Patrick Elliot
Shaun InguanzoBattle Mode: Mario Kart Wii feature
April 18th 2008 01:37
Prepare yourself for more late nights with the mates....
BATTLE Mode is back, albeit with some changes.
The infamous balloon-popping multiplayer bonanza has been the highlight of many gamers' lives since the original Super Mario Kart.
For those of you who are new to the franchise, the premise of the game is that you drive around a confined map with three balloons attached to your kart.
To win, you must pop your opponents' balloons before they pop yours.
In Mario Kart Wii, the formula has been slightly changed so that each battle game is timed (three minutes) and you work in two teams of up to six drivers each, darting around the map destroying balloons.
Unlike previous Mario Kart games that made you sit out once your balloons had been popped, you simply respawn in Mario Kart Wii and keep on battling.
In addition to the balloon battle is the Coin Run mode that Gamer Herald believes is the next big thing in Mario Kart multiplayer.
You play on the same maps, but instead of balloons, a limited number of coins are littered around the map, and the two teams must collect as many as possible.
When you run out of coins to collect, it is then time to unleash the fury on your fellow gamers and collect items to throw at their karts.
Making contact forces them to spin out and drop those precious coins, allowing you to collect them and increase both yours and your team's tally.
At the end of the three minutes, the team with the most coins wins. Online, the Coin Run was decided at the last moment in nearly every game I played.
It just seems so well balanced that the scores are constantly neck and neck.
Post game, a screen loads and displays your score for the match, and how it affects your online rating.
The best part is that any WiFi game can be played with two players on a split screen, so you and a buddy, or family member, can play until the 'Wii' hours of the morning.
If I had an early criticism of Battle Mode, I'd question the longevity of just two game modes, and hope that with the WiFi service Nintendo will perhaps offer some downloadable game modes.
BATTLE Mode is back, albeit with some changes.
The infamous balloon-popping multiplayer bonanza has been the highlight of many gamers' lives since the original Super Mario Kart.
For those of you who are new to the franchise, the premise of the game is that you drive around a confined map with three balloons attached to your kart.
To win, you must pop your opponents' balloons before they pop yours.
Coin Run - get ready for an exciting new multiplayer game in Mario Kart Wii.
In Mario Kart Wii, the formula has been slightly changed so that each battle game is timed (three minutes) and you work in two teams of up to six drivers each, darting around the map destroying balloons.
Unlike previous Mario Kart games that made you sit out once your balloons had been popped, you simply respawn in Mario Kart Wii and keep on battling.
In addition to the balloon battle is the Coin Run mode that Gamer Herald believes is the next big thing in Mario Kart multiplayer.
You play on the same maps, but instead of balloons, a limited number of coins are littered around the map, and the two teams must collect as many as possible.
When you run out of coins to collect, it is then time to unleash the fury on your fellow gamers and collect items to throw at their karts.
Making contact forces them to spin out and drop those precious coins, allowing you to collect them and increase both yours and your team's tally.
At the end of the three minutes, the team with the most coins wins. Online, the Coin Run was decided at the last moment in nearly every game I played.
It just seems so well balanced that the scores are constantly neck and neck.
Post game, a screen loads and displays your score for the match, and how it affects your online rating.
The best part is that any WiFi game can be played with two players on a split screen, so you and a buddy, or family member, can play until the 'Wii' hours of the morning.
If I had an early criticism of Battle Mode, I'd question the longevity of just two game modes, and hope that with the WiFi service Nintendo will perhaps offer some downloadable game modes.
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Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Parent Adventures
I gotta get a movin' if i want to actually have all of these!
anything Mario they've done for the Wii sounds fantastic and exciting so far. Can't wait!
Comment by Shaun Inguanzo
Blogocratic Nightmare
Yep - Nintendo is unreal when it comes to its Mario games - did you ever play Mario Strikers Charged? That's a Wii title based around football (soccer) that is amazing fun to play, and you can do so online or against others in the living room.
But back to Mario Kart - this is some of the best fun I've had with the Wii in a while, so definitely consider picking it up.
Cheers
Shaun
Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Parent Adventures
see now you added a new game on my list! hahah My husband loves anything soccer!
Soccer Mario?! He won't say no to that! hahah
Comment by Shaun Inguanzo
Blogocratic Nightmare
It's good to see everyone getting into the Wii - they're fun, affordable, there's something for everyone, and age is no barrier.
I remember last new year's eve i was playing Wii Sports with my family, and then the extended family - and the oldies loved it so much they took over the console for the night! Haha!
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is another good soccer title - not as easy to pick up and play as Mario Strikers Charged, but if you are after depth and simulation, then Pro Evo is a good option.