After hearing what a blast multiplayer is, and how Nintendo's online play finally seems to be coming together properly, I decided to go ahead and pick this one up. But before I jump into multiplayer, I have to give the single player game a go.
My thoughts?
SNK invented cheating bastard AI, and Nintendo applied their logic to mascot racing.
When it was first conceived, I was convinced Double Dash would be the pinnacle of cheating AI. Omega Tom Hanks is envious of Petey Piranha in the hands of Double Dash AI. When the game shows complete disregard for its own physics model just for the sake of making you lose, there's nothing more you can do, short of the developers hiring someone to bust down your door and kick you in the head just as you're rounding the final turn. Mario Kart Wii continues this tradition, and it sure doesn't seem to be getting any better.
Drifting is easier than before, and mini-boosts now charge automatically, which is both a blessing and a curse. It was possible to crank out mini-boosts much quicker on MK64 and MKDD, but the new system does help even the playing field a bit.
Unfortunately, the AI still cheats like no tomorrow, and item boxes continue to give you nothing useful. On my first race in 50cc, I was pummeled by five shells in quick succession by the computer-controlled opponents just after the final turn, just meters away from the finish line. The first race on the easiest class, and I fail to place in the top three because the AI can expertly aim all weapons, and always has something to murder you with at any given time. Someone needs to hang for this.
Oh, also, don't bother with the Wii Wheel. Nice little novelty, but you'll only get slaughtered that much harder for attempting to use it seriously. Stick with one of the other control methods.
I don't mind the AI being rubberbandish, but those goddamn blue shells are just too much. Just today I got hit by FIVE blue shells in one single race. It's kinda discouraging when your own skills only determine about half of your rank and the rest is just plain luck. But then there are of course time trials, where it's just 100% skill. Oh and personally I love the Wheel. What it loses in accuracy it really makes up for in feeling.
After playing online for a while I have had races where I've led all the way and then got barraged with blue and red shells just before the finishing line and ended up last. This particularly the case for very short tracks. Nintendo did balance things out by giving the 3 banana skins. I just wish Nintendo made the effects of blue shells less punishing or allowed a way to avoid it, you can't win every time but there is skill to winning on a regular basis.
AI in racing games has been one of the most difficult tasks in game development during the entire history of computing.
The thing is: Racing games must be made more and more realistic, with more and more accurate physics, as well as more challenging for the players, because that's what players want. Racing games with realistic physics are much cooler and funnier to play.
The problem is: If the computer-controlled cars were subject to the exact same conditions as the player-controlled cars, the AI needed to control those cars properly would be humongously difficult and complicated. Realistic and complicated physics, as well as complicated tracks, means that there are countless odd situations a car can get into, situations which are trivially solvable by a human, but very difficult to code into an AI routine. Not to talk that the AI cars must be challenging and more or less difficult to beat by the human player.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to allow the AI cars to cheat. In other words, they are not bound by the same physics and characteristics (such as field of view). The trickiest part in this is to try to hide this cheating from the player as well as possible (so that the player gets the impression that the race is "fair"). It's not always possible.
Btw, superjupi, who is your avatar?
Etna from Disgaea. A friend of mine I've known online for years said after meeting me in person that they saw me as a strange hybrid between Etna and Tinkerbell. I just went with it and adopted her as my avatar.
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
The wheel is cool and all, but I'm so used to not having it (ExciteTruck uses somewhat similar controls) that the wheel itself feels awkward. I much prefer to freehand. I haven't used the Nunchuck with the Wiimote yet.
Furthermore, I've heard a lot of people say that they're impressed with the way the Wiimote was used for this game. Have that many people not heard of/played ExciteTruck? I personally like ExciteTruck more, just because it's more fun to control and careen in to other people, but that's just me.
I would prefer the wheel, i think, if it was attached to something, not just floating free hand. With nothing to push against, I feel I have no control over the turning and such.
EDIT: I think I prefer the wiimote plus nunchuk. It seems easy to pick up and play. I never had DD, so no GCN experience with the controler.
adelikat wrote:
I very much agree with this post.
Bobmario511 wrote:
Forget party hats, Christmas tree hats all the way man.
I've become rather fond of the classic controller setup, personally. I might be more inclined to use the Gamecube controller, if the cord wasn't so bloody short.
