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{{Infobox| title = [[Image:MarioKartTitleSmall.PNG|300px]]
{{game infobox
| image = [[Image:MarioKartWiiEuDVDcover.jpg|250px]]<br>'''Disc Box Cover'''<br>[[Image:Mkwiimm.PNG|250px]]<br>'''Mario Kart Wii + Wii Wheel Box Cover'''
|image=[[File:Mkwii.jpg|270px]]<br>Game box art<br>[[File:MarioKartWiiNTSC.png|270px]]<br>Wii Wheel bundle box
| developer = Nintendo
|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]
| publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
| designer =
|release='''Wii (original release):'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|April 10, 2008|Europe|April 11, 2008|Australia|April 24, 2008|USA|April 27, 2008|Mexico|April 27, 2008<ref>{{cite|title=''Club Nintendo'' (MX) issue 198|page=76}}</ref>|HK|July 12, 2008|ROC|July 12, 2008|South Korea|April 30, 2009}} '''Wii ([[Nintendo Selects]]):'''<br>{{flag list|Europe|October 18, 2013|Australia|November 7, 2013|South Korea|August 28, 2014}}
| Director =
|languages={{languages|en_us=y|en_gb=y|fr_fr=y|fr_ca=y|es_es=y|es_latam=y|de=y|it=y|jp=y|kr=y}}
| released = {{releasedate|Japan|April 10, 2008|Europe|April 11, 2008|Australia|April 24, 2008|USA|April 27, 2008|South Korea|April 30, 2009}}
|genre=[[Mario Kart (series)|Racing]]
| genre = Racing
|modes=Single player, multiplayer, online play
| modes = Single Player, Multiplayer, Online Play
|ratings={{ratings|esrb=E|pegi=3|cero=A|acb=G|usk=0|grac=all}}
| ratings = [[ESRB]] E - Everyone <br> [[CERO]] A - All Ages <br> [[PEGI]] 3 - Three years or older <br> [[OFLC]] G - General
|platforms=[[Wii]]
| platforms = [[Wii]]
|input={{input|wiimote=1|nunchuk=1|wheel=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1}}
| input = [[Wii Remote]], [[Wii Wheel]]+[[Wii Remote]], [[Wii Remote]]+[[Nunchuk_Attachment|Nunchuk]], [[Classic Controller]], [[GameCube Controller]]
|format={{format|wii=1}}
| media =
|serials={{flag list|Japan|RVL-RMCJ-JPN}}
}}
}}
'''''Mario Kart Wii''''' is a multiplayer-oriented racing game from the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series for the [[Wii]], developed by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]. ''Mario Kart Wii'' retains the traditional premise of the franchise, with players selecting [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario''-franchise]] characters to use as drivers alongside themed vehicles. As with most racing games, the overarching goal is to place first among other competitors, achieved through the usage of item-based weaponry common to the series and taking the fastest routes to secure the lead. Several new key elements introduced to ''Mario Kart Wii'' include increasing the number of racers per race from eight to 12, [[Jump Boost|tricks]], and a new type of vehicle to the franchise: [[bike]]s. The game takes advantage of features unique to the Wii, most notably its motion control capabilities. A [[Wii#Wii Wheel|Wii Wheel]] was included in most releases, though the game is still compatible with other controllers such as a regular [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] held sideways, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Nintendo GameCube controller, and the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro. Additional game modes are also present such as the traditional Grand Prix, Versus, Battle, and Time Trial modes.


'''''Mario Kart Wii''''' is the latest installment of the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series. A [[Wii Wheel]], designed from the ground up for the [[Wii]], is included in the package because [[Nintendo]] aimed that it would make it a more realistic steering experience. It is, however, compatible with other controllers as well. It features many classic Mario Kart characters as well as several new ones.  
This game requires 23 blocks of storage on the player's Wii system to save game data. Also, the game data cannot be copied onto another Wii. This makes it the only game in the ''Mario Kart'' series where data cannot be transferred between consoles. The game also includes its own [[Wii#Wii Channels|Wii Channel]], called the [[Wii#Mario Kart Channel|Mario Kart Channel]], which allows players to play in special tournaments and trade their racing profile with other players around the world. This channel uses 74 to 88 blocks (depending on the game's region), but unlike the game data, players can copy the channel onto their SD cards.


This game requires 23 blocks on the player's Wii system to save game data.  Also, the game data cannot be copied, so players are not able to transfer this game data onto another Wii.  The Mario Kart Channel uses 74 to 88 blocks, but unlike the game data, players can actually copy the channel onto their SD cards. (Amount of blocks the game takes may differ, depending on from which region the game came from.)
With over 37 million copies of the game sold, ''Mario Kart Wii'' is the second best-selling Wii game (after ''{{iw|miiwiki|Wii Sports}}'') and the best-selling ''Super Mario'' game for the Wii console.<ref name=sales>{{cite|language=en|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/sales/software/wii.html|title=IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Software Sales Unites - Wii Software|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>


==Gameplay==  
<!--Please do not add that third party software can enable online play; unofficial material falls outside this wiki's scope.-->
[[Image:Racers.PNG|thumb|right|A host of racers plow through [[Mushroom Gorge]].]][[Image:MKWiiControls.jpg|thumb|left|Pages 3-4 of the American instruction booklet, providing diagrams for each type of control.]]
The game supported [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] for online multiplayer play until it was terminated by Nintendo on May 20, 2014.
''Mario Kart Wii'' takes a step in a new direction, as twelve players are present in normal races. All 12 racers head to the finish in a multi-lap race around a given circuit.   Along the way, players may employ [[items]], horseplay, and take shortcuts to earn first place.
==Gameplay==
[[File:Mario Kart Wii Title Screen.PNG|thumb|upright=1.1|left|The game's main title screen. If one or more profiles have gotten first place on every cup on every class, including Mirror Mode, the title screen will change from Mario and Luigi using the Wii Wheel to individual pictures of Mario, Luigi, Peach or Bowser.]]
[[File:MKW WFC Countries Map.png|thumb|This map shows all the countries listed in the [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] in ''Mario Kart Wii''. Not all regions registered on the Wii system are registered in the game. Some countries that have lost their independence, such as {{wp|Aruba}}, {{wp|Sint Maarten}}, and {{wp|Curaçao}} ({{wp|Netherlands Antilles}}), as well as others that have disappeared or disintegrated, are still registered as separate regions in the Wii system or the game. In addition, {{wp|South Sudan}} and {{wp|Sudan}} are registered together as "Sudan" despite their division.<ref>{{cite|language=en|url=www.spriters-resource.com/wii/mkwii/sheet/30505|title=Wii - Mario Kart Wii - Country Flags|publisher=The Spriters Resource|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>]]


===Controlling===
''Mario Kart Wii'' retains most of the elements from previous ''Mario Kart'' games, especially ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. Players select a racer from a cast of ''Super Mario'' characters, who are all divided into size categories in relation to their stats, and they need to select a vehicle from the class they belong in, all with their own stats. All races start with players at a line corresponding to their proper position, where [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]] signals the countdown time. Once the time is finished, players race three laps around a race course in an attempt to be first of the pack. Once the third lap is completed, players are ranked points depending on how well they placed in the race. While every previous ''Mario Kart'' game allowed for a maximum of eight racers on each course, up to twelve are on the course at a time in ''Mario Kart Wii''. In Grand Prix and VS mode, player characters always start out on the latter positions; once they finish the race, their position is saved as they move on to the next race. Like ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', ''Mario Kart Wii'' shows a rating of how well a player performed after the trophy presentation: ★★★, ★★, ★, A, B, C, D, and E (E being the lowest ranking and ★★★ being the highest).
The main feature is the use of the motion sensing of the [[Wii Remote]]. By tilting the remote, players can steer their karts. During the development of this game, Nintendo hoped to address some of the issues game critics faced with the first racing game Nintendo published for the Wii, ''Excitetruck'', by making ''Mario Kart Wii'' compatible with the [[Wii Wheel]]. Since the Wii Remote is designed to be inserted into the Wii Wheel (as it is not an independent controller), players can also play without the Wheel if they choose to (although many gamers would argue it is much more difficult without the wheel). ''Mario Kart Wii'' can also be played using the [[Nunchuck]] controller, the [[Classic Controller]] or the [[GameCube]] controller.


====Controls and actions of the game====
Integral to the ''Mario Kart'' series is the usage of ''Super Mario''-themed items to use as weapons against other racers in the track, either directly benefiting the player or hurting another player's progress. Players can receive these items at random from [[Item Box]]es scattered around the track. The quality of the item received depends on the position of the racer: racers who are further down the line receive stronger items to help compensate their poorer performances. For examples, lower racers receive [[Dash Mushroom|Mushroom]]s as speed boosts, [[Star]]s for faster invincibility, etc. while higher-placed racers receive weak items such as [[Green Shell]]s and [[Banana Peel]]s. When players receive an item, they can stop the item roulette faster by pressing the corresponding item button.
[[Image:Screenshot 183885.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Drifting]] keeps the speed and also allows a momentary boost of speed.]]
*'''Accelerate:''' When the driver holds the corresponding button, the kart will go forward. Accelerating time depends on the type of the karts: Lightweight karts have a high acceleration, but low speed. Heavyweight karts tend to have a low acceleration, but a high top speed. Middleweight karts have an average top speed and acceleration.
*'''Steer:''' Steering lets drivers move around corners.
*'''Brake:''' Braking slows the kart to a stop abruptly.
*'''Reverse:''' The character's kart will go backwards if the user holds the brake button.  If the player tries to accelerate while going in reverse, the vehicle will start to build momentum.  When blue sparks start to appear, release the brakes to get a small speed boost.  Effective for vehicles with low acceleration stats.
*'''Look Behind:''' Players can look behind their kart. In this way, players can be alert from characters incoming to steal the player's place from the rear. The player can also use this feature to see where he is going better while backing up, or to aim a weapon at an opponent following up.  This feature once appeared in ''[[Super Mario Kart]]''.
*'''Drift:''' Players drift to keep the kart's speed and take corners much better, with the benefit of getting mini-turbos. The feature can be set to happen automatically or when a button is held. The game tends to force you to drift as steering is now less effective on its own.
*'''Mini-turbo:''' When the player drifts for a reasonable amount of time, varying on the vehicle used, blue sparks will erupt from the player's rear tires. Releasing the drift button gives he/she a short burst of speed. In a kart, players can keep drifting for longer periods to get orange sparks and a much more effective boost. However, orange sparks cannot be created on bikes, as they can wheelie instead and get a much longer burst of speed that is equivalent to the orange sparks' power. From a drifting aspect, a bike is probably the better choice. Of course, the drifting stats of the vehicle used also matters. A mini-turbo can't be performed when drifting is set to automatic.  The player can also perform a "standing mini-turbo" by holding the brake and drift buttons at the same time.  This technique can also be used on Automatic.
*'''Tricks:''' Players can pull off a stunt when they jump in order to gain a momentary mini-turbo. Players can perform a trick by flicking the Wii Remote or pressing the D-pad (on the GCN or Classic Controllers) in any direction when going off a ramp or hill. He/She does a stunt, cheers, and obtains a speed boost when landing.
*'''Wheelie:''' Wheelies can be performed only when riding [[Bike]]s. Drivers can increase their speed when he/she lifts up the front of his/her bike. While the player holds the front of the bike up, the bike can hardly turn. The wheelie can be ended by braking, drifting, waiting for it to run out on its own, or simply setting the Wii Wheel back down. If the player is using a Gamecube Controller, press either up or down with the D-pad.


===Modes of Play===
Several advanced techniques are retained in ''Mario Kart Wii'' from prior ''Mario Kart'' titles, although several tweaks have been made to them. Players can drift through tougher curves to maintain speed; players can perform a [[Mini-Turbo]] when players receive color-coded sparks from drifting, which depends on how long players can hold the button for drifting and the angle at which they drift. Introduced in ''Mario Kart Wii'' are two drift modes: Automatic and Manual. Automatic drifting allows players to automatically drift when turning very sharply, though players cannot perform Mini-Turbos regardless of how well they drift. Manual mode requires players hold down a button to drift, but releasing the button may release a Mini-Turbo, the strength of it depending on the color of the sparks. Players are now able to perform [[trick]]s when they driver over specific types of ramps. When drivers perform a trick and land successfully, they gain a momentary boost of speed. Tricks consist of mid-air acrobatics and are performed by shaking the [[Wii#Wii Wheel|Wii Wheel]] upward, shaking the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] in the Wii Remote + Nunchuk combo, pressing the {{button|wii|Pad}} on the Classic Controller, or pressing the {{button|gcn|Pad}} on the GameCube controller.
[[Image:MKWiimirrorMC1.png|thumb|right|[[Luigi]] in a mirrored [[Mario Circuit 3]].]]
*'''Grand Prix''' ''(1 player)'' In this mode, the player races against 11 other CPU players in a quest to finish first. There are 8 cups to choose from, ranging from the most to the least difficult. The player earns points by placing within 12 positions (see chart below.) The player with the most points at the end of the four races wins.
*'''Time Trial''' ''(1 player)'' The player races for the fastest time on a selected course. The fastest record will be able to be raced again as a ghost. The player can also race staff records.
*'''Versus''' (''1 to 4 players, up to 12 online)'' Players can race to their own custom settings, but it is otherwise relatively the same to ''Grand Prix''.
*'''Battle''' ''(1 to 4 players, up to 12 online)'' Players team up with each other in a battle for the most points. Items only work against the other team so it won't have an effect to the player's team. There are two ways to battle:
**''Balloon Battle'': Get points by hitting opponents with the player's items. If the player loses all of his/her balloons, 1 point will be discounted.
**''Coin Runners'': Get more coins than the other team. If the player hits an opponent, he/she will drop half of his/her coins. However, the certain amount of coins fall depends on the item that hits the player.
*'''Ghost Race''' ''(Mario Kart Channel, 1 player)'' A ''Time Trial'' race with ghosts made by players around the world with relatively the same skill level to the actual player.
*'''Tournament''' ''(Mario Kart Channel, 1 player)'' The player competes in a timed competition with specific goals (see list below). This mode serves as the replacement of ''Mission Mode'' from [[Mario Kart DS]]. New tournaments are posted twice a month.


Note: Grand Prix mode for ''50cc'' using Karts, ''100cc'' using for bikes only, ''150cc'' using for Bikes and Karts and ''Mirror'' for Bikes and Karts. If the player wins all the tracks in 50cc or 100cc, it's possible to play with both bikes and karts. Mirror Mode is unlockable by gaining first place on all 150cc Grand Prixes.
Motorbikes are introduced in this game, alongside having a wider variety of karts to select from. Motorbikes can perform [[wheelie]]s to increase top speed on straights, though motorbikes cannot perform the most powerful Mini-Turbo that karts can. Motorbikes also come in two classes: drift type and hang-on type. Drift type bikes drift in a similar way to karts, while hang-on type bikes commit to the turn instead.


=====Other information=====
Prior to discontinuation of online services, ''Mario Kart Wii'' featured a text chat in Online Multiplayer Mode when racing or battling against Friends. Users could send pre-written phrases to other users before the series of races started. However, there was no facility for a user to type custom messages.<ref>{{cite|url=www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/27/update-mario-kart-wii-text-chat-details|author=Casamassina, Matt|date=February 27, 2008|title=Update: Mario Kart Wii Text Chat Details|publisher=IGN|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
*Additionally, in this game, both normal races and battles are playable online through the use of [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] (WFC). This is the second game in the series to utilize the WFC and the first to allow for online battles. Races and Battles will now cater up to 12 players via Wi-Fi connection [http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/photos/DSC00096.JPG].
 
*Just like ''Mario Kart DS'', it is not possible to play Grand Prix with multiple players. Players can now only win trophies playing alone.  
Another new change is the point system used for Grand Prix races. With twelve racers competing in each race, the point value has increased from 10/8/6/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to eighth place respectively to 15/12/10/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to twelfth place respectively. Also, 4th and 5th place are not losing positions. The following chart shows the difference of the point spreads from previous games to this installment.
*In Battle Mode, the player can only play in teams. Also, the [[Spiny Shell (Mario Kart item)|Spiny Shell]] makes its first appearance in Battle Mode. It chases the player of the opposite team with the most points. Also the [[Thunderbolt (item)|Thunderbolt]] is an item in Battle Mode. It shrinks the players of the opposite team and lets them lose their items, but does not take a balloon or drop coins.
{|align=center class="wikitable"style="margin:auto;text-align:center;max-width:60em"
|-
!colspan="13"style="background:#e0e0e0"|Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
|-
! style="max-width:20em" | !! style="width:2.5em"| 1st !! style="width:2.5em"| 2nd !! style="width:2.5em"| 3rd !! style="width:2.5em"| 4th !! style="width:2.5em"| 5th !! style="width:2.5em"| 6th !! style="width:2.5em"| 7th !! style="width:2.5em"| 8th !! style="width:2.5em"| 9th !! style="width:2.5em"| 10th !! style="width:2.5em"| 11th !! style="width:2.5em"| 12th
|-
|'''''Super Mario Kart''<br>''Mario Kart 64''<br>''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'''''||style="background:#096;color:white;font-weight:bold"|9||style="background:#CF0"|6||style="background:#CF0"|3||style="background:#CF0"|1||0||0||0||0||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;|| &mdash;
|-
|'''''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''<br>''Mario Kart DS'''''||style="background:#096;color:white;font-weight:bold"|10||style="background:#CF0"|8||style="background:#CF0"|6||4||3||2||1||0||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;
|-
|'''''Mario Kart Wii'''''||style="background:#096;color:white;font-weight:bold"|15||style="background:#CF0"|12||style="background:#CF0"|10||style="background:#CF0"|8||style="background:#CF0"|7||6||5||4||3||2||1||0
|-
|colspan=13 style="text-align:justify;font-size:smaller;"|<span style="background:#096;color:white">Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music</span><br><span style="background:#CF0">Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)</span><br>Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available<br>In ''Super Mario Kart'', and ''Mario Kart Super Circuit'', 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In ''Mario Kart 64'', 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. In ''Mario Kart: Double Dash'' and other installments after that game including this installment, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.
|}
===Controls===
[[File:ControllerTypes.png|thumb|upright=1.66|Controllers that can be used in ''Mario Kart Wii''.]]
''Mario Kart Wii'' takes advantage of the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]]'s motion-sensing ability. By tilting the remote, players can steer their karts. Since the Wii Remote is designed to be inserted into the Wii Wheel for better grip, players can also play without the Wheel if they choose to. ''Mario Kart Wii'' can also be played by connecting the [[Wii#Nunchuk|Nunchuk Controller]] or the [[Classic Controller]], or using the [[Nintendo GameCube#Nintendo GameCube Controller|GameCube Controller]]. Controlling the vehicle is divided up into two sections: Basic and Advanced.
====Basic controls and actions====
*'''Accelerate:''' When drivers hold down the corresponding button, the vehicle goes forward. Accelerating time depends on the type of karts: Lightweight karts have a high acceleration but low speed. Heavyweight karts tend to have a low acceleration but a high top speed. Middleweight karts tend to have an average top speed and acceleration.
*'''Steer:''' Steering lets drivers move around corners.
*'''Brake:''' Braking slows the vehicle to an abrupt stop.
*'''Reverse:''' The driver's kart goes backwards if the driver continues holding the brake button after the vehicle comes to a stop. If a vehicle reaches maximum top speed, the vehicle will drift instead. If the player tries to accelerate while going in reverse, the vehicle will start to build momentum. When blue sparks start to appear, the player can release the brakes to get a small speed of boost.
*'''Look Behind:''' Drivers can look behind their vehicles. In this way, drivers can be alert from other drivers incoming to steal their place. Drivers can also use this feature to see where they are going while backing up, or to aim a weapon at an opponent following up. This feature once appeared in ''[[Super Mario Kart]]''.
*'''Drift:''' Drivers drift to keep the vehicle's speed and take corners more easily, with the benefit of getting Mini-Turbos. The feature can be set to happen automatically or when a button is held, although Mini-Turbos cannot be obtained on the former setting.


====Competitions====
====Advanced control modes====
''A list of Competitions or tournaments up to the current one can be found [[List of Competitions in Mario Kart Wii|here]].
[[File:MKW Rocket Start.png|thumb|left|upright=1.1|[[Koopa Troopa]] performing a successful Rocket Start at [[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]]]
*'''[[Rocket Start]]:''' Drivers can perform a speed boost when a race begins. If drivers hold down the corresponding acceleration button right after the countdown timer displays the number 2, then they will receive an extra speed boost when the word "GO!" appears on the screen. However, if drivers hold down the button for too long, when the final beep is heard, their engine bursts and they get an even worse start than a regular one and take a few seconds to recover.
*'''[[Mini-Turbo]]:''' When drivers [[drift]] for a reasonable amount of time varying on the vehicle used, blue sparks erupt from the vehicle's rear tires. Releasing the drift button gives them a short burst of speed. In a kart, drivers can keep drifting for longer periods to get orange sparks and a longer boost. However, orange sparks cannot be created on bikes. The amount of time the player must drift also depends on the vehicle's drifting stats. Drivers can also perform a "standing Mini-Turbo" by holding the brake/drift and acceleration buttons at the same time. This is helpful for vehicles with slow acceleration, as it will get the vehicle to top speed. A Mini-Turbo cannot be performed when drifting is set to automatic, but the standing Mini-Turbo can.
*'''Jumps:''' If players jump over ramps or mushrooms, the length of the jump can be controlled by {{button|wii|padup}} (shorter jump) and {{button|wii|paddown}} (longer jump).
*'''[[Trick]]s:''' Drivers can pull off a trick when they jump in order to gain a momentary Mini-Turbo. Drivers can perform a trick by flicking the Wii Remote, pressing {{button|wii|Pad}} on the Classic Controller, or pressing {{button|gcn|Pad}} on the GameCube Controller in any direction when going off a ramp or hill. They obtain a speed boost when landing.
*'''[[Wheelie]]:''' Wheelies can be performed only when drivers are riding [[bike]]s. Drivers can increase their speed by lifting up the fronts of their bikes. While drivers perform a wheelie, the bike cannot be easily steered. The wheelie can be ended by braking, hopping, waiting for the wheelie to end, or simply setting the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote back down or pressing {{button|wii|Paddown}}. If drivers are bumped into while they are performing a wheelie, they lose most of their speed. If they wheelie again right as their wheelie runs out, they can get a chain wheelie.
* '''[[Bullet Bill]]:''' If a driver is flying as a Bullet Bill, its route can be controlled a bit with {{button|wii|padleft}} and {{button|wii|padright}}. The range may differ for every part of a track.


[[Image:MKwii-Mission.jpg|right|thumb|[[Baby Mario]] collecting [[coin]]s in Tournament Mode.]]
===Game modes===
''Mario Kart Wii'' introduced a new mode for the ''Mario Kart'' series, entitled "Competition Mode" (also known as Tournament mode in American versions). Competition Mode is somewhat similar to Mission Mode from ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. Competitions can be played on the Mario Kart Channel, so long as the ''Mario Kart Wii'' disc is in the Wii. Competitions require an Internet connection, and WiiConnect24 to be turned on before they can be played. After a while, a competition is retired to make room for a new one. However, the rankings of older competitions can still be viewed on the rankings table.
[[File:MKW Luigi Classic Dragster screenshot.png|200px|thumb|[[Luigi]] in {{classic-link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}.]]
*'''Grand Prix''' ''(1 player)'' In this mode, the player races against eleven other CPU players to finish in first. There are eight cups to choose from, ranging from the most to the least difficult. Drivers earn points by placing within twelve positions (see [[Mario Kart Wii#Gameplay|chart above]]). A driver with the most points at the end of the four races wins the cup. The driver will be awarded a grade for their racing performance at the end of the cup. If the character places 4th or under, the screen will say "Better Luck Next Time" as the character sits in their vehicle on a mountain far from the celebration.
*'''Time Trial''' ''(1 player)'' Drivers race for the fastest time on a selected course. The fastest record is saved as a [[Ghost (Mario Kart series)|Ghost]] and can be raced against at a later time. Drivers can also race staff records, Regional Records/Champions, World Records/Champions (Wi-Fi must be used), and Friend Records (Friend must be registered and must send the Ghost for Ghost Races, and Wi-Fi also must be used.)
*'''VS Race''' (''1 to 4 players, up to 12 online)'' Drivers can race with their own custom settings, but it is otherwise relatively the same as Grand Prix, other than the fact that drivers can see the other racers' character's names. The driver may choose a Solo Race, where they try to win for themselves, or Team Race, where two teams, red and blue, try to win by gathering the most points and beating the other.
*'''Battle''' ''(1 to 4 players, up to 12 online)'' Drivers team up in two teams of six in a battle for the most points within a 3 minute time limit. [[Item]]s work only against the opposite team and have no effect on the team that uses them. Players can  select only the Standard [[Kart]] or [[Bike]], color-coded for the team they are on. There are two ways to battle:
**''Balloon Battle'': All drivers get three balloons and must use the items to hit the opponents to pop their balloons and get one point for every hit. If drivers lose all their balloons, one point is deducted and [[Lakitu]] brings them back to the battle with three balloons once more. If the player uses a mushroom and bumps into a player on the other team with the boost, or hits them with a star, they get a point and steal a balloon.
**''Coin Runners'': The goal for drivers is to obtain more coins with their team than the other. In the top right corner of the screen, the score shows, which are the coins obtained altogether for each team. If drivers hit opponents, opponents drop their [[Coin]]s. The number of [[Coin]]s dropped depends on the item that hits the player and the number of coins that the player has already gathered.
*'''Ghost Race''' ''(Mario Kart Channel, 1 player)'' A ''Time Trial'' race with Ghosts made by players around the world with relatively the same skill level to the actual player.
*'''Tournament''' (also known as '''Competition''') ''(Mario Kart Channel, 1 player)'' Drivers would compete in a timed competition with specific goals (see list below). This mode served as the replacement of Mission Mode from ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. New tournaments were posted twice a month. The tournaments were discontinued after the first tournament in May 2014 was over.
Grand Prix Mode initially allows only Karts in ''50cc'' and only Bikes in ''100cc''; if all the Grand Prix's are won in a single engine class, the other vehicle type will become available for it. Mirror Mode is unlocked by scoring first place on all 150cc Grand Prix.
=====Other information=====
*Additionally, in this game, both normal races and battles were playable online through the use of [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] (WFC). This was the second game in the series to utilize the WFC, the third to support online connectivity, and the first to allow for online battles. Races and Battles would now cater up to 12 players via Wi-Fi connection.
*Just like in ''Mario Kart DS'', it is not possible to play Grand Prix with multiple players. Players can now only win cup trophies by playing alone.
*In Battle Mode, the player can only play in teams. Also, the [[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]] makes its first appearance in Battle Mode. It chases the player of the opposite team with the most points. Also, [[Lightning]] is an item in Battle Mode, appearing only in Balloon Battle. It shrinks the drivers of the opposite team and makes them lose their items, but does not take a balloon.


=====Types of Competitions=====
====Tournaments====
*'''VS. Race''' &ndash; A standard VS. race; however, race courses are somewhat altered.
{{main|List of Mario Kart Wii tournaments}}
*'''Time Trial''' &ndash; A standard Time Trial; however, race courses are somewhat altered.
[[File:MKwii-Mission.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Baby Mario]] collecting [[coin]]s in a tournament]]
*'''Numbered Gates''' &ndash; The player must drive through the gates in order, as fast as possible.
''Mario Kart Wii'' introduces a new mode for the ''Mario Kart'' series, entitled "Tournaments" (known as "Competitions" in the European version). Tournaments are somewhat similar to missions in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. Tournaments are played on the Mario Kart Channel, as long as the ''Mario Kart Wii'' disc is in the Wii. Tournaments require an Internet connection and WiiConnect24 to be turned on before they can be played. After a while, a tournament is retired to make room for a new one. However, the rankings of older tournaments can still be viewed on the rankings table. The tournaments began in May 2008 and continued even after all WiiConnect24 services were discontinued on June 28, 2013. The tournament service itself was later discontinued on May 10, 2014, 10 days before the Nintendo WFC servers shut down.
*'''Coin Collecting''' &ndash; The player must collect the coins on the stage as fast as possible.
{{br|left}}
*'''Boss Battle''' &ndash; The player must fight against a special boss.
The varieties of tournaments include the following:
*'''VS Race''' - A standard VS race; however, race courses were somewhat altered.
*'''Time Trial''' - A standard Time Trial; however, race courses were somewhat altered.
*'''Numbered Gates''' - The player had to drive through ordered gates as fast as possible.
*'''Coin Collecting''' - The player had to collect the coins on the stage as fast as possible.
*'''Boss Battle''' - The player had to fight against a special boss.


===Licenses===
===Licenses===
Licenses replace normal save files. It is the first Mario Kart to feature save files.
[[File:MKW License.png|thumb|An example of a ''Mario Kart Wii'' license.]]
[[Image:Licensemkwii.png|thumb|A Mario Kart Wii license.]]
Licenses replace normal save files. It is the first ''Mario Kart'' game to feature more than one save file.
Each license contains the user data, his/her Mii, nickname, Friend Code and a table including all categories and cups with an empty space. After a cup is won, the corresponding space will be filled in with a colored square: gold for first place, silver for second, bronze for third. If at any time the Mii being used for ''Mario Kart Wii'' is deleted from the Mii Channel, the in-game Mii will be also deleted.


Each license contains each player's data, their [[Mii]], nickname, Friend Code, and a table including all categories and cups with an empty space. After a cup is won, the corresponding space is filled in with a colored square: gold for first place, silver for second, bronze for third. If at any time the Mii being used for ''Mario Kart Wii'' is deleted from the Mii Channel, the in-game Mii is also deleted.
====Friend roster====
[[File:MKW Online Friend Roster.png|thumb|left|A friend roster.]]
Players can add different people around the world on to their Mario Kart Wii Friend Roster. Two people need to add the Friend Codes on their licenses. A player can have up to 30 people on their Friend Roster.


If two people are friends on a roster, one can open a room, which allows who is ever friends with the person to join that room. In the room, the players who joined can send messages. If a player who added the person who created the room, and another person joins and the player has not added them, they have an ability to do so. The host of the room can choose a VS Race, Team VS Race, Balloon Battle, and Coin Runners.


===Major Changes===
If a player joins a race when another player is online and friends with them, the player who added the player in the race can join that race and race with the friend.
[[image:PeachBike.jpg|thumb|[[Peach]] using the Mach Bike in Coconut Mall.]]
{{br}}
While every previous ''Mario Kart'' game allowed for a maximum of eight racers on each course, up to twelve are on course at one time in ''Mario Kart Wii''. 


[[image:Yosherskart.PNG|thumb|left|[[Yoshi]] racing in Toad Factory.]]
==Characters==
In ''Mario Kart Wii'', players can select twelve types of vehicles–six karts and six bikes–for each of the three classes. Vehicles selection varies depending on the character's weight type, and color schemes for available vehicles will also vary with regard to character selected.
===Drivers===
[[File:CharacterSelect-MKWii.png|thumb|350px|The character select screen, with all characters unlocked.]]
''Mario Kart Wii'' features 12 starting characters, while 14 (if both [[Mii]] outfits are counted as separate characters) more can be unlocked for a total of 26 playable characters. Of those characters, [[Baby Peach]], [[Baby Daisy]], [[Rosalina]], [[Funky Kong]], [[Dry Bowser]], and Mii (in "Outfit A" and "Outfit B") are playable for the first time in the ''Mario Kart'' series, with Baby Daisy, Rosalina, and Dry Bowser making their first playable appearances overall, and Baby Daisy making her first appearance in any game. In addition, [[Dry Bones]] is playable in a home console ''Mario Kart'' installment for the first time, after previously being playable in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. Unlike with the past ''Mario Kart'' titles, however, the characters are categorized under a size class system, instead of the usual weight class system.


A major departure from prior games is the removal of [[Snaking]], which players can use to gain several consecutive mini-turbos after performing a powerslide. Performing a mini-turbo depends on how long a player can hold the button for drifting. However, drifting can be used strategically and involves managing the drifts to avoid losing speed.<ref>[http://wii.ign.com/articles/858/858754p1.html Matt Casamassina: ''Mario Kart Wii'' Impressions]</ref>.  
The size classes are as follows:
*'''Small:''' Small drivers will drive small vehicles. They usually have good acceleration, handling, and off-road stats, but low top speed and weight.
*'''Medium:''' Medium drivers will drive medium-sized vehicles. Most of the karts show average weight and off-road.
*'''Large:''' Large drivers will drive large vehicles. They mostly feature high top speed and weight, but low acceleration, handling, and off-road.


Also, a new feature called "Tricks" or "Stunts" is now a part of the gameplay. When a player performs a trick, he/she is able to gain a momentary boost of speed, which allows the player to do a few different things, such as grabbing an Item Box out of midair. Tricks consist of mid-air acrobatics and are performed by shaking the Wii Wheel upward, shaking the Wiimote in the Wii Remote + Nunchuck combo or pressing the D-pad on the Gamecube controller.
Additionally, all the characters in the game have their own set of bonuses that boost certain stats for their vehicles. Units are out of 80, so a stat bonus of 3 would make a stat three points better than normal.<ref name=stats>{{cite|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528102902/https://ark42.com/mariokart/Mario%20Kart%20Wii.png|language=en|format=PNG|title=''Mario Kart Wii'' Stat Table|publisher=ark42.com}}</ref> Baby Peach and Large Miis have the most stat bonuses, with a total of 15 each. Bowser Jr. has the fewest stat bonuses, with a total of 6.  


