Fans anticipate Souped-up super hits

The latest installments of "Grand Theft Auto' and "Mario Kart' bring noticeable changes that are sure to make them big sellers

By Scott Sloan ssloan@herald-leader.com

The coming week sees the release of what are expected to be two of 2008's hottest video games — Grand Theft Auto IV, likely to be the biggest hit of the year; and Mario Kart Wii, the newest iteration of Nintendo's acclaimed franchise.

Learn here about the history of the titles, the characters who have captivated gamers, the controversy (yeah, that's really GTA IV and not Mario Kart), and new features in their upcoming releases.

Major games

"Super Mario Kart'

System: Super Nintendo — 1992.

The first video game in the series ­featured eight characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, Koopa Troopa and Donkey Kong Jr.

"Mario Kart 64'

System: Nintendo 64 — 1997.

Changes: A move to 3-D graphics came, along with the ability for up to four people to play.

"Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'

System: Nintendo GameCube — 2003.

Changes: Two players can sit on a kart, with one responsible for driving and the other handling the weapons, like the leader-seeking red shell or invincibility star.

"Mario Kart Wii'

System: Nintendo Wii, to be released Sunday.

changes

The series is getting a number of ­improvements with the release of Mario Kart Wii.

First, an online mode offers competitive play against up to 11 opponents using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

Also new to the series are motorbikes, as well as plenty of new characters and track designs.

But the most talked-about feature has to be the Wii Wheel, a steering wheel on which the Wii Remote fits.

The Wii's characters

Main characters expected to appear include Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Koopa Troopa, Luigi, Mario, Peach, Toad, Waluigi, Wario and Yoshi.

Unlockable characters include Baby Daisy, Baby Luigi, Birdo, Bowser Jr., Daisy, Diddy Kong, Dry Bones, Dry Bowser, Funky Kong, King Boo, Rosalina and Toadette.

"Grand Theft Auto'

Major games

"Grand Theft Auto'

Systems: PlayStation, PC, Game Boy Color — 1997, 1999.

Protagonist: Any of eight characters.

Settings: Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City.

Changes: The original game introduced players to the free-range environment that became one of the brand's top selling points.

"Grand Theft Auto 2'

Systems: PlayStation, PC, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color —1999, 2000.

Protagonist: Claude Speed, whose goal is to dominate the city.

Setting: Anywhere City (seriously).

Changes: Gang missions added.

"Grand Theft Auto III'

Systems: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC — 2001.

Protagonist: You're an unnamed criminal ­looking to get revenge on the broad who turned on you after a bank robbery.

Setting: Liberty City (Think the Big Apple).

Changes: The series switches to 3-D.

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'

Systems: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC — 2002, 2003.

Protagonist: Tommy Vercetti, a recently released killer looking to rid himself of enemies after a drug deal goes wrong.

Setting: Vice City (Think Miami).

Changes: You can buy stuff like a film studio, taxi company and more.

"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'

Systems: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC — 2004, 2005.

Protagonist: Carl ”CJ“ Johnson, who is ­searching for mom's murderer.

Setting: San Andreas (Think Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vegas)

Changes: New side missions, the ability to swim, and more.

"Grand Theft Auto IV'

Systems: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 — Tuesday.

Protagonist: Niko Bellic, an immigrant looking for that elusive American dream.

Setting: Liberty City

changes

Among the biggest changews for GTA IV is the addition of a variety of multiplayer modes. Fan site GTA4.net reports there are 15 game modes, offering everything from team death match to racing contests. Characters are also customizable, the site reports.

The most noticeable change for gamers, though, probably will be the sheer increase in the level of detail, as developer Rockstar has built a new engine to take advantage of the power of the next-generation consoles. Characters, including non-playable ones, are expected to have more realistic reactions to situations.

Also, the game focuses more on cultivating relationships between characters. In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, Sam Houser of Rockstar said he's been obsessed with getting more of that into the games. ”So we pushed it along a little bit for Vice City, and we pushed it on a little bit for San Andreas. But in this one, because of the amount of resources and power that these new machines give us, we're able to bring it to life so much more.“

Controversy

The Grand Theft Auto series is arguably the most controversial in the industry's history.

The game has been cited as the motivation behind killings, inspired lawsuit after lawsuit, and infuriated parents when a hacker noticed that a sex game was hidden in the code of a previous version and could be played.

That so-called Hot Coffee game inspired a class-action lawsuit and settlement, details of which can be found at www.gtasettlement.com.

And court cases are still being heard in the slaying of Alabama police officers by a GTA fan in 2003.

So what controversies will the new game bring? We'll see.