Mario Kart Wii does a lot of things right. There are lot of reasons that one might say to himself, "This is the best kart racing game ever." And given its endless list of things you can do, it may well be. I wouldn't know as I haven't played them all. But when you look closer at Mario Kart Wii, there are a few glaring problems with the game.

The Good:

All of these tracks are good. There are 32 that I've encountered. Many have the sorts of alternate routes we've come to love and there are plenty of places to do little tricks for speed boosts. Consequently, driving the karts are pretty enjoyable. The great design of these tracks make the Time Trial mode all the better. Half of the tracks are from older Mario Kart games, which is good for two reasons: 1) Nostalgia is good. 2) You can play your favorite old school SMK tracks online now. Neat.

It has a pretty vibrant online mode. It's been out for two or three years now, but people never seem to tire of Mario Kart. It's awesome. It should be said that many folks who play this are extremely good, so veteran kart racers will find no shortage of competition.

There two ways you can turn (or drift, as the game calls it). The automatic method is easy and for the most part makes braking unnecessary. The manual method plays like a cross between the original Super Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing for N64. You get a little "reward" in the form of a speed boost for using it on curves. This option is good because it adds even more depth to a game that's already immersed with it.

Speaking of Diddy Kong, by the way: He's here once you unlock him. There are lot of unlockable characters and vehicles in this game.

I could go on an on, but there's so much ramble about in the game's favor.

The Bad:

When you're in groups with other people playing online, there is no form of communication at all. I didn't expect anything in the way of voice chat (after all, it is Nintendo we're talking about), but a something akin to a system of predetermined emotes would have went a long way in making the online mode feel like you're playing with human beings.

I think that it would have been so much better if Mario Kart Wii had focused more on racing and less on the powerups. This is almost inexcusable: When I'm winning, the Blue Turtle shell of death will come. And when I'm losing, I can rest assured that sixteen million Mushrooms will come my way and get me back in the race. This game actually punishes you for being good at it. It would have been so much better if items like Bullet Bill and the Shell were just rare and didn't spawn in relation to your position.

I compared the manual drift to DKR's, earlier. Mario Kart Wii would have been PERFECT if it had just taken a few more cues from that game or even earlier Mario Karts. It's good for everything that it has, but the actual racing experience is somewhat lacking due to all of the powerups.

Everything shipped in a very timely manner and exactly as represented. My grandson has had hours and hours of enjoyment. I would recommend it for anyone with the WII console.

The kids enjoy the game and the quality is excellent. I recommend it to others for their kids, of course.

Every couple friend I have love to come over and play this game with me and my hubby! (Not just for kids!)

He does not like driving games. He has a hard time keep the car on the road, having it turn, keeping it in a straight line. He does not like it.