Motorbikes are introduced in this game. Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina are in an alternate outfit while riding motorbikes, as opposed to their traditional outfit while riding karts.  Oddly enough, although Wario does have a biker outfit of his own, he doesn't wear it when riding bikes.  Motorbikes are better at tricks than karts.
====Default drivers====
 
{|style="text-align:center"class="wikitable sortable"
Special Items, introduced in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'', were taken out for being too unbalanced. Overall, ''Mario Kart Wii'' is based heavily on ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'' and with little influence from ''Double Dash!!''.
!Driver
 
!Size
''Mario Kart Wii'' features a text chat in Online Multiplayer Mode. Users can send pre-written phrases to other users before the series of races starts. There is no facility for a user to type his or her own message<ref>[http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/855/855033p1.html IGN: Update: Mario Kart Wii Text Chat Details]</ref>. Also, the text chat is only available when racing or battling against Friends.
!Bonuses
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fffcfc;text-align:center;color:black" width=84%
|-
|data-sort-value=BabyMario|[[File:Babymariobasic.png]]<br>[[Baby Mario]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|Weight '''{{color|blue|+8}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|data-sort-value=BabyPeach|[[File:Babypeachbasic.png]]<br>[[Baby Peach]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|-
|data-sort-value=Toad|[[File:Mariokartwiitoad.jpg|258x200px]]<br>[[Toad]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|Acceleration '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|data-sort-value=Koopa|[[File:KoopaBasic.png]]<br>[[Koopa Troopa]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|Handling '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|data-sort-value=Mario|[[File:MKWii Mario.jpg|258x200px]]<br>[[Mario]]
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|Weight '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|-
|data-sort-value=Luigi|[[File:Mariokartwiiluigi.jpg|258x200px]]<br>[[Luigi]]
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|Speed '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|-
! colspan=13 style="background:#fff5f5" width=84% | Point Spread Comparisons
|data-sort-value=Peach|[[File:Peachbasic.png]]<br>[[Princess Peach|Peach]]
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|Speed '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|-
! style="background:#fff7f7" width=14% | !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 1st !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 2nd !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 3rd !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 4th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 5th !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 6th !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 7th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 8th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 9th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 10th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 11th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 12th
|data-sort-value=Yoshi|[[File:MKW Yoshi Standard Kart Artwork.png]]<br>[[Yoshi]]
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|green|+5}}'''
|-
|-
|'''SMK + MK64 + MKSC GP''' ||style="background:#096"| 9 ||style="background:#CF0"| 6 ||style="background:#CF0"| 3 ||style="background:#CF0"|1||0||0||0||0||&ndash;||&ndash;||&ndash;|| &ndash;
|data-sort-value=Wario|[[File:MKW Wario Standard Kart Artwork.png]]<br>[[Wario]]
|{{color|red|Large}}
|Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|-
|-
|'''MKDD + MKDS GP''' ||style="background:#096"| 10 ||style="background:#CF0"| 8 ||style="background:#CF0"|6||4||3||2||1||0||&ndash;||&ndash;||&ndash;||&ndash;
|data-sort-value=Waluigi|[[File:Waluigibasic.png]]<br>[[Waluigi]]
|{{color|red|Large}}
|Acceleration '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|-
|-
|'''MKWii GP''' ||style="background:#096"| 15 ||style="background:#CF0"| 12 ||style="background:#CF0"| 10 ||style="background:#CF0"| 8 ||style="background:#CF0"|7||6||5||4||3||2||1||0
|data-sort-value=Donkey|[[File:Dkbasic.png]]<br>[[Donkey Kong]]
|{{color|red|Large}}
|Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|-
|-
| colspan=13 style="text-align:justify;font-size:smaller;" | <span style="background:#096">Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music</span><br><span style="background:#CF0">Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)</span><br>Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music<br>In ''Super Mario Kart'' to ''Mario Kart Super Circuit'', 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly three times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Double Dash to Wii, the GP normally goes forth.
|data-sort-value=Bowser|[[File:Mariokartwiibowser.jpg|258px]]<br>[[Bowser]]
|{{color|red|Large}}'''
|Speed '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|}
|}


==Items==
====Unlockable drivers====
''Mario Kart Wii'' includes three new items: the Mega Mushroom, the POW Block and the Thunder Cloud. Items can be earned by driving through [[Item Box|Item Boxes]] on the courses, just like in previous games.  Once a player has done so, an item will be selected via the Item Roulette. In general, players tend to obtain a weak item such as a banana or a green shell when they are in first. However, if players are in second or a lower place, obtaining a powerful item such as a red shell or a Thunderbolt is more frequent. Usually, the lower the place of the player, the rarer and more powerful the item he/she gets. Items with an asterisk (*) are unavailable during strategic.
{|style="text-align:center"class="wikitable sortable"
 
!Driver
<center><gallery>
!Size
Image:Mushroom2.PNG|<center>[[Mushroom]]
!colspan=3|Bonuses
Image:MKwii TripleShroom.jpg|<center>[[Triple Mushrooms]]
!Unlock methods
Image:MKwii Goldmushroom.jpg|<center>[[Golden Mushroom]]
|-
Image:MKwii Megamushroom.jpg|<center>[[Mega Mushroom]]
|data-sort-value=BabyLuigi|[[File:Babyluigi.png]]<br>[[Baby Luigi]]
Image:MKwii Itembox.jpg|<center>[[Item Box]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
Image:MKwii Fakebox.jpg|<center>[[Fake Item Box]]
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|blue|+8}}'''
Image:MKwii Banana.jpg|<center>[[Banana]]
|Unlock 8 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 3,150 races / Win 100 WFC Ghost races
Image:MKwii TripleBanana.jpg|<center>[[Triple Bananas]]
|-
Image:MKwii Greenshell.jpg|<center>[[Green Shell]]
|data-sort-value=BabyDaisy|[[File:Babydaisykart.png]]<br>[[Baby Daisy]]<sup>(new)</sup>
Image:MKwii TripleGreenShell.jpg|<center>[[Triple Green Shell]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
Image:MKwii Redshell.jpg|<center>[[Red Shell]]
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
Image:MKwii TripleRedShell.jpg|<center>[[Triple Red Shell]]
|Rank 1 Star or higher in all 50cc Wii Grand Prix Cups / Play 1,950 races
Image:MKii Blueshell.jpg|<center>[[Spiny Shell (Mario Kart item)|Spiny Shell]]
|-
Image:Star.PNG‎|<center>[[Star]]
|data-sort-value=Toadette|[[File:Toadettewii.png]]<br>[[Toadette]]
Image:MKwii Thunderbolt.jpg|<center>[[Thunderbolt]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
Image:MKwii Thundercloud.jpg|<center>[[Thunder Cloud]]
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
Image:MKwii Bob-omb.jpg|<center>[[Bob-omb]]
|Play Time Trials on all courses / Play 2,550 races / Win 1,000 WFC races
Image:Blooper.PNG|<center>[[Blooper]]
Image:NSMBBulletbill.jpg|<center>[[Bullet Bill]]
Image:MKwii Powblock.jpg|<center>[[POW Block]]
</gallery></center>
 
==Drivers==
A total of twelve Mario characters are available from the start, while twelve more can be unlocked for a total of twenty-four. They are separated into these three categories:
 
*'''Small:''' Are able to drive small vehicles. They have mostly a good acceleration and off-road ratio, but low top speed. By their weight, these characters can be knocked apart if they try to bump into other vehicles of superior weight.
*'''Medium:''' Are able to drive medium-sized vehicles. Most of the karts show an average acceleration, weight and off-road.
*'''Large:''' Are defined by their strength, capable of banging apart other vehicles with low weight. They are able to drive large vehicles, mostly featuring high top speed and weight, but showing low acceleration, handling, and off-road.
 
===Starting Drivers===
<center><gallery>
Image:MKWii_Mario.jpg|<center>[[Mario]]<br>'''Medium
Image:Mariokartwiiluigi.jpg|<center>[[Luigi]]<br>'''Medium
Image:peachbasic.PNG|<center>[[Princess Peach|Peach]]<br>'''Medium
Image:yoshibasic.PNG|<center>[[Yoshi]]<br>'''Medium
Image:babymariobasic.PNG|<center>[[Baby Mario]]<br>'''Small
Image:babypeachbasic.PNG|<center>[[Baby Peach]]<br>'''Small'''<br>''New
Image:Mariokartwiitoad.jpg|<center>[[Toad]]<br>'''Small
Image:KoopaBasic.PNG|<center>[[Koopa Troopa]]<br>'''Small
Image:wariobasic.PNG|<center>[[Wario]]<br>'''Large
Image:waluigibasic.PNG|<center>[[Waluigi]]<br>'''Large
Image:dkbasic.PNG|<center>[[Donkey Kong]]<br>'''Large
Image:Mariokartwiibowser.jpg|<center>[[Bowser]]<br>'''Large
</gallery></center><br>
 
===Unlockable Drivers===
{{spoiler}}
<center><gallery>
Image:DaisyMKWii.PNG|<center>[[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]<br>'''Medium
Image:Birdpmkwii.PNG|<center>[[Birdo]]<br>'''Medium'''
Image:Diddymkwii.PNG|<center>[[Diddy Kong]]<br>'''Medium'''
Image:Jrwii.PNG|<center>[[Bowser Jr.]]<br>'''Medium'''
Image:Babyluigi.PNG|<center>[[Baby Luigi]]<br>'''Small'''
Image:babydaisykart.PNG|<center>[[Baby Daisy]]<br>'''Small'''<br>''New''<br>''First Appearance
Image:Toadettewii.PNG|<center>[[Toadette]]<br>'''Small'''
Image:Drybwii.PNG|<center>[[Dry Bones]]<br>'''Small'''
Image:Boowiiking.PNG|<center>[[King Boo]]<br>'''Large'''
Image:Rosawii.PNG|<center>[[Rosalina]]<br>'''Large'''<br>''New
Image:Funkpngmm.PNG|<center>[[Funky Kong]]<br>'''Large'''<br>''New
Image:Skelebowwii.PNG|<center>[[Dry Bowser]]<br>'''Large'''<br>''New
</gallery></center>
 
*[[Mii]]s are also featured as secret characters with two different costumes to unlock - a racing suit and an outfit that varies depending on the gender. The color of the outfit also depends on the Mii's favorite color.
 
====Unlocking Criteria====
 
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;color:black" width=84%
|-
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#fff5f5;text-align:center" width=84% | Criteria List To Unlock These Drivers
|data-sort-value=DryBones|[[File:Drybwii.png]]<br>[[Dry Bones]]
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|colspan=3|Acceleration '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
|Win the 100cc Leaf Cup / Play 1,050 races
|-
|-
! style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;" width=15% | Daisy
|data-sort-value=Daisy|[[File:DaisyMKWii.png]]<br>[[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]
|Win 150cc Special Cup or play 2,850 races
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|gold|+4}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|red|+2}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Win the 150cc Special Cup / Play 2,850 races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Birdo
|data-sort-value=Birdo|[[File:Birdomkwii.png]]<br>[[Birdo]]
|Play Time Trials on 16 different courses, win 250 WFC races, or play 1,350 races
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|colspan=3|Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|green|+5}}'''
|Play Time Trials on 16 different courses / Play 1,350 races / Win 250 WFC races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Diddy Kong
|data-sort-value=Diddy|[[File:MKW Diddy Kong Artwork.png]]<br>[[Diddy Kong]]
|Win 50cc Lightning Cup or play 450 races
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|colspan=3|Acceleration '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|green|+5}}'''
|Win the 50cc Lightning Cup / Play 450 races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;r" width=15% | Bowser Jr.
|data-sort-value=Bowser|[[File:Jrwii.png]]<br>[[Bowser Jr.]]
|Obtain at least 1 Star Rank for all 100cc Retro Grand Prix Cups or play 3,450 races  
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|colspan=3|Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Rank 1 Star or higher in all 100cc Retro Grand Prix Cups / Play 3,450 races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center";text-align:center;" width=15% | Baby Luigi
|data-sort-value=King|[[File:Boowiiking.png]]<br>[[King Boo]]
|Unlock 8 Expert Staff Ghost Data in Time Trials, win 100 WFC Ghost Races, or play 3,150 races
|{{color|red|Large}}
|colspan=3|Handling '''{{color|green|+5}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Win the 50cc Star Cup / Play 750 races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Baby Daisy
|data-sort-value=Rosalina|[[File:Rosawii.png]]<br>[[Rosalina]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|Obtain at least 1 Star Rank for all 50cc Wii Grand Prix Cups or play 1,950 races
|{{color|red|Large}}
|-
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Toadette
|Rank 1 Star or higher in all Mirror Cups / Play 4,950 races / Play 50 races with a ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' save file
|Play Time Trials on all 32 different courses, win 1,000 WFC races, or play 3,150 races  
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Dry Bones
|data-sort-value=Funky|[[File:Funky Kong MKW Artwork.png]]<br>[[Funky Kong]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|Win 100cc Leaf Cup or play 1,050 races
|{{color|red|Large}}
|colspan=3|Speed '''{{color|gold|+4}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Unlock 4 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 2,250 races / Win 25 WFC Ghost races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | King Boo
|data-sort-value=DryBowser|[[File:Skelebowwii.png]]<br>[[Dry Bowser]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|Win 50cc Star Cup or play 750 races
|{{color|red|Large}}
|-  
|colspan=3|Off-Road '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|dodgerblue|+6}}'''
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Rosalina
|Rank 1 Star or higher in all 150cc Wii Grand Prix Cups / Play 4,350 races
|Have a Super Mario Galaxy save file and win 50 races, attain at least 1 Star Rank for all 150cc Mirror Grand Prix cups, or play 4,950 races  
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15% | Funky Kong
|data-sort-value=MiiA|[[File:MKW Mii Outfit A select icon.png]]<br>[[Mii|Mii Outfit A]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|Unlock 4 Expert Staff Ghost Data in Time Trials, win 25 WFC Ghost Races, or play 2,250 races
|Height-and-width dependent
|'''Small:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|'''Medium:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|'''Large:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Win the 100cc Special Cup / Play 1,650 races
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=20% | Dry Bowser
|data-sort-value=MiiB|[[File:MKW Mii Outfit B select icon.png]]<br>[[Mii|Mii Outfit B]]<sup>(new)</sup>
|Obtain at least 1 Star Rank for all 150cc Wii Grand Prix Cups or play 4,350 races
|Height-and-width dependent
|'''Small:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Drift '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|'''Medium:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Weight '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|'''Large:'''<br>Speed '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Acceleration '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Handling '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Off-Road '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''<br>Mini-Turbo '''{{color|darkorange|+3}}'''
|Unlock all 32 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 5,100 combined races and battles / Win 5,000 WFC Ghost races
|}
|}


====Unlocking Outfits for Miis====
===Additional enemies, obstacles, and species===
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;color:black" width=84%
These characters and features may either aid the player or act as obstacles and other intractable objects that impede racers if bumped into.
{|style="text-align:center" class="wikitable"
|-
!Character/element
!Location
!Description
|-
|[[File:AngrySunMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Angry Sun]]
|{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}
|align=left|An enemy that appears as part of the scenery and spawns Fire Snakes onto the course.
|-
|[[File:Bob-ombCarMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Bob-omb Car]]
|[[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]
|align=left|A car that explodes when driven into or hit by a shell. The explosion sends any driver in the vicinity flying. Any driver who runs into the latter frames of the explosion spins out.
|-
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#fff5f5;text-align:center" width=84% | How to Unlock Mii
|[[File:BowserStatueMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Bowser Statue]]
|{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}
|align=left|A large statue of Bowser that burns drivers if they run into its flame.
|-
|-
! style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;" width=15% | Mii outfit A (Racing Suit, blue Mii logo)
|[[File:BoulderMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Boulder]]
|Win the Special Cup in 100cc or play 1,650 races
|{{classic-link|GCN|DK Mountain}}
|align=left|A large ball of rock that rolls down the course and flips over any driver who runs into it.
|-
|-
! style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;" width=15% | Mii outfit B (Overalls/Dress, red Mii logo)
|[[File:CataquackMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Cataquack]]
|Unlock Expert Staff Ghosts on all 32 courses in Time Trial mode, play 5,000 WFC Races, win 5,000 WFC Ghost Races, or play 5,100 combined races/battles
|{{classic-link|GCN|Peach Beach}}
|}
|align=left|An enemy that flips drivers over when touched. Players can temporarily stun Cataquacks by hitting them with shells, POW Blocks, or [[Lightning]], or by driving through them while invincible.
 
|-
===Bonuses===
|[[File:ChainChompMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Chain Chomp]] (chained)
 
|[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}<br>{{classic-link|DS|Peach Gardens}}
*Each character has their own set of bonuses that boost certain stats for their vehicles. Units are out of 70, so +7/70 is about an extra point out of 10.
|align=left|An enemy that knocks over drivers and causes them to lose their items by ramming into them. Some Chain Chomps are chained to stakes, while others roam freely. Chain Chomps that are chained to stakes lunge at nearby drivers.
 
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=1 align="center" style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;color:black;border-collapse:collapse" width=100%
|-
|-
! colspan=10 style="background:#fff5f5;text-align:center" | Character Bonuses
|[[File:ChompMKW.png|100px]]<br>Chain Chomp (unchained)
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
|[[Chain Chomp Wheel]]
! width=23% | Character !! width=11% | Speed !! width=11% | Weight !! width=11% | Acceleration !! width=11% | Handling !! width=11% | Drift !! width=11% | Off-Road !! width=11% | Mini-Turbo
|align=left|An enemy that appears rolling around in Chain Chomp Wheel. Driving under it smashes players, while flying into its upper regions from a ramp causes players to flip over.
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Mario
|[[File:DelfinoOakTreeMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Delfino Oak Tree]]
| -
|{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}
| 6
|align=left|A stationary obstacle that stops players when driven into, serving as a wall.
| 2
| 2
| 3
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Luigi
|[[File:FireSnakeMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Fire Snake]]
| 2
|[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}
| 6
|align=left|A burning snake-like enemy that spins drivers out when touched. In Grumble Volcano, Fire Snakes jump out from pipes, while in <small>DS</small> Desert Hills, they are spawned from the Angry Sun.
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Peach
|[[File:GoombaMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Goomba]]
| 2
|[[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]]<br>[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]]<br>[[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}
| -
|align=left|A small enemy that spins drivers out when touched. If a driver defeats Goombas with a shell or while invincible, they drop [[Dash Mushroom|Mushroom]]s. They can also be defeated with Lightning, although they do not leave any Mushrooms when struck.
| 5
| -
| 6
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Daisy
|[[File:KoopaZapperMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Koopa Zapper]]
| 4
|[[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]
| -
|align=left|A rotating current of electricity that temporarily shrinks players when touched. Koopa Zappers are similar to the effects of Lightning or a Thunder Cloud, though the duration is shorter.
| -
| 2
| -
| -
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Yoshi
|[[File:LakituMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]
| -
|All courses
| 3
|align=left|The referee of ''Mario Kart Wii'' and the entire ''Mario Kart'' series. He starts races, keeps track of the laps, announces the winner of a race, and pulls drivers out if they fall off the track.
| -
| -
| 3
| 5
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Birdo
|[[File:LavaGeyserMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Lava Geyser]]
| -
|[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]<br>[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}
| 3
|align=left|A pillar of lava that emerges from either a pool of lava or a crack on the ground. In Bowser's Castle, drivers can perform [[Jump Boost|trick]]s off the hills generated by the geysers. Drivers who come in contact with Lava Geysers flip over.
| -
| -
| -
| 3
| 5
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Diddy Kong
|[[File:MechaBowserMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Bowser Statue|Mecha Bowser]]
| -
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]
| -
|align=left|A large Bowser-shaped machine that spits out large explosive fireballs that detonate on a blast mark in the stage. Drivers who are hit by a fireball flip over, and they are sent flying if they are caught in the explosion.
| 3
| -
| 3
| -
| 5
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Bowser Jr.
|[[File:Mecha Piranha PlantMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Mecha Piranha Plant]]
| -
|{{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}
| -
|align=left|A Piranha Plant-shaped obstacle that acts as a moving wall, emerging from the pipes and stopping any driver who runs into it.
| -
| -
| -
| 3
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Baby Mario
|[[File:MiiDriversMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Mii|Mii Drivers]]
| -
|[[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]]
| 8
|align=left|Miis from the player's system who drive cars back and forth. Driving into them flips drivers over and causes them to lose their items.
| -
| 6
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Baby Luigi
|[[File:MinecartMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Mine Cart|Minecart]]
| 5
|[[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]]
| 8
|align=left|A four-wheeled vehicle that travels along the rails in the mine. Drivers who hit minecarts flip over.
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Baby Peach
|[[File:MushroomCow.png|100px]]<br>[[Moo Moo]]
| 3
|[[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]]
| 6
|align=left|A cow that flips drivers over if it is driven into and causes them to lose their items. Moo Moos are first found on the off-road patches of the track but wander onto the road as time goes by.
| 3
| 3
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Baby Daisy
|[[File:MontyMoleMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Monty Mole]]
| 5
|[[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Peach Gardens}}
| 6
|align=left|An enemy that leaps out of a hole made of dirt. The holes slow drivers down, and any driver who runs into Monty Moles who leap out of these holes flips over.
| -
| -
| -
| -
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Toad
|[[File:OilSlickMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Oil slick]]
| -
|{{classic-link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}
| -
|align=left|A patch of an oil spill dotted throughout the course. Drivers who go through oil slicks spin out.
| 6
| -
| 6
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Toadette
|[[File:PenguinSliderMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Baby Penguin|Penguin Slider]]
| 3
|{{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}
| -
|align=left|A small penguin that waddles and slides back and forth, causing drivers who run into it to spin out.
| -
| -
| -
| 6
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Koopa Troopa
|[[File:PenguinWaddlerMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Penguin|Penguin Waddler]]
| -
|{{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}
| -
|align=left|A large penguin found circling a pillar in the cave segment of Sherbet Land. Players who drive into Penguin Waddlers spin out.
| -
| 3
| -
| -
| 6
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Dry Bones
|[[File:PiranhaPlantMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Piranha Plant]]
| -
|{{classic-link|N64|Mario Raceway}}<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}
| -
|align=left|A stationary obstacle that spins drivers out when it is touched. The Piranha Plants in <small>GCN</small> Mario Circuit are stationed in Warp Pipes and take bites out of drivers who come nearby, causing them to flip over and lose their items.
| 3
| -
| 3
| -
| 6
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Wario
|[[File:PodobooMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Lava Bubble|Podoboo]]
| -
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]<br>{{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3}}
| 3
|align=left|A fiery ball that emerges from lava and causes drivers to spin out.
| -
| -
| -
| 3
| 6
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Waluigi
|[[File:PodobooCogMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Fire Bar#Mario Kart series|Podoboo Cog]]
| -
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}
| -
|align=left|A solid eyed cog with three [[Fire Bar]]s circling it, which cause drivers who touch them to spin out.
| 6
| -
| 5
| 3
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Donkey Kong
|[[File:PokeyMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Pokey]]
| -
|[[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}
| 3
|align=left|A spiky, cactus-like enemy that spins drivers out when touched. Drivers can temporarily destroy Pokeys with shells or Lightning, or by running into them while invincible.
| 2
| 2
| -
| -
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Bowser
|[[File:ShyGuyGalleonMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Shy Guy Galleon]]
| 2
|{{classic-link|GBA|Shy Guy Beach}}
| 5
|align=left|A pirate ship with [[Shy Guy]]s as part of the scenery that launch explosive cannonballs onto the course.
| -
| -
| 3
| -
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| King Boo
|[[File:ShyGuySnowboarderMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Snowboarding Shy Guy|Shy Guy Snowboarder]]
| -
|[[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]]
| -
|align=left|A snowboarding Shy Guy that spins out drivers when it is touched.
| -
| 5
| -
| 3
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Rosalina
|[[File:MKW Sidestepper Screenshot.png|100px]]<br>[[Sidestepper]]
| 3
|{{classic-link|GBA|Shy Guy Beach}}
| -
|align=left|A crab that spins out drivers when it is touched. Drivers can temporarily defeat Sidesteppers with shells, POW Blocks, or Lightning, or by running into them while invincible.
| -
| 3
| -
| -
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Funky Kong
|[[File:SpikyTopmanMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Spiky Topman]]
| 4
|[[Galaxy Colosseum]]
| -
|align=left|An enemy that exclusively appears in Galaxy Colosseum as part of a tournament, where the goal is to knock the Spiky Topmen off the course with Mushroom boosts.
| -
| -
| -
| 3
| -
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Dry Bowser
|[[File:SwooperMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Swoop|Swooper]]
| -
|[[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]]<br>[[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]]
| -
|align=left|A bat-like enemy that slows players down when it is driven into.
| -
| -
| -
| 6
| 6
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Small Mii
|[[File:MKW Thwomp Screenshot.png|100px]]<br>[[Thwomp]]
| 3
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]<br>{{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3}}<br>{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}<br>[[Thwomp Desert]]
| 3
|align=left|This enemy smashes drivers if it is directly driven under, and it acts as a wall when simply driven into. In <small>N64</small> Bowser's Castle, some of the Thwomps slide back and forth. The Thwomp in Thwomp Desert causes the terrain to become uneven, though players can still get smashed by the Thwomp if they are under it when it crashes.
| -
| -
| 3
| -
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Medium Mii
|[[File:VehicleMKW.png|100px]]<br>Vehicles: [[Car (obstacle)|cars]] and [[truck]]s
| 3
|[[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]
| 3
|align=left|Obstacles on the highway that flip players over when they are driven into and squash players that hit them from the front. Characters who are in the Mega Mushroom form can knock cars over but not trucks, while characters under the effects of invincibility from a Star or using a Bullet Bill can knock all vehicles over.
| -
| -
| -
| 3
| 3
|-
|-
!style="background:#fff7f7;" width=15%| Large Mii
|[[File:WigglerMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Wiggler]]
| 3
|[[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]
| -
|align=left|A large enemy that wanders around the track and bounces around drivers that bump into it.
| 3
| 3
| 3
| -
| 3
|-
|-
|[[File:VolcanicDebrisMKW.png|100px]]<br>[[Volcanic debris]]
|[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]
|align=left|Large balls of fire that spin out any driver who comes in contact with them.
|}
|}
{{endspoiler}}
 
===Background characters===
These characters appear as part of the audience or do not affect the character, being part of the course scenery served for world-building purposes.
*[[Big Cheep Cheep]]s
*[[Birdo]]s
*[[Boo]]s
*[[Goomba]]s
*[[Hammer Bro]]s.
*[[Luma]]
*[[Mii]]s
*[[Monty Mole]]s
*[[Pianta]]s
*[[Shy Guy]]s
*[[Sledge Bro]]s.
*[[Toad (species)|Toads]]
*[[Maw-Ray|Unagi]]


==Vehicles==
==Vehicles==
 
There are thirty-six total vehicles in this game. There are 18 karts, 18 bikes, each divided into the 3 size classes, making 6 and 6 available to each character, 3 and 3 to begin (thus making half of the vehicles unlockable). As with the Standard vehicles, each kart and bike varies in color scheme depending on which character drives them. Each has 7 stats, which are shown during character selection:
There are 36 total vehicles in the ''Wii'' installment (Here can be seen all the karts and bikes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ChQK_gIeg]). 18 karts, 18 bikes, each divided into the 3 weight classes, making 6 and 6 available to each character, 3 and 3 to begin (thus making half of the vehicles unlockables). Each has 7 stats which are shown during character selection:
*'''Speed:''' How high the top speed of the vehicle is. This does not affect off-road travel. Negatively correlated with acceleration. It is also the only stat where no vehicle goes below twenty.
*'''Speed:''' How high the top speed of the vehicle is. This does not affect off-road travel.
*'''Weight:''' How heavy a vehicle is. With a higher weight, the player can knock lighter characters away by ramming them. Weight also affects the angle that a vehicle goes over a jump at, with heavier vehicles jumping at a lower angle. Finally, heavier vehicles bounce less upon landing from a jump.
*'''Weight:''' How heavy a vehicle is. With a higher weight, the player can knock lighter characters away by ramming them. Bikes are lighter than karts.
*'''Acceleration:''' How quickly the vehicle's top speed is achieved from a non-moving position. Negatively correlated with speed.
*'''Acceleration:''' How quickly the vehicle's top speed is achieved from a non-moving position.
*'''Handling:''' How tight the vehicles can normally turn. Usually opposes the drift rating.
*'''Handling:''' How tight the vehicles can normally turn. Usually opposes the drift rating.
*'''Drift:''' How tight the vehicle turns while using the drifting maneuver. Usually opposes the handling rating.
*'''Drift:''' How tight the vehicle turns while using the drifting maneuver. Usually opposes the handling rating.
*'''Off-Road:''' How much speed the vehicle retains when off of the track. A low rating of this can cause a near-standstill for the vehicle.
*'''Off-Road:''' How much speed the vehicle retains when off the track. A low rating of this can slow the vehicle significantly. Also, vehicles with a high off-road stat slide less when driving on ice. There exist several types of off-road surfaces which vary in intensity.  
*'''Mini-Turbo:''' When using the manual drift option, how effective a mini-boost will be. While all vehicles can perform a blue spark mini-turbo, only karts can execute a yellow spark mini-turbo.
*'''Mini-Turbo:''' When using the manual drift option, how effective a mini-boost will be. While all vehicles can perform a blue spark mini-turbo, only karts can execute an orange spark mini-turbo. Has no effect on the standing mini-turbo.
The following table includes vehicles in order of class primarily. Two types of bikes are distinguished by how they turn when the player attempts to drift ([[Standard bike (vehicle class)|drift type bikes]] drift similar to a kart, while [[Sport bike (vehicle class)|hang-on type bikes]] commit to the turn). The stats are displayed with number values, with the units being out of 80,<ref name="stats"/> and bars representing that number out of 80. Some names differ between American English and Commonwealth English.


The following table includes: vehicles in order of class primarily. The last half of each of these six sub-sections are the way the vehicle drifts (whether it's an internal drift or an external drift) and the unlockables; the right-hand column describes the requirement to unlock it: if it is a single cup, it must be simply won. Each individual statistic is generalized into the following:
Each kart comes in various colors depending on the character driving it. The time trial mode's record icons use a single color for each kart regardless of driver; the following tables reflect those colors.


