Mario Kart Wii supports 8-player battle mode

58 Comments by Scott Jon Siegel Feb 27th 2008 11:30PM
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Driving, Online

Twelve players might be a nice round number for straight-out races, but we've still been waiting patiently to see how many online opponents Nintendo will allow us in Mario Kart Wii's version of the classic battle modes. Jeux France reports that eight players will be able to duke it out in the game's battle modes.

To arrive at the magic number yourself, check out the radar in the lower-right of the above picture. Eight icons are clearly visible, making for ample amounts of balloons to burst, and stars to steal. We're sad that twelve-player support isn't possible in the battle mode, but we'll definitely take what we can get.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Tags: mario-kart-wii, mariokart, mariokartwii, nintendo

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Fernando Rocker: Feb 27th 2008; 11:37PM

Speaking of Nintendo... have anyone played Star Fox Adventures?

I bought the game in the release date, and never finished... I started to play it again about two hours ago... it's very good. The gameplay is very good, the graphics are great.

I still can't believe that a game from 2002 is better than most of third party Wii games.

When I started the game earlier, and start flying with the Arwing, I imagined how it will be a Star Fox game on the Wii. I hope Factor 5 is working on that game/ It would be nice.

On-topic: Great. Altough, I do enjoy more the races than battles. I like the battles only in the SNES version. =p

Fernando Rocker: Feb 27th 2008; 11:40PM

By the way... 8 people online is very good. When I play Halo 3, most of the time I play battles with only 5 other players, and it's good in thath way (Lone Wolves).

...Jan...: Feb 27th 2008; 11:51PM

- Yeah, I have Star Fox Adventures. I think it's a great game too with amazing graphics. I can't see why other people hated it so much. Wish Rare was still on the Nintendo team. I just don't trust any other developer with it...maybe Factor 5.
- On the subject, I think 8 is enough for battles. 12 would just be madness with a lot of items flying around. Those 3 balloons would go pop instantly.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo): Feb 28th 2008; 12:12AM

It's a good game. I liked it. But it's bashed because once again when a company tries to do something different, of course gamers bitch and complain about it.

The Artist formally known as Jesus: Feb 28th 2008; 12:14AM

People didn't like Star Fox Adventures because it marked the beginning of the downward slope of quality the Star Fox games would take over the next few years.

It's kinda like every Final Fantasy after 7, in this case Star Fox 64 is FF7.

But that means I don't like SFA. IMO it's one of the best games on the Cube. Just not on par with SF64

samfish: Feb 28th 2008; 2:10AM

I loved Star Fox Adventures. For the life of me, I can't figure out why so many people rag on it. Once you get over the fact that it isn't a normal Star Fox game, it's quite awesome.

I also loved Assault, though, so what do I know?

Victor: Feb 28th 2008; 4:20AM

@The Artist formally known as Jesus,

You probably mean FF9 :P

GhostofGrendel: Feb 28th 2008; 9:06AM

Victor - no, he meant FFVII, IX was enjoyable, but very cookie cutter. VII was an epic masterpiece that I still play once a year. The materia system alone offers so many different ways to customize your character it impresses me every time I play it. OK I sound like a pathetic fanboy, but no FF has come close to it since. To me the whole game feels like the part of FFIII on the SuNin where you think it's almost over and then you get to go to the moon.

FidliousWong (Oatmeal Defense Force): Feb 28th 2008; 9:29AM

I think the main reason why people rally against Starfox Adventures is because it WASN'T a Starfox game. Dinosaur Planet for N64 essentially has Starfox shoehorned in and it's readily apparent. Doesn't make it a bad game, just has that very obvious flaw.

Burnt Meatloaf: Mar 2nd 2008; 4:44AM

Who's bright idea was it to use the "camera" analog stick to control inventory? Also, who thought up the idea of putting your inventory on a freakin' rotating cylinder?

I hated the game because it suffered from bad game design and even worse interface design.

The irony, of course, is that the Nintendo fans here are praising the game for its graphics. Good job!

EMOruffino: Feb 27th 2008; 11:57PM

i know some people that just geeked their pants... god what a mess...

DangerMouse: Feb 27th 2008; 11:59PM

Speaking of nintendo, has anyone played Super Mario 2?

I bought it long time, and really enjoyed it, despite its difficulty. Being young, i really didn't know the difference between games the way that I understand them now, so i pretty much played every game i could get my hands on.

