Mario Kart Wii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mario Kart Wii |
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Box art, depicting Mario and Luigi using the Wii Wheel
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Yasuyuki Oyagi |
| Producer(s) | Hideki Konno |
| Designer(s) |
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| Programmer(s) |
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| Artist(s) | Daisuke Kageyama |
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| Series | Mario Kart |
| Platform(s) | Wii |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Kart racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Mario Kart Wii is a super fun kart racing game that came out in 2008 for the Wii console. Nintendo made and published it. It's the sixth game in the popular Mario Kart series.
Just like other Mario Kart games, you get to play as awesome characters from the Mario world. They race on 32 different tracks and use cool items to get ahead or slow down rivals. You can play by yourself or with friends! Up to four players can race together on one screen.
Mario Kart Wii uses the Wii Remote's motion controls. This means you can steer by tilting the controller, just like a real steering wheel. Each game even came with a Wii Wheel accessory to make it feel even more real!
The game got great reviews when it was released. People loved the online mode, the characters, the fun gameplay, and the tracks. It sold over 37 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time!
Contents
How to Play: Get Ready to Race!
Mario Kart Wii is a kart racing game where you can play alone or with friends. You pick one of many cool characters from the Mario games. Then, you race go-karts or bikes on tracks inspired by places in the Mario world.
You see the race from behind your kart, like you're right there in the action. There are four ways to control your kart. The main way is using the Wii Remote, often with the Wii Wheel. You tilt the wheel to steer, just like a real car!
You can also use the Wii Remote with the Nunchuk, a Classic Controller, or even a GameCube controller.
As you drive, you'll find power-up boxes on the track. These give you special items! You can use them to attack opponents, defend yourself, or get a speed boost. Some classic items include the Mushroom, Koopa Shells, the Super Star, and banana peels. New items like the Mega Mushroom and POW Block were also added.
Characters and Vehicles
Mario Kart Wii has 24 playable characters from the Mario series. This was the biggest group of characters in a Mario Kart game until Mario Kart 8 came out. You'll see familiar faces like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Donkey Kong, and Bowser. Plus, characters like Rosalina, Funky Kong, and Dry Bowser were playable for the first time!
Characters are put into three weight classes. This affects which vehicles they can drive. Mario Kart Wii also brought in two types of vehicles: Karts and Bikes. Bikes were brand new to the series! There are 36 different vehicles in total, each with unique handling.
You can even play as your own Mii character! Many characters and vehicles are locked at first. You need to complete certain goals to unlock them.
Race Tracks
The game has eight cups, and each cup has four different tracks. That's a total of 32 unique tracks! Half of these tracks are brand new, and the other half are classic tracks from older Mario Kart games.
Game Modes
Mario Kart Wii has several fun ways to play:
- Grand Prix: You race in four races from one of the eight cups against 11 computer opponents. You get points based on how well you finish.
- Time Trials: Race against the clock to get the fastest time possible. There are no opponents or items, except for three Mushrooms to help you speed up. You can even race against a "ghost" of your best race!
- Versus: Similar to Grand Prix, but you can choose the courses and items.
- Battle Mode: This is a fun mode where players drive around an arena and attack each other with items.
Battle Mode Fun
In Battle Mode, players are split into two teams: red and blue. Teammates can't hurt each other. There are two types of Battle Mode:
- Balloon Battle: Each player starts with three balloons. You get a point for popping or stealing an opponent's balloon. You lose a point if you lose all your balloons.
- Coin Runners: Collect coins scattered around the arena. Attack opponents to make them drop their coins. The team with the most points or coins when time runs out wins!
There are 10 arenas for Battle Mode, including five new ones and five from past games.
Online Play
You used to be able to play Mario Kart Wii online using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This feature was available until May 20, 2014. You could play Versus and Battle modes with up to 12 players. You could race against random players or against your friends. The game even tracked your online ranking!
How the Game Was Made
Mario Kart Wii is the sixth game in the Mario Kart series, coming after Mario Kart DS. Hideki Konno was the producer for the game. He had worked on the first two Mario Kart games and Mario Kart DS too.
The creators wanted to add features that they couldn't fit into Mario Kart DS. They also wanted to make online play better. For example, they made it so players could join a race once it finished to play in the next one.
This game was the first in the series to let you drive BMX motorbikes. The idea for bikes came from Hideki Konno, who loves extreme sports. At first, the idea of Mario riding a bike seemed a bit strange, but it made it into the game!
Mario Kart Wii was first announced at a big gaming event called E3 2007. They showed off the online features and the first videos of the game. It was revealed that the game would have up to 12 racers at once. Later, in October 2007, more details came out, including that bikes and the Wii Wheel would be included.
To make the motion controls special, a plastic wheel-shaped case for the Wii Remote was included with some games. The designers tried about 30 different ideas for the wheel! They wanted it to be super light so you could play for a long time without getting tired. The final design was all white to match other Wii accessories.
The music for the game was made by Asuka Hayazaki and Ryo Nagamatsu. They used new versions of old Mario Kart tunes and created new songs too. The Wii Remote's speaker is often used during gameplay to make cool sound effects.
Images for kids
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Box art, depicting Mario and Luigi using the Wii Wheel
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Yoshi drifting during a race on Mario Circuit
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Mario Kart Wii often came with the Wii Wheel accessory.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Kart Wii para niños