{| align=center width=100%
===Default vehicles===
|
{|style="text-align:center"class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
{| align=center width=90% style="border: 1px solid gray"
!Vehicle
| width=10% style="background:#606; color:#fff"|Excellent
!Type
| width=10% style="background:#30F; color:#fff"|Very High
!Size
| width=10% style="background:#69F"|High
!Speed
| width=10% style="background:#CCF"|Mid-high
!Weight
| width=10% style="background:#FF3"|Medium
!Acceleration
| width=10% style="background:#F96"|Mid-low
!Handling
| width=10% style="background:#F60"|Low
!Drift
| width=10% style="background:#F00"|Very Low
!Off-Road
| width=10% style="background:#900; color:#fff"|Abysmal
!Mini-Turbo
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardKartS|[[File:Standard Kart S (Toad) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Kart S]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|41<br>{{bar meter|41|39}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardBikeS|[[File:Standard Bike S (Toad) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Bike S]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|39<br>{{bar meter|39|41}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Booster|[[File:Booster Seat (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Booster Seat]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Booster Seat|Baby Booster]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Bullet|[[File:Bullet Bike (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Bullet Bike]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|53<br>{{bar meter|53|27}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Mini|[[File:Mini Beast (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Mini Beast]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Mini Beast|Concerto]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|55<br>{{bar meter|55|25}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Bit|[[File:Bit Bike (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Bit Bike]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Bit Bike|Nanobike]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|25<br>{{bar meter|25|55}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardKartM|[[File:Standard Kart M (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Kart M]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|46<br>{{bar meter|46|34}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardBikeM|[[File:Standard Bike M (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Bike M]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Classic|[[File:Classic Dragster (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Classic Dragster]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Classic Dragster|Nostalgia 1]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Mach|[[File:Mach Bike (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Mach Bike]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|55<br>{{bar meter|55|25}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Wild|[[File:Wild Wing (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Wild Wing]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|57<br>{{bar meter|57|23}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Sugarscoot|[[File:Sugarscoot (Peach) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Sugarscoot]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Sugarscoot|Bon Bon]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardKartL|[[File:Standard Kart L (Bowser) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Kart L]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|-
|data-sort-value=StandardBikeL|[[File:Standard Bike L (Wario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Standard Bike L]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|46<br>{{bar meter|46|34}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Offroader|[[File:Offroader (Bowser) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Offroader]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|39<br>{{bar meter|39|41}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|-
|data-sort-value=FlameRunner|[[File:Flame Runner (Bowser) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Flame Runner]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Flame Runner|Bowser Bike]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|60<br>{{bar meter|60|20}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|-
|data-sort-value=FlameFlyer|[[File:Flame Flyer (Bowser) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Flame Flyer]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|16<br>{{bar meter|16|64}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|-
|data-sort-value=Wario|[[File:Wario Bike (Wario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Wario Bike]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|}
|}
===Unlockable vehicles===
{|style="text-align:center"class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
!Vehicle
!Type
!Size
!Speed
!Weight
!Acceleration
!Handling
!Drift
!Off-Road
!Mini-Turbo
!Unlock methods
|-
|data-sort-value=Cheep|[[File:Cheep Charger (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Cheep Charger]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|34<br>{{bar meter|34|46}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|Rank 1 Star in all 50cc Retro Grand Prix Cups / Play 1,800 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Quacker|[[File:Quacker (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Quacker]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|17<br>{{bar meter|17|63}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|60<br>{{bar meter|60|20}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|57<br>{{bar meter|57|23}}
|Win the 150cc Star Cup / Play 2,400 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Tiny|[[File:Tiny Titan (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Tiny Titan]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Tiny Titan|Rally Romper]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|46<br>{{bar meter|46|34}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|Unlock an Expert Staff Ghost Data record in Time Trials / Play 1,200 races / Win 50 WFC races
|-
|data-sort-value=Magikruiser|[[File:Magikruiser (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Magikruiser]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|Play Time Trials on 8 different courses / Play 900 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Blue|[[File:Blue Falcon (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Blue Falcon]]
|Kart
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|60<br>{{bar meter|60|20}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|Win the Mirror Lightning Cup / Play 4,200 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Jet|[[File:Jet Bubble (Baby Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Jet Bubble]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Jet Bubble|Bubble Bike]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|dodgerblue|Small}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|Win the Mirror Leaf Cup / Play 3,900 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Super|[[File:Super Blooper (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Super Blooper (kart)|Super Blooper]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Super Blooper (kart)|Turbo Blooper]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|50<br>{{bar meter|50|30}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|Win the 50cc Leaf Cup / Play 300 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Zip|[[File:Zip Zip (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Zip Zip]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Zip Zip|Rapide]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|41<br>{{bar meter|41|39}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|Win the 100cc Lightning Cup / Play 2,100 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Daytripper|[[File:Daytripper (Peach) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Daytripper]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Daytripper|Royal Racer]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|34<br>{{bar meter|34|46}}
|45<br>{{bar meter|45|35}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|54<br>{{bar meter|54|26}}
|Win the 150cc Leaf Cup / Play 2,700 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Sneakster|[[File:Sneakster (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Sneakster]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Sneakster|Nitrocycle]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|Rank 1 Star in all 100cc Wii Grand Prix Cups / Play 3,300 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Sprinter|[[File:Sprinter (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[B Dasher Mk. 2|Sprinter]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[B Dasher Mk. 2]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|64<br>{{bar meter|64|16}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|Unlock 24 Expert Staff Ghost Data Records in Time Trials / Play 4,650 races / Win 3,000 WFC races
|-
|data-sort-value=Dolphin|[[File:Dolphin Dasher (Mario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Dolphin Dasher]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|green|Medium}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|37<br>{{bar meter|37|43}}
|Win the Mirror Star Cup / Play 3,750 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Piranha|[[File:Piranha Prowler (Bowser) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Piranha Prowler]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|55<br>{{bar meter|55|25}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|35<br>{{bar meter|35|45}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|Win the 50cc Special Cup / Play 600 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Shooting|[[File:Shooting Star (Waluigi) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Shooting Star (bike)|Shooting Star]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Shooting Star (bike)|Twinkle Star]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|50<br>{{bar meter|50|30}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|32<br>{{bar meter|32|48}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|59<br>{{bar meter|59|21}}
|Win the 100cc Star Cup / Play 1,500 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Jetsetter|[[File:Jetsetter (Wario) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Jetsetter]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Jetsetter|Aero Glider]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|69<br>{{bar meter|69|11}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|21<br>{{bar meter|21|59}}
|17<br>{{bar meter|17|63}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|16<br>{{bar meter|16|64}}
|16<br>{{bar meter|16|64}}
|Rank 1 Star in all 150cc Retro Grand Prix Cups / Play 4,500 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Spear|[[File:Spear (Waluigi) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Spear]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Spear|Torpedo]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Bike (hang-on type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|67<br>{{bar meter|67|13}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|18<br>{{bar meter|18|62}}
|Unlock 12 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 3,600 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Honeycoupe|[[File:Honeycoupe (Donkey Kong) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Honeycoupe]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Honeycoupe|Dragonetti]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|Kart
|{{color|red|Large}}
|53<br>{{bar meter|53|27}}
|62<br>{{bar meter|62|18}}
|27<br>{{bar meter|27|53}}
|29<br>{{bar meter|29|51}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|24<br>{{bar meter|24|56}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|Win the 150cc Lightning Cup / Play 3,000 races
|-
|data-sort-value=Phantom|[[File:Phantom (Waluigi) Model.png|150x150px]]<br>[[Phantom (bike)|Phantom]]
|Bike (drift type)
|{{color|red|Large}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|51<br>{{bar meter|51|29}}
|43<br>{{bar meter|43|37}}
|48<br>{{bar meter|48|32}}
|17<br>{{bar meter|17|63}}
|56<br>{{bar meter|56|24}}
|40<br>{{bar meter|40|40}}
|Win the Mirror Special Cup / Play 4,050 races
|}
|}


Two of the same color does not necessarily mean the stat is exactly equal.
==Internal stats==
The stats reported do not correspond to all the actual in-game stats.<ref>{{cite|language=en|url=docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ED0T-w9q7_-z5lyBZAmBGBWuhLExSlYDcfZgzrdm7Wg/edit?usp=sharing|title=A direct transcription of the content of the ''driverparam.bin'' and ''kartParam.bin'' files in the ''/Race/Common.szs'' archive of the filesystem of  ''Mario Kart Wii''|publisher=Google Docs|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=wiki.tockdom.com/wiki/DriverParam.bin#Driver_Statistics|title=driverParam.bin|publisher=Custom Mario Kart Wiiki|accessdate=September 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=wiki.tockdom.com/wiki/KartParam.bin#Vehicle_Statistics|title=kartParam.bin|publisher=Custom Mario Kart Wiiki|accessdate=September 5, 2023}}</ref>
===Characters' bonuses===
There are 20 different kinds of bonuses, which increase a few statistics of the vehicles:<br>
*'''Weight:''' Increases the weight of the vehicle.
*'''Speed:''' Increases the top speed of the vehicle.
**'''While Steering:''' Increases the top speed of the vehicle while steering, expressed as fraction of the top speed.
*'''Acceleration:''' Increases the acceleration.
**'''Standard Acceleration:''' Increases the first two stage-related acceleration parameters, used when starting from a standstill without mini-turbos (S1 and S2)
**'''Drift Acceleration:''' Increases the last two stage-related acceleration parameters, used when the vehicle is near full speed while drifting (S3 and S4)
*'''Handling:''' Increases how fast the vehicle can turn regularly (angular velocity).
*'''Drift:''' Increases how fast the vehicle can turn while drifting (angular velocity).
*'''Mini-Turbo:''' Increases the duration of the Mini-Turbo boost.
*'''Off-Road Speed:''' Increases the top speed on each kind of off-road section.
*'''Off-Road Handling:''' Increases the Handling on each kind of off-road section.<br>
{|style="text-align:center; max-width:100em; margin:auto; border:2px solid"align=center class="wikitable"
!colspan="11"style="border-top:2px solid black;background:#e0e0e0"|Small characters' bonuses
|-
!colspan="2"|Character
!Baby Mario
!Baby Luigi
!Baby Peach
!Baby Daisy
!Toad
!Toadette
!Koopa Troopa
!Dry Bones
!Small Mii
|-
!colspan="2"|Weight
|0.756
|0.756
|0.504
|0.504
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!Standard (km/h)
|0
|1.06
|0.53
|1.06
|0
|0.53
|0
|0
|0.53
|-
!While steering
|0.000474
|0.000474
|0.000474
|0
|0.000947
|0
|0.000474
|0.000474
|0.000947
|-
!rowspan="2"|Standard Acceleration
!S1
|0
|0
|0.025
|0
|0.05
|0
|0
|0.025
|0
|-
!S2
|0
|0
|0.035
|0
|0.07
|0
|0
|0.035
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift Acceleration
!S3
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.18
|0
|0
|0.09
|0
|-
!S4
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.02
|0
|0
|0.01
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Handling
!Manual
|0.00111
|0
|0.000555
|0
|0
|0
|0.000555
|0
|0.000555
|-
!Auto
|0.00058
|0
|0.00029
|0
|0
|0
|0.00029
|0
|0.00029
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift
!Manual
|0.000529
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.000265
|0
|0
|-
!Auto
|0.000444
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.000222
|0
|0
|-
!colspan="2"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|0
|0
|0
|4
|0
|0
|8
|8
|4
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!Weak Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0342
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0368
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Heavy Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0226
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.01283
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Handling
!Slippery Road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00526
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Weak Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00736
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Off-road and Heavy Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00526
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00526
|0
|0
|0
|-
!colspan="11"style="border-top:2px solid black;background:#e0e0e0"|Medium characters' bonuses
|-
!colspan="2"|Character
!Mario
!Luigi
!Peach
!Daisy
!Yoshi
!Birdo
!Diddy Kong
!Bowser Jr.
!Medium Mii
|-
!colspan="2"|Weight
|0.504
|0.504
|0
|0
|0.252
|0.252
|0
|0
|0.252
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!Standard (km/h)
|0
|0.53
|0.53
|1.06
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.53
|-
!While steering
|0
|0.000474
|0
|0
|0
|0.000474
|0.000474
|0.000947
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Standard Acceleration
!S1
|0.025
|0
|0.05
|0
|0
|0
|0.025
|0
|0
|-
!S2
|0.035
|0
|0.07
|0
|0
|0
|0.035
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift Acceleration
!S3
|0.09
|0
|0.18
|0
|0.09
|0
|0.09
|0
|0.09
|-
!S4
|0.01
|0
|0.02
|0
|0.01
|0
|0.01
|0
|0.01
|-
!rowspan="2"|Handling
!Manual
|0.000555
|0
|0
|0.000555
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Auto
|0.00029
|0
|0
|0.00029
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift
!Manual
|0.000265
|0
|0
|0.000265
|0.000265
|0
|0
|0
|0.000265
|-
!Auto
|0.000222
|0
|0
|0.000222
|0.000222
|0
|0
|0
|0.000222
|-
!colspan="2"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|0
|0
|0
|4
|0
|8
|8
|4
|4
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!Weak Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0342
|0.0171
|0
|0.0171
|0
|-
!Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0368
|0.0184
|0
|0.0184
|0
|-
!Heavy Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.0226
|0.0113
|0
|0.0113
|0
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.01283
|0.00641
|0
|0.00641
|0
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Handling
!Slippery Road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00263
|0
|-
!Weak Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00368
|0
|-
!Off-road and Heavy Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00263
|0
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00211
|0
|-
!colspan="11"style="border-top:2px solid black;background:#e0e0e0"|Large characters' bonuses
|-
!colspan="2"|Character
!Wario
!Waluigi
!Donkey Kong
!Bowser
!King Boo
!Rosalina
!Funky Kong
!Dry Bowser
!Large Mii
|-
!colspan="2"|Weight
|0.252
|0
|0.252
|0.504
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.252
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!Standard (km/h)
|0
|0
|0
|0.53
|0
|0.53
|1.06
|0
|0.53
|-
!While steering
|0
|0
|0.000474
|0
|0.000474
|0.000947
|0
|0.000474
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Standard Acceleration
!S1
|0
|0.05
|0.025
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!S2
|0
|0.07
|0.035
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift Acceleration
!S3
|0
|0.18
|0
|0.09
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!S4
|0
|0.02
|0
|0.01
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Handling
!Manual
|0
|0
|0.000555
|0
|0.00111
|0.000555
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Auto
|0
|0
|0.00029
|0
|0.00058
|0.00029
|0
|0
|0
|-
!rowspan="2"|Drift
!Manual
|0.000265
|0
|0
|0
|0.000529
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!Auto
|0.000222
|0
|0
|0
|0.000444
|0
|0
|0
|0
|-
!colspan="2"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|8
|0
|4
|0
|0
|4
|0
|8
|4
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!Weak Off-road
|0.0171
|0.0171
|0
|0
|0.0171
|0
|0.0171
|0.0342
|0.0171
|-
!Off-road
|0.0184
|0.0184
|0
|0
|0.0184
|0
|0.0184
|0.0368
|0.0184
|-
!Heavy Off-road
|0.0113
|0.0113
|0
|0
|0.0113
|0
|0.0113
|0.0226
|0.0113
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0.00641
|0.00641
|0
|0
|0.00641
|0
|0.00641
|0.01283
|0.00641
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Handling
!Slippery Road
|0
|0.00263
|0
|0.00263
|0
|0
|0.00526
|0
|0.00263
|-
!Weak Off-road
|0
|0.00368
|0
|0.00368
|0
|0
|0.00736
|0
|0.00368
|-
!Off-road and Heavy Off-road
|0
|0.00263
|0
|0.00263
|0
|0
|0.00526
|0
|0.00263
|-
!Slippery Off-road
|0
|0.00211
|0
|0.00211
|0
|0
|0.00422
|0
|0.00211
|}


{{spoiler}}
===Vehicles' stats===
 
The vehicles have 31 stats. Acceleration is divided in four stages, presumably depending on the actual speed relative to the full speed. In each stage, acceleration is determined by two factors, a stage-specific '''S''' factor which is affected by the character bonus and a general '''E''' factor. These factors change while drifting, that itself can begin once the vehicle has reached 55% of its top speed. Finally, some stats change depending on the drifting method used (either '''Manual''' or '''Auto''') and depending on the fact that the vehicle is steering ('''While Steering''') or not ('''Standard''').<br>
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=1 align="center" style="background:#fffcfc;text-align:center;color:black;border-collapse:collapse" width=100%
*'''Weight:''' The weight of the vehicle.
*'''Speed:''' The top speed of the vehicle.
**'''While Steering:''' The top speed of the vehicle while steering, expressed as fraction of the top speed.
*'''Acceleration:''' How much the relative speed of the vehicle, i.e. the speed expressed as fraction of the top speed, increases over time.
*'''Handling:''' How fast the vehicle changes direction over time while steering (angular velocity).
**'''Range:''' How much the vehicle swings while steering.
*'''Drift:''' How fast the vehicle changes direction over time while drifting (angular velocity).
**'''Range:''' How much the vehicle swings while drifting.
*'''Mini-Turbo:''' The duration of the Mini-Turbo boost.
*'''Off-Road Speed:''' The relative Speed in various Off-Road sections.
*'''Off-Road Handling:''' The relative Handling in various Off-Road sections.
*'''Tilt:''' How much the kart tilts in various conditions.<br>
{|style="text-align:center; max-width:100em; margin:auto; border:2px solid"align=center class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="15"style="background:#e0e0e0; text-align:center"|Small vehicles' stats
|-
!colspan="3"|Vehicle
!Standard Kart S
!Booster Seat
!Mini Beast
!Cheep Charger
!Tiny Titan
!Blue Falcon
!Standard Bike S
!Bullet Bike
!Bit Bike
!Quacker
!Magikruiser
!Jet Bubble
|-
!colspan="3"|Weight
|3.05
|2.84
|3.26
|2.63
|3.47
|3.05
|2.42
|2.63
|2.21
|2
|2.63
|2.84
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!colspan="2"|Standard (km/h)
|78.71
|75.53
|81.89
|77.12
|79.77
|82.95
|78.18
|81.36
|75
|76.59
|79.24
|80.3
|-
!colspan="2"|While steering
|0.9957
|0.9985
|0.9938
|0.9933
|0.9966
|0.9919
|0.9962
|0.9943
|0.999
|0.9938
|0.9971
|0.9947
|-
!rowspan="10"|Acceleration
!rowspan="5"|Not Drifting
!S1
|0.728
|0.866
|0.71924
|0.4795
|0.89094
|0.254
|0.774
|0.75358
|0.912
|0.5
|0.682
|0.8566
|-
!S2
|0.728
|0.866
|0.3744
|1.668
|0.5764
|0.766
|0.774
|0.4148
|0.912
|1.75
|0.682
|0.536
|-
!S3
|0.5034
|0.5448
|0.4172
|0.4418
|0.5182
|0.3516
|0.5172
|0.4374
|0.5586
|0.45
|0.4896
|0.498
|-
!S4
|0.07034
|0.07448
|0.05172
|0.04418
|0.06182
|0.03516
|0.07172
|0.05374
|0.07586
|0.045
|0.06896
|0.0598
|-
!E
|0.65
|0.65
|0.2
|0.2
|0.2
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|-
!rowspan="5"|Drifting
!S1
|0.85
|0.85
|0.8
|0.9
|0.8
|0.9
|0.85
|0.8
|0.85
|0.9
|0.85
|0.8
|-
!S2
|0.95
|0.95
|0.925
|0.975
|0.925
|0.975
|0.95
|0.925
|0.95
|0.975
|0.95
|0.925
|-
!S3
|1.95
|1.45
|2.45
|2.25
|1.15
|1.65
|2.05
|2.55
|1.55
|2.35
|1.25
|1.75
|-
!S4
|0.13
|0.13
|0.15
|0.11
|0.15
|0.11
|0.13
|0.15
|0.13
|0.11
|0.15
|0.13
|-
!E
|0.965
|0.965
|0.98
|0.95
|0.98
|0.95
|0.965
|0.98
|0.965
|0.95
|0.98
|0.965
|-
!rowspan="3"|Handling
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.024
|0.0274
|0.0205
|0.0257
|0.0228
|0.0199
|0.0269
|0.0237
|0.0301
|0.0285
|0.0258
|0.0248
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0244
|0.0267
|0.0222
|0.0256
|0.0237
|0.0219
|0.0217
|0.0205
|0.023
|0.0224
|0.0213
|0.0209
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.88
|0.94
|0.82
|0.91
|0.86
|0.81
|0.955
|0.91
|1
|0.9775
|0.94
|0.925
|-
!rowspan="3"|Drift
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.0186
|0.0181
|0.0198
|0.0191
|0.0174
|0.0167
|0.0135
|0.0171
|0.013
|0.016
|0.0136
|0.0129
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0209
|0.0204
|0.0222
|0.0214
|0.0196
|0.0188
|0.0146
|0.0125
|0.0142
|0.0119
|0.0107
|0.0103
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.94
|0.92
|0.99
|0.96
|0.89
|0.86
|0.95
|1
|0.93
|0.97
|0.9
|0.88
|-
!colspan="3"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|29
|36
|39
|33
|27
|22
|31
|40
|37
|35
|28
|26
|-
!colspan="3"|Traction
||-15
|5
||-8
||-3
|4
|10
|1
|1
|0
|3
|3
|3
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.7039
|0.7894
|0.6184
|0.7381
|0.8578
|0.6013
|0.721
|0.6355
|0.8065
|0.7552
|0.8749
|0.6697
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.4906
|0.5826
|0.3986
|0.5274
|0.6562
|0.3802
|0.509
|0.417
|0.601
|0.5458
|0.6746
|0.4538
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.2867
|0.3432
|0.2302
|0.3093
|0.3884
|0.2189
|0.298
|0.2415
|0.3545
|0.3206
|0.3997
|0.2641
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.931
|0.9588
|0.9032
|0.9421
|0.981
|0.8977
|0.9366
|0.9088
|0.9644
|0.9477
|0.9866
|0.9199
|-
!rowspan="5"|Off-Road Handling
!colspan="2"|Slippery Road
|0.08419
|0.09997
|0.06841
|0.08945
|0.07893
|0.06315
|0.08156
|0.06578
|0.09734
|0.08682
|0.0763
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.12784
|0.14992
|0.10576
|0.1352
|0.12048
|0.0984
|0.12416
|0.10208
|0.14624
|0.13152
|0.1168
|0.10944
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.08419
|0.09997
|0.06841
|0.08945
|0.07893
|0.06315
|0.08156
|0.06578
|0.09734
|0.08682
|0.0763
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.08419
|0.09997
|0.06841
|0.08945
|0.07893
|0.06315
|0.08156
|0.06578
|0.09734
|0.08682
|0.0763
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.05743
|0.07009
|0.04477
|0.06165
|0.05321
|0.04055
|0.05532
|0.04266
|0.06798
|0.05954
|0.0511
|0.04688
|-
!colspan="3"|Tilt
|0.03
|0.035
|0.02
|0.03
|0.02
|0.03
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="15"style="background:#e0e0e0; text-align:center; border-top:2px solid" |Medium vehicles' stats
|-
!colspan="3"|Vehicle
!Standard Kart M
!Classic Dragster
!Wild Wing
!Super Blooper
!Daytripper
!Sprinter
!Standard Bike M
!Mach Bike
!Sugarscoot
!Zip Zip
!Sneakster
!Dolphin Dasher
|-
!colspan="3"|Weight
|4.31
|4.1
|4.73
|3.89
|4.31
|4.52
|3.68
|3.68
|3.26
|3.47
|3.89
|4.1
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!colspan="2"|Standard (km/h)
|79.77
|77.65
|82.42
|80.83
|77.12
|84.01
|79.24
|81.89
|76.59
|78.71
|83.48
|80.3
|-
!colspan="2"|While steering
|0.9943
|0.9924
|0.9928
|0.9952
|0.9976
|0.9909
|0.9947
|0.9933
|0.9981
|0.9966
|0.9914
|0.9957
|-
!rowspan="10"|Acceleration
!rowspan="5"|Not Drifting
!S1
|0.59
|0.4385
|0.61622
|0.254
|0.774
|0.6849
|0.636
|0.65056
|0.82
|0.92528
|0.213
|0.82226
|-
!S2
|0.59
|1.504
|0.2532
|0.766
|0.774
|0.334
|0.636
|0.2936
|0.82
|0.6168
|0.602
|0.4956
|-
!S3
|0.462
|0.4254
|0.3566
|0.3516
|0.5172
|0.397
|0.4758
|0.3768
|0.531
|0.5384
|0.3352
|0.4778
|-
!S4
|0.0662
|0.04254
|0.04566
|0.03516
|0.07172
|0.0497
|0.06758
|0.04768
|0.0731
|0.06384
|0.03352
|0.05778
|-
!E
|0.65
|0.2
|0.2
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.2
|0.2
|-
!rowspan="5"|Drifting
!S1
|0.85
|0.9
|0.8
|0.9
|0.85
|0.8
|0.85
|0.8
|0.85
|0.8
|0.9
|0.8
|-
!S2
|0.95
|0.975
|0.925
|0.975
|0.95
|0.925
|0.95
|0.925
|0.95
|0.925
|0.975
|0.925
|-
!S3
|1.75
|2.05
|2.25
|0.85
|1.25
|1.45
|1.85
|2.35
|1.35
|1.15
|1.55
|0.95
|-
!S4
|0.13
|0.11
|0.15
|0.15
|0.13
|0.11
|0.13
|0.15
|0.13
|0.15
|0.11
|0.15
|-
!E
|0.965
|0.95
|0.98
|0.98
|0.965
|0.95
|0.965
|0.98
|0.965
|0.98
|0.95
|0.98
|-
!rowspan="3"|Handling
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.0228
|0.0251
|0.0199
|0.0216
|0.0263
|0.0187
|0.0258
|0.0232
|0.029
|0.0269
|0.0221
|0.0248
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0237
|0.0252
|0.0219
|0.023
|0.0259
|0.0211
|0.0213
|0.0203
|0.0226
|0.0217
|0.0198
|0.0209
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.86
|0.9
|0.81
|0.84
|0.92
|0.79
|0.94
|0.9025
|0.985
|0.955
|0.8875
|0.925
|-
!rowspan="3"|Drift
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.0184
|0.0186
|0.0193
|0.0177
|0.0177
|0.0162
|0.0127
|0.0164
|0.0124
|0.0115
|0.0119
|0.014
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0206
|0.0209
|0.0217
|0.0198
|0.0198
|0.0183
|0.014
|0.0121
|0.0138
|0.0133
|0.0097
|0.0108
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.93
|0.94
|0.97
|0.9
|0.9
|0.84
|0.92
|0.98
|0.91
|0.88
|0.85
|0.91
|-
!colspan="3"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|27
|32
|36
|24
|33
|19
|28
|37
|35
|29
|20
|26
|-
!colspan="3"|Traction
|3
||-5
|0
|5
||-7
|0
||-2
|3
||-9
||-4
||-11
|2
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.6697
|0.7039
|0.6013
|0.7894
|0.7552
|0.5842
|0.6868
|0.6184
|0.7723
|0.8407
|0.6013
|0.8065
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.4538
|0.4906
|0.3802
|0.5826
|0.5458
|0.3618
|0.4722
|0.3986
|0.5642
|0.6378
|0.3802
|0.601
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.2641
|0.2867
|0.2189
|0.3432
|0.3206
|0.2076
|0.2754
|0.2302
|0.3319
|0.3771
|0.2189
|0.3545
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.9199
|0.931
|0.8977
|0.9588
|0.9477
|0.8921
|0.9255
|0.9032
|0.9532
|0.9755
|0.8977
|0.9644
|-
!rowspan="5"|Off-Road Handling
!colspan="2"|Slippery Road
|0.07893
|0.08419
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.09471
|0.06052
|0.0763
|0.06315
|0.09208
|0.08156
|0.05789
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.12048
|0.12784
|0.10208
|0.11312
|0.14256
|0.09472
|0.1168
|0.0984
|0.13888
|0.12416
|0.09104
|0.10944
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.07893
|0.08419
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.09471
|0.06052
|0.0763
|0.06315
|0.09208
|0.08156
|0.05789
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.07893
|0.08419
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.09471
|0.06052
|0.0763
|0.06315
|0.09208
|0.08156
|0.05789
|0.07104
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.05321
|0.05743
|0.04266
|0.04899
|0.06587
|0.03844
|0.0511
|0.04055
|0.06376
|0.05532
|0.03633
|0.04688
|-
!colspan="3"|Tilt
|0.03
|0.02
|0.015
|0.02
|0.035
|0.015
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="15"style="background:#e0e0e0; text-align:center; border-top:2px solid"|Large vehicles' stats
|-
!colspan="3"|Vehicle
!Standard Kart L
!Offroader
!Flame Flyer
!Piranha Prowler
!Jetsetter
!Honeycoupe
!Standard Bike L
!Flame Runner
!Wario Bike
!Shooting Star
!Spear
!Phantom
|-
!colspan="3"|Weight
|5.36
|5.78
|5.36
|5.99
|5.15
|5.57
|4.94
|4.94
|5.36
|4.52
|5.15
|4.73
|-
!rowspan="2"|Speed
!colspan="2"|Standard (km/h)
|80.3
|78.18
|83.48
|81.89
|85.07
|81.36
|79.77
|82.95
|77.65
|80.83
|84.54
|79.24
|-
!colspan="2"|While steering
|0.9943
|0.9966
|0.9919
|0.9928
|0.99
|0.9938
|0.9947
|0.9924
|0.9971
|0.9943
|0.9905
|0.9957
|-
!rowspan="10"|Acceleration
!rowspan="5"|Not Drifting
!S1
|0.544
|0.728
|0.54754
|0.406
|0.1515
|0.6849
|0.59
|0.58188
|0.774
|0.71924
|0.172
|0.89094
|-
!S2
|0.544
|0.728
|0.1724
|0.406
|0.356
|0.334
|0.59
|0.2128
|0.774
|0.3744
|0.438
|0.5764
|-
!S3
|0.4482
|0.5034
|0.3162
|0.4068
|0.3106
|0.397
|0.462
|0.3364
|0.5172
|0.4172
|0.3188
|0.5182
|-
!S4
|0.06482
|0.07034
|0.04162
|0.06068
|0.03106
|0.0497
|0.0662
|0.04364
|0.07172
|0.05172
|0.03188
|0.06182
|-
!E
|0.65
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.65
|0.2
|0.2
|0.2
|-
!rowspan="5"|Drifting
!S1
|0.85
|0.85
|0.8
|0.85
|0.9
|0.8
|0.85
|0.8
|0.85
|0.8
|0.9
|0.8
|-
!S2
|0.95
|0.95
|0.925
|0.95
|0.975
|0.925
|0.95
|0.925
|0.95
|0.925
|0.975
|0.925
|-
!S3
|1.55
|0.75
|1.85
|1.35
|1.05
|2.15
|1.65
|1.95
|0.85
|2.25
|1.15
|0.65
|-
!S4
|0.13
|0.13
|0.15
|0.13
|0.11
|0.15
|0.13
|0.15
|0.13
|0.15
|0.11
|0.15
|-
!E
|0.965
|0.965
|0.98
|0.965
|0.95
|0.98
|0.965
|0.98
|0.965
|0.98
|0.95
|0.98
|-
!rowspan="3"|Handling
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.0222
|0.0251
|0.0182
|0.0211
|0.017
|0.0199
|0.0253
|0.0216
|0.028
|0.0232
|0.0205
|0.0264
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0233
|0.0252
|0.0207
|0.0226
|0.02
|0.0219
|0.0211
|0.0196
|0.0222
|0.0203
|0.0192
|0.0215
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.85
|0.9
|0.78
|0.83
|0.76
|0.81
|0.9325
|0.88
|0.97
|0.9025
|0.865
|0.9475
|-
!rowspan="3"|Drift
!colspan="2"|Manual
|0.0174
|0.0167
|0.0184
|0.0169
|0.0155
|0.0191
|0.0121
|0.015
|0.0112
|0.0141
|0.0108
|0.0107
|-
!colspan="2"|Auto
|0.0196
|0.0188
|0.0206
|0.0191
|0.0175
|0.0214
|0.0137
|0.0114
|0.0131
|0.0149
|0.0092
|0.0127
|-
!colspan="2"|Range
|0.89
|0.86
|0.93
|0.87
|0.81
|0.96
|0.9
|0.94
|0.87
|0.97
|0.82
|0.85
|-
!colspan="3"|Mini-Turbo (frames)
|24
|29
|31
|20
|15
|35
|26
|32
|31
|36
|16
|27
|-
!colspan="3"|Traction
||-15
|7
|0
||-13
|30
|0
|0
|0
|5
|27
|3
|2
|-
!rowspan="4"|Off-Road Speed
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.6697
|0.721
|0.5671
|0.6355
|0.55
|0.6013
|0.6868
|0.5842
|0.7381
|0.6184
|0.5671
|0.8065
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.4538
|0.509
|0.3434
|0.417
|0.325
|0.3802
|0.4722
|0.3618
|0.5274
|0.3986
|0.3434
|0.601
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.2641
|0.298
|0.1963
|0.2415
|0.185
|0.2189
|0.2754
|0.2076
|0.3093
|0.2302
|0.1963
|0.3545
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.9199
|0.9366
|0.8866
|0.9088
|0.881
|0.8977
|0.9255
|0.8921
|0.9421
|0.9032
|0.8866
|0.9644
|-
!rowspan="5"|Off-Road Handling
!colspan="2"|Slippery Road
|0.0763
|0.08945
|0.05789
|0.06578
|0.05263
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.05526
|0.08682
|0.06315
|0.05
|0.0763
|-
!colspan="2"|Weak Off-road
|0.1168
|0.1352
|0.09104
|0.10208
|0.08368
|0.10208
|0.11312
|0.08736
|0.13152
|0.0984
|0.08
|0.1168
|-
!colspan="2"|Off-road
|0.0763
|0.08945
|0.05789
|0.06578
|0.05263
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.05526
|0.08682
|0.06315
|0.05
|0.0763
|-
!colspan="2"|Heavy Off-road
|0.0763
|0.08945
|0.05789
|0.06578
|0.05263
|0.06578
|0.07367
|0.05526
|0.08682
|0.06315
|0.05
|0.0763
|-
!colspan="2"|Slippery Off-road
|0.0511
|0.06165
|0.03633
|0.04266
|0.03211
|0.04266
|0.04899
|0.03422
|0.05954
|0.04055
|0.03
|0.0511
|-
|-
! colspan=10 style="background:#fff5f5;text-align:center" | '''<big>Vehicle Stats</big>'''
!colspan="3"|Tilt
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
|0.015
! width=35% | <small> Small Karts </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
|0.015
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Kart S]]|M|L|MH|MH|MH|M|MH|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
|0.015
{{Vehiclestats|[[Baby Booster]]/Booster Seat |L|L|H|E|M|H|VH|Out}}
|0.01
{{Vehiclestats|[[Concerto]]/Mini Beast |H|ML|L|ML|E|L|E|Out}}
|0.02
{{Vehiclestats|[[Cheep Charger]]|ML|VL|E|H|VH|MH|H|Out| <small> Rank * or more on all 50cc Retro GP Cups </small> }}
|0.025
{{Vehiclestats|[[Rally Romper]]/Tiny Titan |MH|ML|M|M|L|E|M|Out|<small> 1 expert staff ghost/win 50 WFC races </small>}}
|
{{Vehiclestats|[[Blue Falcon (kart)|Blue Falcon]]|VH|L|ML|L|M|VL|L|Out| <small> Mirror Lightning Cup </small>|style=border-bottom:2px solid black;}}
|
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
|
! width=35% | <small> Small Bikes </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
|
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Bike S]]|M|VL|MH|MH|H|M|MH|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
|
{{Vehiclestats|[[Bullet Bike]]|H|VL|ML|ML|E|L|E|In}}
|
{{Vehiclestats|[[Nano Bike]]/Bit Bike |VL|A|VH|E|M|H|VH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Quacker]]|ML|A|E|VH|VH|MH|H|In| <small> 150cc Star Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Magikruiser]]|M|VL|MH|MH|ML|E|M|In| <small> 8 recorded times on Time Trials </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Bubble Bike]]/Jet Bubble |MH|L|M|M|MH|ML|M|In| <small> Mirror Leaf Cup </small>|style=border-bottom:2px solid black;}}
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
! width=35% | <small> Medium Karts </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Kart M]]|MH|MH|M|M|MH|ML|M|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Nostalgia 1]]/Classic Dragster |M|M|VH|H|H|M|MH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Wild Wing]]|H|MH|VL|L|VH|VL|VH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Turbo Blooper]]/Super Blooper |MH|M|ML|M|VL|H|ML|Out|<small> 50cc Leaf Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Royal Racer]]/Daytripper |ML|MH|MH|VH|ML|MH|H|Out|<small> 150cc Leaf Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[B Dasher Mk. 2]] / Sprinter |E|MH|L|VL|M|VL|VL|Out|<small> 24 expert staff ghosts </small>|style=border-bottom:2px solid black;}}
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
! width=35% | <small> Medium Bikes </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Bike M]]|M|M|M|MH|MH|M|M|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Mach Bike]]|H|M|VL|ML|VH|L|VH|In}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Bon Bon]]/Sugarscoot |ML|ML|H|VH|ML|MH|H|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Rapide]]/Zip Zip |M|ML|MH|MH|L|VH|MH|Out| <small> 100cc Lightning Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Nitrocycle]]/Sneakster |VH|M|L|L|M|VL|L|In| <small> Rank * or more on all 100cc Wii GP cups </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Dolphin Dasher]]|MH|M|M|M|VL|H|M|In|<small> Mirror Star Cup </small>|style=border-bottom:2px solid black;}}
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
! width=35% | <small> Large Karts </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Kart L]]|MH|VH|M|M|M|ML|ML|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Offroader]]|M|E|MH|H|A|M|MH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Flame Flyer]]|VH|VH|A|VL|MH|A|MH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Piranha Prowler]]|H|E|L|ML|ML|L|L|Out| <small> 50cc Special Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Aero Glider]]/Jetsetter |E|H|VL|A|L|A|A|Out|<small> Rank * or more on all 150cc Retro GP cups </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Dragonetti]]/Honeycoupe |H|VH|L|L|H|VL|H|Out|<small> 150cc Lightning Cup </small>|style=border-bottom:2px solid black;}}
|-  style=background:#fff5f5;text-align:center;
! width=35% | <small> Large Bikes </small> !! width=5% | <small> Speed </small> !! width=5% | <small> Weight </small> !! width=5% | <small> Acceleration </small> !! width=5% | <small> Handling </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift </small> !! width=5% | <small> Off-Road </small> !! width=5% | <small> Mini-Turbo </small> !! width=5% | <small> Drift-Type </small> !! width=40% | <small> How to Unlock </small>
{{Vehiclestats|[[Standard Bike L]]|MH|H|M|M|M|M|M|Out|style=border-top:2px solid black;}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Bowser Bike]]/Flame Runner |VH|H|A|VL|MH|VL|MH|In}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Wario Bike]]|M|VH|MH|H|VL|MH|MH|Out}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Twinkle Star]]/Shooting Star |MH|MH|L|ML|VH|L|VH|Out|<small> 100cc Star Cup </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Torpedo]]/Spear |E|H|VL|A|L|A|A|In|<small> 12 expert staff ghosts </small>}}
{{Vehiclestats|[[Phantom]]|M|MH|M|MH|A|H|M|Out|<small> Mirror Special Cup </small>}}
|}
|}


