Gaming Mario Kart Online - Very dissapointing

[lou_weed]

thanks a lot for the tips, i'll try it :-)

 

[jaxxster]

i still need to play this game! I cant see myself bothering too much with online mode because its just doesnt feel real when u play ds games online.

 

[King Zargo]

Yea they should have remade mario kart 64 with online play. It wasn't just mindless flying bullets etc.

You almost needed to know how to drive.

Mario kart 64 sux!!! 2nd place can get the thunder item.

 

[finite]

If you quote me it makes it easier to follow the discussion ongoing. Your first sentence makes no sense. To say that it making me laugh makes me not a Kart fan is ludicrous.

I laugh because it truly is funny. Welcome to online gaming.

If its within one or two posts and on the same page I tend not to quote as it unnecessary pads the thread out imo.

Erm, I'm not new to online gaming or gaming in general or gaming discussion. Try to make sense of my post before replying

 

[ozzyzak]

If its within one or two posts and on the same page I tend not to quote as it unnecessary pads the thread out imo.

Erm, I'm not new to online gaming or gaming in general or gaming discussion. Try to make sense of my post before replying

I actually did. You really have no idea how many times I read the first sentence aloud in my head. Maybe you can make sense of it. Here it is again, just in case:

"I guess you would only laugh if you're not really a Kart fan."

I'm laughing because people are complaining about a game that is known for what they are complaining about.

Me finding this humorous makes me not a fan. I really cannot connect the two, and I seriously don't get how you did. For in fact, I am a huge fan, and if anything Mario Kart has never really been about skill, but blowing people off the track. But that's for another time I guess.

 

[Mooshywooshy]

My rank is 8200 and I do get first most of the time. Its really all about just never messing up, dont hit a wall, boost around every corner and you'll find yourself ahead of everyone by a long shot. That way they wont be able to hit you with Blues or Reds right before the finish line (hate) but that usually only happens on Luigis Circuit or anything else that is pretty much just a circle

But for the most part its about practicing! There are times I wanna throw my wiimote out the window too.

Oh also remember there is a way to recover from the POW blocks without spinning out, it seems almost nobody knows this so its pretty helpful.

 

[Elisa_]

Is Mario Kart really this bad?

 

[Mooshywooshy]

I dunno I think the game is insanely fun, I guess its just how you look at it.

 

[vinikun]

Here is my summary of the pros and cons of MKWii:

Pros:
- Great, flawless online system with 0 runtime lag (there's some logical lag like red shells not hitting the player when they visually look like they will)
- Awesome online features (ranking/ghost data, competitions, etc.)
- Pretty interesting tracks
- Bikes: very fun
- Items:
- I like the POW block. If you can get into the air at the right time you can avoid it. It's a neat concept.
- The lightning cloud is also neat. I like how the player has to pass it to someone else in a short amount of time.
- I like that terrain actually has a significant impact on your speed. It actually makes players more careful.

Cons:
- 12 players is just too much. The powerful items (like thunder, blue shell, bullet bill) are gotten way too often since there's such a high probability (the number of players). I think 6 players is the perfect number.
- Items:
- Bullet Bill is ridiculous. It should only be obtainable on last rank, and should have a shorter duration.
- The squid ink is ineffective. It could have been designed better to actually have serious effects.
- The blue shell should not stop players in their tracks. It should instead roll them in a direction. Simply put it's way too powerful and can change the rankings way too much.
- Red shells should retain their semi-homing (not fully homing like MKDS/Wii) nature that was seen in MK64. They shouldn't be guaranteed hit if the victim doesn't have protection (banana, shell).
- The lightning cloud is too penalizing. With 12 racers, having just one racer become small is too harsh.
- The yellow mushroom should not last as long as it does. A player can go from 12th place to 1st with just one of those mushrooms easily.
- Where the hell is the ghost!? I loved the idea of being able to steal other player's items.
- It seems like a step back that they didn't include player specific items/weapons like in GC (or was that DS? I forget).
- Tricks could have been thought out better. I believe they could have made this very much a skilled portion of the game that players could master to gain an edge.
- The drifting system is too easy. They should have matched the drifting system entirely to MK64 or MKGC which both didn't have snaking problems but still made drifting something of an "advanced technique" that at least required *some* skill.
- No free for all battle mode really hurts this game.


It feels weird to me that MKWii is almost a step back in many ways. For one, they removed the partner system that was in GC (but maybe that's why MKGC is called Double Dash). They removed some items (like the ghost). They removed in a sense the left-right-left-right drift system and replaced it with something much simpler. If you think about it, the only aspect that MKWii brings to the series is bikes. It's weird to think it doesn't innovate any more than that. But it really doesn't!

MKGC added the partner system (significant) + multiple carts. MKDS added online (significant). MKWii in this sense feels somewhat rushed.


