This is what taking Mario Kart online looks like

by David Hinkle { Apr 10th 2008 at 10:30AM }

For those of you who don't want to settle for just some screenshots of the game's online menus, check out the video above. And, as you would imagine, the interface is slick (got to love that globe and player locator) and allows you to get your game on relatively easily. Oh boy, are we ever dying to get our hands on this!

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Tags: mario-kart, mario-kart-wii, racer, racing

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

josh @ Apr 10th 2008 10:45AM

hell ya that looks great, my question is why do some Miis show them waiving thier hands and others dont?

cantbeatmegaman @ Apr 10th 2008 3:01PM

I'm sure it's purely random. Just to put some variety into the Mii poses.

Perverted @ Apr 10th 2008 10:55AM

I've played the game.....I shall complete it later on. I am yet to test online, hope all is smooth. I prefer using the GC pad. It is a good/fun game, as if you didn't know that!

Karrde @ Apr 10th 2008 11:07AM

Also what is the significance of the wheel by the name, does lack of a wheel represent using alternative controls?

Pierre @ Apr 10th 2008 11:21AM

Yeah the wheel icon indicates the player is using the Wii Wheel. It doesn't really signify anything other than that.

Mr Khan @ Apr 10th 2008 2:45PM

But how can the Wii tell, or do they consider the Wiil just the Wiimote w/ nothing?

Also, is your username based off Talon Karrde from the Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels? (Thrawn Trilogy, Hand of Thrawn) If so, that's awesome

Pie Pants @ Apr 10th 2008 8:46PM

"But how can the Wii tell, or do they consider the Wiil just the Wiimote w/ nothing?"

The two Wiimote options are the wheel or with a nunchuck. If you don't have the nunchuck plugged in, it assumes you're using the wheel.

Pierre @ Apr 10th 2008 11:04AM

I can't quite figure out how he gets from 8th to 1st at the very last second.

Dreganfyre @ Apr 10th 2008 11:11AM

Yeah! If you watch the little map, all the other racers sort of stop moving just before getting to the finish line... Kinda weird.

Brian @ Apr 10th 2008 11:17AM

Everyone was at the left side or/and Right side on the grass area, he used a mushroom and zoomed past them.

I can't quite figure out how everyone is on the grass area letting him pass by.

RosuNamikaze [BRAWL: 2191-7424-4335] @ Apr 10th 2008 11:05AM

what was the reason for it cutting off like that?
has there been any problems with lag yet?

it looks awesome fun :) can't wait for tomorrow!

Silverbullet767 @ Apr 10th 2008 11:15AM

Less than 8 hours before I pick up my copy in 24 hour tesco :)

TheCoats @ Apr 10th 2008 11:17AM

I laughed......I cried......It became apart of me.....And I think I poo'd a little

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 10th 2008 11:18AM

Mario Kart is coming out tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8JnQjSCjQ

TheCoats @ Apr 10th 2008 11:21AM

i thought i comes out on the 27th??.....or do all of you not live in the US??

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 10th 2008 11:30AM

London, I mean the Pal regions, get the game tomorrow. I think it's because Brawl has been indefinitely delayed.

But I don't think I'll be getting Mario Kart tomorrow. It's sold out everywhere I've checked - just Amazon, but still.

Patrick @ Apr 10th 2008 11:31AM

We Americans don't get it until the end of the month...BOO! You Asians and Europeans will have the advantage during online play (for a short time anyway). :)

Keith Benedict @ Apr 10th 2008 11:52AM

I'm sure the game will be loads of fun and everything, but how is it better than previous iterations of the game? The graphics don't look any better than the N64 version. Is the fact that you can use the Wiimote and wheel supposed to make up for this?

At some point, Wii game developers are going to have to start pushing the envelope on the visual presentation of these games because, quite frankly, they aren't different enough from what the GameCube and N64 versions looked like for me to spend my hard-earned money on them.

Anthony @ Apr 10th 2008 12:14PM

Please watch a video of the N64 version and stfu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B7jrwHCmT0

Now tell me, do you still believe Mario kart Wii looks like the N64 version graphics wise?

