Not that far from the Japanese release. Still considering getting the Japanese version... but the gap is not that far! I'll think about it some more.

I put $10 down on this when I picked up Brawl, and I'm glad it's coming out sooner rather than later. Also glad that this almost certainly means Nintendo has something big planned for later in the year (the key word there being "almost").

Nintendo has shown all its cards.  All signs point to them folding this winter.

Yup I'm sure something is planned for later this year, however we won't be playing it until next year.

Nintendo planned on Brawl and MK selling thru the winter.  No new games, sorry.

April 27? That's kind of too soon to release a game that looks to me, from what I heard, like it needs some more polish.

Is this wheel still just a useless piece of plastic?  Because I fail to see how that's "innovative".  Now adding some analog triggers, well then we'd have something worth wasting plastic over.

In all honesty, anyone who believes that Nintendo doesn't have any games for the fall and winter seasons is foolish.

I still find the choice of releasing MK Wii a mere month after Brawl a weird one. This year's E3 should reveal the titles they have planned for the rest of the year, both first party and third party alike. There's also WiiWare and the release of other new channels, too.

So again, I doubt they don't have anything for the end of the year. Otherwise, they wouldn't release three of its biggest titles (the third one being Wii Fit) at the start of the year.

I was excited for MK Wii but after hearing Matt and Mark's impressions at IGN I'm not so sure anymore.

I predict that Nintendo will have a big money maker for the end of the year, but it will be something that doesn't appeal to most of the people here, leading to much belly-aching and gnashing of teeth.

Even the stuff that DOES appeal to people here leads to belly-aching and gnashing of teeth.

There's no pleasing people, I tells you...

Let's get the predictions in right now: 7.9

7.5
- Online mode is lacking and laggy
- Graphics are just par
- Steering with the Wiimote is sketchy, its best with the GC controller
- *Insert generic Wii fanboy complain here

- No customizable skins for cars or characters

Check out this month's Nintendo Power, they have a breakdown of the wheel and the controls for the game. Yes it's just a piece of plastic, but I like it better than the Zapper which I still have no plans on picking up.
While I like that we'll get the game earlier, I also am wondering what Nintendo will show up with in the 3 and 4th quarters of this year. I know they will have something, but well, it's just too far to speculate about.
I think an 8 will be alright for the score. I was hoping for a way to customize the karts with different parts and stuff, but whatever. I'm sick of schooling fools on the DS, I'm ready to show some class with my Wii.

E3 is too late to start any hype train for the same year.  They can't possibly release anything that'll be anticipated unless they announce it before the summer and actually promote it (Metroid? whuts dat?).

I think it is a bold move on Nintendo's part but it does make you wonder what their plans are for the rest of the year. It could be they want to get their big releases out of the way early to let 3rd parties have some time to shine.

MOTHER

OF

GOD

We'll get no games from anyone at the end of the year because all the devs will be too busy playing Mario Kart.

Zero points for lack of Oxford Comma but otherwise HOLY SHIT is Nintendo trying to do this right for once? And where's the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Channel?

I wonder... No. Well... Nintendo won't release anything the rest of the year of course... except Animal Crossing. They just GOTTA!

It's a separate channel, yet you can only see when your friends are playing one specific game. How is that doing it right?

If it's a separate channel, you should at least be able to see when your friends are playing ANY game.

But there are game-specific friend codes, so they'll never be able to implement it right even if they wanted to.

Bad design from the outset. Nintendo dug themselves into a hole. Like they hired some cheap contractors to come up with their online architecture.

Cheap contractors named Iwata and Miyamoto.

They're like the oil tycoons who open up drilling rigs in Alaska and harm all the sea lions and baby birds.

It takes a man like Steven Seagal to stop their treachery.

Cheap contractors named Gamespy? OH SNAP

It certainly feels odd that a Mario Kart update is coming so soon. Or maybe it's Double Dash!!'s late release in the GCN's life that's getting to me. IIRC, Mario Kart 64 was released quite early in the N64's life.

Anyway, while Mario Kart Wii looks a bit too slap-dash made, it's nice to see that the developer is adding something a bit new with the motor bikes. However, it's a shame that the tandem rides have been left aside. It would've been neat to have karts, tandem karts, and motor bikes in one game. Still, thirty-two tracks with sixteen new for the Wii installment and a battle mode with more people and bigger arenas should make this game an adequete addition to the series.

For some reason, I just can't get excited for Mario Kart that much anymore. Oh, I still love the games and franchise, but they don't inspire the same old elation anymore.

I think part of the reason I'm not as excited for it as I have been for previous installments is that I just got finished being very excited in anticipation for Brawl, which I've been for a long time now, and I need a break from that. Brawl had an insanely huge amount of hype, and because it's coming in right behind that Mario Kart is going to have next to no hype.