News: Mario Kart Wii Removing Snaking? Page 1

Mario Kart Wii Removing Snaking?

17.03.2008

According to the folk from the Official Nintendo Magazine, Snaking in Mario Kart Wii is a thing of the past.

The latest edition details the game's mechanics, and had something interesting to say about power-sliding:

The second big difference (in Mario Kart Wii compared to the rest of the series) is the removal of snaking. Ever since the N64 game, practically every Mario Kart game has included the ability to get a speed boost by waggling the controls left and right as you powerslide. This has finally been scrapped, and now your speed boost is determined by how long you can hold the slide.

Snaking can be described as using the powerslide boost to, if pulled off right, gain multiple speed boosts in virtually any part of the track - especially in straight sections.

Thanks to Aussie-Nintendo.

Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Developer

Nintendo

Publisher

Nintendo

Genre

Driving

Players

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Ikana 17.03.2008#1

I've only ever been able to snake in MKDS...didn't even realise it was possible in other Mario Karts. Tried it in DD, just end up swerving all over the place. :p

I wouldn't say removing it is a bad thing. Constant snaking hurts my thumb and puts you miles ahead of those that can't snake. Makes it a tad less fun, imo. And it's really hard to intentionally not snake once you know how, if you know what I mean. :p

Yo'ster 17.03.2008#2

It seems that the powerslide is now only powerful when you..... slide. However, considering the motion controls associated with the game, it is very understandable. Imagine turning the wheel back and forth fast enough to snake properly!

I am hoping that there will be some type of strategy to replace it (and I don't mean, "lift the controller to go faster on a motorcycle"). A game where winning is entirely based on items is no fun.

Zapp 17.03.2008#3

Ahh what a shame Smilie

I guess were gonna have to use real skillz to beat the n00bz now!

I see all these people insulting the Nintendo corporation because of the lack of mature content. Yet there is something about Nintendo (at least their games) that strikes a certain unadulterated feeling of joy!!! Pokemon Y - 1048-9263-5562

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knighty 17.03.2008#4

If they now remove the item handicap all will be well. Snaking was the only way to determine anyone's skill in MKDS.

J4K 17.03.2008#5

Yeah, heard about this earlier. Couldn't be happier, as I'm in the opposite camp as Knighty. I don't see snaking as skill, I see it as plague.

knighty 17.03.2008#6

Wha'....? Snaking is fucking retarded I agree but since it was the only thing in MKDS that wasn't random it was all you could do to win.

Azuardo 17.03.2008#7

So it'll be just like how Super Circuit did power sliding. Which is great. I used to be a pro at power sliding in SC.

Also, I completely second Ikana's post XD I sucked at snaking in DD and 64, but was awesome at it in DS. Hopefully it will take me a bit of getting used to in MKWii. I don't want to be able to jump right in to MKWii already being a pro. I like a learning curve in games.

Mandown 17.03.2008#8

Despite using it in many of the games I can see why it has to be removed. It is simply not healthy to have it in there with the online component and especially with those new to the series of which there will be many playing this game.

mooojc 17.03.2008#9

But teh snaking determines skillage. But than again, Mario Kart has always been about luck with items.

JoshSL 17.03.2008#10

It sounds believable, but ONM have lied (or rather, made stupid mistakes) before.

So no snaking + item switch = win.

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BrawlBumBoy 17.03.2008#11

Well I won me a quid Smilie Bet my friend a quid he wudnt b able to learn to snake within the first race lol!

My pictures wont appear so heres a smiley

ohm 17.03.2008#12

Snaking was so easy to pull off on DD. I wish they kept it.

russraine 17.03.2008#13

Glad to hear this.

Tman!! 17.03.2008#14

I am disappointed but I understand the reasoning behind it. It would be very, very hard to pull of with the control scheme.

Also I second what Knighty said about the Snaking in MKDS, you could be shittest player ever and still come out in a decent position because of how random the items were. So snaking became the bar to which the better players were measured and as such when you raced someone who was a good snaker it made the races much more interesting. Also I was an awesome snaker just so you all know 8)

Guest 17.03.2008#15

Good, the ultimate pisstake of mario kart related problems is gone. I hatedit, you couldn\'t go online on MKDS because of the snakers, they ruined the fun of the game by making it impossible to win. It snot a true skill, its taking advantage of somethnig Nintendo had programmed a little iffy.

