i think we are comparing evolution of this 2 series/franchises.

gta 4 is... well it's the same 1997-gta-1 game except 3d graphic which makes it still 2001-gta-3 game so we're only play 1997-gta-1 with better graphic all over again.

mario kart wii - well every entrance to the franchise is different which makes it so special, because you can like it more or less, but mario kart series is always great fun. nintendo is still working on mario kart so they can add something completely new and unique  to every new kart game.

mario kart franchise is always evolving with each new entrance to the franchise while gta franchise is dead since 1997 if we are talking about basics and mechanics and since 2001 if we are talking about the graphics of the game.

Has Mario Kart really changed much over the years? I don't think it has much at all, at least in comparison to how much GTA has changed since the original. Both franchises tread safe waters as far as changed go.

 This statement rocks because it's sooooo skewed xD Both series have changed significantly. 

Mario Kart Series Adds Motorcycles.

GTA series Adds boats and planes.

Mario Kart adds online fun!

GTA adds online fun >_>

Mario Kart adds motion controls that may or may not be fun!

GTA adds motion controls that may or may not be fun.

Mario Kart adds co-operative elements to it's franchise!

*yawn* Where is this going?

You seem entirely too diluted if you honestly believe a statment like that. Hell at least the general attitudes of the GTA series changes significantly. In 3 you were the mobster blah blah blah, in San andreas you played an ex gangster and your initial role is to pretect your "hood", and YES it changes the feel of the game entirely. GTAIV is no different. You have to be KIDDING yourself if you think MK has changed more than GTA -_-

Do you have any examples of this?  I have yet to see them gush over a Nintendo game.  They say some are fun, but they hardly worship them.  Even reading that Mario Kart review, they said it's tons of fun in multiplayer, and that's something that nearly every review has agreed on.  Their opinion is that complaining about Single-player in Mario Kart is pointless, and that all they care about is that the multiplayer is a blast.  I agree with this.  Truthfully, they often completely ignore some Nintendo games.   Most of their news summaries are related to HD console and PC games.

Mario Kart changes quite a bit but in a very different way than most games change ...

Nintendo maintains most of the core gameplay elements that people really enjoy, and then they add gameplay elements on top of that in order to create variety and give each game its own distinct flavour.

On the contrary, it sounds like an article written by someone who draws cartoons for a living (not that I'm suggesting such an endeavour would necessarily be any more intellectually prohibitive than game journalism, but it is often concomitant with a certain degree of cultural regressivity). The entire argument hinges on what the author regards as "fun", without any reasoning to back up his dubious assertions; given that fun is an abstract concept and entirely subjective, it has little merit as a criterion of value in any serious critical assessment.

Regardless of one's opinions, GTA is superior to MK by any objectively quantifiable measure: it is larger, more detailed, more complex, more diverse (and, as a result, less repetitive, despite the assertions of Tycho), more challenging, more innovative, more intellectual, more technically advanced, and requires a greater degree of cultural capital to fully appreciate all of it's intricacies. It is, quite simply, a much better game. For my money, it is a helluva lot more fun too.

Don't get me wrong, the MK series is one of my all-time favourite racing franchises, and the only Mario games that don't make me feel like stabbing sharp implements into my legs just to feel any sensation other than acute boredom (no, I still haven't played SMG), but to suggest that MKWii could actually be better than GTA4 demonstrates an astounding inability to disassociate oneself from one's own cultural conditioning. An opinion is not the same as a critique; the former is forged by experience, the latter by reason.

Videogames are still a long way away from being taken seriously as a legitimate artform, but the GTA series is one of the few that has ambitions lofty enough to suggest the imminent possiblities for the medium. While most developers are content to rehash the same old formulas ad nauseam, Rockstar North are continually pushing the envelope, daring to dream of something more. You don't have to enjoy their games to appreciate that fact, but you have to be blind to ignore it.

Perhaps the biggest irony here is that you use the term ironic when defending an article that states a game is both "narcotic" and "fun to play". Perhaps Tycho should consult a dictionary to determine why those two concepts are incompatible. I mean, I like to sleep as much as anybody, but it certainly isn't something I do for fun.

"What they are is cynics and critics. They say what the media won't, and they call the media out on their bullshit."

They are not critics, they are cartoonists. They are also a part of the media, and I am calling them out on their bullshit.

I agree.  Neither franchise has revamped their actual gameplay much at all.  

What makes Mario Kart Wii the most fun for me is the motion controls, which are just a blast.  Especially when you're with 3 or 4 buddies and you've all been drinking heavily.  I also enjoy the removal of snaking, which wasn't skill as much as it was demonstrating the ability to tap buttons rappidly (something which IMO shouldn't be seen outside of Mario Party).  

That said, what makes Mario Kart Wii the most fun for others like Rol is that it's the most competitive in the franchise yet.  I think the fact that it can appeal to both competitive (Rolstoppable) and casual (Penny Arcade and me) Mario Kart players  though should demonstrate that the game does a pretty good job of catering to all players in the franchise.

From what I've seen, the problem is that the reviewers don't fall into either of these categories. They are vehemently against playing any game casually, and they aren't hardcore enough to beat the AI consistently (which as Rol will tell you is easily possible if you are actually good at the game).  

tell me how gta franchise changed since 2001? there was only 2d gta games(well you can say "almost 3d") and 3d gta games and that's whole changes in the series. there are still the same basics and machanics from every other gta game.  

 examples? The only one that did things to shake things up was Double Dash. Adding a new item or something really isn't a big deal. Mario Kart games rarely change the core gameplay. 

Oh I remember now, ok yea people were saying GTA = 360 propeller to heaven, the PS3 would match Wii golden Week sales and the Wii would get negative sales until it's 1 unit less that the GC.