I just bought this game yesterday after reading all of the amazing reviews on this site and others, and all i can say is wow. This is by far the best mario kart game that i have ever played, and i have owned, double dash, mario kart 64, super circuit and the original nes vesion.
And so as you can tell i like mario kart games, but the wi-fi element takes this installment to the next level of gaming enjoyment.
I have already experienced the wonders of wi-fi in the form of Animal Crossing: Wild World and that brought it from a pleasurable experience on the Gamecube to one of real community and exploration with all your friends and those that you have just meet because of the game. But back to Mario Kart, the online races holds that and so much more, the competition, the anticipation and the ability to beat someone from germany or france or wherever.
The basic options for the online experience are with your friends, with a random group, or with people of similar abilities to you, which can only be improved through winning races and getting the races in. Just yesterday, i was racing along quite happily in the middle of the pack on the figure of 8 course, multiplayer gem, and then with the insanley good luck of getting a star, i ran straigjht through the field and managed to secure a 1st place finish, which gave me an insane amount of pleasure and manic laughing at my DS in the local pub, at which point i became the centre of attention and told to leave by a rather bemused landlord. This is the moment that it struck me, i am getting so much pleasure out of this game that i have abandoned my social life and had become a kart maniac, i had been sucked in by that ever so good Nintendo magic.
The single player itself is extremely big with the ability for you to just enjoy it alone, but then again that is only stratching the surface of what this has to offer. You have the obvious grand prix maode full of 8 sets of races, 4 classic courses from mario karts of old and 4 new ones in the nitro section, this can last a while as you are graded not only on how many points you get from the races, which determine your final position, but also on your driving ability, with the marks running from E to ***, which is incredibly hard to get. Then you have the time trials, which you could spend days on just perfecting your lap and final times. Along with this you have a battle mode, where you can play in a team or alone and decide the rules of the contest/s, and finally you have the missions option, which has 48 missions and 6 boss battles, which you can also gain 'grades' on like the grand prix.
This is the best Mario Kart to date and if you don't already own it, then i urge you, no, i command you to buy this game, go on, buy it, yes, right, now go!!!!
