Yes, I am the hypocrite who demanded something new in Smash Bros. Brawl but have purchased, and enjoyed, every new Mario Kart iteration. What can I say? I love kart racing. With no hesitancy, I purchased Mario Kart Wii yesterday and, after a rocky start, I have once again rediscovered my love for the series. Super Mario Kart is still the best racing game ever, but Mario Kart Wii is a more than worthy follow-up.

After slogging through the first two cups with that R&D intense steering wheel pack-in, I finally gave up. New controls do not mesh well with Mario Kart. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to powerslide around corners and pop wheelies, I have regained my championship form and once again remember why I so eagerly bought this a mere two days before GTA IV was set to hit.

The racing feels almost perfect. Taking corners without having to wiggle the darn joystick is like being given my taste buds after suffering through tasteless gruel for more than a decade. Whoever thought it was a good idea to rapidly move the controller during a race should be forever barred from video games, but the damage has at least been removed.

What we have left is another fast, chaotic race around the Mushroom Kingdom’s favorite locals. I’ll be back to give more in-depth impressions when I sink in some time online and in Battle Mode, but right now I can say, unequivocally, this is a definite buy for Wii owners and easily the best mutliplayer on the system. At least until Super Mario Kart makes it to the Virtual Console.

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