The series has required skill since the SNES days, I only think it's easy because I have skills, I just don't grind shit out in the wii game because I got too many games to play so I don't have the best bike but I still managed to get into the 9000's just fine. Also, strangely, a lot of people are terribad with the old tracks and I can completely rape people or lap quiet a few people in those, not sure what the deal is with that shit.

I've never played so I can't really say but your reasons are greatly flawed. Yea you can get ahead of your average player in an online match so even if you get hit with a blue shell you can maintain the lead but what about in a tournament against really good player or pro's? If your playing against other really good players and your in first place and get hit with an unblockable shell the chances are everyone else is right behind, pass you the second you get hit and you lose.

You may enjoy the game but the only way to test the balance of a game is to put it in competitive settings and tournaments. Theres a reason why games like Super Smash Bros, Halo, Street Fighter, Counter Strike and Gran Turismo are used in tournaments. They are some of the most balanced and fair games out there. Mario Kart wii however isn't and hence doesn't have any sort of major tournaments.

Again I'm saying this based off what I've read about the game. If there's a way to turn off the blue shells then that of course nullifies my argument.

the blue shell in the wii version explodes and creates a big ass circle that fucks everybody who is close to it, so if people are so good that they are so close, everybody gets fucked, what's unbalanced in that situation, is actually the rocket, not the blue shell.

Oh, Mario Kart Wii takes skill. Its just not the right kind of skill that it should take. It takes tons of memorization and doing everything 'perfect' or else you get stuck in the 'pack'. Which basically is the same as losing in that game.

Claiming you have skill can only go so far. I have plenty of skill and I'm fine at the game. But 'having skill' and 'memorizing the game/all turns/all places to boost perfectly' are two different things. Its like saying you have 'skill' in Smash Bros Melee because you are yet another person who memorized all the timing for fox/falco/shiek and wavedashing.  Sure, when you reach that level, you can boast that you've done it.  But you've only gotten there through tons of memorization and playing beyond the level 95% of people would tollerate.

Also, like Smash Bros, certain racers are overpowered.  And having to literally fight the AI opponents to unlock them is a major pain.

Blue shells aren't unblockable... you need a turbo mushroom though...

that's hard to get online though, in first place, you pretty much just get a shit load of peels, it's usually 2nd or 3rd place that you will start to see shrooms.

I have to ask.... which games require skill that isn't about memorising maps/routes and timing?

My friend claims this all the time, which pisses me off, because I'm living proof that it's not true. If Mario Kart Wii is all luck and no skill, then I must be one of the luckiest players online, since I win a lot of games I play online. You just have to use the right strategies. Unlike most racing games, it's not always necessarily about just being the quickest and trying to stay in first place the whole time, but sometimes just a matter of knowing what to do and where to be at the right time. For instance, if you see someone with a spike shell and you are in 1st, slam the brakes for a bit so the person behind you can pass you and take the heat for the spike shell. Or being skillful with diverting red shells into walls or dodging green shells. Or knowing the best time to use a star. Little things like that can make the difference in the game. Doing these sort of things still won't make you win ALL the time sure, but it definitely improves your odds. It's about playing smart, more than just being the fastest.

I haven't played in a i suck at it

But yeah, you practice it's more skill than luck.