Allthough I have seen some people use it as a skil, usually to avoid things like shells and sometimes leaderbombs (yes I have seen it happen)

( Edited 17.03.2008 12:40 by hexpunK )

Birdo Is A Tranny 17.03.2008#16

WHAT snaking was the best thing in the mario kart series it seperated the losers from the winners (except when some item noob in second place owned you with red shells)

you cant be saying its a skill and then say its not a skill. fuck sake if ye had put the time and the effort into mastering it ye wouldn\'t be complaining about it.

anyone could do it in ds which did make it nooby i agree but in dd it was harder to snake

( Edited 17.03.2008 15:44 by iangennery )

Ikana 17.03.2008#17

I don\'t think removing snaking will make THAT much difference...the main difference is the fact that they\'ve just totally changed power sliding. It\'s clearly far easier to do now...and although I could never snake in anything other than MKDS, I used to power slide all the time in all the games...and now...even n00bs can do it... Smilie

So now it\'s just a race to the Blue Shell. >.<

AND they removed most of the teching from Brawl apparently...
God forbid anyone would want to feel skilled at a game...

( Edited 17.03.2008 16:16 by Ikana )

russraine 17.03.2008#18

point is Mario Kart is an all round fun racer, if it was about skill, lap times and perfect lines it wouldn't have weapons or the other crazy shit in the first place.

If I want a serious bit of racing I play Live For Speed (yes Live, not NEED) on the PC. If I want a fun game I can play with everyone where winning isn't the most important thing in the world I play Mario Kart.

Topguy4 17.03.2008#19

Im definetly glad to hear this, even if i did snake occasionaly myself.

James2t3 17.03.2008#20

It\'s clearly far easier to do now...and although I could never snake in anything other than MKDS, I used to power slide all the time in all the games...and now...even n00bs can do it...
So now it\'s just a race to the Blue Shell. >.<

It\'s similer to super circuits power slide which worked pretty well.

Also there is manual and Auto power slide in this game

Auto : easier but less of a boost
Manual : Allows you to slide for longer but greater chance of spinning out. Your rewarded with more boost though.

Also blue shell thing...just turn it off.

( Edited 17.03.2008 17:11 by Blade2t3 )

XBL Gamertag: James2t3

CuRoi 17.03.2008#21

Blade2t3 said:
Also blue shell thing...just turn it off.

Yeah, I'm guessing the balanced option doesn't include the blue shell, if Nintendo's view of balanced is the same as ours like.

Agul 17.03.2008#22

This is old news. It\'s a bit of a bummer, IMO. I kinda liked it, but not like how it was in MK DD!! & MK DS (mainly MK DS). You coud reach absurd speeds. So ultimately, I\'m really indifferent. The new trick system is gonna be sweeeeeeet, though!. Smilie

( Edited 17.03.2008 19:08 by MechaG2 )

Chance favors the prepared mind.

Bockers 17.03.2008#23

The article also went on to say you could host an on line race with no items. That should show the proper skill levels. Bit like F1 now without traction control Smilie

J4K 18.03.2008#24

I don't get people going "ZOMG snaking was the only skill-meter!". My win record was something like 130 wins and 50 losses. Without snaking.

It wasn't because I got lucky with items, it was simply because I kicked people's butts - many times even snakers. True enough I won a few because I snagged a lucky item from second place, but at the same time I lost a few because of that. Even imbalance evens out a bit over time.

Anyhow, I eventually stopped playing online because of the snakers. Not because I couldn't beat them, but because it just sapped the fun out of the game for me. Generally speaking, they couldn't care less about item pick-ups or intelligently rounding corners, merely zooming as fast as their soon-to-be surgically-removed-thumbs could handle..it became a chore to play.

I ended up just stopping because it wasn't fun to race against snakers, and I wasn't willing to exploit an, in my opinion, cheap and somewhat easy (given the right kart) tactic and remove all my enjoyment from the game.

Ideally though, I wouldn't have minded if Nintendo split things into a Snaker and Non-snaker leagues. Then both sides would be happy. To me, there's nothing more satisfying then winning (or even losing!) a well fought snake-free match where items are used strategically and drifts are well handled on turns.

On the point of the blue shell, yes, get rid of em. Now. Still though, its not like it even generally helps the guy who fires it. And with matches online now having 12 players, you likely won't see scenarios where the guy in second gets the blue shell as in Mario Kart DS's online.

Anyhow, I wouldn't necessarily mind the blue shell as much either if it was avoidable. As it is you have to be god-like in drifting to narrowly avoid it, or have an item that can negate it, which is rare enough as it if you're in first place.

Masterhunter 18.03.2008#25

Got to agree with Jacob here. If you need to snake to win you don't deserve to win. I had a 3:1 win:lose ratio and refused to snake. A lot was down to the cart choice as much as the power-ups.

I didn't mind the blue shells just turn down the frequency. Nothing was as tense as approaching the finish line and seeing your opponent has just picked up a blue shell. Will you cross the line before it hits you?

It's the kind of thing Mario Kart should be about. Snaking took that away and made it a boring run of the mill racer.