Review: Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 hit stores at the end of May and, as expected, contributed to a notable increase in Nintendo Wii U hardware sales. The ever popular Mario Kart franchise has seen many new additions in features and it seems that Mario Kart 8 does its best to take a little bit from each as well as add a few new elements. For insight on all of those features, see the preview that was written for it.

Game Play

Not unlike other games in the series, MK8 is a fun racer that anyone can pick up that balances skill with luck. The 30 character roster is a good number of characters allowing for varying line-ups without feeling like the developers were scraping the bottom of the barrel. The game can be played with all available controllers and the Game Pad can support off TV play or act as a secondary map screen.

One thing I noticed while playing is that everything seems streamlined. While racing, the only thing stat on the screen is the racer’s position; things like lap times and course maps have either been removed or reside solely on the gamepad. Recovery from falling out of bounds take only a couple of seconds and puts you back into the action almost instantly.

There are 32 courses to choose from – 16 new and 16 remade from previous games. The game’s biggest new feature, “Zero Gravity Racing”, makes its was into many courses but without feeling forced. The new items: The Super Horn, Boomerang Flower, Piranha Flower and the Crazy 8, all fit in nicely and item distribution has been modified to take distance from the leader as well as position in determining what kind of items a racer will get.

Mario Kart 8 builds upon the great pillars of the franchise and with small tweaks here and there nicely brings together a refreshing experience.

Multiplayer

MK8 features both local and online multiplayer. Local multiplayer allows for 2 player Grand Prix racing and up to 4 players for VS and Battle modes. Battle mode has been changed from this game and has recieved a little bit of negativity. Rather than featuring battles on specially designed courses, balloon battles take place on one of 8 regular courses where score is kept based on the amount of ballons you have ramming and the amount of your opponents that you have popped. A novel thing about MK8 is the use of vertical split-screen as opposed to the outdated horizontal split. I find that I prefer this display on wide-screen TVs.

Up to 2 players from 1 system can go online together to race against other players from around the world. Custom rules and Tournament modes allow you to create rooms that other racers can join and race under very specific conditions (Karts only, Shells only, No items, etc…).

One bummer about multiplayer is that the Wii U Game Pad will mirror what is on the TV instead of acting as a separate screen. This means that the Game Pad will show the split screen as well unlike other multiplayer games such as Sonic and All-Star Racing Transformed where each player gets the luxury of their own full screen.

Graphics/Sound

Mario Kart 8 has some of the best graphics the Wii U has to offer so far. Gameplay runs at 60 fps for 1 and 2 player races and at 30 for 3 and 4 player matches. The colors are incredibly vibrant and the environments are very smooth.

The game has small details that really make things pop. Courses look more realistic instead of cartoony and are very detailed. Tires have visible treads and leave skidmarks that stay throughout the race. Each vehicle has headlights that turn on in cave and on night courses. Kart drivers are expressively animated – characters that find themselves neck in neck will look at each other. Most notably would be the newly popularized meme “ The Luigi Death Stare”. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

The soundtrack of the game has been well acclaimed by players. Most songs feature real instruments that were recorded in real time. Songs from classic stages have found new life with expressive remixes and modernized renditions. Each track has its own theme and no two courses have the same tune. Character voicing is very clear and polished (although I could do without Mario screaming “Mario Kart 8!” every time the game starts).

Mario Kart TV

Mario Kart TV is a feature that allows you to upload highlights from a race directly to Miiverse and Youtube. Check out my video below as it outlines some of the features I’ve outlined. Also the ending is a super close photo-finish.

Verdict – 9.5

After playing for a few weeks now and really exploring Mario Kart 8, I’ve come to realize that this title will be in my Wii U for a long time. Overall, this game is just as enjoyable for veterans looking for something new as it is for newcomers unfamiliar with Mario Kart. While there are a few minor things that would have been desired, there were so many more things that I didn’t even know I wanted in a Mario Kart game. Well done!