And it bothers me because I feel like Nintendo is losing some of its quality. This isn't just MKWii I'm talking about... look at their other first party products: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption added wiimote control but other than that it was pretty similar to MP2/MP1. Zelda Twilight Princess was not necessarily a huge step above the Zelda 64 games (it really just added pointing control for aiming weapons and some gimmicky swinging control). Super Mario Galaxy, while very pretty, was hardly innovative as compared to Super Mario 64 (it did implement some neat space physics into the mix, but was very much easier than the previous installments and felt dumbed down in terms of its puzzles and platforming challenges). Super Smash Brawl I feel is very much simplified. It adds, what, the tripping mechanic which is annoying as hell and a slightly different air dodging system, and then I guess the final smashes which are neat but very unbalanced, while removing some more interesting mechanics like power shielding (reflecting projectiles with shield), fast fall, L-canceling, etc. And then we have MKWii which is as I've mentioned above.

Lets face it, Nintendo has taken the "We" aspect of the Wii a little too far. If they simply added options to all their games to add/remove certain gameplay mechanics, and actually even better, if they simply had different games that targeted different markets (rather than casual-izing all their main franchise games as well as everything else), then I think their systems would have the absolute widest appeal. But to me, they've had way too many strikes to give me any hope that they will change their outlook, at least for the Wii. Inevitably, I will end up playing previous iterations in their franchises (SSBM, Mario Kart DS/64, Super Metroid, Super Mario 64/World/etc.) much longer than I will ever play the Wii counterparts. Don't get me wrong, the games are good, but they just aren't great.

 

[Elisa_]

Agreed

 

[mikagami]

while removing some more interesting mechanics like power shielding (reflecting projectiles with shield), fast fall, L-canceling, etc.

lolwut?

 

[Jdbye]

I can never place 1st either, but I'm not disappointed, because that's what I expected.
SpikeyNDS places 1st most of the time though.

 

[Tanas]

40% skill, 60% luck

 

[NeoWoeN]

Skills...luck... THIS IS MARIO KART ! Just FUN.

 

[Tanas]

Skills...luck... THIS IS MARIO KART ! Just FUN.

Yeah, which makes the game pretty pointless... I think I'm going to retire from Mario Kart Wii and got back to Super Mario Kart online using ZSnes, its a much better game.

 

[Mooshywooshy]

I still think its mainly skill with a little bit of luck, but I guess we all have our own views.
I think many people are seeing these games as a 'step back' because they are probably trying to make all these games more accessible to 'everyone'. Zelda was for Gamecube though, so you cant blame that one for not being tooo innovative.

What I do hate though is now that im in the 8k range even if I get 2nd I get -points, and if I get blue shelled+red shelled+green shelled+ lightningbolted + ran over by a huge person+ bullet bill'd right before the line and get last place I lose something insane like 300 points, which takes a long ass time to get back since I have to get first to get like.. 30 points. Its kinda insane but whatever, I dont really see a point in the 'ranking' anyways

Im kinda glad they didnt add the character specific weapons in this one because then EVERYone online would be the same person. Its a really fun game once you get the hang of it, just stay away from Luigi Circuit! Give it another try!

We should all play online, with so many people that hate it online for the same thing, certainly it would be fun to play together? Maybe? WE NEED PEACE AND LOVE

 

[No Limitz]

Go play Gran Turismo if you want something serious. We have to keep in mind this is Nintendo who wants to protect us from internet molestors and such.

 

[berlinka]

Here is my summary of the pros and cons of MKWii:

Pros:
- Great, flawless online system with 0 runtime lag (there's some logical lag like red shells not hitting the player when they visually look like they will)
- Awesome online features (ranking/ghost data, competitions, etc.)
- Pretty interesting tracks
- Bikes: very fun
- Items:
- I like the POW block. If you can get into the air at the right time you can avoid it. It's a neat concept.
- The lightning cloud is also neat. I like how the player has to pass it to someone else in a short amount of time.
- I like that terrain actually has a significant impact on your speed. It actually makes players more careful.

Cons:
- 12 players is just too much. The powerful items (like thunder, blue shell, bullet bill) are gotten way too often since there's such a high probability (the number of players). I think 6 players is the perfect number.
- Items:
- Bullet Bill is ridiculous. It should only be obtainable on last rank, and should have a shorter duration.
- The squid ink is ineffective. It could have been designed better to actually have serious effects.
- The blue shell should not stop players in their tracks. It should instead roll them in a direction. Simply put it's way too powerful and can change the rankings way too much.
- Red shells should retain their semi-homing (not fully homing like MKDS/Wii) nature that was seen in MK64. They shouldn't be guaranteed hit if the victim doesn't have protection (banana, shell).
- The lightning cloud is too penalizing. With 12 racers, having just one racer become small is too harsh.
- The yellow mushroom should not last as long as it does. A player can go from 12th place to 1st with just one of those mushrooms easily.
- Where the hell is the ghost!? I loved the idea of being able to steal other player's items.
- It seems like a step back that they didn't include player specific items/weapons like in GC (or was that DS? I forget).
- Tricks could have been thought out better. I believe they could have made this very much a skilled portion of the game that players could master to gain an edge.
- The drifting system is too easy. They should have matched the drifting system entirely to MK64 or MKGC which both didn't have snaking problems but still made drifting something of an "advanced technique" that at least required *some* skill.
- No free for all battle mode really hurts this game.


