But also because it designed itself around being accessible to all, but potentially to the detriment of longer term fans of the series. This game was essentially the Mario Kart game for everyone, proved not least by its incredible appeal to that larger 37 million strong audience. Its tracks were also well-designed, complete with shortcuts and secrets, even if this meant that they were on the lengthy side when compared to other courses in the franchise. Mario Kart Wii did bring some interesting additions to the series, notably the inclusion of bikes, as well as various different control methods, utilising the Wii Wheel peripheral, Nunchuk, classic controllers and more. And whilst I do appreciate that a more balanced racer that gives everyone a chance of winning irrespective of their skill does promote a more fun, friendly experience in local multiplayer, in single player or online it ruins the experience, as you could be punished out of pure bad luck, which can feel incredibly unfair. Just having to contend with the odd Blue Shell or Lightning from Mario Kart 64 seemed like a distant memory. There was even an item the front of the pack could get that whilst giving you a speed boost for a time would eventually cause you to spin out and shrink, as if you didn’t have enough to worry about.
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This was evident not only in single player modes, with the most extreme examples of rubber-banding AI in the series at the higher cc Grand Prix events, but also in races in general with the inclusion of additional game-changing items for the back of the pack to use to gain an advantage. Well perhaps the biggest gripe of the game was the seemingly deliberate decision to forgo the benefit of being a skillful racer in lieu of closer racing by giving everyone a chance of victory. So why is this game not higher on the list? Truly staggering when you take a step back and reflect. Its accomplishment of shifting an eye-watering 37 million copies should not be overlooked – that makes it the 7th bestselling game ever made, and is more than triple what any other console Mario Kart has ever achieved.
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Indeed if all I was basing this list on was software sales figures, Mario Kart Wii would be out in first place, taking the chequered flag.
#7 Mario Kart WiiĪnother theory debunked here, and that’s the idea that numbers are all that matters. It’s hard being in last place – especially for a racer – and as I’ve said Mario Kart 7 is still a very fun experience, it’s just that other entries in the series have done it better. The problem was, most of these felt largely cosmetic, and as such I rarely experimented with it, which I imagine was the draw. Previously, this had been mainly linked solely to the character you chose, but now this gave you more options. The big new addition was the customisation options through various tyres, frames and gliders which affected the stats of your kart.
It wasn’t that Nintendo didn’t try new things. What’s worth remembering is that Mario Kart 7 did have new stuff in it. You felt like you’d been through this all before, and there was nothing new to master. Certainly compared to other Mario Kart games at least. You see Mario Kart 7 wasn’t a bad game by any stretch, but it just felt like it did nothing new to the series, it didn’t bring any meaningful additions, and as such felt a bit of a hollow experience. For me this game was one of those weird experiences where you can’t deny you’re having fun with it, but you’re still ultimately left feeling disappointed. Thanks to Mario Kart 7, I can quash the theory that all Mario Karts are simply improving on the previous game in the series, thus making this list pointless. So without further ado, let’s power(slide) on through! #8 Mario Kart 7
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Feel free to disagree, and I in fact encourage you to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Mainly that’s because for this series, there are only 8 (real) entries to talk about, and so it made sense to include them all rather than arbitrarily exclude three.Īs with all these lists, they are just my personal opinion of which games I feel are better than others. Unlike the Mario and Zelda lists that have gone before, this time I have opted to rank all the mario kart games in the series rather than just a top 5. As I continue my journey down the perilous road of ranking some of Nintendo‘s most-loved franchises, our attention this time turns to arguably Mario’s favourite recreational hobby – go-karting – in the form of the Mario Kart series.