We rejoiced when we learned that Nintendo was adding a chat feature to Mario Kart Wii, hopeful that the decision was an indication that the company was finally adopting a more progressive approach to online functionality, but such is not the case.
For starters, it's not voice chat, but rather a stripped down text chat. Players will apparently be able send text messages to folks with whom they've exchanged friend codes, but only before and (presumably) after a race -- so no trash-talking during matches.
While not optimal, that would've been ok were it not also for the fact that you won't be able to let your vocabulary run wild. Anyone wishing to send a message will have to choose from a fairly limited number of pre-selected words and phrases.
I know Nintendo wants to keep the conversation family-friendly, but is the preset wording really necessary if the only people you can talk to are the ones you consider friends?
