The Best Nintendo Game Every Year 1983 - 2024

It’s not surprising that when looking into which Mario Kart games frequently top the franchise in terms of fan favourites, the Wii edition is a regular #1 spot. After all, it sold like hot cakes with even better hot cakes inside of them.

And this is despite the fact that Mario Kart Wii is an infamously broken game, with speedrunners beating tracks in literal seconds by reversing and leaping over the finish line, and the game turning Funky Kong into a superstar by virtue of him being blatantly faster than every other racer. 

But in a sense, that’s what made the game so fun. It had something for everyone - from the diehard competitive racers with Gamecube or Pro controllers to your parents who wanted to try out the surprisingly enjoyable Wii Wheel. Mario Kart Wii appealed to the console’s mix of demographics with chaotic casual race and, for the first time ever, online play.

Each sequel is a must-have for its respective Nintendo system, but rarely has an instalment defined a console like Mario Kart Wii did.