Graphics: Mario Kart Wii boasts a similar visual presentation as its Gamecube predecessor, Mario Kart Double Dash. Aside from some subtle visual tweaks, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two titles. That said, the Mario Kart series is known for its cartoonish aesthetic, with these crazy karts screaming through bright and cheerful environments. While the texture work is fairly simple, the artistic design does a great job of evoking the famous Mario vistas, with the various highways and byways of the Mushroom Kingdom drawn in bold, colorful strokes. While the environments may seem at home on lesser-powered hardware, the karts and their drivers have all seen increases in their rendering. They look polished and feel appropriately weighty. As the track list represents a smorgasbord of past system highlights, it’s fairly easy to discern which tracks were built from the ground up for this release (a rollercoaster ride through a mine cart level is particularly impressive), but the tracks ripped from prior games have all had subtle improvements.

Interface: Nintendo allows users to control the game the way that best suits them, and includes full support for the Gamecube controller, the Classic Controller, the Wiimote, the Wiimote and Nunchuck combo and the new Wii Wheel. I found they all work well, with the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo proving to be my preferred choice. It should be noted that using the Wii Wheel requires a little adjustment, as the wheel is very sensitive to turning, but after a lap or two becomes second nature. Unnecessary waggle is kept to a minimum.

Gameplay: This version of Mario Kart plays like a greatest hits, a refinement of the gameplay features that have been implemented into the series since its start. Some fans bemoan the fact that the speed-boosting “snaking” technique has been crippled within the game, but this is far from a “dumbing down” tactic. The large number of unlockables (12 additional characters, including your custom Mii avatar) will keep single players plowing through the various Grand Prix classes and Time Trials for quite awhile. The online multiplayer just propels this game through the roof with a very robust package, ensuring this title will keep Mario Kart fans satisfied for a long time.

Multiplayer: You’ll play through single player to unlock the various characters (at least the Miis), but multiplayer is where you’ll truly find the heart of this game. Mario Kart Wii takes full advantage of Nintendo’s Wi-Fi service and includes a compelling package of race and battle modes. The matchmaking is quick and easy, and players can choose from global competitors, people closer to home or their friends. The inclusion of the Mario Kart Channel, which offers the ability to check on races, leader boards and friends while offering up recurring tournament challenges, is a great touch that really shows Nintendo is invested in building a community. My only real complaint with the multiplayer mode is that Nintendo needs to do something about Voice Chat. These races can prove to be so intense and fun and yet impersonal at the same the time since you can’t hear the laughter of someone who just rode Bullet Bill to the front of the pack or the frustration of someone who just got served a Blue Shell mere moments from the Finish Line. The simple text messaging function just doesn’t get it done.

Sound FX: Let’s face it; I’m racing Goombas not Gran Turismo. These cartoon karts sound exactly as I expected they would (identical to every other kart in every other Mario Kart game). That said, the rest of the sound design is certainly capable. In fact, sound plays such a key role in this game that you’ll learn to listen for the tell-tale sound cues that let you know a feared Red Shell (or worse, Blue) is right on your tail. Like a fighter pilot with a bogey inbound, you need to shake that thing the second the klaxons start blaring. You’ll soon fear some of this game’s audio cues, as oftentimes, it means the rubber band AI has kicked in and you’re about to go from first to worst.

Music: You know a Nintendo game when you hear one. Mario Kart Wii features a series of tunes spun from the previous games, complimenting the “greatest hits” vibe on display. The tracks are mostly bouncy and upbeat, but they do take the traditional ominous downturn when racing through Bowser’s castle. These light, catchy tracks serve the mood properly but don’t nestle themselves in your head like the classic arrangements found in Mario’s previous adventures.

Intelligence: The game’s rubber band AI does everything it can to ensure that if you’lre in first place by a wide margin, you won’t be for long as every detrimental weapon effect will be tossed your way, allowing the competition to catch up. Simply put, the AI cheats like a bandit. It’s bad enough that these little 50 cc karts suddenly rocket to 150 cc and beyond when the computer decides Yoshi has been trailing behind for long enough, but find yourself with a significant lead and you can expect to be hammered with Red Shell after Blue Shell after Thundercloud until you’ve dropped back to 12th. Once successfully sent to the back of field, the AI kicks in again to give you a hand with one of the specialty items that they reserve for the losers. That’s just cheap game design that diminishes the emphasis on skill. I understand the urge to keep things close and I know the Mario Kart series has wide family appeal, but there has to be better ways of leveling the playing field than by employing these dirty tricks.

Difficulty: Mario Kart Wii isn’t an overly difficult game, as I was able to overcome the cheating AI and still finish in the top three in most races. The first two Grand Prix courses are a cakewalk. The 150 cc series ratchets up the challenge nicely and should give solo players a run for their money. For those completionists who like to unlock everything a game offers, the races found in the Time Trials, specifically when facing some of the Expert Staff ghosts, can prove quite challenging. Fortunately, you can learn from watching these staff ghosts and by applying their techniques, improve your own.

Overall: Mario Kart Wii is a refinement of an efficiently built racer that above all is designed for fun. To that end, it delivers. Mario’s rogue gallery of classic cohorts are all here and fans are bound to find a favorite to race with — be it King Boo, Yoshi or their own Mii. While the single-player campaign is extensive, the limited challenge does render it a bit repetitive after awhile. Fortunately, the robust multiplayer features make this one title that should keep racing laps in your Wii for a long time to come.