==Unlock order (by race amount)==
Every unlockable character and vehicle can be unlocked through a certain number of races or by completing a specific goal. The following gallery lists each by the ascending number of races, being the game's "recommended" unlock order:
<gallery class="rawsize" widths=96 perrow=8>
MKW Icon vehicle TT Super Blooper.png|[[Super Blooper (kart)|Super Blooper]]<br>300
DiddyKongMKW.png|[[Diddy Kong]]<br>450
MKW Icon vehicle TT Piranha Prowler.png|[[Piranha Prowler]]<br>600
KingBooMKW.png|[[King Boo]]<br>750
MKW Icon vehicle TT Magikruiser.png|[[Magikruiser]]<br>900
MK Wii Dry Bones icon.png|[[Dry Bones]]<br>1050
MKW Icon vehicle TT Tiny Titan.png|[[Tiny Titan]]<br>1200
BirdoMKW.png|[[Birdo]]<br>1350
MKW Icon vehicle TT Shooting Star.png|[[Shooting Star (bike)|Shooting Star]]<br>1500
MKW Mii Outfit A select icon.png|[[Mii|Mii Outfit A]]<br>1650
MKW Icon vehicle TT Cheep Charger.png|[[Cheep Charger]]<br>1800
BabyDaisyMKW.png|[[Baby Daisy]]<br>1950
MKW Icon vehicle TT Zip Zip.png|[[Zip Zip]]<br>2100
MK Wii Funky Kong icon.png|[[Funky Kong]]<br>2250
MKW Icon vehicle TT Quacker.png|[[Quacker]]<br>2400
ToadetteMKWIIMug.png|[[Toadette]]<br>2550
MKW Icon vehicle TT Daytripper.png|[[Daytripper]]<br>2700
DaisyMKW.png|[[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]<br>2850
MKW Icon vehicle TT Honeycoupe.png|[[Honeycoupe]]<br>3000
BabyLuigiMKW.png|[[Baby Luigi]]<br>3150
MKW Icon vehicle TT Sneakster.png|[[Sneakster]]<br>3300
Bowser Jr MK Wii icon.png|[[Bowser Jr.]]<br>3450
MKW Icon vehicle TT Spear.png|[[Spear]]<br>3600
MKW Icon vehicle TT Dolphin Dasher.png|[[Dolphin Dasher]]<br>3750
MKW Icon vehicle TT Jet Bubble.png|[[Jet Bubble]]<br>3900
MKW Icon vehicle TT Phantom.png|[[Phantom (bike)|Phantom]]<br>4050
MKW Icon vehicle TT Blue Falcon.png|[[Blue Falcon]]<br>4200
MK Wii Dry Bowser.png|[[Dry Bowser]]<br>4350
MKW Icon vehicle TT Jetsetter.png|[[Jetsetter]]<br>4500
MKW Icon vehicle TT Sprinter.png|[[B Dasher Mk. 2|Sprinter]]<br>4650
RosalinaMKW.png|[[Rosalina]]<br>4950
MKW Mii Outfit B select icon.png|[[Mii|Mii Outfit B]]<br>5100
</gallery>


=== Vehicle Types ===
==Courses==
 
[[File:Wario Gold Mine MKW screenshot.png|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Wario]] races towards a steep downhill portion of [[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]].]]
There are six "types" of bikes and karts (as almost every kart has a bike with similar stats):
Race courses are divided into various [[Cup]]s again: [[Mushroom Cup]], [[Flower Cup]], [[Star Cup]], and [[Special Cup]] for [[new course]]s and [[Shell Cup]], [[Banana Cup]], [[Leaf Cup]], and [[Lightning Cup]] for [[Classic course|returning course]]s. Notably, these are the same as in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''.
 
Note: It is hard to determine each vehicles statical value vehicle type is subjective and the type names are conjecture.


*'''Standard:''' These are well-rounded and are suitable for beginners. Examples would be the [[Standard Kart L]] or the [[Bubble Bike]] (Jet Bubble).
All thirty-two tracks have three laps, regardless of length and difficulty. At first, only two Wii and two Retro Cups are available, but clearing the former two in first place unlocks the Star Cup, while clearing the latter two in first place unlocks the Leaf Cup; likewise, clearing the Star and Leaf Cups in first place unlocks the Special and Lightning Cups, respectively. This process only applies for the difficulty level the player is in, so it must be repeated for all others to have the secret Cups available in each of them.
*'''Speed:''' These are very fast and have a good drift, but have poor off-road and acceleration. Examples would be the [[Wild Wing]] or the [[Bowser Bike]] (Flame Runner).
*'''Control:''' These are rather slow and have low drifting, but feature excellent control and high off-road, making them mirrored to Speed vehicles. Examples would be the [[Baby Booster]] (Booster Seat) or the [[Bon Bon]] (Sugarscoot).
*'''Cruiser:''' These control similarly to Control types, but have more speed, acceleration, and drifting.  However, they have less off-road and handling, and are also lighter. Examples would be the [[Quacker]] or the [[Nostalgia 1]] (Classic Dragster).
*'''Rally:''' These vehicles are almost perfectly well rounded, but have top notch off-road in return for very poor drifting. Examples would be the [[Rally Romper]] (Tiny Titan) or the [[Rapide]] (Zip Zip).
*'''Jet:''' Normally unlocked later in the game, these vehicles are incredibly fast and relatively heavy, but are poor in all other stats. Examples would be the [[B Dasher Mk. 2]] (Sprinter) or the [[Torpedo]] (Spear).  Oddly enough, these vehicles have a slightly better acceleration rating than the Speed type vehicles, but they have lower handling and drifting.
{{endspoiler}}


This is the first game in the series to have different track names between the American and PAL versions; this applies to [[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]]/DK's Snowboard Cross, [[Chain Chomp Wheel]]/Chain Chomp Roulette, and [[Galaxy Colosseum]]/Galaxy Arena.
{{br}}


==Tracks==
===Wii Grand Prix===
[[Image:Wgm.PNG|thumb|300px|[[Wario]] races towards a steep downhill portion of Wario's Gold Mine.]]
Including both retro tracks, from all five previous games, and new tracks.
 
Race courses are divided into various [[Cup]]s again: [[Mushroom Cup]], [[Flower Cup]], [[Star Cup]] and [[Special Cup]] for new courses and [[Shell Cup]], [[Banana Cup]], [[Leaf Cup]] and [[Lightning Cup]] for old courses. Notably, these are the same as ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''.
 
All tracks have three laps, regardless of difficulty.
 
===New Courses===
There are sixteen new courses in ''Mario Kart Wii''.
There are sixteen new courses in ''Mario Kart Wii''.
====[[Mushroom Cup]]====
{|style="width:800px;margin:auto;text-align:center"class="wikitable"
*[[Luigi Circuit]]
|-
*[[Moo Moo Meadows]]
![[File:MKW Icon cup Mushroom.png|64px]]<br>[[Mushroom Cup]]
*[[Mushroom Gorge]]
|[[File:Luigi Circuit MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Luigi Circuit]]
*[[Toad's Factory]]
|[[File:Moo Moo Meadows MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]]
|[[File:Mushroom Gorge MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]]
|[[File:Toad's Factory MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Toad's Factory]]
|-
![[File:MKW Flower Cup Icon.png|64px]]<br>[[Flower Cup]]
|[[File:MarioCircuit MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]]<br><br>
|[[File:Coconut Mall MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]]<br><br>
|[[File:DK Summit MKWii.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Wii DK Summit|DK's Snowboard Cross]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|[[File:MKW Wario's Gold Mine Course Overview.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]]<br><br>
|-
![[File:MKW Icon cup Star.png|64px]]<br>[[Star Cup]]
|[[File:Daisy circuit1.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]]
|[[File:MKW Koopa Cape.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]
|[[File:MKW Maple Treeway Overlook.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]
|[[File:Grumble Volcano.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]
|-
![[File:MKW Special Cup Emblem.png|64px]]<br>[[Special Cup]]
|[[File:Dry Dry Ruins.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]]
|[[File:Moonviewhighway.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]
|[[File:BowsersCastleMKW.png|150px]]<br>[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]
|[[File:MKW Rainbow Road Overview.png|150px]]<br>[[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]
|}


====[[Flower Cup]]====
===Retro Grand Prix===
*[[Mario Circuit]]
These are courses that appeared in previous ''Mario Kart'' installments, much like in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. This includes two courses each from ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'', and four each from ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' and ''Mario Kart DS''. These have been graphically updated and have some new details such as extra trees and ramps, new features such as jumps, pipe tricks, and even added shortcuts. These courses appear in the Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning Cups. This game is tied with ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (when counting the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'') for having the second most retro [[Mario Circuit]] courses of any ''Mario Kart'' game, with three, behind only ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', which has six.
*[[Coconut Mall]]
{|style="width:800px;margin:auto;text-align:center"class="wikitable"
*[[DK's Snowboard Cross]]
|-
*[[Wario's Gold Mine]]
![[File:MKW Shell Cup Icon.png|64px]]<br>[[Shell Cup]]
|[[File:Peach Beach MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Peach Beach}}
|[[File:Yoshi Falls MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Yoshi Falls}}
|[[File:Ghost Valley 2 MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|SNES|Ghost Valley 2}}
|[[File:Mario Raceway 64 MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|Mario Raceway}}
|-
![[File:MKW Banana Cup Icon.png|64px]]<br>[[Banana Cup]]
|[[File:Sherbet Land N64 MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}
|[[File:Shy Guy Beach MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GBA|Shy Guy Beach}}
|[[File:Delfino Square MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Delfino Square}}
|[[File:Waluigi Stadium MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}
|-
![[File:MKW Leaf Cup Emblem.png|64px]]<br>[[Leaf Cup]]
|[[File:Desert Hills.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}
|[[File:MKW GBA Bowser Castle 3 Intro.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3}}
|[[File:D.K.'s Jungle Parkway.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}
|[[File:MKWii GCNMario.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}
|-
![[File:MKW Icon cup Lightning.png|64px]]<br>[[Lightning Cup]]
|[[File:MKW SNES Mario Circuit 3 Overview.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}
|[[File:MKWii Peach Gardens.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Peach Gardens}}
|[[File:DK Mountain.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|DK Mountain}}
|[[File:N64BowserCastle-MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}
|}


====[[Star Cup]]====
===Battle stages===
*[[Daisy Circuit]]
This game has the most battle courses of any ''Mario Kart'' game, with ten. Additionally, this is the first ''Mario Kart'' game with unique music for each battle course.
*[[Koopa Cape]]
{|style="width:500px;margin:auto;text-align:center"class="wikitable"
*[[Maple Treeway]]
|-
*[[Grumble Volcano]]
![[File:MKW icon Wii Stages.png|64x64px]]<br>Wii Stages
|[[File:Block Plaza.png|150px]]<br>[[Block Plaza]]<br><br>
|[[File:Delfino Pier.png|150px]]<br>[[Delfino Pier]]<br><br>
|[[File:MKW Funky Stadium Overview.png|150px]]<br>[[Funky Stadium]]<br><br>
|[[File:Chain Chomp Roulette.png|150px]]<br><small>[[Chain Chomp Wheel]]</small> [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br><small>[[Chain Chomp Wheel|Chain Chomp Roulette]]</small> [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
|[[File:Thwomp Desert.png|150px]]<br>[[Thwomp Desert]]<br><br>
|-
![[File:MKW icon Retro Stages.png|64x64px]]<br>Retro Stages
|[[File:Battle Course 4 (SNES).png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|SNES|Battle Course 4}}
|[[File:Battle Course 3 (GBA).png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GBA|Battle Course 3}}
|[[File:N64Skyscraper-MKWii.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|N64|Skyscraper}}
|[[File:Cookie Land.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|GCN|Cookie Land}}
|[[File:Twilight House.png|150px]]<br>{{classic-link|DS|Twilight House}}
|}


====[[Special Cup]]====
===Tournament arena===
*[[Dry Dry Ruins (course)|Dry Dry Ruins]]
This course, structured similar to the battle courses, was only available in certain [[List of Mario Kart Wii tournaments|online tournaments]], where it was used as a boss arena against [[Spiky Topman|Spiky Topmen]].
*[[Moonview Highway]]
<center><gallery widths=150px>
*[[Bowser Castle|Bowser's Castle]]
MKW Galaxy Colosseum View.png|[[Galaxy Colosseum]] [[File:Flag of USA.png|20px]]<br>[[Galaxy Colosseum|Galaxy Arena]] [[File:Flag of Europe.png|20px]]
*[[Rainbow Road]]
</gallery></center>
 
===Retro Courses===
These courses appeared in previous ''Mario Kart'' installments, much like in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. This includes 2 courses from the SNES installment, 4 from the N64 installment, 2 from the GBA installment, 4 from the GCN installment, and 4 from the DS installment. All of these have been graphically updated and have some new details such as extra trees and ramps, new features such as jumps, pipe tricks, and even added shortcuts. These retro courses appear in the Shell, Banana, Leaf or Lightning cups.
 
====[[Shell Cup]]====
*[[Peach Beach]] (''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'')
*[[Yoshi Falls]] (''[[Mario Kart DS]]'')
*[[Ghost Valley 2]] (''[[Super Mario Kart]]'')
*[[Mario Raceway]] (''[[Mario Kart 64]]'')
 
====[[Banana Cup]]====
*[[Sherbet Land (MK64)|Sherbet Land]] (''Mario Kart 64'')
*[[Shy Guy Beach]] (''[[Mario Kart Super Circuit]]'')
*[[Delfino Square]] (''Mario Kart DS'')
*[[Waluigi Stadium]] (''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'')
 
====[[Leaf Cup]]====
*[[Desert Hills]] (''Mario Kart DS'')
*[[Bowser Castle 3]] (''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'')
*[[D.K.'s Jungle Parkway]] (''Mario Kart 64'')
*[[Mario Circuit]] (''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'')


====[[Lightning Cup]]====
==Staff Ghosts==
*[[Mario Circuit 3]] (''Super Mario Kart'')
Each race course in the game has two [[Ghost (Mario Kart series)|Staff Ghosts]] available in Time Trial mode: Normal Staff Ghosts are unlocked by default, while Expert Staff Ghosts are unlocked by setting a good enough record for the course in Time Trials. Unlocking Expert Staff Ghosts can help unlock certain characters and vehicles in the game. Each course's Staff Ghosts both use the same character, but have different vehicles: one is always a kart, the other always a bike. When applicable, the character chosen for each Staff Ghost is usually pertinent to the course, i.e. the "Mario Circuit" courses feature either [[Mario]] or [[Baby Mario]]. Aside from the [[Mii]]s, [[Birdo]] is the only character not used as a Staff Ghost.
*[[Peach Gardens]] (''Mario Kart DS'')
*[[DK Mountain]] (''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'')
*[[Bowser's Castle]] (''Mario Kart 64'')


===Battle Courses===
====''Wii tracks''====
*[[Block Plaza]]
*[[Delfino Pier]]
*[[Funky Stadium]]
*[[Chain Chomp Roulette]]
*[[Thwomp Desert]]
====''Retro tracks''====
*[[Battle Course 4 (SNES)|Battle Course 4]] (''Super Mario Kart'')
*[[Battle Course 3 (GBA)|Battle Course 3]] (''Mario Kart Super Circuit'')
*[[Skyscraper]] (''Mario Kart 64'')
*[[Cookie Land]] (''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'')
*[[Twilight House]] (''Mario Kart DS'')
====''Boss Track''====
This is only found in Tournament mode.
*[[Galaxy Colosseum]]
==Ghosts==
In ''Mario Kart Wii'', there are '''Normal Staff''' ghosts and '''Expert Staff''' ghosts. Beating the normal staff ghosts by a certain amount of time unlocks the Expert Staff ghosts. Unlocking Expert Staff ghosts can help unlock certain characters and vehicles in the game. Below are two tables: the first shows the Normal Staff ghosts, while the second shows the Expert Staff ghosts.
{{spoiler}}
===Normal Staff Ghosts===
===Normal Staff Ghosts===
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fffcfc; color:black; text-align:center" width=75%
{|style="text-align:center" class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Course
!Course
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Staff Name
!Staff Name
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Time
!Time
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Character
!Character
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Vehicle
!Vehicle
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Wheel
!Wii Wheel
!colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Drift
!Drift
|-
|-
|[[Luigi Circuit]]||Nin*sato||01:29.670||Luigi||B Dasher Mk. 2||Yes||Auto
|[[Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Luigi Circuit]]||Nin★sato||01:29.670||Luigi||B Dasher Mk 2/Sprinter||Yes||Auto
|-
|-
|[[Moo Moo Meadows]]||Nin*YuNya||01:37.856||Baby Daisy||Baby Booster||Yes||Auto
|[[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]]||Nin★YuNya||01:37.856||Baby Daisy||Baby Booster/Booster Seat||Yes||Auto
|-
|-
|[[Mushroom Gorge]]||Nin*Murak||02:16.110||Toadette||Quacker||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]]||Nin★Murak||02:16.110||Toadette||Quacker||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Toad's Factory]]||Nin*Misa||02:22.480||Toad||Bubble Bike||Yes||Manual
|[[Toad's Factory]]||Nin★Misa||02:22.480||Toad||Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit]]||Nin*==Kony||01:44.777||Mario||Rapide||Yes||Manual
|[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]]||Nin★==Kony||01:44.777||Mario||Rapide/Zip Zip||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Coconut Mall]]||Nin*♪SiMO||02:30.764||Daisy||Bon Bon||No||Manual
|[[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]]||Nin★♪SiMO||02:30.764||Daisy||Bon Bon/Sugarscoot||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[DK Summit]]||Nin*mokke||02:34.693||Donkey Kong||Standard Bike L||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]]||Nin★mokke||02:34.693||Donkey Kong||Standard Bike L||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Wario's Gold Mine]]||Nin*morimo||02:19.585||Wario||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]]||Nin★morimo||02:19.585||Wario||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Daisy Circuit]]||Nin*Toki||01:56.822||Daisy||Royal Racer||No||Manual
|[[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]]||Nin★Toki||01:56.822||Daisy||Royal Racer/Daytripper||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Koopa Cape]]||Nin*Rose||03:03.022||Koopa Troopa||Cheep Charger||No||Manual
|[[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]||Nin★Rose||03:03.022||Koopa Troopa||Cheep Charger||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Maple Treeway]]||Nin*pico||02:58.633||Diddy Kong||Nostalgia 1||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]||Nin★pico||02:58.633||Diddy Kong||Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Grumble Volcano]]||Nin*Gorin||02:28.237||Dry Bowser||Offroader||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]||Nin★Gorin||02:28.237||Dry Bowser||Offroader||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Dry Dry Ruins]]||Nin*Kei||02:30.949||Yoshi||Nostalgia 1||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]]||Nin★Kei||02:30.949||Yoshi||Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Moonview Highway]]||Nin*KOZ*||02:16.802||Peach||Standard Kart M||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]||Nin★KOZ★||02:16.802||Peach||Standard Kart M||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Bowser's Castle]]||Nin*YABUKI||03:04.836||Bowser||Piranha Prowler||No||Manual
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]||[[Kosuke Yabuki|Nin★YABUKI]]||03:04.836||Bowser||Piranha Prowler||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Rainbow Road]]||Nin*Konno||03:05.895||Rosalina||Twinkle Star||No||Manual
|[[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]||[[Hideki Konno|Nin★Konno]]||03:05.895||Rosalina||Twinkle Star/Shooting Star||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Peach Beach]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*HIRO||01:34.233||Peach||Royal Racer||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Peach Beach}}||Nin★HIRO||01:34.233||Peach||Royal Racer/Daytripper||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Yoshi Falls]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*DoTak||01:16.461||Yoshi||Rapide||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Yoshi Falls}}||Nin★DoTak||01:16.461||Yoshi||Rapide/Zip Zip||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Ghost Valley 2]]<sub>SNES</sub>||Nin*YOKO||01:06.595||King Boo||Standard Kart L||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|SNES|Ghost Valley 2}}||Nin★YOKO||01:06.595||King Boo||Standard Kart L||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Raceway]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Ichiro||02:14.799||Baby Mario||Nano Bike||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|Mario Raceway}}||Nin★Ichiro||02:14.799||Baby Mario||Nanobike/Bit Bike||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Sherbet Land (course)#Mario Kart 64|Sherbet Land]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Sakat||02:48.651||Baby Luigi||Quacker||Yes||Auto
|{{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}||Nin★Sakat||02:48.651||Baby Luigi||Quacker||Yes||Auto
|-
|-
|[[Shy Guy Beach]]<sub>GBA</sub>||Nin*Kato||01:45.568||Koopa Troopa||Cheep Charger||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GBA|Shy Guy Beach}}||Nin★Kato||01:45.568||Koopa Troopa||Cheep Charger||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Delfino Square]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*iwaco||02:41.807||Wario||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Delfino Square}}||Nin★iwaco||02:41.807||Wario||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Waluigi Stadium]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*NARI*||02:32.882||Waluigi||Standard Bike L||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}||Nin★NARI★||02:32.882||Waluigi||Standard Bike L||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Desert Hills]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*Sako||02:10.233||Dry Bones||Standard Bike S||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}||Nin★CHIA||02:10.233||Dry Bones||Standard Bike S||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Bowser Castle 3]]<sub>GBA</sub>||Nin*Fukuda||02:58.304||Dry Bowser||Standard Kart L||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3}}||Nin★Fukuda||02:58.304||Dry Bowser||Standard Kart L||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[D.K.'s Jungle Parkway]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Matt||02:58.264||Donkey Kong||Phantom||Yes||Auto
|{{classic-link|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}||Nin★Matt||02:58.264||Donkey Kong||Phantom||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*♪Miz||01:59.771||Mario||Standard Bike M||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}||Nin★♪Miz||01:59.771||Mario||Standard Bike M||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit 3]]<sub>SNES</sub>||Nin*iwaco||01:38.880||Baby Mario||Standard Kart S||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}||Nin★iwaco||01:38.880||Baby Mario||Standard Kart S||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Peach Gardens]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*Ito.y||02:34.894||Baby Peach||Magikruiser||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Peach Gardens}}||Nin★Ito.y||02:34.894||Baby Peach||Magikruiser||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[DK Mountain]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*♪msk||02:57.744||Funky Kong||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|DK Mountain}}||Nin★♪msk||02:57.744||Funky Kong||Wario Bike||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Bowser's Castle]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*GASK2||03:19.323||Bowser Jr.||Standard Kart M||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}||Nin★GASK2||03:19.323||Bowser Jr.||Standard Kart M||Yes||Manual
|}
|}


===Expert Staff Ghosts===
===Expert Staff Ghosts===
{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fffcfc; color:black; text-align:center" width=75%
{|style="text-align:center" class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!colspan="8" style="background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;" |Fast Ghosts
!Course
!Staff Name
!Unlock Time
!Time
!Character
!Vehicle
!Wii Wheel
!Drift
|-
|-
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Course
|[[Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Luigi Circuit]]||Nin★Uta♪||01:26.394|| 01:19.419||Luigi||Mach Bike||Yes||Manual
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Staff Name
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Unlock Time
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Time
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Character
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Vehicle
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Wheel
! colspan="1" style="background:#fff7f9|Drift
|-
|-
|[[Luigi Circuit]]||Nin*Uta♪||01:26.394|| 01:19.419||Luigi||Mach Bike||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]]||Nin★Tkym||01:34.160|| 01:25.909||Baby Daisy||Bullet Bike||No||Auto
|-
|-
|[[Moo Moo Meadows]]||Nin*Tkym||01:34.160|| 01:25.909||Baby Daisy||Bullet Bike||No||Auto
|[[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]]||Nin★Miki||02:10.875|| 02:01.011||Toadette||Concerto/Mini Beast||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mushroom Gorge]]||Nin*Miki||02:10.875|| 02:01.011||Toadette||Concerto||No||Manual
|[[Toad's Factory]]||Nin★GQO||02:17.653|| 02:05.593||Toad||Blue Falcon||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Toad's Factory]]||Nin*GQO||02:17.653|| 02:05.593||Toad||Blue Falcon||No||Manual
|[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]]||Nin★fuyu||01:40.528|| 01:33.702||Mario||B Dasher Mk 2/Sprinter||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit]]||Nin*fuyu||01:40.528|| 01:33.702||Mario||B Dasher Mk. 2||No||Manual
|[[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]]||Nin★MUGI★||02:25.620|| 02:13.333||Daisy||Wild Wing||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Coconut Mall]]||Nin*MUGI*||02:25.620|| 02:13.333||Daisy||Wild Wing||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]]||Nin★KOZ★||02:29.076|| 02:17.546||Donkey Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[DK Summit]]||Nin*KOZ*||02:29.076|| 02:17.546||Donkey Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]]||[[Ryo Nagamatsu|Nin★♪Ryo]]||02:15.323|| 02:04.800||Wario||Flame Flyer||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Wario's Gold Mine]]||Nin*♪Ryo||02:15.323|| 02:04.800||Wario||Flame Flyer||No||Manual
|[[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]]||Nin★Taeko||01:51.786|| 01:41.362||Daisy||Mach Bike||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Daisy Circuit]]||Nin*Taeko||01:51.786|| 01:41.362||Daisy||Mach Bike||No||Manual
|[[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]||Nin★morimo||02:56.867|| 02:41.370||Koopa Troopa||Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Koopa Cape]]||Nin*morimo||02:56.867|| 02:41.370||Koopa Troopa||Bubble Bike||No||Manual
|[[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]||Nin★MUGI★||02:51.684|| 02:37.812||Diddy Kong||Nitrocycle/Sneakster||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Maple Treeway]]||Nin*MUGI*||02:51.684|| 02:37.812||Diddy Kong||Nitrocycle||No||Manual
|[[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]]||Nin★aki||02:22.856|| 02:11.852||Dry Bowser||Torpedo/Spear||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Grumble Volcano]]||Nin*aki||02:22.856|| 02:11.852||Dry Bowser||Torpedo||No||Manual
|[[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]]||Nin★Akito||02:26.064|| 02:14.286||Yoshi||Nitrocycle/Sneakster||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Dry Dry Ruins]]||Nin*Akito||02:26.064|| 02:14.286||Yoshi||Nitrocycle||Yes||Manual
|[[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]||Nin★Koh||02:10.509|| 02:04.163||Peach||Mach Bike||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Moonview Highway]]||Nin*Koh||02:10.509|| 02:04.163||Peach||Mach Bike||Yes||Manual
|[[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]]||Nin★Masa||02:57.382|| 02:42.098||Bowser||Bowser Bike/Flame Runner||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Bowser's Castle]]||Nin*Masa||02:57.382|| 02:42.098||Bowser||Bowser Bike||No||Manual
|[[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]||Nin★Syun1||03:00.007|| 02:44.734|| style="text-align:center;"|Rosalina||Aero Glider/Jetsetter||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Rainbow Road]]||Nin*Syun1||03:00.007|| 02:44.734|| style="text-align:center;"|Rosalina||Aero Glider||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Peach Beach}}||Nin★Taeko||01:30.909|| 01:23.140||Peach||Dolphin Dasher||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Peach Beach]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*Taeko||01:30.909|| 01:23.140||Peach||Dolphin Dasher||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Yoshi Falls}}||Nin★FJ||01:14.072|| 01:09.175||Yoshi||Super Blooper/Turbo Blooper||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Yoshi Falls]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*FJ||01:14.072|| 01:09.175||Yoshi||Turbo Blooper||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|SNES|Ghost Valley 2}}||Nin★sira■||01:04.261|| 00:58.907||King Boo||Torpedo/Spear||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Ghost Valley 2]]<sub>SNES</sub>||Nin*sira〉||01:04.261|| 00:58.907||King Boo||Torpedo||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|Mario Raceway}}||Nin★Yuuki||02:10.069|| 01:59.053||Baby Mario||Concerto/Mini Beast||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Raceway]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Yuuki||02:10.069|| 01:59.053||Baby Mario||Concerto||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}||Nin★FJ||02:42.536|| 02:28.356||Baby Luigi||Blue Falcon||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Sherbet Land]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*FJ||02:42.536|| 02:28.356||Baby Luigi||Blue Falcon||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|GBA|Shy Guy Beach}}||Nin★Matt||01:41.174|| 01:32.867||Koopa Troopa||Magikruiser||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Shy Guy Beach]]<sub>GBA</sub>||Nin*Matt||01:41.174|| 01:32.867||Koopa Troopa||Magikruiser||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Delfino Square}}||[[Taro Bando|Nin★TARO]]||02:36.630|| 02:24.169||Wario||Dragonetti/Honeycoupe||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Delfino Square]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*TARO||02:36.630|| 02:24.169||Wario||Dragonetti||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}||[[Ryo Nagamatsu|Nin★♪Ryo]]||02:26.335|| 02:12.367||Waluigi||Piranha Prowler||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Waluigi Stadium]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*♪Ryo||02:26.335|| 02:12.367||Waluigi||Piranha Prowler||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Desert Hills}}||Nin★solami||02:02.358|| 01:52.686||Dry Bones||Rally Romper/Tiny Titan||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Desert Hills]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*solami||02:02.358|| 01:52.686||Dry Bones||Rally Romper||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3}}||Nin★A24||02:53.651|| 02:39.391||Dry Bowser||Bowser Bike/Flame Runner||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Bowser Castle 3]]<sub>GBA</sub>||Nin*A24||02:53.651|| 02:39.391||Dry Bowser||Bowser Bike||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}||Nin★Syun1||02:51.693|| 02:37.782||Donkey Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[D.K.'s Jungle Parkway]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Syun1||02:51.693|| 02:37.782||Donkey Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|Mario Circuit}}||Nin★Dai8||01:55.907|| 01:49.939||Mario||Wild Wing||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*Dai8||01:55.907|| 01:49.939||Mario||Wild Wing||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}||Nin★Shige||01:35.213|| 01:26.659||Baby Mario||Bullet Bike||No||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Mario Circuit 3]]<sub>SNES</sub>||Nin*Shige||01:35.213|| 01:26.659||Baby Mario||Bullet Bike||No||Manual
|{{classic-link|DS|Peach Gardens}}||Nin★==Kony||02:29.793|| 02:16.777||Baby Peach||Concerto/Mini Beast||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[Peach Gardens]]<sub>DS</sub>||Nin*==Kony||02:29.793|| 02:16.777||Baby Peach||Concerto||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|GCN|DK Mountain}}||Nin★Miyam||02:52.100|| 02:38.130||Funky Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|-
|-
|[[DK Mountain]]<sub>GCN</sub>||Nin*Miyam||02:52.100|| 02:38.130||Funky Kong||Flame Flyer||Yes||Manual
|{{classic-link|N64|Bowser's Castle}}||Nin★Kentan||03:09.228|| 02:55.933||Bowser Jr.||Nitrocycle/Sneakster||Yes||Manual
|}
 
==Items==
:''For the probability of obtaining each item when an Item Box is opened in the various modes, see [[Mario Kart Wii item probability distributions]].''
''Mario Kart Wii'' includes two new items, the [[Mega Mushroom]] and the [[POW Block]], and brings back the [[Thunder Cloud]] from the ''Mario Kart Arcade GP'' installments (making this game its console ''Mario Kart'' debut). All three items are absent from ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 8]]''. Items can be earned by driving through [[Item Box|Item Boxes]] on the courses, just like in previous games. Once a player has done so, an item will be selected via the Item Roulette. Players can use items by pressing {{button|wii|padleft}}. In general, players tend to obtain a weak item such as a [[Banana]] or a [[Green Shell]] when they are in first. However, if players are in a lower place, they obtain a slightly more powerful item such as a [[Red Shell]] or [[Lightning]]. Usually, the lower the place of the player, the rarer and more powerful the item they get. [[Super Star|Star]]s, Mega Mushrooms, and [[Bullet Bill]]s are examples of powerful items as they provide speed boosts and invincibility. This is the only game in the ''Mario Kart'' series where the drivers do not vocally react to getting inked by a Blooper.
 