Mario Kart retails for $59.99 in stores but can be found on Amazon for about $10 less.

Review: New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U. was released as a launch title for the Nintendo Wii U.  The game continues the newly-revived side-scrolling series with new power-ups, enemies and levels. Picking up where its predecessor left off, the game features all new levels for up to 4 players to simultaneously make their way through 8 worlds in order to once again, rescue Princess Peach. The game is the 4th installment of the New Super Mario Bros. series and the second one released on a console.

Story and Gameplay (10/10)

The gameplay of all linear Mario games is a tried and true scheme that has held up over the years. Bowser is after the Princess once again, only this time he takes her hostage in her own castle while casting out Mario and Co. The object of the game is no different from traditional Mario side-scrollers. Mario and the gang must make it to the end of the level before the time limit while running and jumping over platforms and facing enemies along the way.

Mario starts his journey in Acorn Plains and must travel through 8 worlds in total to return to Peach’s Castle and take on Bowser. The game feels deeply inspired from hit titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) and Super Mario World (SNES). The Koopalings again act as the bosses of each world's final level, while fortresses are guarded by an orange spikey koopa. These were first seen in SMB3.

Influences from Super Mario World are more prominent in this game. Rather than focusing on one world at a time, the level select screen has a seamless map showing all of the levels and how the worlds connect.  Through many secret exits, one can unlock many different routes that connect the worlds in unexpected ways making the game a lot less linear if the player so chooses. The game also brings back baby Yoshi's that can lend their powers to the players depending on their color.

The game has a total of 9 power-ups and a total of 10 can be held in inventory. The new featured power-up, the Super Acorn, transforms the character into a “Flying Squirrel” form which allows the user to glide through levels.

The game also features a "Challenge Mode" which drops the player into a level with an objective. These range from completing a level with a short time limit to reaching the goal without touching the ground.

Controls (9/10)

New Super Mario Bros. U offers support for 3 different controllers – The Wiimote, the GamePad, and the Wii U Pro Controller. The game can be played solo on the Wii U Game Pad and supports off-TV mode. Co-op is played using any combination of Wiimotes or Pro controllers for up to 4 players. The layout of Wiimote buttons give the feeling of playing this game on an NES controller which has always worked well for a Mario platformer.

In multiplayer co-op, the Game Pad can be used by an additional 5th player to stun enemies and spawn temporary platforms to aid others by using its touch screen. This is referred to as "Boost Mode" and can also be used as a second screen if too many people are crowding the TV. It is worth noting that regardless of the number of players, the GamePad can only control a character in 1 player mode therefore it cannot be used to control a character in multiplayer; it will always be the "Boost Mode" controller which is a let down.

Graphics (9/10)

NSMBU is Mario’s first adventure rendered in full HD (When played through an HDMI cable). The game looks sharp and polished and does a pretty good job considering the game is a 2D sidescroller with 3D models. Each level is full of color and the landscape has a lot of detail The levels are fresh and creative and everything can be seen even if the screen is zoomed all the way out. The game looks just as good on the GamePad as it does on the TV, save for the minor change in resolution.

Sound (8/10)

One thing that stands out about the New Super Mario Bros. series is that there is a similarity of music style across each game, unlike in other Mario series. And although like any Mario game the music is good, it sounds almost too similar to that of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Save for some retro inspired remixes, most of the level themes seem to be copied over from the last game with only slight alterations to melodies. The voicing on the other hand, while minimal is very clear and properly executed.

New Super Luigi U Expansion (10/10)

The expansion to this game puts Luigi in the driver's seat as Mario is totally absent from New Super Luigi U. Available as DLC or in some retail stores as a stand-alone disc, the game features completely redesigned levels all with the goal of making the game much more difficult. Many of the stages start off at 100 seconds with the "Hurry Up" sound ringing the moment the level begins. Moving platforms, long gaps, and more enemies make the game challenging and the addition of many references will delight any seasoned Mario fan.

