During the period, Wii Fit sold 3.6 million units globally (130,000 units in Japan and 3.47 million overseas), bringing lifetime sales for the game to 21.82 million copies.

Mario Kart Wii sold 2 million copies globally (90,000 copies in Japan and 1.91 million overseas). The lifetime sales total for Mario Kart Wii is 17.39 million copies.

Wii Sports sold 1.91 million copies worldwide, selling 60,000 copies in Japan and 1.85 million overseas. The lifetime sales total for Wii Sports is 47.62 million. While Wii Sports was bundled with the Wii in the U.S., it was not necessarily bundled elsewhere.

Last year during the same period, Wii Fit sold 3.42 million copies, Mario Kart Wii sold 6.42 million copies and Wii Sports sold 4.76 million copies.

The high school created the "distracted and drowsy driving project" with the help of the Eagle County Sheriff's Department, the Colorado State Patrol, the Eagle Country Fire Fighters and the Vail Valley Medical Center.

The kids "drive" Mario Kart Wii while trying to contend with text messages, turtle shells and powerslides. We approve of using Mario Kart Wii, because really, it's the most accurate simulator on the market.

Next up, Vail Christian High School has students play Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright to teach them how to to be doctors and lawyers.

Simulation teaches teens the perils of distracted driving [9NEWS via CVG via VG247]

The game features many recurring characters from the original cutesy life simulation on the Wii, such as Dr. F and Chef Gino. Like MySims and MySims Kingdom, Racing is organized around Sim towns that require the player's help to beef things up and make everybody happy. But instead of building things, going on quests or bolstering the local economy by buying stuff, this game asks the player to win races and complete racing challenges to help the local population thrive.

And that would be why it's called MySims Racing.

What Is It?
MySims Racing is a go kart game for the Wii and DS that supports four player versus (on single or multiple cards for DS). Players can use the Wiimote –Nunchuck control setup, sideways Wiimote, GameCube controller or Wii Wheel to play the game.

What We Saw
I spent a little under an hour with the game in an EA representative's posh apartment. Don't give me that look – it was strictly business.

How Far Along Is It?
The build looked near-final. The game is coming out June 16.

What Needs Improvement?
Divorce the Sims: This game isn't about being a life sim, it's about racing. So why does EA need to keep it married to the MySims franchise? If anything, that alienates gamers that might otherwise get into the game for the sheer fun of racing.

Who Just Shot At Me?: There are so many Sims on the racing track at one time that's it's hard to tell who just shot you with whatever "power up" (the Sims don't have "weapons"). Unlike Mario Kart or even the old school Diddy Kong Racing on Nintendo 64, the MySims' vocal gibberish isn't enough to tell the NPCs apart. You'd actually have to look behind you to see who shot you with down on the D-pad, but it's risky and the tracks are so long, you probably couldn't be sure which Sim to hate.

Cluttered tracks: MySims Racing relies on three different types of crystal from MySims as currency to pay for upgrades to you customizable kart. Between the different crystals plus the present boxes that contain power ups and the different obstacles and the boost platforms, the tracks can get cluttered very quickly – especially when other racers start dropping traps.

What Should Stay the Same?
Kart customization: Using the currency that you pick up from different tracks, you can change pretty much everything on your kart from the engine to the body. Different parts affect the handling, top speed and weight of the kart, while special parts obtained from completing challenges can give you bonuses to handling, speed or weight.

Frenetic Pace: To me, what separates a kart game from a "serious" racing game is the pace. In a real racing game, the pace is steady; so if you happen to spin out and hit a wall, it's very hard to get back in the top three. In a decent kart game, the pace is frenetic such that you could still come back and win it even if you caught purple shell in the final lap. Frenetic pacing keeps kart racing fun even when you're constantly getting nailed by vindictive AI – a lesson Mario Kart Wii seems to forget.

Familiar territory: If you've ever played a kart game, you will not need much of an explanation to play MySims Racing. The karts control exactly like you'd expect them to (A to go, B to drift or break, C to deploy pickups, etc.), the courses scale from basic to elaborate at a steady rate and the gameplay is a mix of being the fastest and getting lucky with the power ups. The game feels more like Mario Kart 64 than Mario Kart Wii did – and that's saying something.

Final Thoughts
I'm on the fence about the motion controls in the game. Some of it's basic, like jerking the Wiimote upward to perform a jump, but then there's the elaborate stuff that could be getting into "tacked-on" territory. Like when you hit a wall or when a certain power up is inflicted on you, the game requires uses playing with the Wiimote-Nunchuck combo to shake the Wiimote to "clear" the screen. When I saw someone else doing it, it looked stupid, but when I did it, I barely noticed it. However, it got awfully annoying when the same screen-blocking power up hit me three times in a row.

The bottom line for me is that this is a game that does everything it promises to do and doesn't make any silly pretentions toward reinventing the go kart racing wheel. I would gladly buy this game for a child and probably play it with them, too. Thought I wouldn't be caught dead playing it alone – I've got a reputation to maintain and there are no classic Nintendo characters to justify my Wiimote flailing.