{{content description
|image1=[[File:Mushroom.png|100px]]
|name1=[[Dash Mushroom|Mushroom]]
|description1=Gives players a short speed boost that ignores terrain.
|image2=[[File:MKW Triple Mushrooms Artwork.png|100px]]
|name2=[[Triple Mushrooms]]
|description2=Gives players three Mushrooms, which give separate boosts. It is the default item in Time Trial mode.
|image3=[[File:Golden Mushroom Artwork - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name3=[[Golden Dash Mushroom|Golden Mushroom]]
|description3=The driver gets an infinite number of Mushroom boosts for 7.5 seconds.
|image4=[[File:Mega Mushroom Artwork - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name4=[[Mega Mushroom]]<br>'''''New item'''''
|description4=The driver grows bigger, which allows them to squash other racers by running over them, making them lose their items and slow down for a moment. The Mega Mushroom makes the racer invincible to all attacks except those from Stars, Bullet Bills, and Bloopers. It allows the user to destroy items and course obstacles and gives the driver a speed boost. In addition, the player can go off-road without suffering any effect of slowing down. The effect lasts for 7.5 seconds but will be ended prematurely if the player is hit by Lightning.
|image5=[[File:MKW Fake Item Box Artwork.png|100px]]
|name5=[[Fake Item Box]]
|description5=This item imitates an Item Box but is colored red and has an upside down question mark. At a distance, it appears a similar color to a regular item box, only revealing its true color as the player approaches. It causes opponents to flip over once hit. It cannot block item attacks, but it can be held behind the player's vehicle to block other vehicles.
|image6=[[File:Banana - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name6=[[Banana]]
|description6=When drivers run into a Banana, it causes them to slip and slow down. It can also be held behind the player's vehicle to block attacks from shells and other vehicles.
|image7=[[File:MKW Triple Bananas Artwork.png|100px]]
|name7=[[Triple Bananas]]
|description7=This item gives the driver a trail of three Bananas.
|image8=[[File:MKW Green Shell Artwork.png|100px]]
|name8=[[Green Shell]]
|description8=A basic green shell that can be thrown forwards and backwards. It bounces off obstacles several times before it hits an opponent or is destroyed. With each bounce, the new direction is a little corrected to increase the probability of hitting a player.
|image9=[[File:MKW Triple Green Shells Artwork.png|100px]]
|name9=[[Triple Green Shells]]
|description9=Three Green Shells that surround the racer until released. These can also be thrown forward or backward.
|image10=[[File:MKW Red Shell Artwork.png|100px]]
|name10=[[Red Shell]]
|description10=A fragile shell that tracks the nearest opponent when fired forward. It will break if it hits an obstacle.
|image11=[[File:MKW Triple Red Shells Artwork.png|100px]]
|name11=[[Triple Red Shells]]
|description11=Three Red Shells that surround the racer until released.
|image12=[[File:MKW Spiny Shell Artwork.png|100px]]
|name12=[[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]]
|description12=A blue shell that flies directly to the racer in first place and explodes like a Bob-omb. Only one Spiny Shell can be in play at a time, and Spiny Shells are unobtainable for the first 30 seconds of a race.
|image13=[[File:MKW Star Artwork.png|100px]]
|name13=[[Super Star|Star]]
|description13=The driver obtains total invincibility for 7.5 seconds, allowing them to knock over items, course obstacles, and other players on contact. Also, the driver receives a speed boost and the power to drive off-road with no speed loss. Racers that are hit will lose all items in their possession.
|image14=[[File:MKDD Thunderbolt Artwork.png|100px]]
|name14=[[Lightning]]
|description14=Lightning strikes every racer ahead of the user, causing them to spin out, drop their items, and shrink to a very small size, driving more slowly. This item takes no effect on racers with invincibility items activated. The effects wear off from lowest place to first. Any users with the Mega Mushroom in effect shrink to normal size. Only one Lightning can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 30 seconds of a race and for 30 seconds between uses.
|image15=[[File:MKW Thunder Cloud Artwork.png|100px]]
|name15=[[Thunder Cloud]]<br>'''''New item in console Mario Kart'''''
|description15=A thundercloud hovers over the recipient and strikes it with lightning after 10 seconds. The user shrinks to a very small size for 10 seconds, driving more slowly. Before this happens, the user has higher speed and acceleration while not losing speed when driving off-road, and may pass the cloud to an opponent by bumping into them. The Thunder Cloud can be destroyed if the driver goes into a cannon or uses a Star or Mega Mushroom. Only one Thunder Cloud can be in play at a time.
|image16=[[File:Bob-omb - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name16=[[Bob-omb]]
|description16=Blows up a racer anywhere on the track. It has the same effect as the Spiny Shell, except that it can be lobbed or tossed backwards just like a Banana.
|image17=[[File:Blooper.png|100px]]
|name17=[[Blooper]]
|description17=Squirts ink on any racer ahead of the user, partially obscuring vision. It eventually wears off, but it can be immediately removed by a speed boost from a Mushroom, boost tile, etc. The higher the player's position is, the more their vision is obscured. Only one Blooper can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 15 seconds of a race and for 15 seconds between uses.
|image18=[[File:Bullet Bill Artwork - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name18=[[Bullet Bill]]
|description18=Transforms the racer into a large Bullet Bill, which rockets down the entire track at very high speeds on autopilot. The Bullet Bill provides total invincibility and will knock over any item, any course hazard, and any player that is in the way, making them lose or drop all their items. Only one Bullet Bill can be in play at a time.
|image19=[[File:POW Block - Mario Kart Wii.png|100px]]
|name19=[[POW Block]]<br>'''''New item'''''
|description19=The POW Block appears above the karts as a 2D image, warning players of its arrival, and causes any racer on the ground ahead of the user to spin out and drop their items. Players who deploy the wheelie button at the moment the POW Block hits mitigate the spinout by retaining their speed. Players can also be airborne to avoid the POW Block, as the POW Block will not affect any racer that is in the air. Only one POW Block can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 20 seconds of a race and for 20 seconds between uses.
}}
 
==Differences in multiplayer modes==
As in the previous games in the ''Mario Kart'' series, there are several small changes made to the courses in split-screen mode, most likely to preserve the frame-rate.
*At the start of a race, Lakitu is next to the player driver, slightly facing the side of the track. In single player mode, he is in front of the player driver, facing the camera. This only counts for races, however, as Lakitu always starts next to the player when in a battle.
*The question marks in the Item Boxes spin around with the box. They are static in single player mode.
*Frame-rate slows to 30 frames per second if the screen is split 4 ways or is in Two Player Online.
*The fourth screen in local three player play displays a dynamic camera that rotates between the three player drivers.
*CPUs do not animate. In Battle Mode, their voices are also absent.
*There are no tourists on the Sunshine cruise ship in {{classic-link|GCN|Peach Beach}}.
*Boos do not animate in {{classic-link|SNES|Ghost Valley 2}}.
*In {{classic-link|GCN|Waluigi Stadium}}, the metal Piranha Plants do not move their jaws, and the moving arrow signs and the Jumbotron are absent as in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''
*There are no Miis in the stores in [[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]].
*The crowd in [[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]], [[Toad's Factory]], [[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]], and {{classic-link|DS|Delfino Square}} do not animate.
*No tourists are on the ship in {{classic-link|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}.
*The Jumbotron at [[Funky Stadium]] does not show the human player; instead it shows a picture of Funky Kong's face with the words "Funky Stadium".
*[[Star Bit]]s are missing in [[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]].
 
==Staff==
{{main|List of Mario Kart Wii staff}}
Consistent with the rest of the console ''Mario Kart'' series, ''Mario Kart Wii'' is developed by [[Nintendo EAD]]. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] is the general producer of the game, with the producer being [[Hideki Konno]], who had been consistently involved with the ''Mario Kart'' series since the first installment, except ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'', and the executive producer being [[Satoru Iwata]]. Yasuyuki Oyagi directed the game, having co-directed the series since ''Mario Kart 64'' barring ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'', though ''Mario Kart Wii'' was the first installment he was the sole director of and the last installment he directed, becoming a co-producer later on. ''Mario Kart Wii'' was the debut of [[Kosuke Yabuki]] as a planner; he would later become key staff and serving a director role in later ''Mario Kart'' installments.
 
==Reception==
===Critical reception===
''Mario Kart Wii'' has received positive reviews from critics. It has an average score of 82.07% from 74 reviews in GameRankings and an average of 82 based on 73 reviews on Metacritic.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20160410055802/http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/942008-mario-kart-wii/index.html|language=en|title=''Mario Kart Wii''|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=www.metacritic.com/game/mario-kart-wii|title=''Mario Kart Wii''|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
 
Bozon of IGN gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, praising the online play, the presentation, and the gameplay but criticizing the cheap AI in 150cc, the lack of voice chat, reliance on friend codes, and the random items. He finished off with, "Every player is going to have their own love/hate relationship with ''Mario Kart Wii'', but in the end the game does so many things right that it'd be foolish not to give credit where due. Online seriously raises the bar for Nintendo, trumping even Smash in a big, big way. The sense of community you can get even with random racers online and ghost-supported leader boards is impressive, and the fact that you can head on to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection solo, with a friend via split-screen, or hook up with buddies across the world without worry of lag and never-ending disconnect notices makes ''Mario Kart Wii'' a pure joy to play online. It isn't the best ''Mario Kart'' in the series, but it's a must-play experience on Wii, and standard-setting offering as far as online, channel support, and connectivity are concerned. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some online stats to obsess over."<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Bozon|date=April 20, 2008|url=www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/20/mario-kart-wii-review|title=Mario Kart Wii Review|publisher=IGN|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> Sammy Barker of Nintendo Life praised the game for its polished gameplay and being well-thought and brilliant. Though he criticized the presentation, he wrote, "Poor presentation should not be an issue in this generation of gaming, particularly with the other consoles doing it so well, but, thankfully for us (as Wii owners), this game is a living, breathing example of gameplay over graphics." He gave the game 9/10 stars.<ref>{{cite|author=Barker, Sammy|language=en|date=April 14, 2008|url=www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2008/04/mario_kart_wii_wii|title=Review: ''Mario Kart Wii''|publisher=Nintendo Life|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> Oli Welsh of Eurogamer gave the game a score of 8/10. He praised the presentation of the game, the use of the Wii Wheel, and the smooth gameplay while criticizing the Battle Mode and the single player exclusive Grand Prix mode (though this was revised after being informed by Nintendo that four sequences of races with friends is still possible). He wrote, "Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing ''Mario Kart Wii'' - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised battle modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom ''Mario Kart'' is a gaming cornerstone. And really, that should be everyone."<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Welsh, Oli|date=March 20, 2008|url=www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-wii-review|title=''Mario Kart Wii'' Review|publisher=Eurogamer|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
 
Ryan Davis of Giant Bomb criticized the game for being safe. He wrote, "''Mario Kart Wii'' is a good game stunted by its audience's apparently insatiable appetite for the exact same thing, over and over again. The addition of online play and motion controls are good, but they're also the most predictable choices possible. Personally, I'm completely tired of getting exactly what I expect." He gave the game a 3 out of 5 stars.<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Davis, Ryan|date=May 7, 2008|url=www.giantbomb.com/reviews/mario-kart-wii-review/1900-26|title=''Mario Kart Wii'' review|publisher=Giant Bomb|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> Edge gave the game 6/10, criticizing the game's compromising local, splitscreen multiplayer for online play. They ended with "Undercutting local multiplayer to benefit the online movement is a grievous error. Of all the multiplayer franchises, we struggle to think of a title in which four friends sat side by side seemed more natural. Having sacrificed racing integrity in Double Dash to side with social silliness, Nintendo has turned 180 degrees into an awkward halfway house. It’s a residence from where it has attempted to regain time-trial credentials with the loosest racing yet, and sees the company finally find its online feet by betraying one of its great pastimes. Perhaps first place in ''Mario Kart Wii'' isn’t the least enjoyable location in gaming after all."<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20130617170757/http://www.edge-online.com/review/mario-kart-wii-review/2|title=''Mario Kart Wii'' review|publisher=Edge|language=en|date=April 14, 2008|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable reviews"
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align: center; background-color:silver"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6;"
|Reviewer, Publication
|Score
|Comment
|-
|-
|[[Bowser's Castle]]<sub>N64</sub>||Nin*Kentan||03:09.228|| 02:55.933||Bowser Jr.||Nitrocycle||Yes||Manual
|''[[Nintendo Power]]''
|9/10
|align=left|''With more features, modes and multiplayer options than ever before, fans should be revved up to get behind the wheel. [May 2008, p.86].''
|-
|''Official Nintendo Magazine UK''
|9.4/10
|align=left|''A fantastic racer and the best online Nintendo game ever. [Apr 2008, p.58]''
|-
|Bozon, [https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/20/mario-kart-wii-review IGN]
|8.5/10
|align=left|''There are some things that feel completely out of whack though, such as the uncharacteristically cheap AI in 150cc, the lack of voice chat for an extremely social online game, reliance on friend codes, and "everyone's a winner" feeling you get when random items show up and completely turn the game upside down in an instant.''
|-
|Bryn Williams, [http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/mario-kart-wii/870096p1.html GameSpy]
|4.5/5
|align=left|''The offline and online content is extremely entertaining and the pursuit of casual and hardcore karting has never been this much fun.''
|-
|Greg Leahy, [https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/15825/mario-kart-wii-wii Nintendo World Report]
|8.5/10
|align=left|''Mario Kart Wii is ultimately much the same game as Mario Kart DS, but this is forgivable due to its drastically improved online functionality along with some welcome gameplay additions and tweaks.''
|-
|Lark Anderson, [https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-kart-wii-review/1900-6189936/ GameSpot]
|8.5/10
|align=left|''Mario Kart Wii offers varied multiplayer and thoroughly integrated online modes that will keep you coming back for more.''
|-
|Oli Welsh, [https://www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-wii-review Eurogamer]
|8/10
|align=left|''Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised multiplayer modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone.''
|-
|''Electronic Gaming Monthly''
|6.4/10
|align=left|''While Mario Kart Wii is predictably similar to its predecessors, something has changed with this installment. Something that makes it feel subtly unlike other Mario Karts--and not a change for the better. [June 2008, p.73]''
|-
|''Edge Magazine''
|6/10
|align=left|'' Having sacrificed racing integrity in "Double Dash" to side with social silliness, Nintendo has turned 180 degrees into an awkward halfway house. [May 2008, p.86]''
|-
|Chris Kohler, [https://www.wired.com/2008/05/review-mario-ka/#more Wired]
|6/10
|align=left|''[Mario Kart Wii's Battle Mode] is no longer a last-man-standing contest: Matches now last three minutes each, and if your kart takes too much damage, don't worry! You'll just respawn. Even worse, all battles are now played in teams of two. So while you can still have four human players, they can't all face off against each other -- and what's the point of that?''
|-
|Ryan Davis, [https://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/mario-kart-wii-review/1900-26/ Giant Bomb]
|6/10
|align=left|''Personally, I’m completely tired of getting exactly what I expect.''
|-
!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align: center;"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6;"
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|Metacritic
|colspan=2 style="background-color:LimeGreen"|[http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/mario-kart-wii/critic-reviews 82]
|-
|colspan=2|GameRankings
|colspan=2|[https://web.archive.org/web/20160410055802/http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/942008-mario-kart-wii/index.html 82.07%]
|}
|}
{{br}}
===Awards===
''Mario Kart Wii'' won the "Favorite Video Game" award at the {{wp|2010 Kids' Choice Awards|Nickelodeon 2010 Kids' Choice Awards}}, beating out ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks|The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks]]'', ''{{wp|Wii Fit}}'', and ''{{wp|Wii Sports Resort}}''. The game won the Best Online Multiplayer Game from IGN in 2008.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20081222040859/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/wii/19.html|title=IGN Wii: Best Online Multiplayer Game|publisher=IGN|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> In the ''[[Guinness World Records]] 2010 Gamer's Edition'', ''Mario Kart Wii'' won the "Best-selling racing game" accolade.<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Funk, John|date=May 21, 2010|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20100525021039/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100814-Marios-Ten-Best-Guinness-World-Records|title=Mario's Ten Best Guinness World Records|publisher=The Escapist|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
===Sales===
In the week of May 4, 2008 in Japan, ''Mario Kart Wii'' became the best-selling game for the Wii, having sold over a million copies in Japan, less than a month after its release.<ref>{{cite|author=McWhertor, Michael|date=March 8, 2008|url=kotaku.com/aint-no-stopping-mario-kart-wii-in-japan-388562|title=Ain't No Stopping Mario Kart Wii In Japan|publisher=Kotaku|language=en|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> In the UK, ''Mario Kart Wii'' was the 8th biggest selling video game in British history and the single best-selling Nintendo game in history.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20080420052652/http://kotaku.com/379767/british-sales-charts|title=Sales Charts British Sales Charts|publisher=Kotaku|accessdate=March 5, 2018|language=en}}</ref> In the United States, at the month's release, ''Mario Kart Wii'' was the second best-seller at 1.12 million copies, being beaten out by the Xbox 360 version of ''{{wp|Grand Theft Auto IV}}'', but outselling the PS3 version of ''Grand Theft Auto IV''.<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Sinclair, Brendan|date=June 5, 2008|url=www.gamespot.com/articles/npd-us-april-game-revs-spike-on-gtaiv/1100-6191066|title=NPD: US April game revs spike on GTAIV|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=March 5, 2018}}</ref> ''Mario Kart Wii'' currently is the second best-selling game on the Wii, beaten out by ''Wii Sports'', and in turn the best-selling ''Super Mario'' game on the system; the game has sold a total of 37.38 million units as of December 31, 2020, and was originally the best-selling ''Mario Kart'' game and the best-selling racing video game of all time, before being overtaken by ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' in September 30, 2021.
==Promotion==
{{main|List of Mario Kart Wii trading cards}}
Trading cards were released to celebrate the release of ''Mario Kart Wii''. Trading card packs additionally included tattoos called [[FunTats]].
For the marketing of ''Mario Kart Wii'' in the United States only, Nintendo of America did a series of three commercials starring [[Cowboy Jed]], primarily to promote their slogan for this game: "Get Behind The Wheel!". The slogan focuses on the [[Wii#Wii Wheel|Wii Wheel]], Nintendo's targeted gameplay control, as stated earlier in this article.
==Pre-release and unused content==
{{main|List of Mario Kart Wii pre-release and unused content}}
Unused graphics have been found depicting icons for a [[Hammer Bro]], a [[Koopa Paratroopa]], and [[Petey Piranha]], presumably being an extra character for each weight class. An outfit for the NPC Miis has also been found, which resembles a [[Toad]].
<gallery widths=64 heights=64 style="display:inline-block">
KoopaParatroopa-MKWii-Icon.png|An unused select Icon for [[Koopa Paratroopa]] as a player
HammerBro-MKWii-Icon.png|An unused select Icon for [[Hammer Bro]] as a player
Petey-MKWii-Icon.png|An unused select Icon for [[Petey Piranha]] as a player
</gallery>
<gallery style="display:inline-block">
MKWii NPC Mii Outfit.png|The unused Toad outfit
</gallery>
==Glitches==
{{main|List of Mario Kart Wii glitches}}
'''Note:''' All names are conjectural unless otherwise specified.
===Grumble Volcano lap glitch===
On the large rock to the left of the starting lien in [[Grumble Volcano]], if the player drives around it, they will complete a lap.
===Incorrect number of players===
Rarely, when the player finishes an online race, if the next race has 12 players, the game will say it has 13 players instead.


{{endspoiler}}
===Miscolored Item Boxes===
[[File:MKW Blue Fake Item Box Glitch.png|thumb|The glitch in action]]
To perform the glitch, the player needs to start a team race on the blue team. If the player starts a solo race, some racers' [[Fake Item Box]]es will be blue instead of red.


==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
MKW Mario Holding Bob-omb on Wild Wing Artwork.png|[[Mario]] driving his [[Wild Wing]] with a [[Bob-omb]]
MKW Yoshi Mach Bike Artwork.png|[[Yoshi]] riding his [[Mach Bike]]
MKW Toad Cheep Charger Artwork.png|[[Toad]] driving his [[Cheep Charger]]
MKW Waluigi Bike Artwork.png|[[Waluigi]] riding his [[Standard Bike L]]
Bowser Art - Mario Kart Wii.png|[[Bowser]] driving his [[Flame Flyer]] holding a [[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]]
Poster MKWii.jpg|[[Luigi Circuit (Wii)|Luigi Circuit]] group picture artwork
</gallery>


==Game Artworks==
==Music and sound==
===Drivers===
Technically, this is the first game before ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' to feature revamped music for retro courses. In this case, the SNES and GBA tracks received revamped songs, as well as some of the battle stages. Tracks from the N64 and DS had their songs slightly enhanced in sound quality. The GCN tracks, however, remained relatively the same. This trait is also kept in ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' as well.
<center><gallery>
It is also the first and currently only game that cuts off the tracks' intros in the final lap.
Image:MarioKartWii2.jpg|<center>[[Mario]]
Image:MarioKartWii.jpg|<center>Mario
Image:Mariokartwii.marioart.jpg|<center>Mario
Image:LuigiKartWii.jpg|<center>[[Luigi]]
Image:PeachKartWii.jpg|<center>[[Peach]]
Image:Mariokartwii.yoshiart.jpg|<center>[[Yoshi]]
Image:Mariokartwii.toadart.jpg|<center>[[Toad]]
Image:BabyMario_MKWii.jpg|<center>[[Baby Mario]]
Image:Mariokartwii.babypeachart.jpg|<center>[[Baby Peach]]
Image:Mariokartwii.warioart.jpg|<center>[[Wario]]
Image:Mariokartwii.waluigiart.jpg|<center>[[Waluigi]]
Image:Mariokartwii.koopaart.jpg|<center>[[Koopa Troopa]]
Image:Mariokartwii.donkeykongart.jpg|<center>[[Donkey Kong]]
Image:BowserKartWii.jpg|<center>[[Bowser]]
</gallery></center>


===Promotional===
The soundtrack was created using Best Service's Advanced Orchestra and Gigapack, EastWest's Stormdrum and Quantum Leap Brass, E-MU Systems' Proteus/3, Korg Triton Le, ILIO's Synclavier Essential Percussion and World & Orchestra, Roland's D-550, Fantom X7 and Sound Canvas SC-8850, Spectrasonics' Distorted Reality and Supreme Beats, Ueberschall's House Essentials and Zero-G's Jungle Warfare.<ref>{{cite|language=en|url=docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JJBlHHDc65fhZmKUGLrDTLCm6rfUU83-kbuD8Y0zU0o/edit?pli=1#gid=717751203|title=Newer VGM Sound Sources|publisher=Google Docs|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
<center><gallery>
===Soundtrack===
Image:Mario_kart_wii_artwork.JPG |<center>[[Luigi Circuit]] group picture artwork
{{main|{{PAGENAME}} Platinum Soundtrack}}
Image:MKW_Logo.jpg|<center>Beta Game Logo
An official soundtrack was released in 2011 by [[Club Nintendo (rewards program)|Club Nintendo]] as a Platinum reward featuring 43 songs from the game itself.
Image:MKWii-logo.jpg|<center>Final Game Logo
Image:Scene_MKWii.jpg|<center>Mario & Luigi
</gallery></center>


==Quotes==
===Media===
''For a full list of quotes, see [[List of Quotes in the Mario Kart Series#Mario Kart Wii|here]].''
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=MKW-Title.oga
|title1=Title Screen
|description1=The music for the Title Screen
|length1=0:30
|file2=MKW Mario and Luigi Circuit Theme.oga
|title2=[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]] and [[Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Luigi Circuit]]
|description2=The music for Mario Circuit and Luigi Circuit
|length2=0:30
|file3=MKW Rainbow Road Theme.oga
|title3=[[Wii Rainbow Road |Rainbow Road]]
|description3=The music for Rainbow Road
|length3=0:30
|file4=MKW Credits Part 1.oga
|title4=Credits Pt. 1
|description4=The theme for the first part of the credits
|length4=0:30
}}


==References to other games==
==References to other games==
*All past [[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' games]]: Half of the stages are taken from those games in the Retro Grand Prix, while half of the Battle courses are taken from those games under Retro Battle Course..
[[File:MKWii-RainbowRoad2.png|thumb|Star Bits in Rainbow Road]]
*''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'': The [[POW Block]] is an item in the game.
*All past [[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' games]]: Half of the courses are taken from those games in the Retro Grand Prix, while half of the Battle courses are taken from those games under Retro Battle Course.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': Various items from said game appears in the background of the Battle course [[Block Plaza]], ''Super Mario Bros.''-style. Additionally, the first seconds of the course [[Bowser Castle|Bowser's Castle]] theme resemble the music played in that game by it's instruments.  
*''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'': The [[POW Block]]'s logo appears in some of the cars in [[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]]. It also returns as an item.
*''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'': The license plates on some of the trucks read ''SMB3''. The course [[Desert Hills|DS Desert Hills]], which actually is from ''Mario Kart DS'', is based on [[Desert Land]].
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': Various items from said game appear in the background of the Battle course [[Block Plaza]], ''Super Mario Bros.''-style. Additionally, the first seconds of the course [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]] theme resemble the music played in that game by its instruments. Also, the tune that plays in the award ceremony is a cover version of the tune that plays when [[Mario]]/[[Luigi]] beats a castle. When bumped into, a racer's vehicle makes one of several beeping noises, one of which is the first six notes of the [[Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros.)|Ground Theme]], and another is the power-up sound effect.
*''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]'': [[Yoshi Cookie]]s appear in the Battle course [[Cookie Land|GCN Cookie Land]], which actually is from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''.
*''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'': The license plates on some of the trucks read "SMB3", the abbreviation of ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. They also say "POW" as a reference to the item that causes earthquakes.
*''[[Super Mario 64]]'': [[Unagi]]s appear in the background of [[Koopa Cape]]. [[Penguin]]s appear on the stage [[Sherbet Land (course)|N64 Sherbet Land]], which actually is from ''Mario Kart 64''.
*''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]'': The [[Tiny Titan]] was inspired by the [[Monster (vehicle)|Monster]].
*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'': The course [[Moo Moo Meadows]] is based on [[Moo Moo Farm]]. [[Block Plaza]] has parts of [[Block Fort]].
*''[[Super Mario Kart]]'': [[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]] and [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]] return as retro courses, and [[SNES Battle Course 4|Battle Course 4]] returns as a playable battle course. Also, part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a [[Trophy]]) is the same as in the same scenario in ''Super Mario Kart'', ''Mario Kart 64'' and ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''.
*''[[Yoshi's Story]]'': An Egyptian-style remix of the main theme plays on the course [[Dry Dry Ruins (course)|Dry Dry Ruins]]. [[Pirate Guy]] ships appear in the background of [[Shy Guy Beach|GBA Shy Guy Beach]], which is from ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]''.
*''[[Super Mario 64]]'': [[Maw-Ray|Unagi]] appear in the background of [[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]] and Chain Chomp Wheel.
*''[[Paper Mario]]'': The course Dry Dry Ruins is based on [[Dry Dry Ruins]] and [[Dry Dry Desert]].
*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'': [[N64 Mario Raceway|Mario Raceway]], [[N64 Sherbet Land|Sherbet Land]], [[N64 DK's Jungle Parkway|DK's Jungle Parkway]], and [[N64 Bowser's Castle|Bowser's Castle]] return as retro courses, and [[N64 Skyscraper|Skyscraper]] returns as a playable battle course. Also, the course [[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]] is based on [[N64 Moo Moo Farm|Moo Moo Farm]], and [[Block Plaza]] has parts of [[Block Fort]]. Also, part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a [[Trophy]]) is the same as in the same scenario in ''Mario Kart 64'', ''Super Mario Kart'' and ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''.
*''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'': The Yoshi Sphinx from the background of [[Yoshi Desert]] returns as a part of the race course [[Dry Dry Ruins (course)|Dry Dry Ruins]].
*''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'': [[GBA Shy Guy Beach|Shy Guy Beach]] and [[GBA Bowser's Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]] return as retro courses, and [[GBA Battle Course 3|Battle Course 3]] returns as a playable battle course. Also, the Yoshi Sphinx from the background of [[Yoshi Desert]] returns as a part of the race course Dry Dry Ruins. Part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a [[Trophy]]) is the same as in the same scenario in ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', ''Super Mario Kart'' and ''Mario Kart 64''.
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': The courses [[Daisy Circuit]] and [[Delfino Square|NDS Delfino Square]] (the latter of which actually is from ''Mario Kart DS'') and the battle stage [[Delfino Pier]] are based on [[Delfino Plaza]]. The course [[Peach Beach|GCN Peach Beach]] (which actually is from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'') is based on [[Gelato Beach]].
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': The battle stage [[Delfino Pier]] is based on [[Delfino Plaza]]. Also, the course [[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]] is seemingly located on [[Isle Delfino]].
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': Many of the courses in ''Mario Kart Wii'' are based on the courses from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''. The [[Daisy Cruiser]] cameos in the background of Daisy Circuit. The course Moonview Highway is said to be in a part of [[Mushroom City]], complete with [[Mushroom Bridge]]. Also, [[Block Plaza]] has parts of [[Block City]]. At last, the course [[Dry Dry Ruins (course)|Dry Dry Ruins]] has the same start port as [[Dry Dry Desert (course)|Dry Dry Desert]].  
*''[[WarioWare (series)|WarioWare]]'' series: The [[Wario Bike]] appears as a selectable vehicle.
*''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'': The Battle course [[Twilight House|NDS Twilight House]], which actually is from ''Mario Kart DS'', is based on, and named after, [[Twilight Town]].
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': [[GCN Peach Beach|Peach Beach]], [[GCN Waluigi Stadium|Waluigi Stadium]], [[GCN Mario Circuit|Mario Circuit]], and [[GCN DK Mountain|DK Mountain]] return as retro courses, and [[GCN Cookie Land|Cookie Land]] returns as a playable battle course, and all of these courses retain their intros as retro tracks. Also, [[Daisy Cruiser]] cameos in the background of [[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]], [[Block Plaza]] has parts of [[Block City]], the course Dry Dry Ruins has the same starting point as Dry Dry Desert, and finally, the character icons and the starting race jingle for Grand Prix races was also recycled from that game for VS. and Grand Prix races in this game, along with the 3-2-1 starting countdown, but with "GO!" at the end instead of "START". Some of the animations seen for the driver selection process (excluding the new drivers introduced for this game) are reused, and the 1st and 6th-12th kart animations are reused from ''Double Dash!!''{{'}}s primary 1st-3rd and 4th-8th place animations. All character models are ported from ''Double Dash!!'' as well, with only a few characters receiving noticeable changes. On the save file/driver's license screen, the Star Cup uses the same icon.
*''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]'': The course [[Toad's Factory]] may have been based on the [[Mini Mario Toy Company]], thought Toad's Factory has bulldozers, mud and [[Brick Block]]s.
*''[[Mario Party 6]]'': On [[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]], Daisy's artwork from this game can be seen on a sign with the words "Daisy Candy".
*''[[Mario Kart DS]]'': The course [[DK's Snowboard Cross]] has derived many elements from [[DK Pass]]. The Battle course [[Delfino Pier]] is based on Delfino Square. The battle course [[Chain Chomp Wheel]] is based on the Battle course [[Tart Top]]. [[Block Plaza]] has parts of [[Block Fort]], which actually first appeared in ''[[Mario Kart 64]]''.
*''[[Mario Party 7]]'': [[Dry Bones]] and [[Boo]]'s artwork can be seen in [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]] on the Showtime billboard. [[Toadette]]'s artwork is reused from this game. Some of [[Birdo]]'s voice clips are reused from this game.
*''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'': Various things in the game are derived from their ''New Super Mario Bros.''-look. The [[Mega Mushroom]] is an item in the game. The mushroom platforms in [[Mushroom Gorge]] is based on the mushroom platforms in said game, with the red ones being "bouncy", and the green ones more like solid platforms. [[Grumble Volcano]] is similar to World 8 of New Super Mario Bros. [[Dry Bowser]] who first appeared in this game is a playable character. He also happens to be the Staff Ghost of the aforementioned course
*''[[Mario Kart DS]]'': [[DS Yoshi Falls|Yoshi Falls]], [[DS Delfino Square|Delfino Square]], [[DS Desert Hills|Desert Hills]], and [[DS Peach Gardens|Peach Gardens]] return as retro courses, and [[DS Twilight House|Twilight House]] returns as a playable battle course, and just like ''Double Dash!!'', all of the courses' intros return in this game as well. Also, the course [[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]] has derived many elements from [[DS DK Pass|DK Pass]], and the course Dry Dry Ruins has similar music to that of Desert Hills, and finally, the countdown sound effect for starting races and battles are recycled from that game to signal the start of the race in Grand Prix, Time Trial, and VS mode. The Zipper is a bike that relates to the Shooting Star and the [[ROB-LGS]] acts like the Standard Bikes in the game. The opening portion of the theme for Rainbow Road is taken from [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart DS)|Rainbow Road]]'s music from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'': [[Rainbow Road]] has several elements from said game. [[Spiked Topman|Spiked Topmen]] was the enemy in the June 1st Tournament. [[Rosalina]] is also a playable character. In addition, the course was named [[Galaxy Arena]]. [[Maple Treeway]] has similar parts to the [[Gold Leaf Galaxy]]. Finally, portions of the [[Good Egg Galaxy]] music is heard for ''Mario Kart Wii'''s Rainbow Road course. Also, Star Bits appeared in the background of Rainbow Road.
*''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'': Various features in the game are derived from their ''New Super Mario Bros.''-look, such as the hills and outcrops of [[Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Luigi Circuit]] and the [[Flower (environmental object)|flowers]] and mushrooms of Moo Moo Meadows. The [[Mega Mushroom]] is an item in the game. The mushroom platforms in [[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]] is based on the mushroom platforms in said game, with the red ones being "bouncy", and the green ones more like solid platforms. [[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]] is similar to [[World 8 (New Super Mario Bros.)|World 8]] of ''New Super Mario Bros.'' Also, Dry Bowser, who first appears in ''New Super Mario Bros.'', returns to ''Mario Kart Wii'' as his second appearance.
*''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]'': Princess Peach's profile artwork is reused.
*''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]'': Several voice clips are reused from this game.
*''[[Mario Party 8]]'': Several voice clips are reused from this game. Daisy's artwork from this game is also reused, but with her kart added to it.
*''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'': Several of [[Donkey Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]], and [[Funky Kong]]'s voice clips are reused from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'': [[Wii Rainbow Road |Rainbow Road]] has several elements from said game, such as Star Bits or a section based on [[Launch Stars]], and portions of the [[Good Egg Galaxy]]'s music is heard for the course's music. [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]] resembles the [[Gold Leaf Galaxy]]. The battle course [[Galaxy Colosseum]] is also heavily based on ''Super Mario Galaxy''. Additionally, [[Spiky Topmen]] are the enemies in the June 2008 1st Competition. Also, Rosalina, who first appears in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', returns to ''Mario Kart Wii'' as her second appearance.


