Maybe they really are easy if you go back and play them, I might just be remembering the non-first-party games being hard.

It might just lead into another usual Nintendo annoyance of mine, that this is the second generation with a [i]complete[/i] lack of competent third-party support. I own [i]maybe[/i] one non-Nintendo game for the Wii.

super mario world is pretty easy, I think, but I have the hardest time with one of the last levels of super mario bros. I've only beat that game once.

[b]MARIO KART WII IS AWESOME!!![/b]

I love the wheel, because I love the automatic drifting. I noticed the karts don't turn as much at full speed in manual mode, forcing you to hop and drift. Looks like they made that harder for no good reason, but I DON'T CARE BECAUSE THE WHEEL IS SO MUCH FUN! I don't give a damn about mini-turbos, I can drive fantastic on automatic drift. You can't be sad about missing a bonus you can't use effectively, anyhow.

I like the drafting boost, I like the majority of the new courses (Toad's Factory, Maple Treeway, Koopa Cape <3), and while some of the classics courses are blah picks, DK JUNGLE PARKWAY and BOWSER'S CASTLE from N64 are in YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

In battle mode, it seems like the Wii courses give stupid items constantly, like mushrooms and bananas only. The classic battle arenas function properly, though.

Random bits:

OMG the excited sounds the Miis make when they do stuff are hilariously cute. Luigi's voice and quotes are awesome. The bikes are awesome. Barely touching the dirt and halting is [u]not[/u] awesome. Scraping a wall and bouncing to a dead stop is not awesome. (really) They fixed that bullcrap where you have to win first place in nearly every race to win total, I've noticed on several occasions different A.I. opponents winning the race when I'm not.

In summary, holy crap addictive, miles ahead of Double Dash, 9.2/10.

it is a fun game.

while I haven't played MK Wii yet, I'd just have to assume that automatic drifting is a pointless addition that adds no fun whatsoever. If I turned it on I'd feel like I'm cheating myself - it's Mario Kart, drifting can't be THAT hard.

I guess it just annoys me too, that Nintendo scarcely evolves the Mario Kart series. I mean, think of the entire line of MK games: Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario Kart: DS, and Mario Kart: Wii.

The differences between them are minute.
Ok, so you have a large graphical upgrade from SMK to MK64.
Double Dash introduces the driver/gunner mechanic and drifting (iirc)
The importance of drifting in competitive play becomes more important as the series progresses.
A handful of new attacks/items/characters are sprinkled in as time goes on.

It's essentially like Mario Kart is being re-made each time, trying to capture the same audience it did X years ago, rather than catering to the fanbase that already exists.

No, it's not a terrible thing. But whenever I'm playing the latest iteration of Mario Kart, I keep thinking "wasn't Mario Kart 64 (my first MK game) essentially this good if not better?"

My feeling on Nintendo games as of late is that every generation gets an expansion pack to the game that was originally released on the n64. The rest of the game has, again, been changed to be more "casual." The automatic vs manual option, and in manual, you don't actually get sparks by going left-right-left-right (you know, based on skill), you just get them by sliding for X amount of time. And like in Brawl they add items that are even more unfair than usual to level out the playing field.

I mean, the MK:Wii levels are actually damn cool, but that's all it is - new levels for the same old game. And half the levels are from those same old games. I sort of wish I hadn't spend $50 for a dozen new levels, especially when they dumbed down the gameplay. It doesn't help that MK:DS was amazing.

Drifting has been around since the beginning for Mario Kart. Getting a BOOST from drifting has not.

The new tracks, karts, and bikes are really really awesome.

The automatic drifting is cool for noobs, but you can't get a boost from it.

My brother likes it more because of the wheel; because he always, always, always hated playing against me in previous karts because I would do drift boosts on every turn. I have played Manual drift with a controller only a couple times, and I can definitely say I'm not missing the lack of drift boosts. I'm not a noob (lol) so it's cool for me too. I certainly don't miss having to hop to start a drift. I'd say the benefits are great with the ability to carve left and right seamlessly. They both have their pros. Also, my mom doesn't play vidya that much, and she can come in 5th pretty consistently with the wheel.

It's good, I'm not seeing anything detrimental with regards to kart performance.

[quote="Marekenshin"]Drifting has been around since the beginning for Mario Kart. Getting a BOOST from drifting has not.[/quote]

It wasn't in the original but it's been in the subsequent 5 Mario Kart games, so it really bothers me that they've dumbed it down instead of actually going forward or doing anything new.

Oh crud, you're right, I was thinking of just general power-sliding as drifting. My bad.

The first couple times I played MK:Wii I actually thought they had taken it out entirely, because when I see auto/manual, I assume gear shifting, so naturally the first time I went "gear shifting in Mario Kart? screw that..." and went with manual. I felt rather stupid when I realized my mistake.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]
It's essentially like [insert any Nintendo franchise game] is being re-made each time, trying to capture the same audience it did X years ago, rather than catering to the fanbase that already exists.
[/quote]

[quote="Utsuseru"][quote="GoldenRhino"]
It's essentially like [insert any Nintendo franchise game] is being re-made each time, trying to capture the same audience it did X years ago, rather than catering to the fanbase that already exists.
[/quote][/quote]

I counter with Metriod.

And that is all.

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="Utsuseru"][quote="GoldenRhino"]
It's essentially like [insert any Nintendo franchise game] is being re-made each time, trying to capture the same audience it did X years ago, rather than catering to the fanbase that already exists.
[/quote][/quote]

I counter with Metriod.

And that is all.[/quote]

True.

Metroid Prime 3 = 2 = 1... unless I'm missing the point of that exchange.

Prime 1 was okay, but I tried 2 and 3 and really found them to be just exactly the same.