Cooperative Play (8/10)

The Co-Op multiplayer can be as chaotic as it is fun; as long as those playing don't mind losing a copious amount of lives in the fray. I have found that playing with 2 players, either 1 as Mario and the second using the GamePad to manipulate the levels or both controlling characters is the easiest way to complete the game allowing for the benefits of Co-Op without the chaos of four characters all trying to jump for the same platform.

Rating: 

Mario Kart 8 Direct - April 30, 2014

Nintendo surprised us all this morning with a new Nintendo Direct dedicated specifically to Mario Kart 8. With release date of May 30 of this year, it is a good move by Nintendo to get already excited fans even more pumped for the next game in the series.

Starting up with a rather humorous infomercial skit, the broadcast jumps straight into the presentation. But rather than doing the traditional presentation, they made this into a compilation of "TV channels" ranging from infomercials, commercials,  news, and documentaries all providing their own information on the game as well as plenty of clips.

Recap of Details

Spin Boosting - Bumping into other karts/objects during zero-gravity mode will give you a spin boost. Collisions will allow for risky speed boosts.

Mario Kart Customization

*Customize Kart body, Tires, Glides etc...

Allows for customization of karts which will effect stats of karts and bikes.

New Challengers

*The 7 Koopalings

*Baby Rosalina

*Metal Mario

*Pink Gold Peach

30 different racers total including Miis

New Items

*Boomerang Flower - Throws fowards up to 3 times. Can hit going forward or back.

*Piranha Plant - Bites at nearby racers and items on the ground.

*Crazy Eight - Give you 8 times at once!!

*Super Horn - Sound shockwave that affects all racers around you. Breaks items EVEN BLUE SHELLS

Karts Vs Bikes

*Bikes were faster than Karts in Mario Kart Wii

*In Mario Kart 8, Karts are faster on straightaways while bikes are faster on corners. Depends on the course.

  

Online Racing Details

*4 Online modes

*Race up to 12 players

*Worldwide, Regional, friends, tournaments

*Text and voice chat available in lobby

*Players can hold their own tournaments - specific rules

*Tournament specific ranking

*Ghosts data from around the world.

*Receive stamps for beating developer ghosts

*Mario Kart TV - Lets you watch your own racing highlight reels.

*Upload best ones and download others

*See most popular

*Highlight reels from Mario Kart 8 directly to YouTube!!

Music

*Sound tracks were recorded by live instruments

Offer

*If you buy it between May 30th and June 21st, you can get a free download code for a free Wii U game.

*Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle - Black Wii U Deluxe, Game, Wii Remote Plus, Wii Wheel, $329.99

New Trailer

For more Mario Kart 8 information, keep an eye out for my Mario Kart 8 Preview!

New Nintendo Direct Today

Originally announced via their Facebook page, Nintendo will be hosting a new Nintendo Direct. It's been since December since we saw one of these so expect lots of new updates and announcements for both the 3DS and Wii U.

Check back here afterwards for my recap and analysis!

Rant: Am I The Only One Who DOESN'T Want a "Super Mario Galaxy 3"?

With the Wii U out for more than a year now, the system has already seen two major Mario titles - New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Mario 3D World. Both games have been popular and have seen positive reviews. But they are also both linear platformers where the goal is simply to get from the start to the flagpole at the end of the level while following a strict path. (Note: NSMBU is strictly 2D while 3D World is set in on a 3D plane of movement.)

The Wii U has yet to see any sort of news regarding a completely 3D Mario Platformer - the would-be successor of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy (1&2). With 2014 jam-packed with many new releases for 1st-party titles, and 2 major Mario games already on the market, it makes sense that Nintendo hasn't commented about another Mario game. This has allowed for lots speculation by fans about what the next 3D Mario game would be. and many fans are calling for a third Super Mario Galaxy.

Why I'm Not In Favor

Gameplay-wise

Although Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platformer, it is not a much of a "Free-Roam" game as were its predecessors - Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Even though Mario is once again collecting Power Stars, the levels are still quite linear. Its level design and mechanics are closer to what was seen recently Super Mario 3D Land/World. In fact, you could even say that the SM3D games are successors to the Galaxy series with a hint of Super Mario Bros. mixed in.