==Beta Elements==
==References in later games==
{{main|{{PAGENAME}}/Beta elements}}
[[File:SSB4TrophyToadQuacker.png|thumb|The Quacker trophy from ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'']]
*''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'': Some of Funky Kong's voice clips are reused in this game.
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'': The character icons were reused in the Character Selection. Also, some of the voices from this game were reused as well.
*''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'': In [[Toad Park]], the Standard Kart design is used from this game.
*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'': This game's retro selection reuses some courses, being [[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]], [[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]], [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]] and [[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]]. [[Jump Boost|Tricks]], which are first introduced here, are reused in this game as well as the character icons and countdown timer for starting races and battles. Some voice clips and kart engine sounds are reused.
*''[[Mario Party 9]]'': Some of the characters voice clips, such as most of [[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]'s voice clips and some of [[Toad|Toad's]], return in this game.
*''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' / ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'': Tricks, Bikes, twelve-player races, and the ability to look behind return. [[Wii Moo Moo Meadows|Moo Moo Meadows]], [[Wii Grumble Volcano|Grumble Volcano]], and [[Wii Wario's Gold Mine|Wario's Gold Mine]] return as retro courses (Wario's Gold Mine was added via DLC, but is available from the start in ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''). [[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]], [[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]], [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]], [[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]], [[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]], [[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]], [[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]], and [[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] return as part of the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'' in ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''. The [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart 8)|Bowser's Castle]] in this game sees the return of a similar giant moving Bowser statue that players drive around. Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina wear their bike suits again when riding a bike or ATV. Some voice clips are reused. The [[Launch Star]] boosters from Rainbow Road also return in the remastered {{classic-link|N64|Rainbow Road}} in this game.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'': [[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]] is one of the few songs that can be heard at the stage [[Mario Circuit (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U)|Mario Circuit]]. The [[Standard Bike|Standard Bike M]], [[Daytripper]], [[Flame Runner]], [[Quacker]], and [[Offroader]] all appear as trophies. Also, some of [[Bowser Jr.]]'s voice clips are reused. The [[POW Block]] item causes the Shy Guy racers in Mario Circuit to spin out when used.
*''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'': [[King Boo]]'s voice clips are reused during his boss fight.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'': Some of Daisy's voice clips are recycled in this game. The Standard Kart, Standard Bike, and Cheep Charger appear as spirits.
*''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'': [[Wii Mushroom Gorge|Mushroom Gorge]], [[Wii Coconut Mall|Coconut Mall]], [[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]], [[Wii Daisy Circuit|Daisy Circuit]], [[Wii Koopa Cape|Koopa Cape]], [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]], [[Wii Dry Dry Ruins|Dry Dry Ruins]], [[Wii Moonview Highway|Moonview Highway]], and [[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] appear as returning courses. The [[Cheep Charger]], [[Wild Wing]], [[Super Blooper (kart)|Super Blooper]], [[B Dasher Mk. 2|Sprinter]] (using its British English name), [[Daytripper]], [[Offroader]], [[Flame Flyer]], and [[Jetsetter]] (renamed the Speeder) return as karts in this game. The jingle that plays when obtaining a level-boost ticket for a High-End kart, racer, or glider is recreated. Diddy Kong and Funky Kong's voice clips are reused in this game.
*''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'': Funky Kong's emblem from ''Mario Kart Wii'' makes a cameo appearance on some plane wreckage in the background of [[Big Top Bop]].
*''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]'': An arrangement of [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]'s music plays in the Tranquil Pipes Teahouse at Shogun Studios.


==Glitches==
==Names in other languages==
{{main|{{PAGENAME}}/Glitches}}
{{foreign names
|Jap=マリオカートWii
|JapR=Mario Kāto Wī
|JapM=''Mario Kart Wii''
|Kor=마리오 카트 Wii
|KorR=Mario Kateu Wii
|KorM=''Mario Kart Wii''
|ChiS=马力欧卡丁车Wii<ref>https://weibo.com/6154885380/GsVVdcTql</ref>
|ChiSR=Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē Wii
|ChiSM=''Mario Kart Wii''
|ChiT=瑪利歐賽車 Wii<ref>{{cite|language=zh-hant|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/wii/wii_software.html|title=Wii遊戲軟體|publisher=Nintendo of HK|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
|ChiTR=Mǎlìōu Sàichē Wii
|ChiTM=''Mario Racing Wii''
}}


==Staff==
==Trivia==
{{main|{{PAGENAME}} Staff}}
*The save data description is "''Race for first!''" in the NTSC version and "''Race for 1st place!''" in the PAL version.
*In the opening cutscene, Peach can be seen racing with her hair untied. She always wears a ponytail in-game.


==Trivia==
==References==
*Part of the Title Screen Music is a remix from ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. This same part originally came from ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''. Also, part of the second half of the credits is a remix of the main theme of ''Mario Kart DS''.
<references/>
*It should also be noted that the majority of this game's overall operations borrowed elements seen in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'', the ''Mario Kart'' home console installment that was developed prior to it. Some elements include, but are not limited to the animations seen for the driver selection process (for the returning drivers from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''), as well as menu operations, and the replays after races in Grand Prix and Time Trial modes.
*Since ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', four avatars of the leading characters (or all eight in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'') were shown on the left side of the screen. In ''Mario Kart Wii'', they were removed.
*For the marketing of ''Mario Kart Wii'' in the United States, Nintendo of America did a series of commericals starring [[Cowboy Jed]]; primarily to promote their slogan for this game: "Get Behind The Wheel!". The slogan focuses on the [[Wii Wheel]], Nintendo's targeted gameplay control, as stated earlier in this article.
*This game was known as ''Mario Kart X'' when in development. See [[Beta_Elements#Mario_Kart_Wii|Beta Elements]] for more info.


==External Links==
==External links==
*[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/mario_kart_wii_7387.html European Official Site]
{{NIWA|NWiki=1|StrategyWiki=1|MiiWiki=1}}
*[http://www.mariokart.com/wii/launch North American Official Site]
{{TCRF}}
*[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rmcj/ Japanese Official Site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rmcj/ Japanese website]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080316053110/http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/O8zz_eN8oGRK9ApOgJ86zbE6zRv3pdB2 North American website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Wii/Mario-Kart-Wii-281848.html European website]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080512030103/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/Wii_Mario_Kart.pdf North American manual]


<br clear=all>
{{MKW}}
{{MK Players|}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{Spinoffs}}
{{Wii}}
{{Wii}}
[[de:Mario Kart Wii]]
[[it:Mario Kart Wii]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii|*]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Wii Games]]
[[Category:Wii games]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii]]
[[Category:Racing games]]
[[Category: Racing Games]]
[[Category:2008 games]]
[[Category:2009 games]]
[[Category:Games with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]]
[[Category:Nintendo Selects]]

Latest revision as of 09:59, November 29, 2024

Mario Kart Wii
Mkwii.jpg
Game box art
Mario Kart Wii North American box art
Wii Wheel bundle box
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Wii
Release date Wii (original release):
Japan April 10, 2008[?]
Europe April 11, 2008[?]
Australia April 24, 2008[?]
USA April 27, 2008[?]
Mexico April 27, 2008[1]
HK July 12, 2008[?]
ROC July 12, 2008[?]
South Korea April 30, 2009[?]
Wii (Nintendo Selects):
Europe October 18, 2013[?]
Australia November 7, 2013[?]
South Korea August 28, 2014[?]
Language(s) English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
French (France)
French (Canada)
German
Spanish (Spain)
Spanish (Latin America)
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Genre Racing
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer, online play
Format
Wii:
Optical disc
Input
Wii:
Serial code(s) Japan RVL-RMCJ-JPN

Mario Kart Wii is a multiplayer-oriented racing game from the Mario Kart series for the Wii, developed by Nintendo EAD. Mario Kart Wii retains the traditional premise of the franchise, with players selecting Super Mario-franchise characters to use as drivers alongside themed vehicles. As with most racing games, the overarching goal is to place first among other competitors, achieved through the usage of item-based weaponry common to the series and taking the fastest routes to secure the lead. Several new key elements introduced to Mario Kart Wii include increasing the number of racers per race from eight to 12, tricks, and a new type of vehicle to the franchise: bikes. The game takes advantage of features unique to the Wii, most notably its motion control capabilities. A Wii Wheel was included in most releases, though the game is still compatible with other controllers such as a regular Wii Remote held sideways, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Nintendo GameCube controller, and the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro. Additional game modes are also present such as the traditional Grand Prix, Versus, Battle, and Time Trial modes.

This game requires 23 blocks of storage on the player's Wii system to save game data. Also, the game data cannot be copied onto another Wii. This makes it the only game in the Mario Kart series where data cannot be transferred between consoles. The game also includes its own Wii Channel, called the Mario Kart Channel, which allows players to play in special tournaments and trade their racing profile with other players around the world. This channel uses 74 to 88 blocks (depending on the game's region), but unlike the game data, players can copy the channel onto their SD cards.

With over 37 million copies of the game sold, Mario Kart Wii is the second best-selling Wii game (after Wii Sports) and the best-selling Super Mario game for the Wii console.[2]

The game supported Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online multiplayer play until it was terminated by Nintendo on May 20, 2014.

Gameplay

The title screen with Mario and Luigi.
The game's main title screen. If one or more profiles have gotten first place on every cup on every class, including Mirror Mode, the title screen will change from Mario and Luigi using the Wii Wheel to individual pictures of Mario, Luigi, Peach or Bowser.
Map of the Countries registered on Mario Kart Wii and Wii's WFC.
This map shows all the countries listed in the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in Mario Kart Wii. Not all regions registered on the Wii system are registered in the game. Some countries that have lost their independence, such as Aruba, Sint Maarten, and Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), as well as others that have disappeared or disintegrated, are still registered as separate regions in the Wii system or the game. In addition, South Sudan and Sudan are registered together as "Sudan" despite their division.[3]

Mario Kart Wii retains most of the elements from previous Mario Kart games, especially Mario Kart DS. Players select a racer from a cast of Super Mario characters, who are all divided into size categories in relation to their stats, and they need to select a vehicle from the class they belong in, all with their own stats. All races start with players at a line corresponding to their proper position, where Lakitu signals the countdown time. Once the time is finished, players race three laps around a race course in an attempt to be first of the pack. Once the third lap is completed, players are ranked points depending on how well they placed in the race. While every previous Mario Kart game allowed for a maximum of eight racers on each course, up to twelve are on the course at a time in Mario Kart Wii. In Grand Prix and VS mode, player characters always start out on the latter positions; once they finish the race, their position is saved as they move on to the next race. Like Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii shows a rating of how well a player performed after the trophy presentation: ★★★, ★★, ★, A, B, C, D, and E (E being the lowest ranking and ★★★ being the highest).

Integral to the Mario Kart series is the usage of Super Mario-themed items to use as weapons against other racers in the track, either directly benefiting the player or hurting another player's progress. Players can receive these items at random from Item Boxes scattered around the track. The quality of the item received depends on the position of the racer: racers who are further down the line receive stronger items to help compensate their poorer performances. For examples, lower racers receive Mushrooms as speed boosts, Stars for faster invincibility, etc. while higher-placed racers receive weak items such as Green Shells and Banana Peels. When players receive an item, they can stop the item roulette faster by pressing the corresponding item button.

Several advanced techniques are retained in Mario Kart Wii from prior Mario Kart titles, although several tweaks have been made to them. Players can drift through tougher curves to maintain speed; players can perform a Mini-Turbo when players receive color-coded sparks from drifting, which depends on how long players can hold the button for drifting and the angle at which they drift. Introduced in Mario Kart Wii are two drift modes: Automatic and Manual. Automatic drifting allows players to automatically drift when turning very sharply, though players cannot perform Mini-Turbos regardless of how well they drift. Manual mode requires players hold down a button to drift, but releasing the button may release a Mini-Turbo, the strength of it depending on the color of the sparks. Players are now able to perform tricks when they driver over specific types of ramps. When drivers perform a trick and land successfully, they gain a momentary boost of speed. Tricks consist of mid-air acrobatics and are performed by shaking the Wii Wheel upward, shaking the Wii Remote in the Wii Remote + Nunchuk combo, pressing the +Control Pad on the Classic Controller, or pressing the +Control Pad on the GameCube controller.

Motorbikes are introduced in this game, alongside having a wider variety of karts to select from. Motorbikes can perform wheelies to increase top speed on straights, though motorbikes cannot perform the most powerful Mini-Turbo that karts can. Motorbikes also come in two classes: drift type and hang-on type. Drift type bikes drift in a similar way to karts, while hang-on type bikes commit to the turn instead.

Prior to discontinuation of online services, Mario Kart Wii featured a text chat in Online Multiplayer Mode when racing or battling against Friends. Users could send pre-written phrases to other users before the series of races started. However, there was no facility for a user to type custom messages.[4]

Another new change is the point system used for Grand Prix races. With twelve racers competing in each race, the point value has increased from 10/8/6/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to eighth place respectively to 15/12/10/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1/0 points for first to twelfth place respectively. Also, 4th and 5th place are not losing positions. The following chart shows the difference of the point spreads from previous games to this installment.

Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
9 6 3 1 0 0 0 0
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart DS
10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart Wii 15 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music
Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)
Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available
In Super Mario Kart, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Mario Kart 64, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. In Mario Kart: Double Dash and other installments after that game including this installment, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

Controls

Controllers that can be used in Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart Wii takes advantage of the Wii Remote's motion-sensing ability. By tilting the remote, players can steer their karts. Since the Wii Remote is designed to be inserted into the Wii Wheel for better grip, players can also play without the Wheel if they choose to. Mario Kart Wii can also be played by connecting the Nunchuk Controller or the Classic Controller, or using the GameCube Controller. Controlling the vehicle is divided up into two sections: Basic and Advanced.

Basic controls and actions

  • Accelerate: When drivers hold down the corresponding button, the vehicle goes forward. Accelerating time depends on the type of karts: Lightweight karts have a high acceleration but low speed. Heavyweight karts tend to have a low acceleration but a high top speed. Middleweight karts tend to have an average top speed and acceleration.
  • Steer: Steering lets drivers move around corners.
  • Brake: Braking slows the vehicle to an abrupt stop.
  • Reverse: The driver's kart goes backwards if the driver continues holding the brake button after the vehicle comes to a stop. If a vehicle reaches maximum top speed, the vehicle will drift instead. If the player tries to accelerate while going in reverse, the vehicle will start to build momentum. When blue sparks start to appear, the player can release the brakes to get a small speed of boost.
  • Look Behind: Drivers can look behind their vehicles. In this way, drivers can be alert from other drivers incoming to steal their place. Drivers can also use this feature to see where they are going while backing up, or to aim a weapon at an opponent following up. This feature once appeared in Super Mario Kart.
  • Drift: Drivers drift to keep the vehicle's speed and take corners more easily, with the benefit of getting Mini-Turbos. The feature can be set to happen automatically or when a button is held, although Mini-Turbos cannot be obtained on the former setting.

Advanced control modes

Rocket Start
Koopa Troopa performing a successful Rocket Start at Koopa Cape
  • Rocket Start: Drivers can perform a speed boost when a race begins. If drivers hold down the corresponding acceleration button right after the countdown timer displays the number 2, then they will receive an extra speed boost when the word "GO!" appears on the screen. However, if drivers hold down the button for too long, when the final beep is heard, their engine bursts and they get an even worse start than a regular one and take a few seconds to recover.
  • Mini-Turbo: When drivers drift for a reasonable amount of time varying on the vehicle used, blue sparks erupt from the vehicle's rear tires. Releasing the drift button gives them a short burst of speed. In a kart, drivers can keep drifting for longer periods to get orange sparks and a longer boost. However, orange sparks cannot be created on bikes. The amount of time the player must drift also depends on the vehicle's drifting stats. Drivers can also perform a "standing Mini-Turbo" by holding the brake/drift and acceleration buttons at the same time. This is helpful for vehicles with slow acceleration, as it will get the vehicle to top speed. A Mini-Turbo cannot be performed when drifting is set to automatic, but the standing Mini-Turbo can.
  • Jumps: If players jump over ramps or mushrooms, the length of the jump can be controlled by +Control Pad up (shorter jump) and +Control Pad down (longer jump).
  • Tricks: Drivers can pull off a trick when they jump in order to gain a momentary Mini-Turbo. Drivers can perform a trick by flicking the Wii Remote, pressing +Control Pad on the Classic Controller, or pressing +Control Pad on the GameCube Controller in any direction when going off a ramp or hill. They obtain a speed boost when landing.
  • Wheelie: Wheelies can be performed only when drivers are riding bikes. Drivers can increase their speed by lifting up the fronts of their bikes. While drivers perform a wheelie, the bike cannot be easily steered. The wheelie can be ended by braking, hopping, waiting for the wheelie to end, or simply setting the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote back down or pressing +Control Pad down. If drivers are bumped into while they are performing a wheelie, they lose most of their speed. If they wheelie again right as their wheelie runs out, they can get a chain wheelie.
  • Bullet Bill: If a driver is flying as a Bullet Bill, its route can be controlled a bit with +Control Pad left and +Control Pad right. The range may differ for every part of a track.

Game modes

  • Grand Prix (1 player) In this mode, the player races against eleven other CPU players to finish in first. There are eight cups to choose from, ranging from the most to the least difficult. Drivers earn points by placing within twelve positions (see chart above). A driver with the most points at the end of the four races wins the cup. The driver will be awarded a grade for their racing performance at the end of the cup. If the character places 4th or under, the screen will say "Better Luck Next Time" as the character sits in their vehicle on a mountain far from the celebration.
  • Time Trial (1 player) Drivers race for the fastest time on a selected course. The fastest record is saved as a Ghost and can be raced against at a later time. Drivers can also race staff records, Regional Records/Champions, World Records/Champions (Wi-Fi must be used), and Friend Records (Friend must be registered and must send the Ghost for Ghost Races, and Wi-Fi also must be used.)
  • VS Race (1 to 4 players, up to 12 online) Drivers can race with their own custom settings, but it is otherwise relatively the same as Grand Prix, other than the fact that drivers can see the other racers' character's names. The driver may choose a Solo Race, where they try to win for themselves, or Team Race, where two teams, red and blue, try to win by gathering the most points and beating the other.
  • Battle (1 to 4 players, up to 12 online) Drivers team up in two teams of six in a battle for the most points within a 3 minute time limit. Items work only against the opposite team and have no effect on the team that uses them. Players can select only the Standard Kart or Bike, color-coded for the team they are on. There are two ways to battle:
    • Balloon Battle: All drivers get three balloons and must use the items to hit the opponents to pop their balloons and get one point for every hit. If drivers lose all their balloons, one point is deducted and Lakitu brings them back to the battle with three balloons once more. If the player uses a mushroom and bumps into a player on the other team with the boost, or hits them with a star, they get a point and steal a balloon.
    • Coin Runners: The goal for drivers is to obtain more coins with their team than the other. In the top right corner of the screen, the score shows, which are the coins obtained altogether for each team. If drivers hit opponents, opponents drop their Coins. The number of Coins dropped depends on the item that hits the player and the number of coins that the player has already gathered.
  • Ghost Race (Mario Kart Channel, 1 player) A Time Trial race with Ghosts made by players around the world with relatively the same skill level to the actual player.
  • Tournament (also known as Competition) (Mario Kart Channel, 1 player) Drivers would compete in a timed competition with specific goals (see list below). This mode served as the replacement of Mission Mode from Mario Kart DS. New tournaments were posted twice a month. The tournaments were discontinued after the first tournament in May 2014 was over.

Grand Prix Mode initially allows only Karts in 50cc and only Bikes in 100cc; if all the Grand Prix's are won in a single engine class, the other vehicle type will become available for it. Mirror Mode is unlocked by scoring first place on all 150cc Grand Prix.

Other information
  • Additionally, in this game, both normal races and battles were playable online through the use of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (WFC). This was the second game in the series to utilize the WFC, the third to support online connectivity, and the first to allow for online battles. Races and Battles would now cater up to 12 players via Wi-Fi connection.
  • Just like in Mario Kart DS, it is not possible to play Grand Prix with multiple players. Players can now only win cup trophies by playing alone.
  • In Battle Mode, the player can only play in teams. Also, the Spiny Shell makes its first appearance in Battle Mode. It chases the player of the opposite team with the most points. Also, Lightning is an item in Battle Mode, appearing only in Balloon Battle. It shrinks the drivers of the opposite team and makes them lose their items, but does not take a balloon.

Tournaments

Main article: List of Mario Kart Wii tournaments
The mission mode appearing in Mario Kart Wii
Baby Mario collecting coins in a tournament

Mario Kart Wii introduces a new mode for the Mario Kart series, entitled "Tournaments" (known as "Competitions" in the European version). Tournaments are somewhat similar to missions in Mario Kart DS. Tournaments are played on the Mario Kart Channel, as long as the Mario Kart Wii disc is in the Wii. Tournaments require an Internet connection and WiiConnect24 to be turned on before they can be played. After a while, a tournament is retired to make room for a new one. However, the rankings of older tournaments can still be viewed on the rankings table. The tournaments began in May 2008 and continued even after all WiiConnect24 services were discontinued on June 28, 2013. The tournament service itself was later discontinued on May 10, 2014, 10 days before the Nintendo WFC servers shut down.

The varieties of tournaments include the following:

  • VS Race - A standard VS race; however, race courses were somewhat altered.
  • Time Trial - A standard Time Trial; however, race courses were somewhat altered.
  • Numbered Gates - The player had to drive through ordered gates as fast as possible.
  • Coin Collecting - The player had to collect the coins on the stage as fast as possible.
  • Boss Battle - The player had to fight against a special boss.

Licenses

A MKWii license.
An example of a Mario Kart Wii license.

Licenses replace normal save files. It is the first Mario Kart game to feature more than one save file.

Each license contains each player's data, their Mii, nickname, Friend Code, and a table including all categories and cups with an empty space. After a cup is won, the corresponding space is filled in with a colored square: gold for first place, silver for second, bronze for third. If at any time the Mii being used for Mario Kart Wii is deleted from the Mii Channel, the in-game Mii is also deleted.

Friend roster

A friend roster.

Players can add different people around the world on to their Mario Kart Wii Friend Roster. Two people need to add the Friend Codes on their licenses. A player can have up to 30 people on their Friend Roster.

If two people are friends on a roster, one can open a room, which allows who is ever friends with the person to join that room. In the room, the players who joined can send messages. If a player who added the person who created the room, and another person joins and the player has not added them, they have an ability to do so. The host of the room can choose a VS Race, Team VS Race, Balloon Battle, and Coin Runners.

If a player joins a race when another player is online and friends with them, the player who added the player in the race can join that race and race with the friend.

Characters

Drivers

The complete character select roster, from Mario Kart Wii.
The character select screen, with all characters unlocked.

Mario Kart Wii features 12 starting characters, while 14 (if both Mii outfits are counted as separate characters) more can be unlocked for a total of 26 playable characters. Of those characters, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Rosalina, Funky Kong, Dry Bowser, and Mii (in "Outfit A" and "Outfit B") are playable for the first time in the Mario Kart series, with Baby Daisy, Rosalina, and Dry Bowser making their first playable appearances overall, and Baby Daisy making her first appearance in any game. In addition, Dry Bones is playable in a home console Mario Kart installment for the first time, after previously being playable in Mario Kart DS. Unlike with the past Mario Kart titles, however, the characters are categorized under a size class system, instead of the usual weight class system.

The size classes are as follows:

  • Small: Small drivers will drive small vehicles. They usually have good acceleration, handling, and off-road stats, but low top speed and weight.
  • Medium: Medium drivers will drive medium-sized vehicles. Most of the karts show average weight and off-road.
  • Large: Large drivers will drive large vehicles. They mostly feature high top speed and weight, but low acceleration, handling, and off-road.

Additionally, all the characters in the game have their own set of bonuses that boost certain stats for their vehicles. Units are out of 80, so a stat bonus of 3 would make a stat three points better than normal.[5] Baby Peach and Large Miis have the most stat bonuses, with a total of 15 each. Bowser Jr. has the fewest stat bonuses, with a total of 6.

Default drivers

Driver Size Bonuses
Artwork of Baby Mario with his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Baby Mario
Small Weight +8
Handling +6
Artwork of Baby Peach with her kart from Mario Kart Wii
Baby Peach(new)
Small Speed +3
Weight +6
Acceleration +3
Handling +3
Mariokartwiitoad.jpg
Toad
Small Acceleration +6
Drift +6
Artwork of Koopa Troopa with his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Koopa Troopa
Small Handling +3
Mini-Turbo +6
Mario Kart Wii promotional artwork: Mario next to his normal kart
Mario
Medium Weight +6
Acceleration +2
Handling +2
Drift +3
Mariokartwiiluigi.jpg
Luigi
Medium Speed +2
Weight +6
Artwork of Princess Peach and her kart from Mario Kart Wii
Peach
Medium Speed +2
Acceleration +5
Drift +6
Artwork of Yoshi with his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Yoshi
Medium Weight +3
Drift +3
Off-Road +5
Artwork of Wario and his standard kart from Mario Kart Wii
Wario
Large Weight +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +6
Artwork of Waluigi with his standard kart from Mario Kart Wii
Waluigi
Large Acceleration +6
Drift +5
Off-Road +3
Artwork of Donkey Kong and his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Donkey Kong
Large Weight +3
Acceleration +2
Handling +2
Mini-Turbo +3
Artwork of Bowser with his Standard Kart from Mario Kart Wii
Bowser
Large Speed +2
Weight +5
Drift +3

Unlockable drivers

Driver Size Bonuses Unlock methods
Artwork of Baby Luigi with his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Baby Luigi
Small Speed +5
Weight +8
Unlock 8 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 3,150 races / Win 100 WFC Ghost races
Artwork of Baby Daisy with her kart from Mario Kart Wii
Baby Daisy(new)
Small Speed +5
Weight +6
Mini-Turbo +3
Rank 1 Star or higher in all 50cc Wii Grand Prix Cups / Play 1,950 races
Artwork of Toadette with her kart from Mario Kart Wii
Toadette
Small Speed +3
Off-Road +6
Play Time Trials on all courses / Play 2,550 races / Win 1,000 WFC races
Artwork of Dry Bones with his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Dry Bones
Small Acceleration +3
Drift +3
Mini-Turbo +6
Win the 100cc Leaf Cup / Play 1,050 races
Artwork of Princess Daisy with her standard kart from Mario Kart Wii
Daisy
Medium Speed +4
Handling +2
Mini-Turbo +3
Win the 150cc Special Cup / Play 2,850 races
Artwork of Birdo from Mario Kart Wii
Birdo
Medium Weight +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +5
Play Time Trials on 16 different courses / Play 1,350 races / Win 250 WFC races
Artwork of Diddy Kong and his standard kart from Mario Kart Wii
Diddy Kong
Medium Acceleration +3
Drift +3
Mini-Turbo +5
Win the 50cc Lightning Cup / Play 450 races
Artwork of Bowser Jr. with his standard kart from Mario Kart Wii
Bowser Jr.
Medium Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Rank 1 Star or higher in all 100cc Retro Grand Prix Cups / Play 3,450 races
Artwork of King Boo from Mario Kart Wii
King Boo
Large Handling +5
Off-Road +3
Win the 50cc Star Cup / Play 750 races
Artwork of Rosalina and Luma and their kart from Mario Kart Wii
Rosalina(new)
Large Speed +3
Handling +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Rank 1 Star or higher in all Mirror Cups / Play 4,950 races / Play 50 races with a Super Mario Galaxy save file
Artwork of Funky Kong and his kart from Mario Kart Wii
Funky Kong(new)
Large Speed +4
Off-Road +3
Unlock 4 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 2,250 races / Win 25 WFC Ghost races
Artwork of Dry Bowser with his Standard Kart from Mario Kart Wii
Dry Bowser(new)
Large Off-Road +6
Mini-Turbo +6
Rank 1 Star or higher in all 150cc Wii Grand Prix Cups / Play 4,350 races
Icon for Mii Outfit A in Mario Kart Wii
Mii Outfit A(new)
Height-and-width dependent Small:
Speed +3
Weight +3
Drift +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Medium:
Speed +3
Weight +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Large:
Speed +3
Acceleration +3
Handling +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Win the 100cc Special Cup / Play 1,650 races
Icon for Mii Outfit B in Mario Kart Wii
Mii Outfit B(new)
Height-and-width dependent Small:
Speed +3
Weight +3
Drift +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Medium:
Speed +3
Weight +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Large:
Speed +3
Acceleration +3
Handling +3
Off-Road +3
Mini-Turbo +3
Unlock all 32 Expert Staff Ghost Data records in Time Trials / Play 5,100 combined races and battles / Win 5,000 WFC Ghost races

Additional enemies, obstacles, and species

These characters and features may either aid the player or act as obstacles and other intractable objects that impede racers if bumped into.