I for one have never had trouble with the AI in neither MK Wii or MK:DD, they don't seem to hit me with more stuff than anyone else. (which is still a whole lot though)
What I really miss in the Wii version is that you can't aviod red and blue shells, in DD I could aviod red ones pretty much consistently and blue shells could be avioded, though to a lesser extent and much more luck based. Still it's a good game, probably better than DD and definitely better for MP with friends who are not plaing it much. (I have noticed that I don't win by as much as I used to)
Also the Wii Wheel sucks... I mean it is fun and all that once or twice, but it gives you about as much control over what is going on as being blindfolded with a normal controller to play with. If everybody but one is drunk that guy get's the wheel, to even things out.
I definitely prefer this to Double Dash, but I'm beginning to wonder if they'll ever make a Mario Kart as fun as SMK or MK64 ever again. Well, on the single player side, at least. Multiplayer has always been awesome.
I would prefer the wheel, i think, if it was attached to something, not just floating free hand. With nothing to push against, I feel I have no control over the turning and such.
How many people do you think would buy a Wii Wheel Stand to mount it on?
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
I would prefer the wheel, i think, if it was attached to something, not just floating free hand. With nothing to push against, I feel I have no control over the turning and such.
How many people do you think would buy a Wii Wheel Stand to mount it on?
I sure as hell wouldn't. I was thinking more along the lines of that GTA3 wheel that was so popular when the game came out... not another 20 dollars going toward another add on for that remote.
[I still probably wouldn't buy the GTA3 version of the wheel (if it was for wii)]
adelikat wrote:
I very much agree with this post.
Bobmario511 wrote:
Forget party hats, Christmas tree hats all the way man.
So far, I have noticed a little bit of "cheating" with the computer AI also, but I'm getting used to it because it seems no matter what mode I play (online or grand prix) I'll get pummeled by items right before the finish line 5 or 6 times out of ten.
I do like how there's a lot of things to do and unlock, though. The fast staff ghosts will give me something to shoot for (I've been playing the game for 4 days now, and I've beat 1), and I'll also need to get 3 stars on every grand prix cup. The tournaments seem like a good idea too; I just hope that it's not the same thing each time.
Oh, and my friend code is 3609-1636-3021. If anyone wants to get crushed online, let me know :).
I'm of the opinion that a stand would not help the Wii Wheel at all, because you still have to use your right thumb to hit the gas. It's too awkward for my tastes.
I'm of the opinion that a stand would not help the Wii Wheel at all, because you still have to use your right thumb to hit the gas. It's too awkward for my tastes.
Very true, forgot all about that. Shows how much I use the wheel XD
adelikat wrote:
I very much agree with this post.
Bobmario511 wrote:
Forget party hats, Christmas tree hats all the way man.
I'm not much of a nintendo fan anymore because of the wii, but I've still played this game. I don't like it all that well personally, like the first post stated, the AI cheats WAY too much. I can hardly beat the first level on the 150cc, and I'm not bad at mario kart games. The blue shells suck as well.
I'll stick to Super Mario Kart for my SNES personally.
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Kansai, JAPAN
Two quick thoughts from someone who hasn't picked this game up yet:
[1] Please consider sharing "friend codes" or whatever in the Friend Code topic to encourage online battles among forum members.
[2] On SNK Boss Syndrome, I point anyone to check out World Heroes 2 and feast their eyes on DIO. Technically, it's not an "SNK" game, but it was released on the Neo Geo and he is the most underhanded bastard on that console. Others might have been stronger to the point of unfairness, but DIO's cheap tactics made him nearly invincible.
Joined: 4/30/2006
Posts: 480
Location: the secret cow level
This discussion reminds me of this.
I remember one time I was playing California Speed in the arcade... I was flying down a straightaway, at top speed, when I saw a car SCREAMING up behind me on the radar. It must have been doing over 300MPH when it went by me, and the wheels were smoking. Sometimes racing games just don't want to lose.
Too lazy to post anything but the link:
http://www.screwattack.com/node/1956
Edit: Yes, you are supposed to look at the pretty pictures, the comments I didnt pay much attention to.
adelikat wrote:
I very much agree with this post.
Bobmario511 wrote:
Forget party hats, Christmas tree hats all the way man.
