please not another double dash....

What do Japanese Wii games usually go for? How big a hike is this?
Shit, between this, GTA4, and Brawl, I'm going to be set for years.

Nope.

I said it. If the game was to cost more than $50, I wouldn't buy it. Protest with me!
So they better lower it.

Please tell me it can be bought and played without some stupid gimmicky accessory.

I'm VERY interested to see how this game turns out.

Could become classic, could be a complete bust.

But why wait to find out? GamePro has an exclusive article about this game in their March issue!

snaking here i come :D...

I'm a big Nintendo fan, but 16 tracks? Come on!
Delay it 'till August maybe even Christmas for all I care, just give us a bit more tracks and for the love of God don't half-ass this game, it deserves to be well done

After MKDS, 16 tracks is a joke. I don't care if half of them were "retro" courses, MKDS allows me and a friend to sit down and play through 32 tracks one after another and that's awesome. They were all really good retro courses as well.

@Kirbytheslayer: Thinks AAA is a great term: Well, it's $54 bundled with the Wheel accessory. That's not bad considering you get yet another plastic Wiimote shell for $4. But hopefull, they will release a $50 one without it.

This can't be right.. they already released brawl at the beginning of this year. This has to be a winter release!

@mentally_unstable: Don't worry it's only single dash :)
I have high hopes for this game though and I think they made a good decision to include Mii support (but please don't put any Mii's on the box art). With all these features and Wi-fi support, Mario Kart Wii is shaping up to be the game I always hoped it would be. Judging by the previous installment, I think the US release date will be the same or close to Japan's.

I'm in louisville st. matthews area we are getting hit by a tornado, I am in my basement, if this is the last post I ever make goodbye :-(

@dowingba:

The article says that you can play on 16 tracks over wi-fi. There will probably be more tracks in single player. That's the way it was in MKDS.

@ConfuciusMax:

Wow. Good luck!

@mentally_unstable: I don't understand the hate for DD - I believe it's actually the best MK second to MKDS

I'm not a Mario Kart fan.
But if Nintendo is going to tell me to play this with a little plastic wheel, this better be damn good.

@okenny :): Nintendo has become the badboy of video gaming. So they dont play by the rules.

@ConfuciusMax: glhfdd?

as for the article, i'm hoping the 16 wi-fi tracks are in addition to the tracks they have in single player (wi-fi battle tracks plz?)

Odd... Nintendo stated they'd have 32 tracks again, 16 new and 16 old and that all would be online playable. I think the sources in Japan most likely said 16 new tracks and not just 16 tracks.

@GUNDAM-RX-78-2: I so wanna take Nintendo home to my mom so she can tell me to leave it alone. Then I sneak out my window just because its a rush to like it!! Gosh Nintendo is like forbidden fruit!!!!!

Tornado has passed, we had 104mph winds X_X Shelbyville road and dixie highway are fucked up. Now its just severe thunderstorms. I think Louisville actually was decently lucky, watching the news to make sure everyone is ok, its about 12:39am called all the people I can get ahold of. Shew, UofL is flooded with wind damage.

@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!: LMFAO!XD

@ConfuciusMax: You are Awesome. Serioussly pat yourself on the back for being so calm during such a situation.

Shit, I'll be the first to admit I wasnt calm, I was scared shitless, we have cars with shattered windows, the siding of my house is hanging off, but we didnt lose internet or power (for the first time ever). But, I got my family into the basement, turned on the tv, and thankfully had an old crappy bed they could pile onto. I grabbed my laptop and ran to the basement and I figured I had to do something to keep my mind off it so I hopped on here, thanks to Kotaku for helping.

@ConfuciusMax: A tornado and you still have electricity AND a decent online connection, who's your provider?
All kidding aside, nice to see a fellow kotakuite go unscathered, hope your town gets on its feet soon
Back on topic, I'm not that crazy about the boxart, personally I like it, I think it goes in the same simple style DS went for last time, but that big picture of the Wii Wheel has me worried, I know it'll be a good game, but what about the casuals? They'll probably think it's another pewiipheral like the zapper and Mario Kart just a gimmicky software to show what it can do =S

@ConfuciusMax: UH...has nothing to do with the post...so I'm kinda afraid to post in fear of Banhammer...but I'm in Louisville too!! I work for a contractor under LG&E...so its going to be hell for me within the next 4 hours when I head to work :(

@ConfuciusMax: That's awsome that your power and internet stayed on....My net keeps going on and off due to the storm...

Is that the real boxart????

@GUNDAM-RX-78-2: You should be lucky to reply to not 1...not 3....not even 4...but 2, count em, 2 people in Louisville! Yes..HIGH FIVE!!! LOL

But yeah...on topic though. I do wonder how Mario Kart will hold up in the wake of the storm that is Hurricane Brawl...I'm on a tight tight budget, so Luckily I'll be able to spare money for both games. (But I should since I can put to side my budget since I can write off Brawl as a bday gift!!!)

