Kotaku: Mario Kart Wii

This Wii Cycling Peripheral Costs More Than the Console

Mike Fahey — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:20:00 EDT

Nearly two years ago Bigben Interactive teased us with the Cyberbike, a full-sized stationary bicycle that acts as a game controller for your Nintendo Wii. Now that the Wii has dropped in price to $150 and a new console is on the way, the Cyberbike finally hits North America for $199.99. More »

'Nintendo Selects' Box Art, Mario Kart Wii Bundle and More Budget Friendly Wii Details Emerge

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:30:00 EDT

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Yesterday, Kotaku reported that Nintendo would launch a newly branded budget line of Wii software in May, re-releases of games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at just $19.99 USD. Today, we have box art of the new "Nintendo Selects" line. More »

The Maker Of Mario Kart Justifies The Blue Shell

Stephen Totilo — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

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I'd like to think that I made a reasonable request of the man behind Mario Kart. More »

It's Game On In Japan's Sex Hotels

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:00:00 EST

In Japan, there is an array of hotel options. There are traditional inns, business hotels and places like Hotel Akaikutsu (above) where people go to screw each other's brains out. And when they finish, they can play video games. More »

Japanese Supermarkets Overrun With Game Crap

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 02:00:00 EST

Clean up on aisle six! Japanese supermarkets are awash with gaming-related food and snacks. More »

Here's A Guy Sealed In A Vacuum Bag Playing Mario Kart

Mike Fahey — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EDT

Every time I think I would really enjoy spending some quality time in Japan, I see something like this, and then I just don't know. More »

Nintendo Holds The First Wii Olympics

Mike Fahey — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:40:00 EDT

Are you the best Wii gamer in the country? Nintendo gives you a chance to prove your mettle in the first-ever Wii Games: Summer 2010, and it all starts in the cradle of civilization: New Jersey. More »

High Seas Pirate Hunters Play Mario Kart

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:40:00 EDT

Oh yes, this is another post about piracy and video games. These men, photographed this month, are members of the Swedish Embarked Military Force on board the warship HMS Carlskrona. They hunt Somali pirates on the high seas. They also play Mario Kart Wii. Good prep for nabbing pirates? (AP Photo/Tim Freccia) More »

Blackhawks Down With Mario Kart Wii

Owen Good — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:00:00 EDT

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The puck just dropped in Chicago, with the Blackhawks seeking to ice a 4-0 sweep in the NHL's Western Conference finals. Chicago sports a formidable 7-1 playoff road record, partly because they keep it loose with Mario Kart Wii. More »

Lessons Of The Mario Kart Cheaters

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:00:00 EDT

The more people play Mario Kart online with their friends, the less often they cheat — at least under their own name. That's the finding of an expert on the psychology of games and the group tracking online Mario Kart. More »

These Nintendo Games Have Sold Over 20 Million Copies

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:30:00 EDT

Since the launch of both the DS and Wii, five games published by Nintendo have sold more than twenty million copies. Can you guess which ones? More »

Who Needs the Carpool Lane When You Have Red Shells?

Owen Good — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EDT

Mario's moved to SoCal and upgraded his wheels. BMW with vanity plate spied on the 405 in L.A., as seen on The Tanooki. More »

Do You Really Want A Body Like Her?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EDT

In late March, images surfaced of former Mario Kart Wii pitch girl and bikini model Aki Hoshino. She looked dangerously thin. And now, she's back with a book about having the "ideal body". More »

In Turn Two It's Yoshi, Waluigi and Logano ...

Owen Good — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:20:00 EST

After a week in which potholes played havoc with the Daytona 500 field, now it looks like Joey Logano and the No. 20 GameStop Toyota team are gonna rain shells and bananas on Fontana in the next Nationwide Series race. More »

New Life Sales For Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co., Ltd. has released sales data for its biggest selling titles during the April - June 2009 quarter. Let's have a look. More »

Mario Kart Wii Used In Driver's Ed

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:00:00 EDT

Students at Vail Christian High School in Colorado are learning the importance of not driving while distracted. They're doing this with the help of Mario Kart Wii. More »

MySims Racing Preview: It’s What Mario Kart Wii Should Be

AJ Glasser — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EDT

The MySims franchise generates more spinoffs than the Law & Order series, but Racing seems to be one of the good ones. More »

Amazon's "Best of 2008" Video Games Are All Wii

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:40:03 EST

Amazon.com, still bursting with self-promotion from what it called its best holiday shopping season ever, has revealed its "Best Of" products from 2008. In the video game category, it was all Wii, all the time. More »

