Posts tagged Wii wheel at Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Posts with tag wii-wheel

British magazine giving away free Wii Wheel

Posted Apr 30th 2008 3:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Here's something: despite our initial skepticism, we actually really like the Wii Wheel -- in fact, it's all we use now for Mario Kart Wii. The only downside? At $10 per wheel (or £7 in the UK), buying enough for four-player matches can get kind of pricey.

So the way we see it, you have two choices:

Go with one of our totally awesome (and totally free) homemade Wii Wheels (the option we'd recommend) or:
Pick up the latest issue of NGamer, which comes with the above "free" wheel packed in. It's not technically free, obviously, because you'll have to pony up the £4.99 for the magazine, which optimistically suggests that the free gift is worth £7, meaning somebody in NGamer's accounting department may well be clearing their desk later this month.

Incidentally, while NGamer is a UK publication, some of my U.S-based colleagues think they may have spotted copies in Barnes & Noble, so keep your eyes peeled and you too might save hundreds of cents.

Update: Corrected U.S. price.

Gallery: Reinventing the Wii Wheel

Gallery: The Evolution of the Wii Wheel

[Via Go Nintendo]

Wii Warm Up: Taking the wheel

Posted Apr 28th 2008 9:00AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Peripherals, Wii Warm Up

Many of us have been hating on the Wii Wheel since it was first announced, and yet, since yesterday, we've spoken to tons of Wii owners who actually tried it ... and liked it. It was a mixed bag around here; some players (even longtime gamers!) loved it, and some found it less useful than some of the other control options. All we want to know is: did you at least try it, if you picked up Mario Kart, or did you skip it without even bothering?

If it's a hit in your house, are you going to buy extra wheels (or possibly look for other solutions)?

Reinventing The Wii Wheel

Posted Apr 22nd 2008 11:15AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: Features

Mario Kart games are all about having a great time racing against your friends -- and yet the Mario Kart Wii package shamefully includes but one Wii Wheel attachment. You could purchase a separate Wii Wheel, but that's a bit costly, and requires the foreknowledge that you'll have a second player soon. And then what if you have three friends coming over? Without four Wheels, you could face a controller shell emergency.

In such desperate situations, you may go scrambling about your house for something that can be fashioned into a DIY Wii Wheel. In order to save you a bit of panic, we've come up with a bunch of makeshift Wii Wheels that will work in a pinch -- and some that wouldn't, but are almost as funny as adults holding fake steering wheels in the air and pretending to drive with them.


		Head for the starting line!

The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Posted Apr 17th 2008 9:00PM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: Peripherals, Controller

Third-party accessory manufacturers have been putting out steering wheel attachments for the Wii remote long before Nintendo pulled the curtain on its Wii Wheel, but, like the Wii Wheel, they're simple models, plastic molded into circular shapes with an open slot for the controller.

Brando's Wii Multi-Axis Racing System has a more traditional design with an attachable steering column and suction cups at the bottom to keep it in place. It really looks more expensive than the $18 Brando is asking for it, but you'll have to remember that there are no actual electronic or complex parts.

Mounting the wheel to the column should keep the Wii remote angled correctly while you race around Mario Kart's tracks, but, then again, that might also make it tough to pull off waggle stunts. Drift past the post break for more photos of the Wii Multi-Axis Racing System.

Continue reading The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Fanswag: Mario Kart Extravaganza

Posted Apr 17th 2008 9:44AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Contests / Giveaways

Mario Kart Wii is set to be one of the biggest releases this year, and we want to make sure you can get in the game -- which is why we're giving away five spanking new copies (valued at $49.99 each) to five lucky readers. Between now and April 25, you can throw your name in the hat once per day, and all you have to do is answer one simple question in the comments below:

What's your all-time favorite Mario Kart track?

The contest, which is open to all current legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older, will run through April 25 and shut down that night promptly at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. We will select the five winners in a random drawing, and if you want to be among them, you'd better start commenting!

Got questions? Don't forget to check out the official rules.

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Wii Warm Up: Spoiling the race

Posted Apr 15th 2008 9:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Wii Warm Up

With Mario Kart Wii releasing in the U.S. very soon, we wonder how many of you took a hard stance on spoilers in the game? Did you save yourself the excitement and try to remain pure before the game's release, or did you give in to your darker desires and already learn of every unlockable racer and other goodie in the game? Have you remained spoiler free?

