I agree with you. It lacked a lot of "features", being a launch title(online being one of them), but it has a very solid racing gameplay. The motion controls was perfect, it never overturned, and IMHO was a lot more fun than wii-wheel steering in MK. Boosts kept the pace fast, the scoring system was actually fun and meaningful, and other than being a challenge to enthusiastic gamers, it was completely accessible to casuals and my 7 year old cousins!

If excitebot is anything like excitetrucks, plus online, i fully expect it to be a good racing game, second only to MK.