We've seen many videos of Mario Kart, but since Stephen Totilo from MTV Multiplayer was given the opportunity to try out the Wii Wheel, we're reporting his findings to you. In the video above, you can watch Totilo using the Wii Wheel to race, with Melvin Forrest from Nintendo of America talking him through it.
As you can see, you hold the wheel so the the Wiimote is tilted and almost facing you, as opposed to Excite Truck where you hold the Wiimote so that it's facing up. Aside from the steering, the controls also seem pretty intuitive. Essentially, the 2 button accelerates and the 1 button brakes. The D-pad, meanwhile, is for using items -- up will throw the item, down will drop it behind you, and left/right will hold your item near you. The game also makes use of the B button for jumping and power sliding.
It looks like the Wii Wheel and Wiimote controls might take some getting used to, but in our opinion, these control schemes seem like the most fun. Totilo said that he prefers using the Wii Wheel over the Wiimote alone, but he's also self-admittedly not a big Mario Kart aficionado. Of course, if you're set in your ways, you can choose to use a GameCube or Classic Controller instead.
The video above shows Totilo playing the game with the Wii Wheel, but check the break to see him playing with just the Wiimote and no shell to see how the wheel compares.
*Note: Apprently MTV's videos can only be watched by people in the U.S. Sorry, guys!
Gallery: Mario Kart Wii
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-18-2008 @ 9:13PM
Furkle said...
:( Videos are U.S. only
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3-18-2008 @ 9:57PM
Fullmetal Salchemist said...
Ah, so the wheel is a useless shell.
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3-18-2008 @ 10:02PM
Dopple Boppler said...
I wasn't big on the Wii Wheel at first, but I can see using it after watching those videos. Of course, I always hated using analog sticks for Mario Kart; the DS D-Pad felt like the perfect way to control the game to me.
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3-18-2008 @ 10:28PM
LeChuck said...
Seems like the main benefit of using the wheel is it keeps you from holding it Excite Truck style and tilting instead of toward you like the game is designed for.
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3-18-2008 @ 11:24PM
Shogan said...
Maybe I can sell the Wii Wheel and get some trade-in credit. That seems like the best use for it.
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3-19-2008 @ 1:02AM
Feigr said...
I love how he used discus as a verb. :D
Also, I really hope that you are going to be able to steer with the d-pad on the Classic Controller and not just the analog stick. Mario Kart DS is the only MK game I've played so I'm used to the d-pad.
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3-19-2008 @ 2:08AM
Chris said...
I wish it was controlled Excite Truck style, those controls were great... :(
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3-19-2008 @ 10:44AM
Timerider said...
Yeah, since you could hit the buttons on top with your fingers easily.
3-19-2008 @ 2:10AM
Just_a_guy said...
This is the style that Excite Truck should have had.
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3-19-2008 @ 2:56AM
AC said...
yuck, i hate that control style, with the wheel or not. yuck yuck and yuck. maybe if the wheel actually was fixed on the point so you don't have to hold it up, it definitely looks uncomfortable. in my opinion, a 3rd party should make a wheel with a fixed point that can sit on anyone's lap in a sturdy way. maybe something that can strap onto your thighs. that way the weight of the wheel is on your lap and not on your arms since they already have to turn the wheel. just my opinion. that looks painful to play. i'm sure some 3rd party will figure it out. not a fan of this way to play.
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3-19-2008 @ 3:15AM
Microswirl said...
Yeah, a Wii stap-on for your thighs would be hawt.
3-19-2008 @ 5:37AM
schmix said...
@all the so called veterans commenting here: Did yor EVER try the wheel? No? So please shut the f*** up and give it a try at least before you bash it.
To me it looks the most fun way to play MK. Maybe it's not as competitive as the GC-controller, but the reason I play games is F.U.N. (do you guys know what that word means?)
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3-19-2008 @ 6:25AM
shadowchaoscontrol said...
wait, i'm not the only one who still plays games for fun
3-19-2008 @ 9:11AM
Julien said...
No... for a game to be fun it has to be 18+.
Everything else is not even called a game by standards.
3-19-2008 @ 8:27AM
Brian said...
We don't all live in the US. The video is not accessable to people outside the US.
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3-19-2008 @ 11:00AM
Candace Savino said...
Sorry, I didn't realize that when I posted them! I find it odd that a gaming blog like MTV Multiplayer would restrict their videos to the U.S.
I summarized everything that happened in the post, though, so you're only missing the actual "watching" part.
3-19-2008 @ 1:17PM
KidSqueek said...
i really like the wheel. i'll probably buy 3 extra along with the bundle.
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3-19-2008 @ 1:32PM
z3r0x said...
I'm glad the Wii Wheel isn't like Excite Truck's control. Excite Truck seemed too jerky at times and it was hard to turn, at least for me it was.
I'm glad that it works well for MKWii =)
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3-19-2008 @ 2:43PM
Croove55 said...
CANDACE! You spilled italics tag all over the comments section! The stains will never come out!
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3-19-2008 @ 3:34PM
Candace Savino said...
Yikes, fixed! Thanks, though it seems I may have scarred you for life :)
3-19-2008 @ 3:45PM
Croove55 said...
Hooray! The day is saved! Root beer floats for everyone!
3-19-2008 @ 2:49PM
Majkiboy said...
I can watch it.. and I'm not in the US.... frakkin haxxor over here..or just lucky? (btw I'm in Sweden)
Well... Looks nice, I just hope the controls are more responsive than the GC version... but they probably won't be
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3-19-2008 @ 5:28PM
Matt said...
Whoa wait, Excite Truck *didn't* control that way? I always held it like regular car wheel style and turned it like a wheel --not face-up like a bus wheel, and not tilting like a see-saw. It played incredibly great like a regular ol' car steering wheel. It really looks like it controls exactly the same to me..
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3-19-2008 @ 6:15PM
ahistorylefttorustintherain said...
"As you can see, you hold the wheel so the the Wiimote is tilted and almost facing you, as opposed to Excite Truck where you hold the Wiimote so that it's facing up."
Yup, you beat me to it, Matt. Got an "S" rank on every track and on every difficulty in Excite Truck holding the Wiimote that exact same way to steer as in the video above. It worked awesome, felt and steered great (way better than the stupid way in which they told you to hold the Wiimote in the instructions). In fact, I sometimes wonder if those people that complained about ET's controls just weren't able to figure out that the game controlled incredible when holding it that way. At least I know now that my girlfriend and I weren't the only ones who rocked it like that. I just hope that the buttons can be remapped, because using the "B" button while holding the Wiimote like that just doesn't seem like a good idea at all to control power sliding. I'd rather give up one of the item D-pad maps in order to move it up front.
3-19-2008 @ 6:50PM
Furkle said...
the problem with holding the controller tilted back always is when you're in the air you then have the nose of the truck pulling up constantly. On the ground it isn't as quite a large issue.
3-19-2008 @ 6:39PM
Alex said...
I'm looking forward to this game, yet I'm going to wait to see some reviews before I pick it up, I'm afraid they might leave out some content or slow the whole game down to make it more "casual". I hated how slow Mario Kart DS played, Mario Kart Double Dash had much better speed.
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3-20-2008 @ 11:38AM
Bocom said...
Bullshit, I live in Sweden and I watched the entire thing!
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5-02-2008 @ 11:21PM
hansning said...
what i'm wondering is how the nintendo wheel compares to the third party ones... anyone have a clur?
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