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

Posted Apr 11th 2008 2:15PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Fan stuff, Peripherals

Being nothing more than a chunky, round slab of plastic with a convenient slot for your Wiimote to slide into, the Wii Wheel is fairly easily imitated. As if to illustrate this fact, one Japanese blogger fashioned the DIY Wii Wheel you see above, using only a saucepan lid and a strip of parcel tape. We suppose it's a cheaper alternative to shelling out cash to equip another three players, but doesn't this make the B button inaccessible? Steer past the break for another (considerably more wheel-like) homemade example.

Gallery: The Evolution of the Wii Wheel

Continue reading You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

Wii Wheel MSRP not $15, after all

Posted Apr 7th 2008 4:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

If you were worried that you'd have to give up your first-born child (which we at Nintendo Wii Fanboy calculate is worth about $15) for the Wii Wheel, we have some reassuring news. Although GameStop recently posted an ad which gave us the impression that the Wii Wheel would retail for $14.99, Nintendo Power has us thinking differently. According to the scan seen above, the wheel's MSRP will actually be five dollars less, costing a more reasonable $9.99.

So, if you're planning on getting a few extra of these, we recommend doing so at stores that don't charge above the suggested retail price.

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

[Thanks, Sn1per!]

Iwata Asks: Mario Kart Wii

Posted Apr 4th 2008 3:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Interviews, Nintendo Wi-Fi

After Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii has become the latest title to appear in the excellent "Iwata Asks:" series of interviews. Featuring producer Hideki Konno, Wii Wheel project leader Kenichiro Ashida, and Shigeru Miyamoto (in fully relaxed, shirt-open mode) getting grilled by Satoru Iwata, it's a treasure trove of information for Mario Kart enthusiasts.

Alongside an enjoyably lengthy dissection of the series' history, there's also discussion about Mario Kart Wii's online play. The online matchmaking in particular sounds a treat, in that it allows players to join a race once it's finished, thus avoiding races becoming one-on-one affairs (as so frequently happened in Mario Kart DS). Players can use the Mario Kart Channel to check which of their friends are currently playing online, and even join them instantly.

Producer Konno and Miyamoto also explained the decision to include bikes in this game, with Konno admitting that his own hobbies influenced the choice, and Miyamoto stating that the bikes are there to "make the world of Mario a little more for boys [by] adding an extreme-like element to the game." (Apparently, the title was originally known as "Mario Kart X," with the "X" taken from "extreme")

Finally, we hear more on the Wii Wheel, and the reasoning behind it. As expected, the peripheral is designed to make Mario Kart more approachable than ever before, and project leader Kenichiro Ashida reportedly created "about thirty" prototypes (many of which you can see in our gallery). Oh, and he even made gold and black versions -- just for the hell of it. Do want!

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Gallery: The Evolution of the Wii Wheel

Metareview: Mario Kart Wii

Posted Apr 3rd 2008 3:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Metareview

Okay, if everybody could just stop what they're doing, and focus here, please. You, with the Mountain Dew. You, with the shoes. Let's concentrate. Mario Kart Wii is flipping and somersaulting its way to all major regions later this month, so roughly now would be a good time to start getting excited. If you really need any further encouragement, let's see what the reviews say*:

NGamer UK -- 88%: NGamer UK claimed that not enough effort had been expended on the local multiplayer mode, that balloon battle "still stinks," but that the online modes were well-executed, and that overall Mario Kart Wii is "a really solid Mario Kart with a terrific online setup. There's plenty here to make up for the disappointment of local multiplayer, but it does stop short of magnificence."

Eurogamer -- 80%: Meanwhile, it looks like yours truly may have spoken too soon when it comes to the Wii Wheel -- according to Eurogamer, the peripheral is "ergonomically brilliant, satisfyingly solid and adorably chunky." Which is good news, considering the gimped Classic Controller and GameCube pad controls. They seemed to like the rest of the game as well: "Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised battle modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone. And really, that should be everyone."

Nintendo Power -- 90%: Nintendo Power was more effusive in its praise, claiming that: "With more features, modes and multiplayer options than ever before, fans should be revved up to get behind the wheel." [May 2008, p.86 -- excerpt found at Metacritic]

* Also worth noting is Famitsu's 37/40 score, a combination of one ten, and three nines.