Personally, I would love to see Mario on a 3D adventure closer to home featuring an open world and large, open, not-so-linear levels.

Story-wise

Don't get me wrong, Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2 were both games that I enjoyed (as did the fan base). But the SMG series doesn't really need a 3rd entry. Super Mario Galaxy took Mario to the 'final frontier' bringing him where no plumber had gone before. It had tons of new ideas and offered great gameplay. The story however was a bit lacking: How would Bowser have created such a threat as to take over planets and galaxies when he can't even keep the Mushroom Kingdom under his thumb?

But let's humor it and let it happen. Super Mario Galaxy 2 had almost no story at all. In fact, the game itself was created simply because there were so many ideas that the development team had when making the first game, they created the second one to implement the left-overs. And unlike sequels SMG2 was also a huge hit and added so many new things that it is also a very great game (Personally, I prefer it to the first one).

So does that leave for Super Mario Galaxy 3? Not much at all. If you say that Boswer has yet again gathered the resources to go back into space, that's just a bunch of non-sense. I would rather see Mario take on a challenge that takes place right at home exploring more of his own world rather than the universe. All I can say is that a 3rd Super Mario Galaxy in the near future would be milking the franchise instead of creating another new masterpiece.

A Fan Made Galaxy 3 Logo

Super Mario 3D World – E3 2013 trailer

From the same company that brought you Super Mario Galaxy and Mario 3D Land comes another 3D platform for the Wii U revealed at E3:


"The next big 3D platformer for Super Mario will be titledSuper Mario 3D World. The game will be a sequel to the 3DS title Super Mario 3D Land and will be released for the Wii U. The game will feature 4 player co-op multiplayer, a first for a Mario 3D game..."

READ MORE

NEW SUPER SMASH BROS!

What a better way to end their Nintendo Direct with a huge trailer for the next installment for Super Smash Bros. It's amazing and you gotta see it. Read more to find out some of the coolest surprises!

READ MORE

A Summer of Titles!

Nintendo just had another Nintendo direct video and revealed more and more about new upcoming games for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U. You can watch it for yourself on Youtube, and you can expect to see me analyse some of those topics both here and at The Geek Generation.

Titles include Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, DK Country Returns 3D, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and some new Zelda news too!

Stay tuned this week, here at OWNAGE!

All of my Geek Gen Posts So Far

Hey everybody!

While you're waiting on more coverage by me regarding Nintendo and the Year of Luigi, among other Nintendo News, check out some of the other articles that I've made during my unfulfilled leaving of this site. Some articles include revamps of ones that I originally posted here, but most of them are brand new content that would still be relevant and good to take a look at.

You can find them here

You can also like OWNAGE and The Geek Generation on facebook to keep tabs on the various gaming and news articles!

The Geek Generation also has a fan group on facebook that's open to anyone who wants to join in on some awesome conversations.

Happy Gaming, and stay tuned for more articles

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Preview

Calling all you Luigi Fans! If you haven't heard already, Nintendo plans to release a sequel to the GameCube title Luigi's Mansion this March for the Nintendo 3DS entitled Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. I've put together a nice preview that has gone over all the information that Nintendo has released prior to their most recent Nintendo Direct. So far the game looks GREAT and I'd love to get my hands on it some time soon.

Read all about it!

Wii U Direct

Well, as much as I tried, it looks like I can't just let this blog sit here knowing that there are still people here that take a look at it now and again. So here's my first post in ages! It's simple yes, but the video is definitely worth the post. Enjoy as you get all caught up with what Nintendo has been doing lately.

Also, be sure to check out my work at The Geek Generation to keep up with more in depth Nintendo News! Also (also), if you're in the area for this, why not come see a screening of a retro BatMan movie? 

Keep on gaming everybody!

