The bullet item may automatically turn off in online, but not in offline mode. I have taken first, and gotten a sizeable lead with proper use of a bullet bill. I got knocked back early on, grabbed a bullet bill and then made a quick dash to get to 3rd or 4th and then fired it off. It didn't seem to last as long admittedly, but it was still going when I was in first.

i was meaning in general items like that the seeking shell and the lighting and in online i have used the bullet into first because like i say the the racing pretty tight so if ur in last u can go straight to first no justie to the guy whos racing in first

 Supposing you are racing against someone good? About 0%. The problem is most people take being in first to mean they are doing great. Turth is though, you get so hammered in the middle of the pack you should be miles behind first if they are any good.

If the race was that tight, you were only about as good as your competition and then items can become a major factor, yes. This is not a bad player beating a good player. This is two players of similar skill using items to get the edge. I have been hit by 3 blue turtle shells plus a host of other items in the last lap and still gotten first by a wide margin. You don't find luck worse than that. 

it also depends on the level .....like say online all the noobs pick Luigi's Circuit, I played that damn level 3-4times in a row yesterday with 10players online. Always leading int first in the end blue shell lighting pow block knocks me down to 1-6place >.

LOL I never posted my code well cos I dont know it off lol

Attack a game, and people attack your accusations.

Defend a game, and people attack your defense.

I bet if I supported the fact Mario Kart wasn't a AAA game I'd be attacked for much the same respect I tried to argue it is. There is no fucking winning with you people is there? I swear to god you people just want to goddamn dissagree for the sake of principal here.

Oh but forgive me and my conspiracy theories, lol.

I haven't played the game myself, but I want to throw my two cents in here. I think the reason for the scores is simple. Many people believe Double Dash was a problem that needed to be fixed, so as things were "fixed" from Double Dash, people were saying how great this was and how this will be the best Kart ever. What everyone failed to understand is Mario Kart Double Dash was the best selling GC game for a reason and had a damn good metacritic average, which means there were quite a few people out there who thought Double Dash wasn't something that needed to be fixed at all. To not even include a double rider Kart support mode into this game was an oversight on Nintendo's part, which if included would have probably pleased more people because then everyone wins.

Although MK Wii is selling pretty fine (2nd highest Wii opening yet), so I think the loss of reviews was worth taking out the two seater option. It might have been just an option, but like snaking, it had potential for abuse.

It seems that if Nintendo is deliberately gimping anything with their Wii games, it's hardcore gamer abuse, as they did with Brawl.

So that could be the real reason this game scored lower than Double Dash. It wouldn't just let the hardcores walk all over it. They just played it like a hardcore game, at it wouldn't let them. 

EDIT: BTW, Smash Bros is back on top of the GC charts. 

What do you mean by this?

Well a couple of power moves were taken out, like L-canceling and wave dashing. The hardcore were not pleased.