Reminder: Mario Kart Wii has voice chat, it's called XBL, PSN, Skype, etc.

by Ross Miller { Apr 26th 2008 at 7:30PM }

We thought it'd be best to reprint our advice from the Super Smash Bros. Brawl release: if you want to chat up your friends while doing laps in Mario Kart Wii, here are five options we found -- harnessing the power of other consoles or a com-pu-ter -- for chatting up your friends. (Looking for a place to share your Kart friend codes? ~~We'll set up a über-list post closer to tonight's US release.~~ Here's a link to the über-list.)

Xbox Live: Or as we've come to know it -- Kart LIVE®. Just set up private chat and off you go. Got more than one friend? Go into a Halo 3 lobby (you do have Halo 3, right?).
PSN: Start up a new chat under the "friends" section of the XMB. Invite all the friends you want and wait for them to join. Works and sounds exceptional! USB and Bluetooth compatible.
Skype: Set up a conference call.
TeamSpeak or Ventrilo: Guilds, clans and other computer types know these services. Perfect for guildies racing together.
Nintendo DS: Use Metroid Prime Hunters or Pokémon Diamond or Pearl. Warning: More inane codes required to pull this option off. There are also homebrew options.

Of course, if none of these options are viable, might we suggest using a classic: The phone.

Need a Kart fix? Check out all our coverage of Mario Kart Wii!

Tags: mario, mario-kart, mario-kart-wii, nintendo, psn, skype, teamspeak, ventrilo, voice, voice-chat, xbox-live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

reppy @ Apr 26th 2008 7:43PM

I'd like to recommend www.stickam.com. It's free and you don't have to install any software.

luckycharms711 @ Apr 26th 2008 9:02PM

yeah stickam is really good but isn't it webcam only??

reppy @ Apr 26th 2008 9:06PM

No, you should't need a webcam. If you click "Start Video" it won't show video but it should pick up your audio.

Tiptup300 @ Apr 26th 2008 9:45PM

The PS3 chat feature is bugged. I can't hold a conversation. It has like a 10 second delay! Even my one friend who is a massive PS3-only kinda guy thinks this.

Jeremy @ May 4th 2008 8:10PM

Hey Some One Ready To Have an All-Star Mario Kart Partner Then add ME!!! ONLY ADD IF YOUR GOOD AT THIS GAME! hit me up ;)

Moe @ Apr 26th 2008 7:46PM

Out of all those options I'd use PSN or Vent.

Jamma @ Apr 26th 2008 7:46PM

i've got Halo 3, but only one friend. What do i do?

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Apr 26th 2008 10:01PM

go to a party and make some more. or at least join one of those online communities or just exchange Tags with people on this site. i would friend ya, but i dont have a 360. my PSN name is in my name though if you got a PSTriple.

Tiptup300 @ Apr 26th 2008 11:47PM

The more logical answer would to just play online and make friends on Mario kart wii, there's more chance they they would be playing it. :P

Waffle Slayer @ Apr 27th 2008 1:35AM

Get Call of Duty 4.

robothouse @ Apr 26th 2008 7:47PM

Yes, if you are always playing with your friends....:-|

Face it, Wii Online is horribly crippled. It can't be fixed.

Nar57981 @ Apr 26th 2008 8:56PM

Actually the online for Mario Kart works surprisingly well, unlike any other title. Theres a bit of a drop in framerate, but you'll get over it fast. Try something before you make fun of it. =)

robert @ Apr 26th 2008 7:49PM

gotta love that nintendo online strategy.

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:24AM

Agreed, Its ridiculous that we have to do this just to talk on Mario Cart.

Get your finger out nintendo!

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:24AM

Agreed, Its ridiculous that we have to do this just to talk on Mario Cart.

Get your finger out nintendo!

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:24AM

Agreed, Its ridiculous that we have to do this just to talk on Mario Cart.

Get your finger out nintendo!

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:26AM

sorry for the triple post guys, feel free to vote down.

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:26AM

sorry for the triple post guys, feel free to vote down.

Ally @ Apr 27th 2008 8:26AM

sorry for the triple post guys, feel free to vote down.

I Love Bowser @ Apr 27th 2008 9:22AM

Holy six posts of shit, Batman.

Joeshie @ Apr 26th 2008 7:54PM

Kind of shows you the current condition of Nintendo's online service when you have to resort to LIVE or PSN for voice chat.