After all these years, i can see that it's not to the same caliber that Super Mario 3 or Super Mario World is but it's still a good game that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wouldn't mind seeing an updated version released on the Wii, by pulling vegetables out of the ground with that shakable-remote thing.

On-Topic: i hope they still have the rotating shell thing around the kart that kind of works like a forcefield.

Fernando Rocker: Feb 28th 2008; 12:01AM

Nice Fernando Rocker stalkerishy =)

Psaakyrn: Feb 28th 2008; 12:02AM

Comment: Wouldn't this only prove MINIMUM number of players, as opposed to maximum?

Fernando Rocker: Feb 28th 2008; 12:04AM

mmmm... good point. [+] for you.

Arteen: Feb 28th 2008; 12:10AM

Speaking of Nintendo, has anyone played that game that's completely unrelated to the topic? I was just playing it the other day, and...

On topic: Needs more Block Fort.

Backslash: Feb 28th 2008; 12:22AM

Block Fort? SECONDED.

ThornedVenom (Patapornographer): Feb 28th 2008; 1:24AM

Fort Block for Mario Karts battle mode is like Final Destination map for Super Smash Bros.

There can be no better.

The Artist formally known as Jesus: Feb 28th 2008; 1:38AM

Pokemon Stadium is better than Final Destination

samfish: Feb 28th 2008; 2:56AM

It would be absolutely criminal if Blockfort didn't show up in this game.

eldee: Feb 28th 2008; 12:14AM

I refuse to play mario kart anymore.. the only one I like is the original, and I love it dearly.

in my opinion it's just a poorly designed game.. it's so infuriating to outwit and outmaneuver your opponents only to get hit with repeated lightning bolts or blue shells once you take the lead. Not to mention the ridiculous number of red shells that are picked up.. it must have a 50% chance to drop each time you get a powerup. I just miss the balance of the original game, when getting a red shell was a big deal, and a lightning bolt was like a gift from God himself.

/rant off

Geist: Feb 28th 2008; 4:24AM

I'm going to assume you're a good player, because when I played with my non-good friends in the original, the number of lightning bolts that appeared was staggering.

But yes. Blue shells, and their frequency, combined with rubber-band AI makes for suck.

The Artist formally known as Jesus: Feb 28th 2008; 10:01AM

Try playing without the items on frantic

caramelzappa: Feb 28th 2008; 12:16AM

Battle mode quickly became my favorite part of mario kart 64. Races were fun but eventually were too repetitive.

RoboJoel: Feb 28th 2008; 1:42AM

I'm trying to understand how it's possible that this game actually looks visually worse than Double Dash!!.

Do I need to see an optometrist or has anyone else noticed this games graphical deficiency?

KayRazy Ken Kutaragi: Feb 28th 2008; 1:56AM

Its hard to tell with just a few screenies but yer right I think it does look worse.

Anyhoo, have you heard? Not only is this game textchat only but Nintendo approved text chat.
You cannot type in anything, you will only have canned responses to choose from for example...nice job, good race, I like you, Let's race again and so on.

Nice job Nintendo...nice job indeed.

bm: Feb 28th 2008; 4:17AM

Hey guys, here we have 8-player online Mario Kart Battle Mode, every MK fan's wet dream sinceOH MY GOD THAT TEXTURE LOOKS A BIT BLURRY INNIT NOW IMMA COMPLAIN ALL DAY BAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

Geist: Feb 28th 2008; 4:27AM

If Nintendo released euphoria in a box people would bitch that it wasn't euphoric enough, and that they had to open a box oh my god a box whyyyy Nintendo they're clearing going the way of Sega.

That aside, yes, the floor texture looks stretched. So what? I sincerely doubt this is the final build, because if it is, I want it in my hands.

Cyro: Feb 28th 2008; 11:31AM

This game looks exactly the same as Mario Kart 64. How can't anyone see this. Its like time stays still in Nintendo.... Why do 99% of all Nintendo games have not had a worth noting improvement graphically in over 2 generations ?

KayRazy Ken Kutaragi: Feb 28th 2008; 12:08PM

Because the Nintendo SLAVES continue to buy them up by the meellions. So if I were Nintendo, I would not bother making the game look any better either, they will make money no matter what they do as long as it contains MARIO.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Feb 28th 2008; 1:22PM

I think someone needs to go back and play Mario Kart 64.

