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First Impressions: Mario Kart Wii
Our copy of Mario Kart Wii showed up at the house yesterday and we spent a good chunk of the evening checking it out.
Wii Wheel
For starters, the steering wheel is great. It's lightweight, yet very durable (the kids kept dropping it) and it was very well thought out. The backside of the wheel has a hole for the wii remote strap and a button for accessing the B button on your remote. The Wii Remote fits snugly into the center of the wheel, yet is easy to remove when you need to take it out. There is even a transparent window on the side of the wheel so you can still use the wii remote while it is housed inside the wheel. I was very impressed with all aspects of it.
The Game
Mario Kart Wii shows the same level of polish that Nintendo is known for. The menus and title screen were simple and easy to navigate and getting right into the game took no time at all.
The Controls
My big concern with most Wii titles to date is the accuracy of their controls. This is not the case with Mario Kart Wii. There was a slight learning curve to get things going, but once you get it down it is an altogether joy to play.
There is a lot more to this game and we have barely scratched the surface. I'll save the rest for the formal review, but if you are on the fence about this right now allow me to sway you. From what I've seem of the game so far, it's great. I didn't want to do anything but play it all night long. I can't say that this will be the case for everyone, but I sincerely enjoyed myself. I can't wait to see what multi-player is like.
Apr 25, 2008 - 8:19 am | 31 comments
Mario Kart Wii Driving School Details: Houston, TX
Nintendo has sent over the schedule for the Mario Kart Wii Driving School being held in Houston, TX this weekend.
The event takes place at the iFest: International Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 12:00pm to 10:00pm and again on Sunday, April 27, 2008, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
The MKW Driving School event gives parents and kids a crash course in
Kart racing with the new Wii Wheel perpipheral. A 24' glass display
Driving School truck houses the experience and visitors get an official
Mario Kart driver's license personalized with their photo, nickname,
and vehicle of choice upon completion.
The MKW truck will be parked on Walker Street, south of Tranquility Park between Bagby St and Smith St. [map]
Admission to the iFest: International Festival is required.
Apr 23, 2008 - 11:44 am | 0 comments
Mario Kart Wii Driving School Details: Dallas, TX
Nintendo sent over the full schedule of details for the upcoming Mario Kart Wii Driving School Event in Dallas, TX.
The event will take place tomorrow, Thursday, April 24th from 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Dallas Zoo [map] and from 3:00pm to 8:00pm at SpeedZone Dallas [map].
The MKW Driving School event gives parents and kids a crash course in Kart racing with the new Wii Wheel perpipheral. A 24' glass display Driving School truck houses the experience and visitors get an official Mario Kart driver's license personalized with their photo, nickname, and vehicle of choice upon completion.
If you plan on attending the Dallas Zoo event, keep in mind that regular Zoo admission is required to attend.
Apr 23, 2008 - 11:35 am | 0 comments
First Impressions: Deca Sports Demo
Earlier this month Hudson sent over a a demo disc for their upcoming Deca Sports title. It’s not surprising that developers are still going after the market created by Wii Sports. Wii Sports was meant to be a simple yet shallow tech demo to show off what the Wii was capable of. Instead, it became the defacto standard by which many Wii games are still compared to.
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Apr 23, 2008 - 10:40 am | 0 comments
Comic Con '08: Activision Spins Web of Shadows
As the New York Comic Con opened to the public on Friday, Activision publically announced the mystery Marvel superhero project on their 2008 slate – Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. On the floor of the con, I chatted with Graham Fuchs, the game’s producer. While Graham’s just off of the totally underwhelming Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, he does have a quality pedigree – his resume includes two installments of the Jedi Knight trilogy, for instance.
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Apr 21, 2008 - 11:20 am | 0 comments
The Farmer Report: March 2008
March has come and gone, and with it a number of major new game releases. Now NPD has released the numbers for the month, so we can take a look at them and try to dig deeper into what they mean for the industry at large.
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Apr 21, 2008 - 7:03 am | 7 comments
Rev Your Engines With Ford Racing Off Road For PC
Empire Interactive announced today that Ford Racing Off Road is under development and will ship this summer. The newest title in the Ford Racing franchinse ditches racetracks and urban streets for a new adventure in the world of off road racing. A convoy of vehicles are at your disposal as you take on one of the 24 available tracks.
"Thrill seekers can now see if they have what it takes to make it in the high-action sport of off-road racing as they take the driver's seat behind 18 of the toughest 4x4s, SUVs and off-road trucks," said Karim Farghaly, vice president of sales, Empire Interactive. "Taking the license off road takes the successful franchise to an exciting new level."
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Apr 16, 2008 - 11:55 am | 0 comments
Majesco Announces Air Traffic Chaos for Nintendo DS
Majesco Entertainment announced today that they would be publishing Air Traffic Chaos for the Nintendo DS.
Air Traffic Chaos puts players in the chair of an air traffic controller, the person who has to safely manage a myriad of takeoffs and landings at an airport. Players will use the touch screen to manage takeoffs, gate assignments, and landings for all incoming and outgoing airport traffic for 14 different airlines. Varying weather conditions add a level of variety to the mix.
"Air Traffic Chaos means fun is taking off from Terminal A," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. "The game's frantic pace set against the backdrop of an already high-stress job will challenge fast-fingered Touch Screen gamers in an entirely new way."
Air Traffic Chaos will be released in Summer 2008 for the Nintendo DS.
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Apr 16, 2008 - 11:49 am | 1 comments
Hudson Announces Star Soldier R for WiiWare
Hudson Entertainment announced today that they would be bringing Star Soldier R out as a WiiWare title for the Nintendo Wii.
Star Soldier R is a tourney style space shooter that features 2-Minute and 5-Minute modes where gamers race to achieve the highest score possible. Gamers can also test their trigger fingers in Quick Shot Mode. Once done, you'll be able to head on over to the online leaderboards and see how you match up to other gamers in your region.
Star Soldier R is a vertical scrolling shooter that features a top down view and features a configurable control scheme to fit gamers' personal preferences. No word on a release date for Star Soldier R.
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Apr 16, 2008 - 11:25 am | 0 comments
The Sims Celebrates 100 Million Sold Worldwide
Electronic Arts announced today that The Sims celebrated a significant entertainment milestone by selling 100 million units worldwide. The Sims debuted in 2000 and has gone on to become the best-selling PC franchise of all time. With The Sims available in 22 languages in 60 countries around the world, there is no denying that the franchise is a major influence in the industry.
“At this milestone, we want to thank players of The Sims everywhere for making The Sims such a worldwide phenomenon,” said Rod Humble, Head of Studio for The Sims Label. “The Sims has been an interactive experience for people around the globe to explore their passion for creativity and we’re thrilled to be a part of that. From building houses and relationships, from the first kiss to a toddler’s first step, from kitchen fires – and even visits from ghosts, players have told more than 100 million unique and fun stories!”
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Apr 16, 2008 - 11:16 am | 0 comments