Classic Game of the Month: May 2012

For May, we're gunna go waaay back in time for this Classic Game of the Month. So far back into videogame history that Nintendo was practically unheard of, arcades were the place to be, and quarters were more important than $100 bills.

I dedicate this month to the original Donkey Kong arcade system released in August of 1981.

The Official Nintendo Poster/Flier of the game

Developed Out of Necessity?

Donkey Kong is a video game that practically happened by accident. The story goes that Nintendo had been making moderately successful arcade games in Japan and wanted to try their hand at taking a chance on the American market who was in the middle of the gaming craze. Nintendo of America, only a short time into its American foothold, ordered for the import of an Arcade game called Radar Scope, a 3^rd person shooting game that was very popular in Japan. However, by the time that the systems arrived on the west coast, the buzz about the game had subsided and vendors had little faith in selling these systems for profit. Essentially, NOA (Nintendo of America) was stuck with thousands of game cabinets, no market, and a huge loss of profits. With a big problem on the horizon, NOA turned back to the Japanese division for help. The answer: Shigeru Miyamoto.

An Even NEWER "New Super Mario Bros."

Nintendo Direct has announced a new Nintendo 3DS game will be released in August of 2012 by the name of New Super Mario Bros. 2. 

Development Logo

This game will be the 3rd in the New Super Mario Bros. series and an addition to the Super Mario Bros. side-scrolling world. Early screen shots show that New Super Mario Bros. 2 will visually look similar to the first two games and that the Tanooki Suit that made it's way back in Super Mario 3D Land will make a return again, abet with a more traditional function. I'll be keeping tabs on this game and hopefully putting together a full on preview.

Review: New Super Mario Bros.

After Super Mario Bros. 3 was released, it seemed that the "Super Mario Bros." Series was finished. "Super Mario World" played much the same way, but it was the last major side-scrolling Mario playformer. Although ports and remakes of these games were made, it wasn't until 15 years after SMB3 was released that "New Super Mario Bros." for the Nintendo DS continued the official “Super Mario Bros.” series.

NSMB hit the shelves on May 15, 2006 and it was a popular sale. The revival of the "Super Mario Bros." series has attracted tons of retro gamers as well as gamer of the modern age.

Overview

New Super Mario Bros. breathes life into the long neglected Mario sidescrolling world. The game returns to its roots with the return to retro mechanics such as an 8 world adventure, boss fights half way and at the end of each world, blocks to hit, Goombas to stomp on, and most importantly power-ups to collect. Per usual, Bowser has kidnapped the princess and it’s up to Mario to save her.

Series at a Glance: Mario Party

One of the gameboards from
Mario Party 1

Although it probably ranks second to Mario Kart in popularity, Mario Party is definitely the Mario Spinoff series with the most games to date. Incorporating all of the numbered games, the ones made for handhelds, and the ones only released in Japan and you have 11 entries. Add the upcoming Mario Party 9 for the Wii and you have 12 mini-game riddled party games staring Mario and his pals.


How does it work? 

Mario Party is essentially a board game brought to life...sorta. With a main map or board made up of panels and a dice to roll to move the characters, the game looks similar to say: Monopoly, Sorry, or Parcheese. 
Each board has it's own theme, difficulty, and special traits. Players collect and lose coins as well as activate different occurrences depending on what they land on. But here's where Mario Party springs up from a boring board game. At the end of each turn, all 4 players (human controlled or CPU controlled) participated in one of tons and tons of minigames.

New Mario Tennis Game on the Horizon

Upcoming for the Nintendo 3DS is the next installment of the Mario Tennis Series, Nintendo has announced production for Mario Tennis Open. The series started on the N64 and has made its way through consoles and handhelds although strangely avoided the motion controls of the Nintendo Wii.

The game will most likely utilize buttons for main gameplay and then use the touch screen for things like using items or special shots or things of that nature. I'll be sure to keep tabs on the development and hopefully get around to a preview soon.

I'll be back again soon with a few reviews and some more ideas in the next few days.