@Sinnbox: I love having Sprint as my internet provider. Havent had one single disconnect!! My lights flickered a little. I hope you and Confucius are doing ok. It is pretty bad round here. At least you dont have to walk around in it for work today (Looks in mirror...and tells myself I am a very unlucky man!!)

@ConfuciusMax:
@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!:
Thats the spirit laugh in the face of danger!

@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!: I'm actualy in Indiana, im not in the same storm you are, I wish you guys the best though.

here for all ninty boys out there! one mario after another(like always!)! after shooting fire in brawl, he's driving a cart back home!

how many years have the Wii've been in the market?? just over a year, but let see what do we have - super paper mario, mario soccer charged, mario party 8, SMG, Mario & Sonic at olympic + brawl + kart...and that's A LOT of mario! sick of it already!

@GUNDAM-RX-78-2:
@Sinnbox:
Thanks. And yeah, I got caught in tha first downpour this morning during work...literally soaked from head to toes. Work boots felt like I had puddles of water in them. And I think its going to be like that again today...I got 4hrs to find out!! This is like the worst time to have to ride TARC...wish I had a Mario Kart to drive to work (see how i tied that into the post...I'm so cool right now!!)

I still cant believe they added motorcycles. gosh i feel like its going to be PGR4...but ghey.

@badz149: Well technically...you cant put down Brawl as a Mario game...its way more than just him selling. Actually, I'm willing to bet that Mario is not even a selling factor in this game this year...what with Sonic and Snake. But I love Nintendo, but I will agree they are milking the Mario cash cow a little bit hard. As a Nintendo owner...I have to say I love it. As a gamer, has to say its getting pretty old. And as a Business Major...oh sweet baby Jesus, they are like the ultimate role model!! Next to Diddy (he made money off one great person and mediocrity his whole life...and still is. i.e. his new word...bitch assness!)

@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!
You're a trooper man, I can't imagine getting up in 4 hours in this mess, although I have to be up in 6 hours for this mess so its not that much different but I imagine LG&E is going to be swamped tomorrow.
And everyone else, thanks for the well wishes! I should also comment on the game lol, I'm just not looking forward to it anymore, its kind of off my wii-radar, I feel like its been kept very secret and I guess that keeps me from thinking about it too much unlike Smash

@ConfuciusMax: Yeah man...but someone gotta pay the bills for the ole bois game addiction!!!

But yea...now that I think about it. This game has taken a back seat towards Brawl(and who can blame it). But I didnt even know it was coming this soon. I thought it was a Q3 release. It just snuck up on me...like a thief in the night. It is very sneaky sir!

What? But we've hardly seen anything on it... =I
How can this release in like 3 months. Get ready for delays!

@ConfuciusMax: looks like the storm is almost past for me, the tornado zone was afew miles south of me, so i got lucky.

Does anyone know if this game is playable without the wheel.

@Sinnbox: Yessir it is! The wheel is just to immerse you in the play. Which makes me ask...whats the difference between this and the wheel that shipped with that launch racing game (cant remember the name.)

@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!: im not sure, i'v seen it at Wal-Mart. I'm sure it wouldnt be crap since its a first party accesory, but it looks cheap to me, hopefully it will not dissapoint.

It seem odd how they've been keeping this game kind of under wraps, and launching it right behind Brawl.

On the other hand, Miyamoto has been busy working on this game and I seriously doubt he would release a dud game in a franchise that has been fairly good consistently.

Maybe their PR machine is just too busy trumpeting their 2007 numbers, Wii Fit and Brawl to put this thin in the spot light? ONLY TIME WILL TELL

@Sinnbox: Yeah...I just want to know if there is like...somthing special about the Wii. Cant complain if it comes with the game. I most likely will get it the day or day after release.

@3/9/08=Brawl; 3/16/08=Bday...Two Great Days, One Great Week!: Nintendo has never dissapointed me in the past, but i'm hesitant to get into the Wii, I had one but E-Bayed it to make some cash, because I'm scared the controller will tire me.

Its not really that tiring...even w/o the motion. I just like the split control stick/button setup. I can just play a game with one arm layin on my chest, and the other laying over the bed. Gonna love that with Brawl. But yea...i got faith the wheel will be good. Then of course...its a Mario game. And its a Nintendo periphial...so it will sell regardless.

And to everyone...am I the only one still praying and hoping for that Gamecube shell they showed before launch?? I would really like that!

This is weird considering we have seen just about nothing from this game so far. I have a feeling this rumor will either fall through or the deadline will get pushed back to the holiday season.

@ConfuciusMax: I'm just south of you in Elizabethtown, KY. The storm is over and my house is fine. I hope you're okay wherever you are, buddy. =/

(back on topic) I just reserved Mario Kart today at my local Gamestop when I went to pick up DMC4, and my retailer said the date for it was April 2nd. I'm good friends with the manager there, and he said nothing about it being $54 here. I'm hoping it will still be $49.95 or whatever and the $54 bucks thing is just because of comparing to Japanese pricing. Anyhoo, regardless of the price, I will be getting it. I've been a Mario Kart addict since the very first Mario Kart. I may be older and wiser, but I'm still a Mario Kart kid! =)