I gosh darn hate the motion controls in this, simply because I suck at using them, and since the wii-wheel was the new hot thing… yeah, my first experience with this game was a bit rocky.

Coming back to it years later, with the genius intellect to realise I could just… not play with the motion controls, I had an absolute blast. The track selection is amazing, kart selection is nice and snappy compared to 8 Deluxe, but more than all of that, I just relish in the absolute chaos that this game brings. I’ve played a lot of different mario kart games and I feel like the balancing in this one has to be on drugs, because it feels like a total warzone on the track, and I love it. Keeps things fresh and makes for a great time with buddies.

Mario Kart Wii brings a vibrant and chaotic twist to the classic kart racing formula. With the introduction of motorcycles and the motion-controlled Wii Wheel, this installment adds a unique layer to the frenetic races. Mario Kart Wii boasts a massive roster of characters, a wide selection of tracks with both original and retro designs, and the return of 12-player mayhem. While the item balance can sometimes feel frustrating and competitive online play is notorious for its intensity, Mario Kart Wii offers endless hours of party-style fun and nostalgic joy for both casual and dedicated players.

Having a chance to reflect on Wii as a game through unlocking everything for the first time gives me a chance to reflect on it a little bit more than multiplayer revisits brimming with nostalgia, and as such has helped me realise that while it's still a great game, it's one bested by others both before and after it in nearly every department for me. Double Dash and DS nail the track design and have better single player experiences (also DS is still my favourite to play due to the complexity of the drifting system, something that while gone from this game it manages to replace very well), and 7/8 are much better at presentation and variety especially owing to 8D's number of tracks on display.

MKW is often a game that feels larger than life due to what online multiplayer and leaderboards spawned, as well as the completely overhauling mods that I still think of more when I think of this game, but as the basegame itself goes... It's pretty middling. I'd still highly rate it as a multiplayer experience especially alongside a trackpack like CTGP. but as a base it's pretty solid but far from the best the series has to offer.