Mario Kart: Wii

Mario Kart is a long held Nintendo franchise with an unbeatable formula. It combines all the happiness of the mighty Mushroom Kingdom with the fun of frantic, lead-changing racing. Those of you familiar with the game's history will not be terribly suprised at what Nintendo has done with this installment... meaning... there is a familiarity here that you will sense right away. I do NOT mean, however, that this is a bad thing! This game does not only change a winning formula, but succeeds in creating a new high-watermark for the series.
A very nice, yet predictable Nintendo presentation is entact with one of the better menu systems I've yet used. Instead of your usual wacky Mario Kart menu, Nintendo has made the menu more ''Wii-like'' and user friendly. A clean, easy to use interface is complemented by a number of customizable options and variations on the main game experience. The single player Grand Prix mode is entact with 32 different tracks. (A new high, I believe.) There are 16 from previous Mario Kart installments and 16 brand new tracks. All of the tracks are very technical and interesting, with more than a few standouts and no real ''terrible'' courses. I have to admit, Nintendo is genus to include retro tracks in to the game, as many of the ones selected in this installment are some of my favorites from the SNES, GameCube, and DS systems. Battle mode is also included and allows you to duke it out with three other people or play online against players around the world. The ''Vs.'' mode that was first introduced into Mario Kart: DS has been included in this game as well. ''Vs.'' mode allows you to create your own Grand Prix cup race and lets you control a number of options including item frequency, CPU difficulty, and track selection. (There is also some very well done Mii integration. You can also race as your Mii in the single player game and online!)
Control with the Wii wheel is, I must admit, surprisingly responsive and fun. In fact, I have yet to try the games other control options. (You can use the GameCube controller, the Classic controller, or the Remote and Nunchuk) The Wii wheel actually adds a great deal of fun to the game, and you may find yourself never using the standard controller again as the use of the Wii wheel feels very natural. If you have more than one person in your household interested in playing this game, just save yourself the time and pick up an extra wheel while you are in the store. I promise you will not be disappointed. Im also very happy to report that ''Snaking'' is now impossible in this game too. (Snaking is a cheap mini-turbo trick that allowed you to turbo around the whole course.)
In my opinion, this game's biggest new feature is the online functionality. Hands down the most fluid and interesting online gaming on the Wii yet. It runs without any hiccups, worldwide, with 12 players at any given moment. The online is fast, frenzied and addictive. You only play for respect points online, with a win or a loss either adding points to your rating, or deducting them respectively. A nice new feature is the ability to race ghosts and see how your time trials compare to the rest of the world. Weekly tournaments have been added that feature a timed challenge. Friends can chat using around 100 pre-created phrases and are able to play a variety of modes, including Grand Prix and Battle mode.
There is nothing decidedly negative to say about this installment. There are a number of small frustrations associated with the items used in the game. (The blue shell makes a comeback.) And at times you will swear the CPU is cheating you. The sound is good overall but some characters voices will immediately get on your nerves. But all in all this is an excellent game worthy of your attention, especially those of you who are jonesin' for some serious Wii online action.


GRAPHICS AND PRESENTATION:
Clean, crisp and excellent. I have no complaints about the graphics or presentation at all. Many of the tracks and characters are well modeled and presented. Rich colorful enviroments and clean animations.

SOUND AND MUSIC:
I cant say anything terribly impressive about either the music or the sounds used in the game. I do like the retro music for the old tracks. Some characters voices are annoying.

GAMEPLAY:
Top notch. The Wii wheel is an excellent addition and a great way to play the game. The game moves fast and fluid with no slowdown, even online.

REPLAY FACTOR:
You will be playing this over and over again. With a distinctive online experience and a variety of single player modes, you will not tire of this Mario Kart installment anytime soon.


OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

Mario Strikers: Charged

Let me get this out of the way first, this is not a soccer game. Its not even really a sports game. Its better described as Mario Kart without the karts. If you want a genuine soccer title, pay FIFA a visit. What it is though, is a cut-throat action/sports game with soccer thrown in to give you an excuse to keep beating each other. This is not a bad thing however, as the title does deliver a better than average sports experience as well. Those of you familiar with just about any videogame Mario & Co. make an appearance in will not be suprised by MSC's vast array of Nintendo characters, items, and insanity. I must say from the moment I turned the game on I was very impressed with how well the game mechanics work. (i.e. the ease of control and fluidity of movement.) The Wii remote is very responsive and engaging, with a variety of motion controls added to keep things interesting. There are a decent number of options for the single player mode, including practice sessions, situational games (for example, you are down 2 goals and have 3 minutes to score them), and ''Road to the Striker Cup'', which could be described as the main game for the single player experience. The meat and potatoes of this game is the well designed multiplayer aspect. The online game is one of the better experiences on the Wii to this day. It is very seamless with little to no slowdown, a daily and weekly leaderboard, and some limited stat tracking. Connecting with other players takes no time at all. (In most cases.) My only gripe with the online mode is the menus can take some time to get outta the way so you can get back to the game. A minor flaw, but has led to some gripes from time to time.
If a Mario-themed soccer romp sounds like fun to you, go spend your money today. You wont be disappointed. However if you are a true soccer fan looking for authentic soccer action, you might pass this one by.


GRAPHICS AND PRESENTATION:
Nothing too flashy or different from what you are used to seeing on the Wii. The visuals are certainly not sub par by any means. Menus can be frustratingly slow during multiplayer bouts and slightly laggy throughout.

SOUND AND MUSIC:
Nothing short of great. There are a number of very catchy tunes and all the sound effects are well used.

GAMEPLAY:
Responsive and engaging. Shaking the Wii remote is a great way to ''tackle'' and and block goals during a Megastrike.

REPLAY FACTOR:
Plenty of replayability here... an addictive control scheme and fast multiplayer action.


OVERALL RATING: 8.25 out of 10