Nintendo shows off first playable version of Mario's next racer
Mario Kart Wii is not due out for a few months yet, but US magazine Nintendo Power has already had a go and the feedback is promising.
Following confusion over how many players will be in a race in the new game, NP confirms that the game will feature 12-player racing online, with an improved version of Mario Kart DS' matchmaking system that should get you into races far quicker than the portable could manage.
Performing stunts, as seen in previously released screenshots, will have its rewards, and although NP says it's too early to confirm what these rewards are yet, we're guessing it'll be a small speed boost on landing.
Classic items like Koopa shells, lightning bolts and mushrooms will return along with a selection of still undisclosed new weapons. 16 new courses will be in there, along with some old favourites. NP was also positive about the new motion control steering system - something that worries us to death.
"You hold the Wii-mote in both hands with the buttons facing you (and that's how it'll fit into the steering-wheel accessory). Then you turn the wheel left or right. If you tilt it steeply, you'll make a sharp turn. A gentle dip will ease you to one side. Buttons control acceleration, braking, and item use," NP explains, saying it controls “smoothly.”
The article fails to reveal other crucial facts, like if karts hop on powerslides, or if snaking is possible.
Mario Kart Wii has been dated by Nintendo, who confirm that the colourful racer will arrive in the second-quarter of 2008, alongside a new steering wheel peripheral for the console.
Source
Mario Kart Wii is not due out for a few months yet, but US magazine Nintendo Power has already had a go and the feedback is promising.
Following confusion over how many players will be in a race in the new game, NP confirms that the game will feature 12-player racing online, with an improved version of Mario Kart DS' matchmaking system that should get you into races far quicker than the portable could manage.
Performing stunts, as seen in previously released screenshots, will have its rewards, and although NP says it's too early to confirm what these rewards are yet, we're guessing it'll be a small speed boost on landing.
Classic items like Koopa shells, lightning bolts and mushrooms will return along with a selection of still undisclosed new weapons. 16 new courses will be in there, along with some old favourites. NP was also positive about the new motion control steering system - something that worries us to death.
"You hold the Wii-mote in both hands with the buttons facing you (and that's how it'll fit into the steering-wheel accessory). Then you turn the wheel left or right. If you tilt it steeply, you'll make a sharp turn. A gentle dip will ease you to one side. Buttons control acceleration, braking, and item use," NP explains, saying it controls “smoothly.”
The article fails to reveal other crucial facts, like if karts hop on powerslides, or if snaking is possible.
Mario Kart Wii has been dated by Nintendo, who confirm that the colourful racer will arrive in the second-quarter of 2008, alongside a new steering wheel peripheral for the console.
Source