New Club Nintendo Prizes Underwhelm

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:40:49 EST

Members of the Japanese version Club Nintendo who have racked up the required number of points from their Nintendo purchases will be able to secure one of the lovely prizes seen above — a gold painted Mario Kart Wii wheel, a Club Nintendo calendar for 2009 and a plush-looking Mario hat. Were the Wii wheel to come in Wario purple and gold and have a little "W" stamped upon it, I'd snap it up instantly, but would have to settle for the hat — were I to be a member. More »

Forget Wii Fit, It's Mario Kart That's Buttering Nintendo's Bread

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:30:00 EDT

As part of their freshly-dropped quarterly financials, Nintendo have decided to lavish special attention upon two of its titles. While neglecting to provide us with individual sales data for all their first-party games, which they've sometimes done in the past, they would like us to know how many copies of Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii they've sold. And the totals may surprise you! Because while Wii Fit's been a media darling, and has captured Nintendo a ton of good press with morning television crowd, it's sold "only" 3.42 million units worldwide since launch. That's a little over half of what Mario Kart Wii's managed, with the plastic-wheel-packing GameCube update managing to sell 6.42 million units worldwide. More »

Nintendo DS Software Sales Up, Nintendo Wii Software Sales Up (Up, Up, Up!)

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Nintendo also announced its software sales data in its Q1 FY3/09 statement. In Q1, Nintendo DS software sales were 36.59 million, up 2.33 million units from Q1 last year. Standout titles for the DS include the international release of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Explorers of Time. Wii software sales reached 40.41 million units, a 24.42 million increase from Q1 last year. Titles like Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Play and Wii Sports in Japan led the charge. More »

The Wii Bikini Queens (Not In Bikinis)

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Nintendo's Japanese ads are smart. They don't just feature famous celebrities, but former-bikini-girls-turned-mainstream celebs. That's curvy cheesecake pin-up turned actress Eiko Koike on the new Wii Fit TV spot. Sure, the Nintendo ad isn't gratuitous in the least, but it certainly doesn't turn its back on Koike's most famous assets. This isn't the first bikini girl to shill Wii stuff. Earlier this spring, Swimsuit idol Aki Hoshino appeared in Mario Kart Wii spots in a mini-skirt. More »

Battery Packs Cause Wii Wheel Alignment Issues?

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Apparently, using anything other than disposable "crap-assed gas station batteries" turns a Wii Wheel driving experience into that of a 1978 Datsun heading down to the shore. And no, that's not a desirable mod. Not for Don at videolamer, anyway. He swears that using the battery packs from the React Recharge Dock for the Wiimote reduces the 'Mote's weight and makes it drive off center when placed in the Wii Wheel. More »

A More Sensible Wii Racing Wheel

Mike Fahey — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Tired of putting your hands in the air and waving them like you care only about getting to the finishing line? Too lazy to craft your own stable Wii racing wheel out of everyday household items for us in Mario Kart Wii? Well then head over to Success-HK, where they have recently released the Blazepro Realistic Racing Wheel for the Wii. Using the magical power of suction cups, the Realistic Racing Wheel attaches to any smooth surface for that not-nearly-flailing-as-much feel, with the added benefit of giving your tired arms something to rest on. As a special added bonus, the wheel detaches from the base for air-driving action. More »

Ain't No Stopping Mario Kart Wii In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Nintendo's mascot racin' funfest Mario Kart Wii cannot be toppled, even by the crossbow powers of Link. Zelda's constant savior aimed for third on the Japanese sales charts with Link's Crossbow Training, Mario Kart Wii and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G still holding tight at numbers one and two for the fourth week in a row. More »

Nintendo Launches Worldwide Mario Kart Wii Tourneys

Mike Fahey — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:20:00 EDT

The online competition heats up today as Nintendo introduces the first in a series of worldwide Mario Kart Wii tournaments. Every few weeks a new special tournament challenge will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, allowing players to attempt them as many times as they'd like for the duration of said challenge, with the best times sent to the worldwide rankings to see how they stack up to the competition. Challenges can range from simply getting the best times with a certain character to using specific control setups or collecting the most coins. The first tournament should be up today, challenging gamers to get the fastest time on the Mario Circuit...with a twist. This is a pretty nifty way to keep fans coming back to the game, allowing them to prove their Mario Kart prowess without being a complete jerk about it. More »

Super Mario Kart Is All I Need (With Expensive Simulator)

Mark Wilson — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:40:00 EDT

WARNING: DO NOT STEP BEYOND THE WAIST HIGH FENCE WHILE MARIO KART IS IN MOTION. More »

Mario Kart Wii Review: I'm Not Angry, Just Disappointed

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Fun fact: I'm a total Mario Kart fanboy. For the record: Double Dash is my favourite (I know, I know). So I'm used to watching the Mario Kart series take small, baby-steps forward with each new version. In this case, I was expecting just that. Small steps forward. Mario Kart Wii, however, feels more like a step forward, a shuffle to the side then, after a brief pause, a tentative step back. More »