Obie @ Apr 26th 2008 8:29PM

"the only problem with this is that you can still only chat with friends"

How is that ever a problem? I stay away from random crazies online.

Alex @ Apr 26th 2008 7:56PM

the only problem with this is that you can still only chat with friends.

Also while this is a bit off topic, I have a mic that works perfectly in Skype, but Steam isn't able to detect it, so when I play games online I can't talk!

Cesaria (SSBB: 3136-6466-5083) @ Apr 26th 2008 7:56PM

Or a phone...

Anticrawl @ Apr 26th 2008 8:16PM

Paying for phone service is a joke.

Cesaria (SSBB: 3136-6466-5083) @ Apr 26th 2008 9:24PM

What do you use when you're not at home?

SPOOOOCK! @ Apr 26th 2008 9:43PM

You have a portable Wii? Awesome!

...Jan... @ Apr 26th 2008 8:07PM

I don't see the appeal of talking online unless it increases chances of winning with strategies and whatnot.
Of course...that doesn't mean I'm not going whip out my DS and yell to my friends every time they get a blue shell.

Tesla @ Apr 26th 2008 8:10PM

I hate to admit but when playing Animal Crossing DS, I used to two way call some of my friends....

Residentevil72501 @ Apr 26th 2008 8:18PM

Honestly lack of voicechat completely makes no difference to me, keeps me from having to listen to the annoying 12 year olds. MK is just plain awesome with or without voicechat, and thats all that matters to me.

Zeus.:God @ Apr 26th 2008 8:27PM

Its probably just as well the Wii doesn't have voice capabilities... I mean, if you thought Halo 3 was riddled with high-pitched, whiny kiddies, imagine what the Wii's player base would sound like. Your ears would implode.

el serpiente @ Apr 26th 2008 9:16PM

Toddler: Hey! No fair! You threw a blue shell at me!

Fernando: YOU CAN DODGE IT IDIOTS! YOU HAZ NO SKILLS!

Zeus.:God @ Apr 26th 2008 9:43PM

lawl

finnith @ Apr 27th 2008 12:35PM

How do you dodge them?

Obie @ Apr 26th 2008 8:27PM

I use XBL as all my Wii buds also own 360's, but the 1 on 1 private chat is limited. If we need to talk to more people we have to start a lobby in COD4 or H3 which sucks up even more bandwith. :(

Mr Khan @ Apr 26th 2008 8:34PM

Eh, MKWii really has enough chat for me. I'm not much of a talker when it comes to competitive online games, though i love it for MMOs and such

The little pre-constructed phrases will do fine, since i have very few people who i would want to talk to (who i know in real life), and the only phrase i would use would be an announcement of my impending departure (it always felt so awkward in Brawl to drop out of a friend group without being able to give an explanation. They don't know if i intended to, if i was booted, if i'm pissed off, or what)

Gun Barrier (=Gamer Tag) SSBB: 3952-6696-7009 @ Apr 26th 2008 10:10PM

lol i know what u mean! i always feel like when i leave, its for being a sore loser!

samfish @ Apr 26th 2008 8:41PM

Hey guys lets trade cell phone numbers!

Alexander @ Apr 26th 2008 9:33PM

As long as mario is not around count me in peach lol

Tiptup300 @ Apr 26th 2008 9:46PM

And they said the wii doesn't enforce stalking.

Waffle Slayer @ Apr 27th 2008 1:38AM

I'll trade digits with that avatar any day.

Growl.

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Apr 27th 2008 2:20AM

Always preferred Peach over Daisy. Good decision, Sam.

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Apr 27th 2008 2:22AM

Always preferred Peach over Daisy. Good decision, Sam.

samfish @ Apr 27th 2008 3:50AM

Peach demanded her throne back and exiled Daisy to Kotaku.

Nikonov @ Apr 26th 2008 8:42PM

Copy-pasting a previous article and changing the title? Must be a slow news day.

Lewis @ Apr 26th 2008 8:50PM

its a saturday, of course it's slow. you'd do the same if you wrote articles DAILY >.>

Neowyrm @ Apr 26th 2008 9:20PM

Now me and my friend use Skype for talkie on Brawlie! Thanks, Joystiq!

KeenCommander @ Apr 26th 2008 9:28PM

I really don't care about voice chat, but quite frankly this is just pathetic. The game should have had voice chat, it's not that hard. Why yes to Pokemon and no to Mario? And if you want to protect the kiddies just make it optional and turned off by default.