MC Hammer Bro.

Series at a Glance: Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart Game Play

Nintendo's top selling racing game started on September 1, 1992 with Super Mario Kart for the SNES. Starting the tradition, there has been a Mario Kart game for every following game system (excluding the Gameboy Color) making it the most popular Mario spin-off series. Players can compete in a Grand Prix style mode, time trials or head to head in multiplayer.

Mario Kart consists of 3 major elements: Various colorful and gimicy racetracks, Characters of different weight and speed classes, and finally, the most important aspect: items.

Race tracks are usually designed based on a theme. In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit (for the Gameboy Advance) multiple courses were named and based on the same exact theme. For example, "Mario Circuit 1" appears similar to "Mario Circuit 2"; both are flat and simplistic courses with wide turns. In contrast, "Bowser's Castle 1-4" are based in lava filled courses with jumps and sharp turns. Other games would simply dedicate a single course on one topic such as "Toad's Turnpike" in MK64 or "Wario's Goldmine" in Mario Kart Wii.

 

Select Character Screen from MK 64

Characters each have their own strengths and weaknesses in each game. Only Mario, Peach, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi and Bowser have been playable in every iteration of Mario Kart to date. The number of playable characters varies by game; increasing as more and more characters are developed in the main series. Lightweight characters, such as Toad and Peach typically have cars with high acceleration and handling but can be easily pushed aside by bigger characters. Heavyweight racers like Bowser and Donkey Kong have much poorer acceleration but generally have higher top speeds. Midwieghts are considered to be the most balanced of the group and racers like Mario and Luigi are examples of this group.

Mario Kart Wii Gameplay

Items have been a part of the series since its birth and made it stand out amongst traditional racing games. Rather than relying on the fastest cars and the best reflexes and the attitude of "one bad turn and you'll never finish in first", items allow for supreme comebacks in the forms of offensive, defensive and performance boosting items. Koopa Shells, straight out of Super Mario Bros. act as missiles that can be thrown at other players. Banana Peels can create obstacles that reek havoc on those who spin out on them. Although standard mushrooms don't make your player bigger as you would expect, they instead act as a boost of speed that lets the player speed up for a moment. And finally, the most sought after item is the Starman. This item makes the user invincible and speeds him or her up considerable letting the tides of the race shift in the blink of an eye.






Check out overviews of the entries in this game's series. Click on the titles for more in-depth articles:

*Super Mario Kart -

Released for the SNES in 1992 and is also available on the Nintendo Wii's Virtural Console. This game started it all. It included eight characters from the Mario series including Mario, Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong JR, and even a Koopa Troopa. Players would have up to 20 courses to race through and a Grand Prix mode to race for 4 different cups. It also had a multiplayer VS. mode and a balloon battle mode which would be the first of it's kind. The game sold numerous copies and became one of the best sellers for the Super Nintendo.

*Mario Kart 64 -

Released for the N64 in 1996 and is also available on the Nintendo Wii's Virtural Console. On the N64, Mario started out with a bang. Released as the second Mario title for the system, Mario Kart 64 took the series in a new direction. Rather than racing flat characters around static courses, MK 64 brought simulated 3-D graphics utilizing the superior power of the N64. Wario and Donkey Kong replaced Dk JR and Koopa Troopa keeping the roster at 8. 16 new courses were available and unlike the numbering system of Super Mario Kart, each raceway was unique and individual and had some 

connection to a character or location in the Mario Universe. The game also 
has voice acting for each character which is a nice touch when hitting 
your opponents with a Koopa Shell.

*Mario Kart: Super Circuit --

The first Mario Kart for a handheld system was Mario Kart Super Circuit. It was released for the Gameboy Advance. Unlike Mario Kart 64, Super Circuit shows that it was heavily influenced by the original game. The handling of Karts is very similar and courses are designed and named in the same way. After beating the game, it also has a very SMK themed surprise but I won't give that away here. It also had a multiplayer system for those who had friends with their own GBAs, gamelink cables and at least 1 cartridge.