Character/element Location Description
An Angry Sun from Mario Kart Wii
Angry Sun
DS Desert Hills An enemy that appears as part of the scenery and spawns Fire Snakes onto the course.
A Bob-omb Car from Mario Kart Wii
Bob-omb Car
Moonview Highway A car that explodes when driven into or hit by a shell. The explosion sends any driver in the vicinity flying. Any driver who runs into the latter frames of the explosion spins out.
A Bowser Statue from Mario Kart Wii
Bowser Statue
N64 Bowser's Castle A large statue of Bowser that burns drivers if they run into its flame.
A Boulder from Mario Kart Wii
Boulder
GCN DK Mountain A large ball of rock that rolls down the course and flips over any driver who runs into it.
A Cataquack from Mario Kart Wii
Cataquack
GCN Peach Beach An enemy that flips drivers over when touched. Players can temporarily stun Cataquacks by hitting them with shells, POW Blocks, or Lightning, or by driving through them while invincible.
A Chain Chomp from Mario Kart Wii
Chain Chomp (chained)
Mario Circuit
GCN Mario Circuit
DS Peach Gardens
An enemy that knocks over drivers and causes them to lose their items by ramming into them. Some Chain Chomps are chained to stakes, while others roam freely. Chain Chomps that are chained to stakes lunge at nearby drivers.
A Chomp from Mario Kart Wii
Chain Chomp (unchained)
Chain Chomp Wheel An enemy that appears rolling around in Chain Chomp Wheel. Driving under it smashes players, while flying into its upper regions from a ramp causes players to flip over.
A Delfino Oak Tree from Mario Kart Wii
Delfino Oak Tree
GCN Mario Circuit A stationary obstacle that stops players when driven into, serving as a wall.
A Fire Snake from Mario Kart Wii
Fire Snake
Grumble Volcano
DS Desert Hills
A burning snake-like enemy that spins drivers out when touched. In Grumble Volcano, Fire Snakes jump out from pipes, while in DS Desert Hills, they are spawned from the Angry Sun.
A Goomba from Mario Kart Wii
Goomba
Mushroom Gorge
Mario Circuit
Koopa Cape
GCN Mario Circuit
A small enemy that spins drivers out when touched. If a driver defeats Goombas with a shell or while invincible, they drop Mushrooms. They can also be defeated with Lightning, although they do not leave any Mushrooms when struck.
A Koopa Zapper from Mario Kart Wii
Koopa Zapper
Koopa Cape A rotating current of electricity that temporarily shrinks players when touched. Koopa Zappers are similar to the effects of Lightning or a Thunder Cloud, though the duration is shorter.
Lakitu from Mario Kart Wii
Lakitu
All courses The referee of Mario Kart Wii and the entire Mario Kart series. He starts races, keeps track of the laps, announces the winner of a race, and pulls drivers out if they fall off the track.
A Lava Geyser from Mario Kart Wii
Lava Geyser
Grumble Volcano
Bowser's Castle
N64 Bowser's Castle
A pillar of lava that emerges from either a pool of lava or a crack on the ground. In Bowser's Castle, drivers can perform tricks off the hills generated by the geysers. Drivers who come in contact with Lava Geysers flip over.
A Mecha Bowser from Mario Kart Wii
Mecha Bowser
Bowser's Castle A large Bowser-shaped machine that spits out large explosive fireballs that detonate on a blast mark in the stage. Drivers who are hit by a fireball flip over, and they are sent flying if they are caught in the explosion.
A Mecha Piranha Plant from Mario Kart Wii
Mecha Piranha Plant
GCN Waluigi Stadium A Piranha Plant-shaped obstacle that acts as a moving wall, emerging from the pipes and stopping any driver who runs into it.
A Mii Driver from Mario Kart Wii
Mii Drivers
Coconut Mall Miis from the player's system who drive cars back and forth. Driving into them flips drivers over and causes them to lose their items.
A Minecart from Wario's Gold Mine
Minecart
Wario's Gold Mine A four-wheeled vehicle that travels along the rails in the mine. Drivers who hit minecarts flip over.
MushroomCow.png
Moo Moo
Moo Moo Meadows A cow that flips drivers over if it is driven into and causes them to lose their items. Moo Moos are first found on the off-road patches of the track but wander onto the road as time goes by.
A Monty Mole from Mario Kart Wii
Monty Mole
Moo Moo Meadows
DS Peach Gardens
An enemy that leaps out of a hole made of dirt. The holes slow drivers down, and any driver who runs into Monty Moles who leap out of these holes flips over.
An oil slick from Mario Kart Wii
Oil slick
SNES Mario Circuit 3 A patch of an oil spill dotted throughout the course. Drivers who go through oil slicks spin out.
A Penguin Slider from Mario Kart Wii
Penguin Slider
N64 Sherbet Land A small penguin that waddles and slides back and forth, causing drivers who run into it to spin out.
A Penguin Waddler from Mario Kart Wii
Penguin Waddler
N64 Sherbet Land A large penguin found circling a pillar in the cave segment of Sherbet Land. Players who drive into Penguin Waddlers spin out.
A Piranha Plant from Mario Kart Wii
Piranha Plant
N64 Mario Raceway
GCN Mario Circuit
A stationary obstacle that spins drivers out when it is touched. The Piranha Plants in GCN Mario Circuit are stationed in Warp Pipes and take bites out of drivers who come nearby, causing them to flip over and lose their items.
A Podoboo from Mario Kart Wii
Podoboo
Bowser's Castle
GBA Bowser Castle 3
A fiery ball that emerges from lava and causes drivers to spin out.
A Podoboo Cog from Mario Kart Wii
Podoboo Cog
Bowser's Castle
GCN Waluigi Stadium
A solid eyed cog with three Fire Bars circling it, which cause drivers who touch them to spin out.
A Pokey from Mario Kart Wii
Pokey
Dry Dry Ruins
DS Desert Hills
A spiky, cactus-like enemy that spins drivers out when touched. Drivers can temporarily destroy Pokeys with shells or Lightning, or by running into them while invincible.
A Shy Guy Galleon from Mario Kart Wii
Shy Guy Galleon
GBA Shy Guy Beach A pirate ship with Shy Guys as part of the scenery that launch explosive cannonballs onto the course.
A Shy Guy Snowboarder from Mario Kart Wii
Shy Guy Snowboarder
DK Summit A snowboarding Shy Guy that spins out drivers when it is touched.
A Sidestepper from Mario Kart Wii
Sidestepper
GBA Shy Guy Beach A crab that spins out drivers when it is touched. Drivers can temporarily defeat Sidesteppers with shells, POW Blocks, or Lightning, or by running into them while invincible.
A Spiky Topman from Mario Kart Wii
Spiky Topman
Galaxy Colosseum An enemy that exclusively appears in Galaxy Colosseum as part of a tournament, where the goal is to knock the Spiky Topmen off the course with Mushroom boosts.
SwooperMKW.png
Swooper
Wario's Gold Mine
Dry Dry Ruins
A bat-like enemy that slows players down when it is driven into.
A Thwomp from Mario Kart Wii
Thwomp
Bowser's Castle
GBA Bowser Castle 3
N64 Bowser's Castle
Thwomp Desert
This enemy smashes drivers if it is directly driven under, and it acts as a wall when simply driven into. In N64 Bowser's Castle, some of the Thwomps slide back and forth. The Thwomp in Thwomp Desert causes the terrain to become uneven, though players can still get smashed by the Thwomp if they are under it when it crashes.
Vehicles from Mario Kart Wii
Vehicles: cars and trucks
Moonview Highway Obstacles on the highway that flip players over when they are driven into and squash players that hit them from the front. Characters who are in the Mega Mushroom form can knock cars over but not trucks, while characters under the effects of invincibility from a Star or using a Bullet Bill can knock all vehicles over.
A Wiggler from Mario Kart Wii
Wiggler
Maple Treeway A large enemy that wanders around the track and bounces around drivers that bump into it.
Volcanic debris from Mario Kart Wii
Volcanic debris
Grumble Volcano Large balls of fire that spin out any driver who comes in contact with them.

Background characters

These characters appear as part of the audience or do not affect the character, being part of the course scenery served for world-building purposes.

Vehicles

There are thirty-six total vehicles in this game. There are 18 karts, 18 bikes, each divided into the 3 size classes, making 6 and 6 available to each character, 3 and 3 to begin (thus making half of the vehicles unlockable). As with the Standard vehicles, each kart and bike varies in color scheme depending on which character drives them. Each has 7 stats, which are shown during character selection:

  • Speed: How high the top speed of the vehicle is. This does not affect off-road travel. Negatively correlated with acceleration. It is also the only stat where no vehicle goes below twenty.
  • Weight: How heavy a vehicle is. With a higher weight, the player can knock lighter characters away by ramming them. Weight also affects the angle that a vehicle goes over a jump at, with heavier vehicles jumping at a lower angle. Finally, heavier vehicles bounce less upon landing from a jump.
  • Acceleration: How quickly the vehicle's top speed is achieved from a non-moving position. Negatively correlated with speed.
  • Handling: How tight the vehicles can normally turn. Usually opposes the drift rating.
  • Drift: How tight the vehicle turns while using the drifting maneuver. Usually opposes the handling rating.
  • Off-Road: How much speed the vehicle retains when off the track. A low rating of this can slow the vehicle significantly. Also, vehicles with a high off-road stat slide less when driving on ice. There exist several types of off-road surfaces which vary in intensity.
  • Mini-Turbo: When using the manual drift option, how effective a mini-boost will be. While all vehicles can perform a blue spark mini-turbo, only karts can execute an orange spark mini-turbo. Has no effect on the standing mini-turbo.

The following table includes vehicles in order of class primarily. Two types of bikes are distinguished by how they turn when the player attempts to drift (drift type bikes drift similar to a kart, while hang-on type bikes commit to the turn). The stats are displayed with number values, with the units being out of 80,[5] and bars representing that number out of 80. Some names differ between American English and Commonwealth English.

Each kart comes in various colors depending on the character driving it. The time trial mode's record icons use a single color for each kart regardless of driver; the following tables reflect those colors.

Default vehicles

Unlockable vehicles

Internal stats

The stats reported do not correspond to all the actual in-game stats.[6][7][8]

Characters' bonuses

There are 20 different kinds of bonuses, which increase a few statistics of the vehicles:

  • Weight: Increases the weight of the vehicle.
  • Speed: Increases the top speed of the vehicle.
    • While Steering: Increases the top speed of the vehicle while steering, expressed as fraction of the top speed.
  • Acceleration: Increases the acceleration.
    • Standard Acceleration: Increases the first two stage-related acceleration parameters, used when starting from a standstill without mini-turbos (S1 and S2)
    • Drift Acceleration: Increases the last two stage-related acceleration parameters, used when the vehicle is near full speed while drifting (S3 and S4)
  • Handling: Increases how fast the vehicle can turn regularly (angular velocity).
  • Drift: Increases how fast the vehicle can turn while drifting (angular velocity).
  • Mini-Turbo: Increases the duration of the Mini-Turbo boost.
  • Off-Road Speed: Increases the top speed on each kind of off-road section.
  • Off-Road Handling: Increases the Handling on each kind of off-road section.
Small characters' bonuses
Character Baby Mario Baby Luigi Baby Peach Baby Daisy Toad Toadette Koopa Troopa Dry Bones Small Mii
Weight 0.756 0.756 0.504 0.504 0 0 0 0 0
Speed Standard (km/h) 0 1.06 0.53 1.06 0 0.53 0 0 0.53
While steering 0.000474 0.000474 0.000474 0 0.000947 0 0.000474 0.000474 0.000947
Standard Acceleration S1 0 0 0.025 0 0.05 0 0 0.025 0
S2 0 0 0.035 0 0.07 0 0 0.035 0
Drift Acceleration S3 0 0 0 0 0.18 0 0 0.09 0
S4 0 0 0 0 0.02 0 0 0.01 0
Handling Manual 0.00111 0 0.000555 0 0 0 0.000555 0 0.000555
Auto 0.00058 0 0.00029 0 0 0 0.00029 0 0.00029
Drift Manual 0.000529 0 0 0 0 0 0.000265 0 0
Auto 0.000444 0 0 0 0 0 0.000222 0 0
Mini-Turbo (frames) 0 0 0 4 0 0 8 8 4
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.0342 0 0 0
Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.0368 0 0 0
Heavy Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.0226 0 0 0
Slippery Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.01283 0 0 0
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0 0 0 0 0 0.00526 0 0 0
Weak Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.00736 0 0 0
Off-road and Heavy Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.00526 0 0 0
Slippery Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0.00526 0 0 0
Medium characters' bonuses
Character Mario Luigi Peach Daisy Yoshi Birdo Diddy Kong Bowser Jr. Medium Mii
Weight 0.504 0.504 0 0 0.252 0.252 0 0 0.252
Speed Standard (km/h) 0 0.53 0.53 1.06 0 0 0 0 0.53
While steering 0 0.000474 0 0 0 0.000474 0.000474 0.000947 0
Standard Acceleration S1 0.025 0 0.05 0 0 0 0.025 0 0
S2 0.035 0 0.07 0 0 0 0.035 0 0
Drift Acceleration S3 0.09 0 0.18 0 0.09 0 0.09 0 0.09
S4 0.01 0 0.02 0 0.01 0 0.01 0 0.01
Handling Manual 0.000555 0 0 0.000555 0 0 0 0 0
Auto 0.00029 0 0 0.00029 0 0 0 0 0
Drift Manual 0.000265 0 0 0.000265 0.000265 0 0 0 0.000265
Auto 0.000222 0 0 0.000222 0.000222 0 0 0 0.000222
Mini-Turbo (frames) 0 0 0 4 0 8 8 4 4
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0 0 0 0 0.0342 0.0171 0 0.0171 0
Off-road 0 0 0 0 0.0368 0.0184 0 0.0184 0
Heavy Off-road 0 0 0 0 0.0226 0.0113 0 0.0113 0
Slippery Off-road 0 0 0 0 0.01283 0.00641 0 0.00641 0
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00263 0
Weak Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00368 0
Off-road and Heavy Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00263 0
Slippery Off-road 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00211 0
Large characters' bonuses
Character Wario Waluigi Donkey Kong Bowser King Boo Rosalina Funky Kong Dry Bowser Large Mii
Weight 0.252 0 0.252 0.504 0 0 0 0 0.252
Speed Standard (km/h) 0 0 0 0.53 0 0.53 1.06 0 0.53
While steering 0 0 0.000474 0 0.000474 0.000947 0 0.000474 0
Standard Acceleration S1 0 0.05 0.025 0 0 0 0 0 0
S2 0 0.07 0.035 0 0 0 0 0 0
Drift Acceleration S3 0 0.18 0 0.09 0 0 0 0 0
S4 0 0.02 0 0.01 0 0 0 0 0
Handling Manual 0 0 0.000555 0 0.00111 0.000555 0 0 0
Auto 0 0 0.00029 0 0.00058 0.00029 0 0 0
Drift Manual 0.000265 0 0 0 0.000529 0 0 0 0
Auto 0.000222 0 0 0 0.000444 0 0 0 0
Mini-Turbo (frames) 8 0 4 0 0 4 0 8 4
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0.0171 0.0171 0 0 0.0171 0 0.0171 0.0342 0.0171
Off-road 0.0184 0.0184 0 0 0.0184 0 0.0184 0.0368 0.0184
Heavy Off-road 0.0113 0.0113 0 0 0.0113 0 0.0113 0.0226 0.0113
Slippery Off-road 0.00641 0.00641 0 0 0.00641 0 0.00641 0.01283 0.00641
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0 0.00263 0 0.00263 0 0 0.00526 0 0.00263
Weak Off-road 0 0.00368 0 0.00368 0 0 0.00736 0 0.00368
Off-road and Heavy Off-road 0 0.00263 0 0.00263 0 0 0.00526 0 0.00263
Slippery Off-road 0 0.00211 0 0.00211 0 0 0.00422 0 0.00211

Vehicles' stats

The vehicles have 31 stats. Acceleration is divided in four stages, presumably depending on the actual speed relative to the full speed. In each stage, acceleration is determined by two factors, a stage-specific S factor which is affected by the character bonus and a general E factor. These factors change while drifting, that itself can begin once the vehicle has reached 55% of its top speed. Finally, some stats change depending on the drifting method used (either Manual or Auto) and depending on the fact that the vehicle is steering (While Steering) or not (Standard).

  • Weight: The weight of the vehicle.
  • Speed: The top speed of the vehicle.
    • While Steering: The top speed of the vehicle while steering, expressed as fraction of the top speed.
  • Acceleration: How much the relative speed of the vehicle, i.e. the speed expressed as fraction of the top speed, increases over time.
  • Handling: How fast the vehicle changes direction over time while steering (angular velocity).
    • Range: How much the vehicle swings while steering.
  • Drift: How fast the vehicle changes direction over time while drifting (angular velocity).
    • Range: How much the vehicle swings while drifting.
  • Mini-Turbo: The duration of the Mini-Turbo boost.
  • Off-Road Speed: The relative Speed in various Off-Road sections.
  • Off-Road Handling: The relative Handling in various Off-Road sections.
  • Tilt: How much the kart tilts in various conditions.
Small vehicles' stats
Vehicle Standard Kart S Booster Seat Mini Beast Cheep Charger Tiny Titan Blue Falcon Standard Bike S Bullet Bike Bit Bike Quacker Magikruiser Jet Bubble
Weight 3.05 2.84 3.26 2.63 3.47 3.05 2.42 2.63 2.21 2 2.63 2.84
Speed Standard (km/h) 78.71 75.53 81.89 77.12 79.77 82.95 78.18 81.36 75 76.59 79.24 80.3
While steering 0.9957 0.9985 0.9938 0.9933 0.9966 0.9919 0.9962 0.9943 0.999 0.9938 0.9971 0.9947
Acceleration Not Drifting S1 0.728 0.866 0.71924 0.4795 0.89094 0.254 0.774 0.75358 0.912 0.5 0.682 0.8566
S2 0.728 0.866 0.3744 1.668 0.5764 0.766 0.774 0.4148 0.912 1.75 0.682 0.536
S3 0.5034 0.5448 0.4172 0.4418 0.5182 0.3516 0.5172 0.4374 0.5586 0.45 0.4896 0.498
S4 0.07034 0.07448 0.05172 0.04418 0.06182 0.03516 0.07172 0.05374 0.07586 0.045 0.06896 0.0598
E 0.65 0.65 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2
Drifting S1 0.85 0.85 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.9 0.85 0.8
S2 0.95 0.95 0.925 0.975 0.925 0.975 0.95 0.925 0.95 0.975 0.95 0.925
S3 1.95 1.45 2.45 2.25 1.15 1.65 2.05 2.55 1.55 2.35 1.25 1.75
S4 0.13 0.13 0.15 0.11 0.15 0.11 0.13 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.13
E 0.965 0.965 0.98 0.95 0.98 0.95 0.965 0.98 0.965 0.95 0.98 0.965
Handling Manual 0.024 0.0274 0.0205 0.0257 0.0228 0.0199 0.0269 0.0237 0.0301 0.0285 0.0258 0.0248
Auto 0.0244 0.0267 0.0222 0.0256 0.0237 0.0219 0.0217 0.0205 0.023 0.0224 0.0213 0.0209
Range 0.88 0.94 0.82 0.91 0.86 0.81 0.955 0.91 1 0.9775 0.94 0.925
Drift Manual 0.0186 0.0181 0.0198 0.0191 0.0174 0.0167 0.0135 0.0171 0.013 0.016 0.0136 0.0129
Auto 0.0209 0.0204 0.0222 0.0214 0.0196 0.0188 0.0146 0.0125 0.0142 0.0119 0.0107 0.0103
Range 0.94 0.92 0.99 0.96 0.89 0.86 0.95 1 0.93 0.97 0.9 0.88
Mini-Turbo (frames) 29 36 39 33 27 22 31 40 37 35 28 26
Traction -15 5 -8 -3 4 10 1 1 0 3 3 3
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0.7039 0.7894 0.6184 0.7381 0.8578 0.6013 0.721 0.6355 0.8065 0.7552 0.8749 0.6697
Off-road 0.4906 0.5826 0.3986 0.5274 0.6562 0.3802 0.509 0.417 0.601 0.5458 0.6746 0.4538
Heavy Off-road 0.2867 0.3432 0.2302 0.3093 0.3884 0.2189 0.298 0.2415 0.3545 0.3206 0.3997 0.2641
Slippery Off-road 0.931 0.9588 0.9032 0.9421 0.981 0.8977 0.9366 0.9088 0.9644 0.9477 0.9866 0.9199
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0.08419 0.09997 0.06841 0.08945 0.07893 0.06315 0.08156 0.06578 0.09734 0.08682 0.0763 0.07104
Weak Off-road 0.12784 0.14992 0.10576 0.1352 0.12048 0.0984 0.12416 0.10208 0.14624 0.13152 0.1168 0.10944
Off-road 0.08419 0.09997 0.06841 0.08945 0.07893 0.06315 0.08156 0.06578 0.09734 0.08682 0.0763 0.07104
Heavy Off-road 0.08419 0.09997 0.06841 0.08945 0.07893 0.06315 0.08156 0.06578 0.09734 0.08682 0.0763 0.07104
Slippery Off-road 0.05743 0.07009 0.04477 0.06165 0.05321 0.04055 0.05532 0.04266 0.06798 0.05954 0.0511 0.04688
Tilt 0.03 0.035 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03
Medium vehicles' stats
Vehicle Standard Kart M Classic Dragster Wild Wing Super Blooper Daytripper Sprinter Standard Bike M Mach Bike Sugarscoot Zip Zip Sneakster Dolphin Dasher
Weight 4.31 4.1 4.73 3.89 4.31 4.52 3.68 3.68 3.26 3.47 3.89 4.1
Speed Standard (km/h) 79.77 77.65 82.42 80.83 77.12 84.01 79.24 81.89 76.59 78.71 83.48 80.3
While steering 0.9943 0.9924 0.9928 0.9952 0.9976 0.9909 0.9947 0.9933 0.9981 0.9966 0.9914 0.9957
Acceleration Not Drifting S1 0.59 0.4385 0.61622 0.254 0.774 0.6849 0.636 0.65056 0.82 0.92528 0.213 0.82226
S2 0.59 1.504 0.2532 0.766 0.774 0.334 0.636 0.2936 0.82 0.6168 0.602 0.4956
S3 0.462 0.4254 0.3566 0.3516 0.5172 0.397 0.4758 0.3768 0.531 0.5384 0.3352 0.4778
S4 0.0662 0.04254 0.04566 0.03516 0.07172 0.0497 0.06758 0.04768 0.0731 0.06384 0.03352 0.05778
E 0.65 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.2 0.2
Drifting S1 0.85 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.8 0.9 0.8
S2 0.95 0.975 0.925 0.975 0.95 0.925 0.95 0.925 0.95 0.925 0.975 0.925
S3 1.75 2.05 2.25 0.85 1.25 1.45 1.85 2.35 1.35 1.15 1.55 0.95
S4 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.13 0.15 0.13 0.15 0.11 0.15
E 0.965 0.95 0.98 0.98 0.965 0.95 0.965 0.98 0.965 0.98 0.95 0.98
Handling Manual 0.0228 0.0251 0.0199 0.0216 0.0263 0.0187 0.0258 0.0232 0.029 0.0269 0.0221 0.0248
Auto 0.0237 0.0252 0.0219 0.023 0.0259 0.0211 0.0213 0.0203 0.0226 0.0217 0.0198 0.0209
Range 0.86 0.9 0.81 0.84 0.92 0.79 0.94 0.9025 0.985 0.955 0.8875 0.925
Drift Manual 0.0184 0.0186 0.0193 0.0177 0.0177 0.0162 0.0127 0.0164 0.0124 0.0115 0.0119 0.014
Auto 0.0206 0.0209 0.0217 0.0198 0.0198 0.0183 0.014 0.0121 0.0138 0.0133 0.0097 0.0108
Range 0.93 0.94 0.97 0.9 0.9 0.84 0.92 0.98 0.91 0.88 0.85 0.91
Mini-Turbo (frames) 27 32 36 24 33 19 28 37 35 29 20 26
Traction 3 -5 0 5 -7 0 -2 3 -9 -4 -11 2
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0.6697 0.7039 0.6013 0.7894 0.7552 0.5842 0.6868 0.6184 0.7723 0.8407 0.6013 0.8065
Off-road 0.4538 0.4906 0.3802 0.5826 0.5458 0.3618 0.4722 0.3986 0.5642 0.6378 0.3802 0.601
Heavy Off-road 0.2641 0.2867 0.2189 0.3432 0.3206 0.2076 0.2754 0.2302 0.3319 0.3771 0.2189 0.3545
Slippery Off-road 0.9199 0.931 0.8977 0.9588 0.9477 0.8921 0.9255 0.9032 0.9532 0.9755 0.8977 0.9644
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0.07893 0.08419 0.06578 0.07367 0.09471 0.06052 0.0763 0.06315 0.09208 0.08156 0.05789 0.07104
Weak Off-road 0.12048 0.12784 0.10208 0.11312 0.14256 0.09472 0.1168 0.0984 0.13888 0.12416 0.09104 0.10944
Off-road 0.07893 0.08419 0.06578 0.07367 0.09471 0.06052 0.0763 0.06315 0.09208 0.08156 0.05789 0.07104
Heavy Off-road 0.07893 0.08419 0.06578 0.07367 0.09471 0.06052 0.0763 0.06315 0.09208 0.08156 0.05789 0.07104
Slippery Off-road 0.05321 0.05743 0.04266 0.04899 0.06587 0.03844 0.0511 0.04055 0.06376 0.05532 0.03633 0.04688
Tilt 0.03 0.02 0.015 0.02 0.035 0.015
Large vehicles' stats
Vehicle Standard Kart L Offroader Flame Flyer Piranha Prowler Jetsetter Honeycoupe Standard Bike L Flame Runner Wario Bike Shooting Star Spear Phantom
Weight 5.36 5.78 5.36 5.99 5.15 5.57 4.94 4.94 5.36 4.52 5.15 4.73
Speed Standard (km/h) 80.3 78.18 83.48 81.89 85.07 81.36 79.77 82.95 77.65 80.83 84.54 79.24
While steering 0.9943 0.9966 0.9919 0.9928 0.99 0.9938 0.9947 0.9924 0.9971 0.9943 0.9905 0.9957
Acceleration Not Drifting S1 0.544 0.728 0.54754 0.406 0.1515 0.6849 0.59 0.58188 0.774 0.71924 0.172 0.89094
S2 0.544 0.728 0.1724 0.406 0.356 0.334 0.59 0.2128 0.774 0.3744 0.438 0.5764
S3 0.4482 0.5034 0.3162 0.4068 0.3106 0.397 0.462 0.3364 0.5172 0.4172 0.3188 0.5182
S4 0.06482 0.07034 0.04162 0.06068 0.03106 0.0497 0.0662 0.04364 0.07172 0.05172 0.03188 0.06182
E 0.65 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.65 0.2 0.2 0.2
Drifting S1 0.85 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.9 0.8 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.8 0.9 0.8
S2 0.95 0.95 0.925 0.95 0.975 0.925 0.95 0.925 0.95 0.925 0.975 0.925
S3 1.55 0.75 1.85 1.35 1.05 2.15 1.65 1.95 0.85 2.25 1.15 0.65
S4 0.13 0.13 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.13 0.15 0.13 0.15 0.11 0.15
E 0.965 0.965 0.98 0.965 0.95 0.98 0.965 0.98 0.965 0.98 0.95 0.98
Handling Manual 0.0222 0.0251 0.0182 0.0211 0.017 0.0199 0.0253 0.0216 0.028 0.0232 0.0205 0.0264
Auto 0.0233 0.0252 0.0207 0.0226 0.02 0.0219 0.0211 0.0196 0.0222 0.0203 0.0192 0.0215
Range 0.85 0.9 0.78 0.83 0.76 0.81 0.9325 0.88 0.97 0.9025 0.865 0.9475
Drift Manual 0.0174 0.0167 0.0184 0.0169 0.0155 0.0191 0.0121 0.015 0.0112 0.0141 0.0108 0.0107
Auto 0.0196 0.0188 0.0206 0.0191 0.0175 0.0214 0.0137 0.0114 0.0131 0.0149 0.0092 0.0127
Range 0.89 0.86 0.93 0.87 0.81 0.96 0.9 0.94 0.87 0.97 0.82 0.85
Mini-Turbo (frames) 24 29 31 20 15 35 26 32 31 36 16 27
Traction -15 7 0 -13 30 0 0 0 5 27 3 2
Off-Road Speed Weak Off-road 0.6697 0.721 0.5671 0.6355 0.55 0.6013 0.6868 0.5842 0.7381 0.6184 0.5671 0.8065
Off-road 0.4538 0.509 0.3434 0.417 0.325 0.3802 0.4722 0.3618 0.5274 0.3986 0.3434 0.601
Heavy Off-road 0.2641 0.298 0.1963 0.2415 0.185 0.2189 0.2754 0.2076 0.3093 0.2302 0.1963 0.3545
Slippery Off-road 0.9199 0.9366 0.8866 0.9088 0.881 0.8977 0.9255 0.8921 0.9421 0.9032 0.8866 0.9644
Off-Road Handling Slippery Road 0.0763 0.08945 0.05789 0.06578 0.05263 0.06578 0.07367 0.05526 0.08682 0.06315 0.05 0.0763
Weak Off-road 0.1168 0.1352 0.09104 0.10208 0.08368 0.10208 0.11312 0.08736 0.13152 0.0984 0.08 0.1168
Off-road 0.0763 0.08945 0.05789 0.06578 0.05263 0.06578 0.07367 0.05526 0.08682 0.06315 0.05 0.0763
Heavy Off-road 0.0763 0.08945 0.05789 0.06578 0.05263 0.06578 0.07367 0.05526 0.08682 0.06315 0.05 0.0763
Slippery Off-road 0.0511 0.06165 0.03633 0.04266 0.03211 0.04266 0.04899 0.03422 0.05954 0.04055 0.03 0.0511
Tilt 0.015 0.015 0.015 0.01 0.02 0.025

Unlock order (by race amount)

Every unlockable character and vehicle can be unlocked through a certain number of races or by completing a specific goal. The following gallery lists each by the ascending number of races, being the game's "recommended" unlock order:

Courses

Wario's Gold Mine
Wario races towards a steep downhill portion of Wario's Gold Mine.

Race courses are divided into various Cups again: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup for new courses and Shell Cup, Banana Cup, Leaf Cup, and Lightning Cup for returning courses. Notably, these are the same as in Mario Kart DS.

All thirty-two tracks have three laps, regardless of length and difficulty. At first, only two Wii and two Retro Cups are available, but clearing the former two in first place unlocks the Star Cup, while clearing the latter two in first place unlocks the Leaf Cup; likewise, clearing the Star and Leaf Cups in first place unlocks the Special and Lightning Cups, respectively. This process only applies for the difficulty level the player is in, so it must be repeated for all others to have the secret Cups available in each of them.

This is the first game in the series to have different track names between the American and PAL versions; this applies to DK Summit/DK's Snowboard Cross, Chain Chomp Wheel/Chain Chomp Roulette, and Galaxy Colosseum/Galaxy Arena.

Wii Grand Prix

There are sixteen new courses in Mario Kart Wii.

Icon of the Mushroom Cup from Mario Kart Wii
Mushroom Cup
View of Luigi Circuit in Mario Kart Wii
Luigi Circuit
View of Moo Moo Meadows in Mario Kart Wii.
Moo Moo Meadows
View of Mushroom Gorge in Mario Kart Wii
Mushroom Gorge
View of Toad's Factory in Mario Kart Wii
Toad's Factory
Mario Kart Wii's Flower Cup icon
Flower Cup
Mario Kart Wii: An overview of Mario Circuit, seeing the castle surrounded by houses as residence
Mario Circuit

View of Coconut Mall in Mario Kart Wii.
Coconut Mall

DK Summit in Mario Kart Wii
DK Summit Flag of the United States of America since July 4, 1960. For North American (and sometimes South American) release dates.
DK's Snowboard Cross Flag of the European Union (previously the European Economic Community). For European release dates.
Wario's Gold Mine in Mario Kart Wii
Wario's Gold Mine

Icon of the Star Cup from Mario Kart Wii
Star Cup
Daisy Circuit
Daisy Circuit
Koopa Cape
Koopa Cape
Overview of Maple Treeway
Maple Treeway
Grumble Volcano
Grumble Volcano
Special Cup
Special Cup
Dry Dry Ruins (race course)
Dry Dry Ruins
Moonview Highway
Moonview Highway
Bowser's Castle
Bowser's Castle
Rainbow Road
Rainbow Road

Retro Grand Prix

These are courses that appeared in previous Mario Kart installments, much like in Mario Kart DS. This includes two courses each from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and four each from Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS. These have been graphically updated and have some new details such as extra trees and ramps, new features such as jumps, pipe tricks, and even added shortcuts. These courses appear in the Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning Cups. This game is tied with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (when counting the Booster Course Pass) for having the second most retro Mario Circuit courses of any Mario Kart game, with three, behind only Mario Kart Tour, which has six.

Mario Kart Wii's Shell Cup icon
Shell Cup
View of Peach Beach in Mario Kart Wii
GCN Peach Beach
View of Yoshi Falls in Mario Kart Wii
DS Yoshi Falls
View of Ghost Valley 2 in Mario Kart Wii
SNES Ghost Valley 2
View of N64 Mario Raceway in Mario Kart Wii
N64 Mario Raceway
Mario Kart Wii's Banana Cup icon
Banana Cup
View of N64 Sherbet Land in Mario Kart Wii
N64 Sherbet Land
View of Shy Guy Beach in Mario Kart Wii
GBA Shy Guy Beach
View of Delfino Square in Mario Kart Wii
DS Delfino Square
View of Waluigi Stadium in Mario Kart Wii
GCN Waluigi Stadium
Super Leaf icon for the Leaf Cup
Leaf Cup
Desert Hills.png
DS Desert Hills
GBA Bowser Castle 3
GBA Bowser Castle 3
N64 DK's Jungle Parkway
N64 DK's Jungle Parkway
MKWii GCNMario.png
GCN Mario Circuit
Icon of the Lightning Cup from Mario Kart Wii
Lightning Cup
SNES Mario Circuit 3
SNES Mario Circuit 3
Peach Gardens
DS Peach Gardens
DK Mountain
GCN DK Mountain
N64 Bowser's Castle
N64 Bowser's Castle

Battle stages

This game has the most battle courses of any Mario Kart game, with ten. Additionally, this is the first Mario Kart game with unique music for each battle course.

Icon for the Wii battle stages from Mario Kart Wii.
Wii Stages
Block Plaza.png
Block Plaza

Delfino Pier.png
Delfino Pier

Funky Stadium
Funky Stadium

Chain Chomp Roulette.png
Chain Chomp Wheel Flag of the United States of America since July 4, 1960. For North American (and sometimes South American) release dates.
Chain Chomp Roulette Flag of the European Union (previously the European Economic Community). For European release dates.
Thwomp Desert.png
Thwomp Desert

Icon for the Retro battle stages from Mario Kart Wii.
Retro Stages
Battle Course 4 (SNES).png
SNES Battle Course 4
Battle Course 3 (GBA).png
GBA Battle Course 3
N64 Skyscraper, as it appears in Mario Kart Wii.
N64 Skyscraper
Cookie Land.png
GCN Cookie Land
Twilight House.png
DS Twilight House

Tournament arena

This course, structured similar to the battle courses, was only available in certain online tournaments, where it was used as a boss arena against Spiky Topmen.