It feels weird to me that MKWii is almost a step back in many ways. For one, they removed the partner system that was in GC (but maybe that's why MKGC is called Double Dash). They removed some items (like the ghost). They removed in a sense the left-right-left-right drift system and replaced it with something much simpler. If you think about it, the only aspect that MKWii brings to the series is bikes. It's weird to think it doesn't innovate any more than that. But it really doesn't!

MKGC added the partner system (significant) + multiple carts. MKDS added online (significant). MKWii in this sense feels somewhat rushed.


And it bothers me because I feel like Nintendo is losing some of its quality. This isn't just MKWii I'm talking about... look at their other first party products: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption added wiimote control but other than that it was pretty similar to MP2/MP1. Zelda Twilight Princess was not necessarily a huge step above the Zelda 64 games (it really just added pointing control for aiming weapons and some gimmicky swinging control). Super Mario Galaxy, while very pretty, was hardly innovative as compared to Super Mario 64 (it did implement some neat space physics into the mix, but was very much easier than the previous installments and felt dumbed down in terms of its puzzles and platforming challenges). Super Smash Brawl I feel is very much simplified. It adds, what, the tripping mechanic which is annoying as hell and a slightly different air dodging system, and then I guess the final smashes which are neat but very unbalanced, while removing some more interesting mechanics like power shielding (reflecting projectiles with shield), fast fall, L-canceling, etc. And then we have MKWii which is as I've mentioned above.

Lets face it, Nintendo has taken the "We" aspect of the Wii a little too far. If they simply added options to all their games to add/remove certain gameplay mechanics, and actually even better, if they simply had different games that targeted different markets (rather than casual-izing all their main franchise games as well as everything else), then I think their systems would have the absolute widest appeal. But to me, they've had way too many strikes to give me any hope that they will change their outlook, at least for the Wii. Inevitably, I will end up playing previous iterations in their franchises (SSBM, Mario Kart DS/64, Super Metroid, Super Mario 64/World/etc.) much longer than I will ever play the Wii counterparts. Don't get me wrong, the games are good, but they just aren't great.

I'm so glad you pointed all this out. You totally reflect my feelings, but because I'm not a native english speaker I couldn't manage to make it such a big story.
I agree with you on almost every aspect.

The only thing I don't agree with is how you feel about Nintendo's direction, for I think their general approach is really cool and different, and I really don't mind if they make the "we" aspect a bit over the top.

But with Mario Kart it just feels like the balance is gone. When playing online I thought "So this is what they mean with EVERYBODY can win a race" but I think they took this a step too far. At first I thought it was allright but it the end the ridiculous amount of weapons just took away the fun of the Kart Racing. Many people on this forum think it's fine and look at it as some Racing Smash Bros Brawl. And that's something I understand, but what I don't understand is many of us LOVED the Snes version of Mario Kart, but if you play that game you'll immediately notice there's a balance, a sort of yin yang between racing/obstacles/weapons. Whether you find it fun or not, the fact remains the Wii version is just one big Weapon Orgy.

I still don't understand why they didn't make the option to have no weapons, because I know for sure there are many people out there who would like this more without the weapons.

Anyway, I will keep playing MK WII, and I will try to improve my Weapon skills and I will certainly have a lot of fun with it. But I hope their next Online Kart game will be more refined.

 

[finite]

If its within one or two posts and on the same page I tend not to quote as it unnecessary pads the thread out imo.

Erm, I'm not new to online gaming or gaming in general or gaming discussion. Try to make sense of my post before replying

I actually did. You really have no idea how many times I read the first sentence aloud in my head. Maybe you can make sense of it. Here it is again, just in case:

"I guess you would only laugh if you're not really a Kart fan."

I'm laughing because people are complaining about a game that is known for what they are complaining about.

Me finding this humorous makes me not a fan. I really cannot connect the two, and I seriously don't get how you did. For in fact, I am a huge fan, and if anything Mario Kart has never really been about skill, but blowing people off the track. But that's for another time I guess.

I beg to differ the SNES version was all about skill and its still there to a degree in this version in time trial section.

Items added a tactical element to the game, but the balance has been slewed too far toward random and accessibility.

Random doesn't equal fun. Watching a series where you have fond memories of the 'Super' original go even farther down the pan isn't funny either.

Reggie was right its not your fathers Mario Kart it's Spammy'O Kart

 

[Elo]

uhm..really..I don't really find the items being dished out too generously.. was playing last night for some hrs, mainly against japs..and out of 50 races I won around 45 easy,with being in top 3 the other 5. After some more playing today etc im up at roughly 7.2k and I havent played THAT much. I do agree that the blue shell does show up to often,but apart from that no complaints.. really it's all about either totally dominating and being so far ahead that blue shells wont hamper you too much or save a schroom and use it just before blue hits (yes,u can dodge them..) or stay in second/3d till halfway of last lap (pref right after second to last item box) then pounce and win

..works pretty well for me..
btw,any1 else notice that the items on the retro tracks tend to be the more basic ones and vice versa ?? I mainly prefer racing on the retro ones..esp the SNES lvls wich are sooo much fun sliding around the whole time

..back to take back that continental champion title for a couple of those retro tracks