Mario Kart Wii is out and we’ve both tried it. Listen in as we try to guess each other’s first impressions. We also discuss the great technical skills Tim had to employ in order to resurrect the website this weekend, plus our regular segments!
Ep. 27: Kart Edition [38:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Ep. 27: Kart Edition [38:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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1
 Izaccthefrost Posted: Apr 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm |
wow am I really the first? I’m amazed the ramble about Mario Baseball at the end was um… interesting |
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2
 D3vin Posted: Apr 28th, 2008 at 5:23 pm |
2p start doesn’t have a Wikipedia article? Hold on, all I have to do Is get an account and That would be a good article! |
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3
 cuephat Posted: Apr 28th, 2008 at 5:34 pm |
Awesome podcast as usual, guys! I enjoyed your banter at the end. It was like an added bonus. And now your comic this week makes sense to me! Not that I didn’t understand it, but I was confused about Birdo’s choice of expression in the last panel. To me, it didn’t seem like it fit the situation. It makes a lot more sense knowing that it was done first, then the rest was added in. Also, I can certainly agree with both of you points of view as far as Nintendo catering to a casual audience, but hear me out on this. While the Metroid Primes were totally awesome, I can definitely tell that they are easier, at least as far as exploring is concerned, than the original few. It wasn’t as big a deal in Prime 2 (That game was a beast!), I really noticed it in Prime 3, where you would be handed most of the energy tanks and missiles on the normal path through the game. You only had to go looking for a few. It seems to be the nature of the business to make games super easy nowadays, and I think that’s a big part of making games more suitable for casual gamers. Unfortunately for the more hardcore, of course. Anyway, enough rambling. Good times. |
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4
 Andrew Posted: Apr 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am |
Ray says, “I’m using it on the automatic mode, where you don’t have to worry about power [slides]” I can imagine Ray reviewing Brawl and saying, “All the controllers are great, I haven’t used any smash attacks yet, but besides that they all do really well.” Luckily, Tim is there to bring it home by realizing that power sliding is actually an important part of the game. Regarding Mario Party: Mario Party is CLEARLY Candy Land with mini-games. Winning every mini-game does not guarantee victory, it might not even effect victory. This really was the longest single panel comic you have done. New Internet Game! Scavenger hunt for the other sites 2PStart is bringing down. Oh yeah! Comment of the Week, AGAIN! Being Tim’s Doppleganger has some serious advantages. Wow Ray, I can just imagine your possible employers listening to these podcasts and thinking, “He rapes people into the death zone? He draws Sonic support cast porn?…… He’s hired!” Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ray. Wii Fit is serious business. On a serious note, Nintendo has no reason to make hard-core games just so that some of the people who buy the game like it more. If somebody is already going to buy the game, you don’t need to do anything else to make them happy. On the other hand, you DO need to get other people who wouldn’t buy the game to change their mind and get it. |
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5
 dj75728 Posted: Apr 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm |
Tim’s only contribution to the podcast is the occasional witty banter. Isn’t there still a trivia Q that’s been open for weeks now? And I have no idea about this week :/ . I bought Mario Kart Wii on sunday, I love it thus far. It seems really good to me, and a definate step up from the last console Mari Kart(Double Dash). The AI seems to have become more realistic in this version in my opinion. My only gripe is that they changed the battle mode substantialy, because it’s no longer a matter of not dying. Now it’s just a team deathmatch type game, I miss the way it used to be. Ray’s an auto-noob ^_^ ! And I know what you mean about the sharp turns Tim, but it really depends on the vehicle/character. When I use Yoshi(and mach bike) he turns sharply, but when I use Koopa Troopa(with standard bike) he drifts great. Mario Party 1 was great, but all the sequels went down hill, even more so after the 64 generation. Do the graphics realy look that bad!? It looks like Mario Kart DS :/ , I didn’t notice them being that bad. And Brawls attention to detail is fantastic, I find myself mesmerized by them from time to time. When will new 2PSTART shirts be released/unveiled? I’d love some new designs. WHAAAAT!? What’s wrong with me being glad that there wasn’t any type of discharge etc. during the “birth”!? That’s not disgusting No one will ever run out of bad Sonic characters to make fun of I don’t think Mario Kart is all that ‘hardcore’, it’s not like Street Fighter or something. Mario Kart is still just as competitive as it once was, and maybe the rubber banding will be welcomed once people get acclimated to it. Star characters do not equal stickers. Getting all the stickers, or a specific sticker doesn’t do much for gameplay, but star characters do. And the end conversation was welcome. |
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6
 Brawler08 Posted: Apr 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pm |
Someone needs make a wikipedia article. |