Staff Ghosts

Each race course in the game has two Staff Ghosts available in Time Trial mode: Normal Staff Ghosts are unlocked by default, while Expert Staff Ghosts are unlocked by setting a good enough record for the course in Time Trials. Unlocking Expert Staff Ghosts can help unlock certain characters and vehicles in the game. Each course's Staff Ghosts both use the same character, but have different vehicles: one is always a kart, the other always a bike. When applicable, the character chosen for each Staff Ghost is usually pertinent to the course, i.e. the "Mario Circuit" courses feature either Mario or Baby Mario. Aside from the Miis, Birdo is the only character not used as a Staff Ghost.

Normal Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Time Character Vehicle Wii Wheel Drift
Luigi Circuit Nin★sato 01:29.670 Luigi B Dasher Mk 2/Sprinter Yes Auto
Moo Moo Meadows Nin★YuNya 01:37.856 Baby Daisy Baby Booster/Booster Seat Yes Auto
Mushroom Gorge Nin★Murak 02:16.110 Toadette Quacker Yes Manual
Toad's Factory Nin★Misa 02:22.480 Toad Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble Yes Manual
Mario Circuit Nin★==Kony 01:44.777 Mario Rapide/Zip Zip Yes Manual
Coconut Mall Nin★♪SiMO 02:30.764 Daisy Bon Bon/Sugarscoot No Manual
DK Summit Nin★mokke 02:34.693 Donkey Kong Standard Bike L Yes Manual
Wario's Gold Mine Nin★morimo 02:19.585 Wario Wario Bike Yes Manual
Daisy Circuit Nin★Toki 01:56.822 Daisy Royal Racer/Daytripper No Manual
Koopa Cape Nin★Rose 03:03.022 Koopa Troopa Cheep Charger No Manual
Maple Treeway Nin★pico 02:58.633 Diddy Kong Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster Yes Manual
Grumble Volcano Nin★Gorin 02:28.237 Dry Bowser Offroader Yes Manual
Dry Dry Ruins Nin★Kei 02:30.949 Yoshi Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster Yes Manual
Moonview Highway Nin★KOZ★ 02:16.802 Peach Standard Kart M Yes Manual
Bowser's Castle Nin★YABUKI 03:04.836 Bowser Piranha Prowler No Manual
Rainbow Road Nin★Konno 03:05.895 Rosalina Twinkle Star/Shooting Star No Manual
GCN Peach Beach Nin★HIRO 01:34.233 Peach Royal Racer/Daytripper No Manual
DS Yoshi Falls Nin★DoTak 01:16.461 Yoshi Rapide/Zip Zip No Manual
SNES Ghost Valley 2 Nin★YOKO 01:06.595 King Boo Standard Kart L Yes Manual
N64 Mario Raceway Nin★Ichiro 02:14.799 Baby Mario Nanobike/Bit Bike Yes Manual
N64 Sherbet Land Nin★Sakat 02:48.651 Baby Luigi Quacker Yes Auto
GBA Shy Guy Beach Nin★Kato 01:45.568 Koopa Troopa Cheep Charger Yes Manual
DS Delfino Square Nin★iwaco 02:41.807 Wario Wario Bike Yes Manual
GCN Waluigi Stadium Nin★NARI★ 02:32.882 Waluigi Standard Bike L No Manual
DS Desert Hills Nin★CHIA 02:10.233 Dry Bones Standard Bike S No Manual
GBA Bowser Castle 3 Nin★Fukuda 02:58.304 Dry Bowser Standard Kart L Yes Manual
N64 DK's Jungle Parkway Nin★Matt 02:58.264 Donkey Kong Phantom Yes Manual
GCN Mario Circuit Nin★♪Miz 01:59.771 Mario Standard Bike M Yes Manual
SNES Mario Circuit 3 Nin★iwaco 01:38.880 Baby Mario Standard Kart S Yes Manual
DS Peach Gardens Nin★Ito.y 02:34.894 Baby Peach Magikruiser Yes Manual
GCN DK Mountain Nin★♪msk 02:57.744 Funky Kong Wario Bike Yes Manual
N64 Bowser's Castle Nin★GASK2 03:19.323 Bowser Jr. Standard Kart M Yes Manual

Expert Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Unlock Time Time Character Vehicle Wii Wheel Drift
Luigi Circuit Nin★Uta♪ 01:26.394 01:19.419 Luigi Mach Bike Yes Manual
Moo Moo Meadows Nin★Tkym 01:34.160 01:25.909 Baby Daisy Bullet Bike No Auto
Mushroom Gorge Nin★Miki 02:10.875 02:01.011 Toadette Concerto/Mini Beast No Manual
Toad's Factory Nin★GQO 02:17.653 02:05.593 Toad Blue Falcon No Manual
Mario Circuit Nin★fuyu 01:40.528 01:33.702 Mario B Dasher Mk 2/Sprinter No Manual
Coconut Mall Nin★MUGI★ 02:25.620 02:13.333 Daisy Wild Wing Yes Manual
DK Summit Nin★KOZ★ 02:29.076 02:17.546 Donkey Kong Flame Flyer Yes Manual
Wario's Gold Mine Nin★♪Ryo 02:15.323 02:04.800 Wario Flame Flyer No Manual
Daisy Circuit Nin★Taeko 01:51.786 01:41.362 Daisy Mach Bike No Manual
Koopa Cape Nin★morimo 02:56.867 02:41.370 Koopa Troopa Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble No Manual
Maple Treeway Nin★MUGI★ 02:51.684 02:37.812 Diddy Kong Nitrocycle/Sneakster No Manual
Grumble Volcano Nin★aki 02:22.856 02:11.852 Dry Bowser Torpedo/Spear No Manual
Dry Dry Ruins Nin★Akito 02:26.064 02:14.286 Yoshi Nitrocycle/Sneakster Yes Manual
Moonview Highway Nin★Koh 02:10.509 02:04.163 Peach Mach Bike Yes Manual
Bowser's Castle Nin★Masa 02:57.382 02:42.098 Bowser Bowser Bike/Flame Runner No Manual
Rainbow Road Nin★Syun1 03:00.007 02:44.734 Rosalina Aero Glider/Jetsetter No Manual
GCN Peach Beach Nin★Taeko 01:30.909 01:23.140 Peach Dolphin Dasher Yes Manual
DS Yoshi Falls Nin★FJ 01:14.072 01:09.175 Yoshi Super Blooper/Turbo Blooper Yes Manual
SNES Ghost Valley 2 Nin★sira■ 01:04.261 00:58.907 King Boo Torpedo/Spear No Manual
N64 Mario Raceway Nin★Yuuki 02:10.069 01:59.053 Baby Mario Concerto/Mini Beast No Manual
N64 Sherbet Land Nin★FJ 02:42.536 02:28.356 Baby Luigi Blue Falcon No Manual
GBA Shy Guy Beach Nin★Matt 01:41.174 01:32.867 Koopa Troopa Magikruiser No Manual
DS Delfino Square Nin★TARO 02:36.630 02:24.169 Wario Dragonetti/Honeycoupe No Manual
GCN Waluigi Stadium Nin★♪Ryo 02:26.335 02:12.367 Waluigi Piranha Prowler No Manual
DS Desert Hills Nin★solami 02:02.358 01:52.686 Dry Bones Rally Romper/Tiny Titan Yes Manual
GBA Bowser Castle 3 Nin★A24 02:53.651 02:39.391 Dry Bowser Bowser Bike/Flame Runner No Manual
N64 DK's Jungle Parkway Nin★Syun1 02:51.693 02:37.782 Donkey Kong Flame Flyer Yes Manual
GCN Mario Circuit Nin★Dai8 01:55.907 01:49.939 Mario Wild Wing No Manual
SNES Mario Circuit 3 Nin★Shige 01:35.213 01:26.659 Baby Mario Bullet Bike No Manual
DS Peach Gardens Nin★==Kony 02:29.793 02:16.777 Baby Peach Concerto/Mini Beast Yes Manual
GCN DK Mountain Nin★Miyam 02:52.100 02:38.130 Funky Kong Flame Flyer Yes Manual
N64 Bowser's Castle Nin★Kentan 03:09.228 02:55.933 Bowser Jr. Nitrocycle/Sneakster Yes Manual

Items

For the probability of obtaining each item when an Item Box is opened in the various modes, see Mario Kart Wii item probability distributions.

Mario Kart Wii includes two new items, the Mega Mushroom and the POW Block, and brings back the Thunder Cloud from the Mario Kart Arcade GP installments (making this game its console Mario Kart debut). All three items are absent from Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8. Items can be earned by driving through Item Boxes on the courses, just like in previous games. Once a player has done so, an item will be selected via the Item Roulette. Players can use items by pressing +Control Pad left. In general, players tend to obtain a weak item such as a Banana or a Green Shell when they are in first. However, if players are in a lower place, they obtain a slightly more powerful item such as a Red Shell or Lightning. Usually, the lower the place of the player, the rarer and more powerful the item they get. Stars, Mega Mushrooms, and Bullet Bills are examples of powerful items as they provide speed boosts and invincibility. This is the only game in the Mario Kart series where the drivers do not vocally react to getting inked by a Blooper.


Image Name Description

Artwork of a Super Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros.; also reused for the Dash Mushroom in Mario Kart Wii. Mushroom Gives players a short speed boost that ignores terrain.
Artwork of Triple Mushrooms from Mario Kart Wii. Triple Mushrooms Gives players three Mushrooms, which give separate boosts. It is the default item in Time Trial mode.
Artwork of a Golden Mushroom in Mario Kart Wii Golden Mushroom The driver gets an infinite number of Mushroom boosts for 7.5 seconds.
Artwork of a Mega Mushroom in Mario Kart Wii Mega Mushroom
New item
The driver grows bigger, which allows them to squash other racers by running over them, making them lose their items and slow down for a moment. The Mega Mushroom makes the racer invincible to all attacks except those from Stars, Bullet Bills, and Bloopers. It allows the user to destroy items and course obstacles and gives the driver a speed boost. In addition, the player can go off-road without suffering any effect of slowing down. The effect lasts for 7.5 seconds but will be ended prematurely if the player is hit by Lightning.
Artwork of a Fake Item Box, from Mario Kart Wii. Fake Item Box This item imitates an Item Box but is colored red and has an upside down question mark. At a distance, it appears a similar color to a regular item box, only revealing its true color as the player approaches. It causes opponents to flip over once hit. It cannot block item attacks, but it can be held behind the player's vehicle to block other vehicles.
Artwork of a Banana, from Mario Kart Wii. Banana When drivers run into a Banana, it causes them to slip and slow down. It can also be held behind the player's vehicle to block attacks from shells and other vehicles.
Artwork of Triple Bananas, from Mario Kart Wii. Triple Bananas This item gives the driver a trail of three Bananas.
Artwork of a Green Shell, from Mario Kart Wii. Green Shell A basic green shell that can be thrown forwards and backwards. It bounces off obstacles several times before it hits an opponent or is destroyed. With each bounce, the new direction is a little corrected to increase the probability of hitting a player.
Artwork of Triple Green Shells, from Mario Kart Wii. Triple Green Shells Three Green Shells that surround the racer until released. These can also be thrown forward or backward.
Artwork of a Red Shell, from Mario Kart Wii. Red Shell A fragile shell that tracks the nearest opponent when fired forward. It will break if it hits an obstacle.
Artwork of Triple Red Shells, from Mario Kart Wii. Triple Red Shells Three Red Shells that surround the racer until released.
Artwork of a Spiny Shell, from Mario Kart Wii. Spiny Shell A blue shell that flies directly to the racer in first place and explodes like a Bob-omb. Only one Spiny Shell can be in play at a time, and Spiny Shells are unobtainable for the first 30 seconds of a race.
Artwork of a Super Star from Mario Kart Wii Star The driver obtains total invincibility for 7.5 seconds, allowing them to knock over items, course obstacles, and other players on contact. Also, the driver receives a speed boost and the power to drive off-road with no speed loss. Racers that are hit will lose all items in their possession.
Artwork of Lightning in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (also used for Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii) Lightning Lightning strikes every racer ahead of the user, causing them to spin out, drop their items, and shrink to a very small size, driving more slowly. This item takes no effect on racers with invincibility items activated. The effects wear off from lowest place to first. Any users with the Mega Mushroom in effect shrink to normal size. Only one Lightning can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 30 seconds of a race and for 30 seconds between uses.
Artwork of a Thunder Cloud from Mario Kart Wii. Thunder Cloud
New item in console Mario Kart
A thundercloud hovers over the recipient and strikes it with lightning after 10 seconds. The user shrinks to a very small size for 10 seconds, driving more slowly. Before this happens, the user has higher speed and acceleration while not losing speed when driving off-road, and may pass the cloud to an opponent by bumping into them. The Thunder Cloud can be destroyed if the driver goes into a cannon or uses a Star or Mega Mushroom. Only one Thunder Cloud can be in play at a time.
Artwork of a Bob-omb, from Mario Kart Wii. Bob-omb Blows up a racer anywhere on the track. It has the same effect as the Spiny Shell, except that it can be lobbed or tossed backwards just like a Banana.
A Blooper from New Super Mario Bros. Blooper Squirts ink on any racer ahead of the user, partially obscuring vision. It eventually wears off, but it can be immediately removed by a speed boost from a Mushroom, boost tile, etc. The higher the player's position is, the more their vision is obscured. Only one Blooper can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 15 seconds of a race and for 15 seconds between uses.
Artwork of Bullet Bill, from Mario Kart Wii. Bullet Bill Transforms the racer into a large Bullet Bill, which rockets down the entire track at very high speeds on autopilot. The Bullet Bill provides total invincibility and will knock over any item, any course hazard, and any player that is in the way, making them lose or drop all their items. Only one Bullet Bill can be in play at a time.
Artwork of a POW Block, from Mario Kart Wii. POW Block
New item
The POW Block appears above the karts as a 2D image, warning players of its arrival, and causes any racer on the ground ahead of the user to spin out and drop their items. Players who deploy the wheelie button at the moment the POW Block hits mitigate the spinout by retaining their speed. Players can also be airborne to avoid the POW Block, as the POW Block will not affect any racer that is in the air. Only one POW Block can be in play at a time, and it has a cooldown timer both for the first 20 seconds of a race and for 20 seconds between uses.

Differences in multiplayer modes

As in the previous games in the Mario Kart series, there are several small changes made to the courses in split-screen mode, most likely to preserve the frame-rate.

  • At the start of a race, Lakitu is next to the player driver, slightly facing the side of the track. In single player mode, he is in front of the player driver, facing the camera. This only counts for races, however, as Lakitu always starts next to the player when in a battle.
  • The question marks in the Item Boxes spin around with the box. They are static in single player mode.
  • Frame-rate slows to 30 frames per second if the screen is split 4 ways or is in Two Player Online.
  • The fourth screen in local three player play displays a dynamic camera that rotates between the three player drivers.
  • CPUs do not animate. In Battle Mode, their voices are also absent.
  • There are no tourists on the Sunshine cruise ship in GCN Peach Beach.
  • Boos do not animate in SNES Ghost Valley 2.
  • In GCN Waluigi Stadium, the metal Piranha Plants do not move their jaws, and the moving arrow signs and the Jumbotron are absent as in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
  • There are no Miis in the stores in Coconut Mall.
  • The crowd in Mario Circuit, Toad's Factory, Daisy Circuit, and DS Delfino Square do not animate.
  • No tourists are on the ship in N64 DK's Jungle Parkway.
  • The Jumbotron at Funky Stadium does not show the human player; instead it shows a picture of Funky Kong's face with the words "Funky Stadium".
  • Star Bits are missing in Rainbow Road.

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart Wii staff

Consistent with the rest of the console Mario Kart series, Mario Kart Wii is developed by Nintendo EAD. Shigeru Miyamoto is the general producer of the game, with the producer being Hideki Konno, who had been consistently involved with the Mario Kart series since the first installment, except Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and the executive producer being Satoru Iwata. Yasuyuki Oyagi directed the game, having co-directed the series since Mario Kart 64 barring Mario Kart: Super Circuit, though Mario Kart Wii was the first installment he was the sole director of and the last installment he directed, becoming a co-producer later on. Mario Kart Wii was the debut of Kosuke Yabuki as a planner; he would later become key staff and serving a director role in later Mario Kart installments.

Reception

Critical reception

Mario Kart Wii has received positive reviews from critics. It has an average score of 82.07% from 74 reviews in GameRankings and an average of 82 based on 73 reviews on Metacritic.[9][10]

Bozon of IGN gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, praising the online play, the presentation, and the gameplay but criticizing the cheap AI in 150cc, the lack of voice chat, reliance on friend codes, and the random items. He finished off with, "Every player is going to have their own love/hate relationship with Mario Kart Wii, but in the end the game does so many things right that it'd be foolish not to give credit where due. Online seriously raises the bar for Nintendo, trumping even Smash in a big, big way. The sense of community you can get even with random racers online and ghost-supported leader boards is impressive, and the fact that you can head on to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection solo, with a friend via split-screen, or hook up with buddies across the world without worry of lag and never-ending disconnect notices makes Mario Kart Wii a pure joy to play online. It isn't the best Mario Kart in the series, but it's a must-play experience on Wii, and standard-setting offering as far as online, channel support, and connectivity are concerned. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some online stats to obsess over."[11] Sammy Barker of Nintendo Life praised the game for its polished gameplay and being well-thought and brilliant. Though he criticized the presentation, he wrote, "Poor presentation should not be an issue in this generation of gaming, particularly with the other consoles doing it so well, but, thankfully for us (as Wii owners), this game is a living, breathing example of gameplay over graphics." He gave the game 9/10 stars.[12] Oli Welsh of Eurogamer gave the game a score of 8/10. He praised the presentation of the game, the use of the Wii Wheel, and the smooth gameplay while criticizing the Battle Mode and the single player exclusive Grand Prix mode (though this was revised after being informed by Nintendo that four sequences of races with friends is still possible). He wrote, "Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised battle modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone. And really, that should be everyone."[13]

Ryan Davis of Giant Bomb criticized the game for being safe. He wrote, "Mario Kart Wii is a good game stunted by its audience's apparently insatiable appetite for the exact same thing, over and over again. The addition of online play and motion controls are good, but they're also the most predictable choices possible. Personally, I'm completely tired of getting exactly what I expect." He gave the game a 3 out of 5 stars.[14] Edge gave the game 6/10, criticizing the game's compromising local, splitscreen multiplayer for online play. They ended with "Undercutting local multiplayer to benefit the online movement is a grievous error. Of all the multiplayer franchises, we struggle to think of a title in which four friends sat side by side seemed more natural. Having sacrificed racing integrity in Double Dash to side with social silliness, Nintendo has turned 180 degrees into an awkward halfway house. It’s a residence from where it has attempted to regain time-trial credentials with the loosest racing yet, and sees the company finally find its online feet by betraying one of its great pastimes. Perhaps first place in Mario Kart Wii isn’t the least enjoyable location in gaming after all."[15]

Reviews
Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo Power 9/10 With more features, modes and multiplayer options than ever before, fans should be revved up to get behind the wheel. [May 2008, p.86].
Official Nintendo Magazine UK 9.4/10 A fantastic racer and the best online Nintendo game ever. [Apr 2008, p.58]
Bozon, IGN 8.5/10 There are some things that feel completely out of whack though, such as the uncharacteristically cheap AI in 150cc, the lack of voice chat for an extremely social online game, reliance on friend codes, and "everyone's a winner" feeling you get when random items show up and completely turn the game upside down in an instant.
Bryn Williams, GameSpy 4.5/5 The offline and online content is extremely entertaining and the pursuit of casual and hardcore karting has never been this much fun.
Greg Leahy, Nintendo World Report 8.5/10 Mario Kart Wii is ultimately much the same game as Mario Kart DS, but this is forgivable due to its drastically improved online functionality along with some welcome gameplay additions and tweaks.
Lark Anderson, GameSpot 8.5/10 Mario Kart Wii offers varied multiplayer and thoroughly integrated online modes that will keep you coming back for more.
Oli Welsh, Eurogamer 8/10 Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised multiplayer modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone.
Electronic Gaming Monthly 6.4/10 While Mario Kart Wii is predictably similar to its predecessors, something has changed with this installment. Something that makes it feel subtly unlike other Mario Karts--and not a change for the better. [June 2008, p.73]
Edge Magazine 6/10 Having sacrificed racing integrity in "Double Dash" to side with social silliness, Nintendo has turned 180 degrees into an awkward halfway house. [May 2008, p.86]
Chris Kohler, Wired 6/10 [Mario Kart Wii's Battle Mode] is no longer a last-man-standing contest: Matches now last three minutes each, and if your kart takes too much damage, don't worry! You'll just respawn. Even worse, all battles are now played in teams of two. So while you can still have four human players, they can't all face off against each other -- and what's the point of that?
Ryan Davis, Giant Bomb 6/10 Personally, I’m completely tired of getting exactly what I expect.
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 82
GameRankings 82.07%

Awards

Mario Kart Wii won the "Favorite Video Game" award at the Nickelodeon 2010 Kids' Choice Awards, beating out The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Wii Fit, and Wii Sports Resort. The game won the Best Online Multiplayer Game from IGN in 2008.[16] In the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition, Mario Kart Wii won the "Best-selling racing game" accolade.[17]

Sales

In the week of May 4, 2008 in Japan, Mario Kart Wii became the best-selling game for the Wii, having sold over a million copies in Japan, less than a month after its release.[18] In the UK, Mario Kart Wii was the 8th biggest selling video game in British history and the single best-selling Nintendo game in history.[19] In the United States, at the month's release, Mario Kart Wii was the second best-seller at 1.12 million copies, being beaten out by the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV, but outselling the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV.[20] Mario Kart Wii currently is the second best-selling game on the Wii, beaten out by Wii Sports, and in turn the best-selling Super Mario game on the system; the game has sold a total of 37.38 million units as of December 31, 2020, and was originally the best-selling Mario Kart game and the best-selling racing video game of all time, before being overtaken by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in September 30, 2021.

Promotion

Main article: List of Mario Kart Wii trading cards

Trading cards were released to celebrate the release of Mario Kart Wii. Trading card packs additionally included tattoos called FunTats.

For the marketing of Mario Kart Wii in the United States only, Nintendo of America did a series of three commercials starring Cowboy Jed, primarily to promote their slogan for this game: "Get Behind The Wheel!". The slogan focuses on the Wii Wheel, Nintendo's targeted gameplay control, as stated earlier in this article.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Mario Kart Wii pre-release and unused content

Unused graphics have been found depicting icons for a Hammer Bro, a Koopa Paratroopa, and Petey Piranha, presumably being an extra character for each weight class. An outfit for the NPC Miis has also been found, which resembles a Toad.

Glitches

Main article: List of Mario Kart Wii glitches

Note: All names are conjectural unless otherwise specified.

Grumble Volcano lap glitch

On the large rock to the left of the starting lien in Grumble Volcano, if the player drives around it, they will complete a lap.

Incorrect number of players

Rarely, when the player finishes an online race, if the next race has 12 players, the game will say it has 13 players instead.

Miscolored Item Boxes

The blue Fake Item Box, normally restricted to team races, can appear in solo races due to a glitch.
The glitch in action

To perform the glitch, the player needs to start a team race on the blue team. If the player starts a solo race, some racers' Fake Item Boxes will be blue instead of red.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart Wii.

Music and sound

Technically, this is the first game before Mario Kart 8 to feature revamped music for retro courses. In this case, the SNES and GBA tracks received revamped songs, as well as some of the battle stages. Tracks from the N64 and DS had their songs slightly enhanced in sound quality. The GCN tracks, however, remained relatively the same. This trait is also kept in Mario Kart 7 as well. It is also the first and currently only game that cuts off the tracks' intros in the final lap.

The soundtrack was created using Best Service's Advanced Orchestra and Gigapack, EastWest's Stormdrum and Quantum Leap Brass, E-MU Systems' Proteus/3, Korg Triton Le, ILIO's Synclavier Essential Percussion and World & Orchestra, Roland's D-550, Fantom X7 and Sound Canvas SC-8850, Spectrasonics' Distorted Reality and Supreme Beats, Ueberschall's House Essentials and Zero-G's Jungle Warfare.[21]

Soundtrack

Main article: Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack

An official soundtrack was released in 2011 by Club Nintendo as a Platinum reward featuring 43 songs from the game itself.

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Kart Wii media.
Audio.svg Title Screen - The music for the Title Screen
File infoMedia:MKW-Title.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Mario Circuit and Luigi Circuit - The music for Mario Circuit and Luigi Circuit
File infoMedia:MKW Mario and Luigi Circuit Theme.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Rainbow Road - The music for Rainbow Road
File infoMedia:MKW Rainbow Road Theme.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Credits Pt. 1 - The theme for the first part of the credits
File infoMedia:MKW Credits Part 1.oga
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References to other games

Star Bits in Rainbow Road
  • All past Mario Kart games: Half of the courses are taken from those games in the Retro Grand Prix, while half of the Battle courses are taken from those games under Retro Battle Course.
  • Mario Bros.: The POW Block's logo appears in some of the cars in Moonview Highway. It also returns as an item.
  • Super Mario Bros.: Various items from said game appear in the background of the Battle course Block Plaza, Super Mario Bros.-style. Additionally, the first seconds of the course Bowser's Castle theme resemble the music played in that game by its instruments. Also, the tune that plays in the award ceremony is a cover version of the tune that plays when Mario/Luigi beats a castle. When bumped into, a racer's vehicle makes one of several beeping noises, one of which is the first six notes of the Ground Theme, and another is the power-up sound effect.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3: The license plates on some of the trucks read "SMB3", the abbreviation of Super Mario Bros. 3. They also say "POW" as a reference to the item that causes earthquakes.
  • Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally: The Tiny Titan was inspired by the Monster.
  • Super Mario Kart: Ghost Valley 2 and Mario Circuit 3 return as retro courses, and Battle Course 4 returns as a playable battle course. Also, part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a Trophy) is the same as in the same scenario in Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
  • Super Mario 64: Unagi appear in the background of Koopa Cape and Chain Chomp Wheel.
  • Mario Kart 64: Mario Raceway, Sherbet Land, DK's Jungle Parkway, and Bowser's Castle return as retro courses, and Skyscraper returns as a playable battle course. Also, the course Moo Moo Meadows is based on Moo Moo Farm, and Block Plaza has parts of Block Fort. Also, part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a Trophy) is the same as in the same scenario in Mario Kart 64, Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
  • Mario Kart: Super Circuit: Shy Guy Beach and Bowser Castle 3 return as retro courses, and Battle Course 3 returns as a playable battle course. Also, the Yoshi Sphinx from the background of Yoshi Desert returns as a part of the race course Dry Dry Ruins. Part of the music that plays during the Award Ceremony (if drivers win a Trophy) is the same as in the same scenario in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64.
  • Super Mario Sunshine: The battle stage Delfino Pier is based on Delfino Plaza. Also, the course Coconut Mall is seemingly located on Isle Delfino.
  • WarioWare series: The Wario Bike appears as a selectable vehicle.
  • Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Peach Beach, Waluigi Stadium, Mario Circuit, and DK Mountain return as retro courses, and Cookie Land returns as a playable battle course, and all of these courses retain their intros as retro tracks. Also, Daisy Cruiser cameos in the background of Daisy Circuit, Block Plaza has parts of Block City, the course Dry Dry Ruins has the same starting point as Dry Dry Desert, and finally, the character icons and the starting race jingle for Grand Prix races was also recycled from that game for VS. and Grand Prix races in this game, along with the 3-2-1 starting countdown, but with "GO!" at the end instead of "START". Some of the animations seen for the driver selection process (excluding the new drivers introduced for this game) are reused, and the 1st and 6th-12th kart animations are reused from Double Dash!!'s primary 1st-3rd and 4th-8th place animations. All character models are ported from Double Dash!! as well, with only a few characters receiving noticeable changes. On the save file/driver's license screen, the Star Cup uses the same icon.
  • Mario Party 6: On Daisy Circuit, Daisy's artwork from this game can be seen on a sign with the words "Daisy Candy".
  • Mario Party 7: Dry Bones and Boo's artwork can be seen in Bowser's Castle on the Showtime billboard. Toadette's artwork is reused from this game. Some of Birdo's voice clips are reused from this game.
  • Mario Kart DS: Yoshi Falls, Delfino Square, Desert Hills, and Peach Gardens return as retro courses, and Twilight House returns as a playable battle course, and just like Double Dash!!, all of the courses' intros return in this game as well. Also, the course DK Summit has derived many elements from DK Pass, and the course Dry Dry Ruins has similar music to that of Desert Hills, and finally, the countdown sound effect for starting races and battles are recycled from that game to signal the start of the race in Grand Prix, Time Trial, and VS mode. The Zipper is a bike that relates to the Shooting Star and the ROB-LGS acts like the Standard Bikes in the game. The opening portion of the theme for Rainbow Road is taken from Rainbow Road's music from this game.
  • New Super Mario Bros.: Various features in the game are derived from their New Super Mario Bros.-look, such as the hills and outcrops of Luigi Circuit and the flowers and mushrooms of Moo Moo Meadows. The Mega Mushroom is an item in the game. The mushroom platforms in Mushroom Gorge is based on the mushroom platforms in said game, with the red ones being "bouncy", and the green ones more like solid platforms. Grumble Volcano is similar to World 8 of New Super Mario Bros. Also, Dry Bowser, who first appears in New Super Mario Bros., returns to Mario Kart Wii as his second appearance.
  • Mario Kart Arcade GP 2: Princess Peach's profile artwork is reused.
  • Mario Strikers Charged: Several voice clips are reused from this game.
  • Mario Party 8: Several voice clips are reused from this game. Daisy's artwork from this game is also reused, but with her kart added to it.
  • Donkey Kong Barrel Blast: Several of Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Funky Kong's voice clips are reused from this game.
  • Super Mario Galaxy: Rainbow Road has several elements from said game, such as Star Bits or a section based on Launch Stars, and portions of the Good Egg Galaxy's music is heard for the course's music. Maple Treeway resembles the Gold Leaf Galaxy. The battle course Galaxy Colosseum is also heavily based on Super Mario Galaxy. Additionally, Spiky Topmen are the enemies in the June 2008 1st Competition. Also, Rosalina, who first appears in Super Mario Galaxy, returns to Mario Kart Wii as her second appearance.

References in later games

Toad + Quacker trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
The Quacker trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese マリオカートWii[?]
Mario Kāto Wī
Mario Kart Wii
Chinese (simplified) 马力欧卡丁车Wii[22]
Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē Wii
Mario Kart Wii
Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐賽車 Wii[23]
Mǎlìōu Sàichē Wii
Mario Racing Wii
Korean 마리오 카트 Wii[?]
Mario Kateu Wii
Mario Kart Wii

Trivia

  • The save data description is "Race for first!" in the NTSC version and "Race for 1st place!" in the PAL version.
  • In the opening cutscene, Peach can be seen racing with her hair untied. She always wears a ponytail in-game.

References

  1. ^ Club Nintendo (MX) issue 198. Page 76.
  2. ^ IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Software Sales Unites - Wii Software. Nintendo (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Wii - Mario Kart Wii - Country Flags. The Spriters Resource (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Casamassina, Matt (February 27, 2008). Update: Mario Kart Wii Text Chat Details. IGN. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Mario Kart Wii Stat Table (PNG). ark42.com (English). (Archived May 28, 2024, 10:29:02 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  6. ^ A direct transcription of the content of the driverparam.bin and kartParam.bin files in the /Race/Common.szs archive of the filesystem of Mario Kart Wii. Google Docs (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  7. ^ driverParam.bin. Custom Mario Kart Wiiki. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  8. ^ kartParam.bin. Custom Mario Kart Wiiki. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Mario Kart Wii. GameRankings (English). Archived April 10, 2016, 05:58:02 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  10. ^ Mario Kart Wii. Metacritic. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Bozon (April 20, 2008). Mario Kart Wii Review. IGN (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Barker, Sammy (April 14, 2008). Review: Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo Life (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  13. ^ Welsh, Oli (March 20, 2008). Mario Kart Wii Review. Eurogamer (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Davis, Ryan (May 7, 2008). Mario Kart Wii review. Giant Bomb (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  15. ^ April 14, 2008. Mario Kart Wii review. Edge (English). Archived June 17, 2013, 17:07:57 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  16. ^ IGN Wii: Best Online Multiplayer Game. IGN. Archived December 22, 2008, 04:08:59 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Funk, John (May 21, 2010). Mario's Ten Best Guinness World Records. The Escapist (English). Archived May 25, 2010, 02:10:39 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  18. ^ McWhertor, Michael (March 8, 2008). Ain't No Stopping Mario Kart Wii In Japan. Kotaku (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  19. ^ Sales Charts British Sales Charts. Kotaku (English). Archived April 20, 2008, 05:26:52 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  20. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (June 5, 2008). NPD: US April game revs spike on GTAIV. GameSpot (English). Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  21. ^ Newer VGM Sound Sources. Google Docs (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  22. ^ https://weibo.com/6154885380/GsVVdcTql
  23. ^ Wii遊戲軟體. Nintendo of HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved July 3, 2024.

External links