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

A note about control options in Mario Kart Wii

Posted Apr 2nd 2008 3:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Click image for hi-res version

For those of you looking for a control scheme in Mario Kart Wii that does not involve a wheel or a Wiimote in any way, know that you won't be given the same love you were in, say, Smash Bros. Brawl. Instead, you're ... wait, what's this? Actually, for Mario Kart Wii, the exact same control schemes available in Super Smash Bros. Brawl are open to gamers for use.

Head past the break for the full breakdown on how you'll be busting tricks and trashing the competition in Mario Kart Wii.

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

Continue reading A note about control options in Mario Kart Wii

Wii Wheel pricing leaked by GameStop

Posted Mar 31st 2008 3:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Rumors, Peripherals

According to a recent weekly ad from GameStop (pictured above), the Wii Wheel will end up costing $14.99 in the U.S. (Note: Although this price for a standalone Wii Wheel has yet to be confirmed by Nintendo, GameStop tends to be accurate about these things.)

That seems like a lot of money for a plastic shell, don't you think? It's true that the Wii Zapper costs more, but at least that comes with a Link's Crossbow Training pack-in. Plus, we don't think we're being too hypocritical, considering we haven't bough ourselves a Zapper, either.

Mario Kart Wii will come with a Wii Wheel, so if you find the experience of playing with it to be incredibly awesome, you might decide to fork over the extra cash to buy some more. Being the cheapskates we are, though, we'd much rather get used to playing with the Wiimote alone, or just hook-up our GameCube or Classic controllers.

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

[Via Gizmodo]

Mario Kart Wii Japanese intro video excites

Posted Mar 22nd 2008 4:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Video

The color is off a little in the above video, but the intro cutscene for Mario Kart Wii in Japan shows off some sweet stuff. We're sure it'll be no different than the intro we get here in the states, but we're glad to have had this early look. The whole "stunting thing" looks a lot more manageable and it appears to actually flow with the game nicely, dashing our fears that our beloved Mario Kart franchise would not be enjoyable on the Wii. Personally, we don't know why we ever had any doubt. It's Nintendo we're talking about, after all!

Gallery: Mario Kart Wii

[Via Joystiq]

Compare the Wii Wheel vs. the Wiimote in Mario Kart

Posted Mar 18th 2008 9:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Peripherals, Video

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

Continue reading Compare the Wii Wheel vs. the Wiimote in Mario Kart

Speed Racer and the Wii Wheel

Posted Mar 13th 2008 4:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News, Peripherals

When you think of the Wii Wheel, obviously the first thing that comes to mind is Mario Kart. Whether it's a gimmick peripheral or whether it will actually make the experience more fun will be determined in a month from now. Yet, there are other racing games on the market for the Wii, and some of them will surely utilize the Wii Wheel and take it into consideration during development.

Take, for example, Speed Racer. After Nintendo announced the peripheral at last year's E3, WB Games approached the company so that they could test it out with Speed Racer. In an interview with MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John, Jeff Nachbaur of WB Games stated that it took some tweaking to make sure that players wouldn't oversteer with the wheel. After a lot of testing, though, he says that they've managed to get it just right.

Nachbaur also said that the Wii Wheel doesn't add much of a difference in gameplay, but most testers enjoyed playing the game with the wheel rather than with just the Wiimote alone. So, if you like racing games, you can at least rest assured knowing that the Wii Wheel won't be some peripheral that you chuck away and forget about once your done playing Mario Kart -- assuming, of course, that you'll ever be done playing Mario Kart.

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Nintendo Wii Fanboy

British magazine giving away free Wii Wheel

Wii Warm Up: Taking the wheel

Reinventing The Wii Wheel

The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Fanswag: Mario Kart Extravaganza

Wii Warm Up: Spoiling the race

You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

Wii Wheel MSRP not $15, after all

Iwata Asks: Mario Kart Wii

Metareview: Mario Kart Wii

A note about control options in Mario Kart Wii

Wii Wheel pricing leaked by GameStop

Mario Kart Wii Japanese intro video excites

Compare the Wii Wheel vs. the Wiimote in Mario Kart

Speed Racer and the Wii Wheel

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