Mario Kart Wii

Karacters

As far as Mario and his friends go, players will see many familiar faces in the driver's seats of Mario Kart Wii. Unlike the GameCube version, there can only be one character per kart or bike, so assistance with item use is not available.

Previously, a Grand Prix consisted of only eight drivers. For the Wii version, this number has been increased, so now a solid twelve can kick each other around during the race or battle. Online play can get pretty complex with this volume of participants, but for the local party houses only four people can play per Wii console (and there are even limitations beyond that, but we'll discuss these later).

My Cheerleader Mii in a car on the Coconut Mall course.

The lineup has changed a bit, though most of the unexpected characters have to be unlocked. Apparently, this game marks the first appearance of Baby Daisy, and previous Mario Kart titles haven't provided Baby Peach, Rosalina (from the recent Mario Galaxy), Funky Kong, or Dry Bowser. Some avid Kart fans will be sad to see an absence of some past favorites like Double Dash's Petey Piranha or R.O.B. from the D.S. version, but one of the somewhat fun changes to the character lineup is the option to drive as your personal Mii. Be warned, however, that the voices for some of the Miis are cheesy and distracting. Outfit options can also be unlocked for the Mii character, allowing further personalization.

The size of the driver impacts the selection of karts and bikes available. Smaller characters like Toad, Baby Mario, and a short-statured Mii choose from the lighter, more compact vehicles. The Medium range cars are designated to the likes of Mario, Peach, and Luigi, and Bowser, Donkey Kong, and King Boo drive the large ones. It might take some time and perseverance to find the right character/kart combination, but when you land on the right one it's like magic.