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7
 sheppy Posted: Apr 30th, 2008 at 11:45 am |
Gee, what do I think about the AI in the new Mario Kart? http://sheppyboy2000.deviantart.com/art/Angry-Stick-7-Broken-84192920 Seriously, the only joy I find in the game is now online… |
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8
 Tim Posted: Apr 30th, 2008 at 11:47 am |
Sheppy, |
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9
 Metal_Link Posted: Apr 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pm |
I too was used to MKDS, and I found it easier for me to use a kart in MKWii with a lower drift rating. I call for a rioting of the house of the guy who came up with Rubber-band AI. ((Is it rubberband or rubber-band?)) I find the character models to be too shiny. But it’s Mario Kart. Did you really expect it to look good? I’m going to keep it just to play online, while Brawl will be kept for parties and 4 player battles! I think I need to go wash my ears now… No, no, no… Mario Kart is more competitive for the sheer fact that it has leaderboards, it apparently can do tournaments, and its online mode actually works. This doesn’t take into account the single player mode because AI is a pain, but I’m talking about online and multiplayer modes. Brawl, on the other hand, has online that sucks ass and is only worthwhile playing with friends next to you, usually in a party. You need to prove that you’re a nerd? I think doing a gaming webcomic is enough. Srsly. How? Because you likely understood what I said when I said “srsly”. Ya rly. Oh by the way, if Birdo’s mouth is a you-know-what… Doesn’t that mean that your logo is in a… I’ma be quiet now… |
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sheppy Posted: Apr 30th, 2008 at 12:48 pm |
Maaaaybe. It’s also the single most common complaint about the series in general. I forget who’s review I read but it essentially summed it up best. “Think of all those annoying powerups you hate so much, now there are 11 other AIs using those damn things.” Listening to the podcast right now. Have a theory actually on why people don’t bash MK Wii’s graphics. The fantards. Not the fans. The fans can be reasoned with. They can step back and take the criticism while their copies of GTAIV are having connection issues with the multiplayer (grrrr). The fantards, meanwhile, if you attack anything on the graphics side of things on Wii, you tend to get massive assaulted. The graphics on MK Wii are rather subpar compared to brawl but suprisingly above the curve on Wii in general. If you attack this point, you will be called a graphics whore or poly pumper. That’s my theory anyway. |
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dj75728 Posted: May 1st, 2008 at 5:17 pm |
So is everyone hating the A.I. cause they use items a lot? I don’t see the problem with them honestly, can someone please explain what’s the big problem with the A.I.? |
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sheppy Posted: May 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am |
Everyone is hating the AI because, despite the fact that I’ve played many, many online matches and I rarely see any blue shells yet in one race on Yoshi’s falls, I ate three blue shells in a row… Play it on 150cc, it becomes downright abusive… |
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dj75728 Posted: May 2nd, 2008 at 2:15 pm |
Well Sheppy, the items are random after all. And I still don’t see any reason to hate them. Okay, they’re ruthless, I understand that whole-heartedly, trust me, I only play on 150cc. But I don’t see why it’s such a bad thing that the game is hard, and that the A.I. are so ruthless. Yeah it’s frustrating, but so what? That’s like hating the A.I. in Brawl cause they use items and go after the Smash Ball. From where I stand it seems like you guys are just complaining cause the game is too hard. |
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Tim Posted: May 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm |
I don’t have a problem with the CPU using items, that’s a good thing. I do think that there’s something wrong when, in a close race, it’s better NOT to be in first so that when you get an item it might actually be something useful. I wish they tweaked the balance a bit more so that wasn’t the case. |
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Andrew Posted: May 2nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm |
That is exactly the problem. In a racing game, the expectation is that the basic strategy is to go as fast as possible and stay in first place as long as possible (Even in long distance races with drafting, you would want to be in at least second or third place, and that assumes that you could reduce pitstops that way) In Mario Kart the strategy is to stay in the back until you get a good item and then try to get just close enough to first that you can use your item to win. |
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16
 zhinker Posted: May 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm |
I was multitasking when listening to this podcast and didn’t hear my name being mentioned as Ray’s favorite comment (I did hear my comment being mentioned but had forgotten that I was the one that posted it, lol). However, I went back to the comic page to see what the inappropriate comment on that page was and came across the hall-of-fame-er comment and realized it was mine! |
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dj75728 Posted: May 4th, 2008 at 11:08 am |
@Tim/Andrew: Oh, okay now I see it. Thanks for explaining guys, and yes that part does suck. |
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