*Mario Kart: Double Dash --

Double Dash was the GameCube entry of the Mario Kart series. Aside from presenting sleeker graphics, an expanded character roster, and an adjusted points system it's number one upgrade was in it's name: Double Dash = 2 Characters racing on the same Kart. Rather than picking just one racer, players would choose two characters to act as the driver and the co-pilot. The person in front would act as the driver while the person riding on the back would handle things like throwing and activating items. New courses and new types of obstacles would make this another top contender in the world of racing games.

*Mario Kart DS --

In case the title doesn't make it obvious enough, Mario Kart DS was released on the Nintendo DS and was the first Mario Kart game to offer Online Multiplayer action. It was also the first game to offer numerous karts for each individual character that had it's own set of stats and not just acceleration, speed, and weight. The top screen acts as the typical racing screen while the touch screen of the DS acts as a map screen that allows the player to see the shape of the course, other racers' locations, and any obstacles that might be coming towords him or herself.

*Mario Kart Wii --

For the 4th generation of Mario Kart console games, Mario Kart Wii returns to single racer karts, but expands on the ideas of multiple karts from Mario Kart Double Dash and Mario Kart DS. And by expand, I mean take it in a whole different direction with the addition of playing with bikes as well as go-karts. The game also offers the largest selection of characters to date with 24. New items, new characters, new courses and a new online system and that seems like a lot. Well here's one more new thing: All Mario Kart games in the past feature races with 8 participants but Mario Kart Wii antes up with 12 racers per race. And last but certainly not least is the game's use of motion control utilizing the Wii-mote and the Wii-Wheel as it's default control system (but can also be played wii-mote and nunchuck style, with the classic controller and with the gamecube controller to suit ever gamer's preference). 

*Mario Kart 7 --

Info Coming Soon!






Further Reading
http://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_(series)
http://www.smbhq.com/smk.htm

Some Current Events

So after a slow start, the Nintendo 3DS has finally gotten the ball rolling with two hit hand-held titles. These games in particular were the first Mario games on the system and the first major titles that weren’t remakes. But most importantly, those Mario 3DS titles have had skyrocketing success driving 3DS sales through the roof and each selling over 1 million copies in their first weeks: Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Super Mario 3D Land is the next iteration in the Mario platforming series and bridges the gap between games of the Super Mario 64 style with side-scrolling in the same vein as the Super Mario series.

In looking at the Wii, it seems that Nintendo really seems to be looking ahead at the “Wii U” and is leaving the Wii to fend for itself in its last few months. Unlike this transition, the bridge from N64 to Gamecube and Gamecube to Wii was a lot smoother with an overlap of new games coming out for the old system at the same time as launch titles were laying the ground for the next generation. And in the case of the Gamecube many games, most notably The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, identical games were simultaneously released for both systems. Usually this helps owners get the full experience of their systems before moving up to the next level and keeps the interest of those like me who can’t always gather up the cash to get the system within weeks of its launch. Hopefully this isn’t true but the evidence is there with the release of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword being the last highly anticipated games and no new major games in production.

And push-backs of the Wii-U’s release date further compounds the issue. So, as usual, only time will tell and if you can’t wait for the Wii U comes out to get your hands on some new Nintendo experiences, the 3DS is your best bet. Or, hit your local GameStop or other Used Game retailer and load up your libraries with titles that you may have missed for your old systems.

So finally, I’m posting some current news stuff and I hope to keep this up along with reviews and other posts and rants.

MC Hammer Bro. 

Update: December 3

So, I'm still figuring out this whole blogging thing but it's all coming together. I've posted my first edition of OWNAGE's "Classic Game and  of the Month " and I'm sure that many of you will feel the same way about Super Mario Brothers as I do.

As for the other sections, I've added a little bit of content to websites that are great for further reading of the topics that I present (such as fan sites and wikis). As for reviews and previews, those will be on the way!

Stay tuned gamers,

MC Hammer Bro. over and out.