Ryan: Feb 28th 2008; 2:16AM

Fantastic, now just let me chat with them while I play or this is frickin' useless.

Santo: Feb 28th 2008; 2:29AM

Excellent.

Now I just hope they bring the ability to become a bomb when you die for the chance to enact revenge upon whomever killed you.

NESv1: Feb 28th 2008; 2:39AM

I almost didn't come in here, since I knew I'd have to wade thru a lot of negative comments about what will probably be a great game...

But, I digress. Glad to see battle mode has at least 8 players. Although, what's with shell and banana in the screeny that seem to have forcefields around them? Wussup wit dat?

samfish: Feb 28th 2008; 2:58AM

Something about Mario Kart brings out the worst in the Nintendo trolls, it seems.

Why, I don't know. Scientists will likely puzzle over such stupid reactions for centuries to come.

Geist: Feb 28th 2008; 4:30AM

But, but, but the screenshot doesn't look perfect! Obviously that means the game is totally gonna suck! It's perfect logic!

optoomistic: Feb 28th 2008; 2:48AM

test

samfish: Feb 28th 2008; 2:58AM

1 2
1 2

Geist: Feb 28th 2008; 4:35AM

Is this thing on?

Orionsaint: Feb 28th 2008; 3:31AM

It supports crappy graphics too! Why not port Mario Kart GP 1& 2 from the arcades. Those had way better graphics. Oh yeah the Wiicube probably can't handle it.

bm: Feb 28th 2008; 4:19AM

HAHAHAHAAAA!! GENIUS!!!

Oh man put it there holmezzzzz you showed them newbz. Have you thought about doing stand up comedy? You're great.

BTW PS3 rocks!!!

Geist: Feb 28th 2008; 4:33AM

I get it! Wiicube! Because it's like a Gamecube in many facets of its hardware! Wow! It's like a totally new joke that I've never heard of before! You, sir, have stolen my heart with your incredible, unbiased wit! Wow. Hats off, good sir.

mr mobius: Feb 28th 2008; 7:06AM

Sure it isn't the CubeCube? Since you know, its two gamecubes duct-taped together and all that other fanboy crap.

Cyro: Feb 28th 2008; 11:51AM

Those are all very smart ass reply's. But that doesn't change the fact that he is right about the graphics.

bm: Feb 29th 2008; 5:16AM

Cyro, it's like making jokes about the DS's graphics. What the fuck is the point anymore?

Emophia: Feb 28th 2008; 5:28AM

That's looks disgusting.

I thought it was Mario Kart DS screen at first...

Somebody mention Starfox Adventures. My first Gamecube game, and one I loved.

And graphically, man that game totally blows Mario Kart Wii out of the water.

And that game came out ages ago.

Get your shit together Nintendo.

Seriously, that's pathetic.

Mills and Boom: Feb 28th 2008; 7:46AM

My fookin word, I can't wait for this game. I thought I'd give other racers a go inbetween MK DS and Wii but there really is no racer quite as good as MK.

CassilineKnight: Feb 28th 2008; 8:41AM

Those screens look ugly to me...

Umm isn't this the company who made Galaxy & Metriod? I hope they didn't screw up this game...

Oh wait theres no voice chat and no easy online mode...its pretty horrible already...

The Artist formally known as Jesus: Feb 28th 2008; 10:02AM

no problem, I'll just use my Skype enabled PSP

Nice job Sony...nice job indeed.

HugeGUTS: Feb 28th 2008; 10:21AM

Nintendo is known ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR THEIR QUALITY OF SCREENSHOTS!

I mean remember those HIGH QUALITY MARIO GALAXY SCREENSHOTS?
stop complaining, we all know Nintendo is AWFUL at
screenshots and rarely does anything to pretty them up

Metroid prime 3 screen shots are a HUGE OFFENDER when it comes to his

and one more thing, Who the hell uses voice chat in a racing game?

I'm a HUGE online gamer, PC, 360, Ps3, stuff like that, and i don't even use voice chat in the race genre

seriously, now i can see why Nintendo isn't as keen to the hardcore gamer now a days, you can never be pleased and you'll find something to complain about

Am i defending nintendo's service?, hell no.

Nintendo's Online service is a pain in the butt
but not a kick to the face

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