this all holds true then: "It's about damn time!"
Seriously, Nintendo needs to encourage a greater Online community for both 1st and 3rd party games. Breaking ground with their own titles might help pave the way for other games.
Worms: A Space Oddity - I loathe you for lack on online play...
Mr Khan @ Mar 5th 2008 10:48AM
Taking the draconian restraints of their network into consideration, they'll really maxing this game out in terms of online features
Moreso at least than Brawl is, beats the hell out of it by comparison (although downloadable stages will work out neatly)
Kyle @ Mar 5th 2008 11:38AM
know what would be awesome?!??! If you had a wii fit balanceboard, if you could use it as gas and brake pedals on mario kart. it would be kinda like how they have the head-tracking in BOOMBLOX... there if you want it, but you dont need it, as in an easter egg
Justin @ Mar 5th 2008 12:28PM
Now lets just hope the release date isn't moved backed like everything else has been. A month before the game comes out is when they usually do it. So any day now.
Mr Khan @ Mar 5th 2008 2:15PM
Oh i think it'll be delayed for North America. It will probably be delayed until sometime in Summer, like maybe June or July, probably the same time PAL gets Brawl
Mostly just so the big releases don't clash and eat each other's sales away. I hope this scenario occurs, actually, because Okami fits in neatly right where it is, and if MK Wii comes out in April, i'll have to put off Okami
Sonic_13 @ Mar 5th 2008 3:45PM
It either has to be April or June/summer. As March is Brawl's month and May will see both Wii Fit and WiiWare.
I would be a little surprised to see them not release it in April. It it was April they could essentially get the online community going for all major regions at once.
Joe Cart @ Mar 5th 2008 1:21PM
bout' time they start taking online play seriously... voicechat better be next in the works
Gun Barrier @ Mar 5th 2008 3:25PM
i hope this lets us see the online status for any game, besides kart. like brawl.
Sonic_13 @ Mar 5th 2008 3:38PM
"It kind of sounds like Nintendo is actually encouraging online play for once."
That is just a low, cheap shot and it just isn't true. Nintendo has more than encouraged online play in the past. I would've expected better from you guys.
Atlantis1982 @ Mar 5th 2008 5:22PM
Yet, it wasn't even bothered with this channel idea for Brawl. -.-
Hame @ Mar 5th 2008 7:22PM
Sounds really cool. Mario Kart is fast becoming my most anticipated Wii game.
op @ Mar 6th 2008 8:33AM
finally they are doing what Microsoft is doing for the past 6 years..
nice..
Omega @ Mar 13th 2008 9:22AM
I would hardly consider this full featured online functionality.
Most of Nintendos online offerings are nothing worth jumping up and down about. They're always offering leader boards or other static and boring offerings. It gets stale very quickly and eventually the online features become these mini ghost towns.
Why? Obviously, there is little payoff or worthwhile benefit for gamers to post a bunch of statistics and ghost data. Why not do what makes sense and let people race against each other?!
They may as well not even bother at this rate, a title labelled "Nintendo Wi-Fi enabled" isn't worth what most people will interpret it as: Online multiplayer gameplay.
When are they going to blow the doors open and finally reach for internet multiplayer and more open content exchange?
Wii is a great system that took a step outside the box, but Nintendo has yet to jump out with both feet...