Not that karts are written out of the trick equation; a stunt-boost is available to both classes. Any raised surface – be it deliberate ramp or minor track blemish – can give birth to a trick, and the act of rooting out time-trimming hillocks adds to racing strategy. Previously unwise routes on retro tracks now sport temptress-like ramps to lure you into a reassessment of racing lines, and most of the new tracks were seemingly constructed by a designer with an aversion to spirit levels. Indeed, swerving down the lump-abundant DK’s Snowboard Cross, we defy any future FAQ authors to preach a perfect racing line.

Nintendo is trying to teach an old time-trial dog some new tricks, but with its online efforts it has pampered the pooch to the extent that much of its age has been hidden. Installing a Mario Kart Channel on the Wii dashboard not only grants instant access to leaderboards and downloadable rival ghosts, but finally finds a way of presenting online functionality on the Wii’s own terms. Rubbing shoulders with weather and news updates, the channel brings online play into normal everyday perspective. No longer squirreled away behind countless Wi-Fi connection menus, it serves to remind the expanded audience that the world of competition is as ever-changing as the sky outside their window.

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