For all the talk of Nintendo forgoing their loyal fanbase with the Wii, the company has still provided gamers with their most popular franchises at the fastest rate that we’ve ever seen, with Zelda, Metroid, and yes, numerous Mario titles all hitting the system within the first year of its launch. The portly plumber has returned to all genres this generation, with platforming (Super Mario Galaxy), sports (Mario Strikers Charged), and RPG (Super Paper Mario) games already in the books, not to mention a Brawl to end them all and an Olympic-sized clash with Sonic the Hedgehog. However, one area we’ve yet to see Mario in with the Wii is the genre he made famous: kart racing. That’s set to change this April with the release of Mario Kart Wii, which looks to be the most feature-packed Mario Kart yet.

While Nintendo tried to take Mario Kart to new and interesting places with the last console release, Double Dash!!, the company has decided to make Mario Kart Wii into a more standard racing experience in the vein of 2005’s Mario Kart DS. While the game doesn’t have nearly the roster size of its GameCube predecessor, MK Wii still packs in one of the largest lists of characters seen in a Mario Kart game to date. Everyone from Mario to Luigi to Toad to Koopa Troopa to Wario to Waluigi to Peach to Yoshi makes an appearance, with some hidden racers to boot. You can even upload your own Mii to use as a playable racer, and Miis from your Mii channel and Mii Parade will populate the tracks as spectators. What’s more, Mario Kart Wii has upped the size of races from 8 to 12, making for more fast-paced, competitive racing. In addition, each character will have multiple vehicles to choose from, including both standard karts, and, for the first time in Mario Kart history, motorcycles. While cycles will be faster and have overall better handling than karts, they will also be less durable, so players should take care when using them.

I bring the blue sparks, bitch.

Another equally big part of the Mario Kart series has always been track selection, and the Wii’s version will feature one of the most expansive to date. Like Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii will feature 32 total tracks, each split into cups of 4. Of these tracks, 16 will be brand new, while the other 16 will be taken from all five previous Mario Kart games, including Mario Kart 64’s Sherbet Land, Double Dash’s Peach Beach, and Mario Kart DS’s Yoshi Falls. Series newcomers will be Wario’s Gold Mine, Baby Mario Meadows, Toad’s Tunnels and, as always, a brand-new Mario Circuit raceway. Of course, Battle Mode makes a return as well, offering numerous courses for balloon-popping fun, as well as being available as a team-based experience.

Mario Kart’s signature gameplay won’t change much with the Wii version, but there are a few additions worth noting. The biggest is the addition of a trick system, as racers can perform quick stunts while airborne. These work similar to the powerslides of old, giving players a quick burst of speed when one is successfully executed. Powerslides themselves return as well, of course, but work a tad differently this time around. Instead of wiggling around the control stick to build up boost on a slide, boost is gathered automatically based upon how long the slide is held. The benefits of this are twofold: one, it makes powersliding easier for new players, and two, it makes it impossible to “snake” – in other words, powerslide through the entire course, leaving everyone else in the dust.

As one might expect, Mario Kart Wii will make use of the Wii’s unique controls for its gameplay. The game is packed in with the Wii Wheel, a steering wheel attachment that snaps onto the Wii Remote, making the game feel more like steering an actual vehicle than ever before. While this looks like it will give players the ultimate in control, Nintendo is also giving players the option to play their own way by offering one of five unique control styles. Along with the Wii Wheel, players can use the Wii Remote without the Wheel, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo, a Classic Controller, or a GameCube controller.

Holy CRAAAAAAAAAAAP.

Lastly, Mario Kart Wii will continue the series’ prowess into the online realm by featuring one of the most robust and expansive Nintendo Wi-Fi modes delivered to date. Up to 12 players can complete in online races, and for the first time ever, can face off in the new online Battle mode. Also, in conjunction with the game, Nintendo is releasing the new Mario Kart Channel, which can be accessed either in-game or downloaded directly to the Wii menu. This new channel allows players to check leaderboards and standings, add and challenge friends, see who the top racers are worldwide, and even download ghost data to see if you can beat the best times, or to see if anyone can best yours. Of course, the game will feature standard split-screen races and battles for up to four players, for those that just want to race with their buddies.

Mario Kart has always been one of Nintendo’s seminal multiplayer franchises, and the newest Wii installment is looking to be the most feature-packed edition yet. With improved graphics, tons of control options, some new gameplay additions, and some of the most promising online functionality we’ve seen yet, it’s no surprise that this is one race we can’t wait to see get started. Mario Kart Wii releases on April 29th, and we’ll have our full review soon.

Eric Jones