Amazonians Buying Wii Fit And Mario Kart Faster Than GTA IV

Mark Wilson — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:20:00 EDT

This is by no means the most scientific of measurements, but GTA IV for both Xbox 360 and PS3 is currently being outsold on Amazon by Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel. Things to keep in mind: the Nintendo games are each single platform (effectively doubling their sales) and Wii Fit pre-orders may be more common than GTA IV pre-orders this close to GTA IV's launch (at this point, gamers may be more likely to just go to the store to get their Liberty City fix). Still, we didn't expect Wii Fit's pre-sale numbers to come out on top today on Amazon. At all. More »

Mario Kart Wii Launch Starring Jason Priestley

Brian Crecente — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Jason Priestley, who Nintendo was kind enough to remind us is an actor, hit up this weekend's launch of Mario Kart Wii at the Nintendo World store in New York. While there he took on fellow actor Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl fame in a bit of Mario Karting. If that fat cat smile and double chin is any measure it looks like Priestley totally schooled the kid. With a wheel too! More »

Mario Kart Control Schemes: FIGHT

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Mario Kart Wii, like Smash Bros, is hedging its bets when it comes to control schemes. Probably because, like Smash Bros, it's ostensibly a GameCube title, with its gameplay mechanics in place long before the now-mandatory waggle was ever brought to the table. Which explains why, when you sit down to play it, you'll have a choice of five control schemes, a mix of the new (waggle) and the old (no waggle). Having played the game for the past week, and played using all available control schemes, I figured I'd let you know how the five shape up. More »

Mario Kart Wii Friend Code Dump

Brian Crecente — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EDT

It's official Mario Kart Wii is live and in stores. Tristan and I have been playing it for a few days now, and I think it's a pretty solid, albeit, familiar title. This latest iteration of Mario Kart really doesn't stray from the formular, but why should it? More »

Toys R Us Will be Flush with Wii

Brian Crecente — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Toys R Us is alerting customers that they will have "more Wii in-store than ever before" this Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!! They also plan to have bucket loads of the current best reason to buy a Wii: Mario Kart Wii. Both can be pre-ordered, which I would assume would guarantee you copies, though I bet I'm assuming wrong. More »

Mario Kart Wii in the House

Brian Crecente — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

The FedEx guy just dropped Mario Kart Wii off at my house. I think my son is going to faint when he comes home. The timing is perfect. It gives me something to play with him until Grand Theft Auto arrives and I disappear from his life for several weeks. More »

Wii60 Wheel Is Our Kind Of Mod

Mark Wilson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Works? Check. More »

Mario Kart Wii With Jason Priestley In NYC

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:40:51 EDT

Former 90210 heartthrob Jason Priestley isn't just a former heartthrob. He's a part owner in an Indy 500 race team. No wonder Nintendo dragged it out to promote Mario Kart Wii. This Saturday, normal folks can test drive Mario Kart Wii at the Nintendo World Store with Priestley and hit him with your technical questions about the finer points of race car driving and writing Shannon Doherty out of network TV. More »

Wii Wheel (And Hairy Knuckles) Porn

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:30:00 EDT

You've seen it before, but not like this. Not in such agonising detail. With the standalone version's Japanese box. And shots from various angles, with the wheel and Wii Remote in various states of undress. And probing. And penetrating. And the soft, longing caress of...an old man with lady's fingers but a man's hairy knuckles. Hit the gallery for more. It's safer for work than it has any right to be. More »

Mario Invades NYC Taxi Cabs

Brian Crecente — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Not content to get pwned by me in Mario Kart Wii, Mario is heading over to New York City later this week to take New Yorkers for a ride. More »

Mario Kart Wii Driving School Impressions

Brian Crecente — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT

As you probably noticed, I went by the Denver stop of the Mario Kart Wii Driving School this weekend. I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked to with it, because I was busy doing interviews and such, but I got a chance to sit down with the game for a few minutes. More »

A 6 Year-Old's Take on the Wii Wheel

abarenblat — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT

I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that Tristan is Kotaku's best and most trustworthy reviewer. His reviews were spot on for the 360 Wireless Wheel , SIXAXIS, and the Wiimote. However, because YouTube is densely populated with Nazi whores, you can't see Tristan's older reviews anymore. Personally, I think he is one of the coolest kids around. Well, let me elaborate - Tristan's dad has one of the coolest jobs around and Tristan gets to reap all of the benefits. For example, Crecente took Tristan to the Mario Kart Driving School in Denver on Saturday where he got to try out the new Wii Wheel. Since I am the video intern, I had the distinct honor of capturing Tristan's review of the very thing we have all feared. The Wii Wheel, Nintendo's new gamble, could ruin Mario Kart forever. Luckily, Tristan lays it all down for us and puts our fears to rest. More »