Mario Kart Memories

Since getting my Wii U I have been playing a lot of Mario Kart 8. A heck of a lot. It is the online mode that is the most addictive, especially as you can join and play with friends and family so easily on the quest for VR points. Anyhow, it got me thinking about my experiences with the Mario Kart series over the years. 

Being a Sega boy the SNES game passed me by, so it was only when I went to University and my neighbour in my halls of residence had a new Nintendo 64 that I was introduced to the series. The graphics were impressive (for the time) and I loved the 4 player split-screen mode. I still remember what an impression having to dodge traffic on Toad’s Turnpike - or all the multiple directions of Yoshi’s Valley - had on me at the time. My neighbour who owned the N64 was head and shoulders above the rest of us who played - even getting hit by the blue Spiny Shell in first place never stopped him from always winning races. He was merciless.

The next time I really got into a Mario Kart game was Double Dash on the GameCube. I have a real fondness for the GameCube controller and it just seemed to suit the game so well, it was one of the few games that could tear me away from Resident Evil 4. Me and my friend really played this game to death, the ability to choose different pairings and karts made the choices seem endless. I loved the absolute chaos of Baby Park. Maybe it was because I had not played many of the earlier games that it felt quite fresh. Another friend who came over to play multiplayer was disgusted with the game - saying it had nothing on the original SNES version.

Anyway, back to Mario Kart 8 and to slowly creep towards 99,999 VR points…

Adventures in Wii U

I have been waiting a long time to get a Wii U, yet the timing has never seemed right. However, the recent aura of doomed console chic – akin to the Sega Saturn – really sold me on getting one. Well… that and also because my fiancé also really wanted one too. So now we have a Wii U. 

The only Nintendo home console I owned before this was a Gamecube (mainly for Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart: Double Dash). I’m not a massive Nintendo fan as I’m a Sega Boy at heart - Nintendo will always be the “enemy” in some weird way. But with Sega a shadow of its former self it seems it is only Nintendo left who offer that kind of gaming nostalgia in a next gen platform.

So far I am adoring the Wii U. Between Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8 and Yoshi’s Wooly World I am having tons of fun. Mario Kart 8 especially is the best version of that racer I have ever played, and the online mode is fiendishly addictive. The amount of courses, characters and vehicles make everything feel so fresh.

The Wii U has become the prime console too, being the main hub for watching Netflix/iPlayer. The GamePad I thought initially seemed like a gimmick, but it is vital in designing levels in Mario Maker. I like how as well some games don’t try to force using it, sometimes the excellent Pro Controller is a brilliant alternative.

So yes, so far my Wii U experience has been great. It may be dying, but it is dying with style.