How did Amazon decide what was the "best" of the past year? It let its customers decide, breaking down the accolades into "bestselling, most positively reviewed, most-wished-for and favorite gift products," all of which sounds pretty self-explanatory to anyone who's ever shopped with the online retailer.

Here are your Wii retail winners.

• Best Selling Product In Video Games: Nintendo Wii
• Most Love Product In Video Games: Wii Fit
• Most Wished-For Product in Video Games: Wii Fit
• Most Popular Gift Product in Video Games: Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

Shockingly, the Amazon Kindle digital book reader also scored tons of "Best Of" kudos. For those rooting for the Groom Mate Platinum XL nose and ear hair trimmer, you'll be pleased to know it walked away with the Health & Personal Care bestseller award. Suck it, Panasonic!

Hopefully, Nintendo of America will be offering something a little more exciting than these particular wares when the domestic version of Club Nintendo launches... later this year? Frankly, they're no these or even this. Given that all this stuff has been manufactured with Club Nintendo American-style already in mind, we should set the bar at this level and no higher.

Club Nintendo Prizes [Nintendo of Japan]

They've both done some risqué stuff in the past — nothing X-rated. Google if you like! Just know: These sorts of celebs advertise all kinds of stuff in Japan, so it's not totally unusual to see that here. Either shows how mainstream these models are or how progressive Nintendo's Japanese advertising is. Hit the jump for the Hoshino ad from earlier this year, via Jean Snow at Game|Life.

Watch the Eiko Ad [Wii]

Quoth Don:

Was the weight difference, a very noticeable one, messing with the ‘mote’s center-point?

Yes, in fact. Replacing the rechargeable pack with a standard set of crap-assed gas station batteries made our karts dead center again.

Now I’ve got to figure out how to add weight to my charger packs. That or play Kart at an odd angle.

So, fair warning, considering that the React dock runs about $50, if you Kart like hell and are considering eco-friendly ways to keep your 'Mote juiced. Does anyone else have the same kind of issue, or just this guy?

Peripheral Disdain [Videolamer, thanks taidan]

Of course it might not be the best quality product on the market, but you can't beat the price. The Realistic Racing Wheel can be yours now for only $5.87, plus shipping. Quick! Someone buy one and let us know how it is so we don't all make the same mistake!

Nintendo Wii Realistic Racing Wheel [Success-HK via Wii News - Thanks Wraggy!]

Wii Fit and Monster Hunter for PSP are on the cusp of hitting the 2 million mark, just as Wii Sports prepares to ship its 3 millionth copy in Japan. Impressive. For the rest of the best sellers for the week of April 28 to May 4, keep on kartin'.

01. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 173,000 / 1,120,000
02. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 102,000 / 1,909,000
03. Link's Crossbow Training (Wii) - 93,000 / NEW
04. Wii Fit (Wii) - 52,000 / 1,986,000
05. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) - 42,000 / 98,000
06. Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (DS) - 31,000 / 508,000
07. Boura wa Kaseki Holder (DS) - 27,000 / 84,000
08. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) - 24,000 / 102,000
09. Deca Sports (Wii) - 24,000 / 186,000
10. Wii Sports (Wii) - 22,000 / 2,959,000

11. DS Bimoji Training (DS)
12. Emblem of Gundam (DS)
13. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Fate of Heat (DS)
14. Wii Play (Wii)
15. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
16. Mario Kart DS (DS)
17. Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin (PS2)
18. Tottado! Yowiko no Mujintou Seikatsu (DS)
19. Naruto: Shippuuden Shinobi Retsuden II (DS)
20. Pro Baseball Family Stadium (Wii)
21. Nippon no Asoko de (PSP)
22. Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 (PS2)
23. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
24. Summon Night (DS)
25. Mario Party DS (DS)
26. SimCity DS 2: Kodaikara Mirai e Tsudzukumachi (DS)
27. Yattaman DS: Bikkuridokkiri Daisakusen da Koron (DS)
28. Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi o Yobu Cinema Land (DS)
29. Phoenix Wright: Gyakuten Revival (DS)
30. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Koushiki Soft: 250-Mannin no KanKen (DS)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Inside Games]

Nintendo Announces Worldwide Mario Kart Wii Tournaments

Nintendo has thrown down the gauntlet for Mario Kart® Wii racers worldwide. Now it's time to see who's up to the challenge, as players take on the world in Mario Kart Wii Tournaments.

Every few weeks, a new tournament will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, an online feature that not only allows players to compete in tournaments, but also exchange race data with friends. Tournaments might take the form of a challenge for players to race a certain course as fast as they can with specific characters, or to collect a number of coins on a course using the Wii Wheel™ accessory or another control setup. They can feature unique rules or obstacles on the course.

The first tournament, which appears today, directs racers to compete for the fastest time on the Mario Circuit. Look closely though - something may be different. Players can attempt the challenge as often as they like during the duration of the tournament. Their best time will be recorded and added to the worldwide rankings, allowing players to see how they stack up against the best racers from around the world.

The [unit] can move suddenly, and severely injure someone who is within the working envelope. A waist high fence located at least 4 feet away from the machine is strongly suggested.