Keith Benedict @ Apr 10th 2008 12:32PM

Sorry, but I just don't see a significant difference. It definitely looks a bit better when you compare the N64 version to the Wii version, but when you compare the GameCube version to the Wii, the comparisons really start to look similar.

Mario Kart 64 was release just over 11 years ago. Think of the advancements in consoles and gaming that have occurred over the last 11 years. Does the Wii version really look 11 years better than the N64 version? The main reason the Wii version looks better than the N64 version is the N64's limit on the size of textures. Plop a CD or DVD drive on an N64, and the graphics would probably be pretty close (just as they are on the GameCube version).

I think we need to start expecting more from Nintendo and game developers. Because other than online play and the Wiimote, this new version is just a slightly more polished version of what was released in 2003.

hvnlysoldr @ Apr 10th 2008 3:51PM

PK STAAAAARRRSSTTTOOOORRRMMM!

meist3r @ Apr 10th 2008 4:45PM

Can't wait to get up tomorrow. The delivery guy usually shows up around noon so I can play maybe an hour before I have to leave for work. And then the weekend is all mine. I'm really anxious to see what this game is like.

Gewurztraminer says: R.O.B. is the last Cylon! @ Apr 10th 2008 9:16PM

With regards to the Wii not being a graphical powerhouse, I would just like to say two things:

1) old news

2) Wii Don't Care

Matthew @ Apr 10th 2008 12:33PM

Why can't brawl at least identify the ppl u play with like kart? pffff Also I don't like how the character model looks sitting on top of the bike.. seems glued to it, meh... but i'll pick it up when it rls over here in canada

JayPer @ Apr 10th 2008 12:52PM

i love the mario kart series so much, but i am extremely worried that this game is not going to live up to the hype. i really hope that i am wrong on this one. i want this game to be great, but from everything that i have seen so far it just doesn't seem like it is going to happen. only time will tell i guess.

Ryan @ Apr 10th 2008 1:11PM

@Keith Benedict
Dude, seriously, you should reconsider your views, when comparing Mario Kart Wii to Mario Kart 64 and to Mario Kart Double Dash. Did you watch some of the 2 hour clip on Mario Kart Wii? There are far more technical advances than graphics, that you are not seeing.
For example, the menu; the menu has a lot smoother graphics. Also showing clips of racing during selections is pretty impressive, while moving through the menu smoothly. That uses some processes on the processor. Transparent menus even make the game much prettier than its predecessors. If you try to deny that, compare this to Windows Vista, Linux, or Mac OS X, the transparent menus eat up some processes.
On to the graphics during gameplay, well, you may not really see it, but there are a ton of graphical adjustments to the Mario Kart Wii. More shadows, blurs, shading were added, making the graphics more enhanced than its predecessors. Again, comparing to a normal pc game, this makes a game look better and prettier.
Last of all, the gameplay, in general. Adding a 12-player multiplayer is pretty impressive. You get to play online by yourself, which is not really a biggy, but adding a 2-player online is even more impressive. Still not impressed? Well, there are 32 tracks to race, not including battle mode. Support for all control styles is another huge plus. Then last two things that are nice to have are Mii-integration and a Mario Kart Channel.

CJLopez @ Apr 10th 2008 1:19PM

Must be pretty annoying that the course selected is from someone who decided to be selected randomly, jajajajajaja, can't wait to get my hand on this title, shame it'll be till mid may or june, cuz i won't be going to the states on a little while

Geoff Gibson @ Apr 10th 2008 1:24PM

Game looks amazing. Been a huge fan of the series since the N64 version and I am extremely excited to get my hands on this one. :)

I don't know about the naysayers but I can definitely see the graphical difference between the last iterations of Mario Kart and this one.

Tom Hands @ Apr 10th 2008 2:30PM

Just been playing this online because GAME dispatched my copy early. Not that I'm complaining.
Online has been flawless for me so far, but I really don't like the new powerslide system. Sure, I was a snaker, and I could cope with the removal of snaking. What I can't cope with is the fact that I can't get a proper boost out of small corners anymore. I'm sure I'll get used to it though.
Also, the Wii Wheel is pretty good. It's uncomfortable, but I got used to it right away.