Dear Nintendo,
I'm writing you in hopes that you can address some of the issues that I have had since I began playing "Mario Kart Wii" late last week.
I'm about as big a fan of the "Mario Kart" series as you can be. I remember purchasing "Super Mario Kart" using a $10 coupon from the back of a Nintendo Power. I'm the one guy who played more "Mario Kart 64" than "Golden Eye." "Double Dash," and "Super Circuit" were both system-sellers for me. I bought the DS version the day it was released. I've even fed more than the cost of any of the aforementioned games into a local "Mario Kart Arcade GP2" arcade machine. In other words, I've always loved the game.
But I feel more than letdown with "Mario Kart Wii," and I was hoping you might be able to explain yourself.
Please don't get me wrong, there were some aspects of this game that I really enjoyed. In fact, they were some of the things that I expected to dislike the most. Motorcycles, wheelies, and tricks were all new to "MK Wii" and it turns out I really enjoyed taking advantage of them. The new courses are also, for the most part, a standout feature, of which I would have loved to see more. I also applaud your use of the remote's speaker - it really adds to the experience. For these things I commend you.
However, there are some things that I didn't like.
First of all, the Wii Wheel (much like the Wii Zapper) is just a piece of plastic, and it (unlike the Wii Zapper) doesn't enhance my ability to play the game whatsoever. It feels too loose, and actually gives me less control as I race my way around the courses. Why would you force this useless piece of polymer on me? It's no wonder Greenpeace has some issues with you.
Additionally, your president was wrong at E3 last year: more racers doesn't actually equal more fun. It equals more frustration and more items flying around the course hindering my enjoyment.
Another aspect of the game that I had a problem with was the difficulty of the unlockables. Completing the time trials as many as ten seconds ahead of the staff ghosts to unlock a C level characters is a lot to ask from your average gamer, especially considering it is pretty obvious that you took steps towards making this game more accessible to a larger audience.
Why would you do this to your fans?
Maybe I'm just getting older, but the newest entry in the series retains only a fraction of the fun I remember having with any other version.
I recently had the opportunity to play the newest, Namco developed, "Mario Kart" arcade game, and it was an immense amount of fun. In fact, it raised my hopes for the Wii version. However, comparatively, "Mario Kart Wii" falls short, and perhaps the next time around you can consult Namco on how to keep the series going in the right direction.
In conclusion, I appreciate your attempt at creating a sequel to my favorite franchise; however, it just isn't cutting it. Please, at your earliest convenience, let me know how you plan on rectifying the situation for me. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Jason Cipriano
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