Loved

New Courses: Most of the game's new, original tracks are fantastic. Coconuts Mall, Wario Mines and Snowboard Cross all make excellent use of jumps and shortcuts. Certainly more exciting than most of Double Dash's offerings.

Car, Character Depth: Having so many unlockable characters and vehicles is great fanservice. But having vehicles with varied, multiple stats and characteristics is just great service. It's a small touch, but it makes picking the cart or bike that's right for you a cinch.

Bikes: And here I was thinking this was the stupidest addition to the series thus far. The bikes are actually really fun to use, and aside from a few tracks that have a few too many trick jumps, they're quite tastefully incorporated.

It's Still Mario Kart: For all the game's flaws - and as you can see below, there are many - this is still Mario Kart. It's still a blast at parties, you'll still love rushing from sixth to first on the last corner, you'll still scream to the heavens when you drop from first to sixth.

Hated

Online play: OK, so this is the Wiis fault, not the game's, but online play just feels so...impersonal. Mario Kart's a series where multiplayer has traditionally been about shit-talking and good times, not racing some nameless, voiceless opponent. If ever a Nintendo game needed voice-chat, it's this one.

Sterility: I can't quit put my finger on it, but compared to previous MK games the whole thing just feels really...clinical. Maybe even soulless. This is most telling in the dry presentation.

Too Many Karts: I'm sure the idea of having more (there's now 12) racers on the track seemed like a good one while sitting around the design table. And it looks good as a bullet-point on the game's marketing. But for many tracks it just results in too many items flying around and too many (yes, there is such a thing as too many) cheap shots. It it's not broke, why fix it, etc etc.

Item Unbalance: Mario Kart's built around a principle of elasticity. Last can go to first, and first to last. But this time around, it feels like they've gone too far. Thanks to overly-powerful items like Bullet Bill and the return of the fucking blue shell, which as said above are being thrown around by even more racers, you're no longer being challenged for being in first place. You're being punished. Again, if it's not broke, yada yada...

Wii Wheel: Perhaps the game's single biggest let-down, since the new peripheral was all that was keeping this from being, well, a Double Dash 1.5. While it's adequate, it just doesn't work as well as a Nunchuk and Wii Remote.

Look, Mario Kart Wii isn't a bad game. Far from it! I've enjoyed playing it, and I'm sure a ton of new Wii owners, whose last go-around with the series was on the SNES, will have a blast. But you know what? I'm not a new Wii owner. I'm a longtime fan of the series. Safe to say most of you are as well. And I found the unnecessary gameplay tweaks and underwhelming wheel more than a little disappointing. It's still a good game, don't get me wrong, it's just...not as great as you probably thought/hoped it would be.

Mario Kart Wii was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released on April 27. Retails for $49.99. Available on Nintendo Wii. Played singleplayer game to completion. Played 15 online multiplayer matches.

One will be your default control option. One will be a part-time novelty. The other three should be avoided at all costs.

Wii Remote + Nunchuk - The default control scheme. Only one you ever need, and the only one you should ever use. The Nunchuk thumbstick gives you the most precise control over your kart's movement, while flicking the Wii Remote to activate a trick is much easier than with the Wii Wheel. All the buttons are at your fingertips, and once you get used to the fact the drift button's on the Wii Remote, and not the Nunchuk, it turns into the most natural control scheme not just for this game, but for the entire series.

Wii Wheel - Super-disappointing. The first time you use it, you'll think it's amazing. Probably because the first time you use it will be in a 50cc kart race. On faster tracks, it can't keep up with your need for quick, precise movements. Fail. Same goes for more difficult races when you'll find yourself in the middle of the pack, trying to dodge shells and banana peels: they'll hit you, because it can't work fast enough. Fail. And in 150cc bike races, where tricks are necessary, you have to jerk the wheel upwards to activate a trick, causing you to flail all over the track. Fail.

Wavebird/GameCube Pad - No. Sounds good in theory, right? It served you admirably in Double Dash, right? Yeah, this isn't Double Dash. You need to pull off tricks to win harder races. Need to. The trick button for the Cube pads is hitting the d-pad. Which is awkward, out of the way, and will cost you time and positioning in a race.

Classic Controller - See above.

Wii Remote - The Wii Wheel sucks. Now imagine it without its helpful weight and familiar shape. It's like trying to drive a broken, Excited truck around an oily ice rink. Do not use under any circumstances.

In other words, use the Wii Remote & nunchuk, and only the Wii Remote & nunchuk. The Wii Wheel and 'Cube controllers should be thought of as Mad Catz peripherals: only for use by guests in multiplayer games. Guests you don't like. As for the Wii Remote on its own...I told you to forget about it, OK?

What are your thoughts on the game? If you're spending the day playing it and are looking for some fellow Kotakuites to play with drop your Friend Code (and impressions) here. Mine is 7261 8567 6364 9952.

Now get to racing... and no blue shells!

Disincentives [Penny Arcade]

The big ad push for the Wii comes hours after we first broke the news that Nintendo would be upping production of their tiny, white console. Wow, that was fast!

[Thanks DragonYen]

"Mommy, is Daddy dead?"

Good times, good times. Hit the jump for plenty of pictures of the wheel. SEXY!