freespeech

Playing with a traditional analog stick is basically Double Dash and MKDS all over again. I've seen that all before, but I haven't seen playing with the wheel before, and that's what make this game great.

Let's remember that MK is and always has been a party game. Now that it's on the Wii, it's party status is even more important. I'm sure they'll be tons of jerks out there with their nunchuks just taking everyone out online, and they can have their cheap wins. These are the same guys that play Smash with no items on a stage that's entirely flat. Stop trying to make Smash a bland fighting game, and stop trying to make Kart a bland racing game. This is Nintendo, and they offer unique experiences. I'm sticking with the Wheel.

Benjo

The Whaleman

L_K_M

Protector one

MikeRox

MikeRox

Thorax

See you in the regionals

branchclarke

waterbottle

Seriously, with the wheel, this is the worst ever Mario Kart game. But with controllers it's quite possibly the best ever Mario Kart game.

I do notice lots of people online do well with the wheel though. I guess diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

dowingba

Lov3

Also, loads of people are saying they felt the wheel plently responsive enough. Maybe my chuck was dodgy? It certainly seemed hella-slow to me.

Lov3

cheswick

didn't know you could do tricks...have to try that next time i get a chance to play..

TragicsNFG

I have absolutely no problem with its precision.

Marlor

For me, the worst controller was the Wii wheel. It just was not responsive enough, and totally awful to handle. My friend told be to take the wiimote (we are 1 nunchuck short) out of the wheel and lo and behold, my driving improved tremendously. Still finished middle of the pack in evrey race though. Freind 2 had a gamecube controller (unofficial. noob.) and proclaimed it his favourite, and proceded to rival my GC owning friend (wii+nunchuck) toe to toe. Subsequently, an entire spare controller (wiimote+nunchuck) was found, which I procured, and proceded to win every race until I got kicked out for being too awesome. So, from personal experience, the order is thus:

wii wheel < wiimote < GC controller < wiimote+chuck.

If the GC controller button for jump-boost was either right trigger or joypad-up, it would be neck and neck.

PS. Snaking, I mourn you. Pro's and noobs separated indistinguishably by a simple mechanic. Now dead, unfortunately for pros :(.

Lov3

joshuawerner

Zyzex_Remix

deathly

Punishingwombat

The people who beat me at multiplayer were better than me at Double Dash too. I'm just not the best at Mario Kart - but because I'm playing with the wheel, I'm having kartloads of fun doing it.

MysteryPersonX

Honestly, I really enjoy the Wii Wheel. I've beaten 100 cc pretty easily with it. And I'm sure using the "preferred" method above will make unlocking content easier. But I think it's a little harsh to call the Wii Wheel a failure. I've really enjoyed it and I'm glad it came with the game. For average players and causal gamers, it will be a pain. But then again, we are playing Blood Pressure Kart. Video game wheels have always been hard to manage/play with. I can't ever remember a time winning at an Arcade Racing Machine. Too bad those arcade cabinets didn't have joystiq controls. Oh well, I guess those games were utter failures.

The question, I suppose, you should be asking yourself is... "What will be the most immersive/enjoyable configuration for this game, for me?" Some will say GC controller, others will say the "preferred" method, other s will say Wii Wheel.

raptorsrevenge

I need to get this game! And try the online mode!

dawimp523

Lukehmuse

lainsnavi

Xiedo

speedmike

theTOMSTA666

PrivateJ0ker

Krumm

Ieatbears

ren666

Now getting bumped by someone with the lightning cloud and getting the rubber zapped out of me as I smash into a wall of banana's and then get demolished by a bullet... well that screws me over, but thats why I love Mario Kart, you're never in first until you cross the line and the race is over.

ctuck

Very much seconded. After all, thats what the variety of control options is for.

Nirual

Flicking the wiimote does start to cramp my wrist though... After the first 12 hours.

Degreeless

msondo

shouryuuken

Alazar

Bluejuan85

M

Mienvard

Krumm

Recoil

Gunloc

I've been using the gamecube controller so far, but just might give the wiimote+nunchuck combo a good go.

Mienvard

googleguru

Gunloc

sporkhead

Ty4Cy

I thought for sure the Wheel would suck...and then I tried it.

This is not Excite Truck. Somehow Nintendo has fixed any past motion control issues. Once you try the wheel you will never go back.

I've been playing online for a day and a half and I am winning 90% of the time..using the wheel!

The wheel is actually more precise than the analog stick (When playing full screen at 60 FPS). You can adjust your direction by such a small degree, it's unbelievable.

It'll be interesting to see which users will have the best ghost data online...Wheels or Classic Controllers?

sakipooh

Okay, I've seen those around. How do you get one of thoes?

TRT-X

Looking forward to getting my SNES-replica 'mote attachment.

And I second (or tenth or twentieth or whatever) the seeing-a-lot-of-wheel-users-in-front thing. The gold-wheel carriers hold their own hella good against those of us who use the other schemes.

Then again, that's got a lot to do with simply knowing the game well. With the wheel, it becomes a lot more important to follow racing lines, and so you have to learn the courses pretty damn well.

MrPerson

Sounds like a heckuva good time though.

TRT-X

William "Killer" Shatner

chemical_eng_mx

Mr. Plunkett, you have messed up!

CheekyLee

tanknat007

Hrolf

FP ph15h

madbassman39

Uh, that just isn't true. The team finished MK DS, which came out Nov. 2005, and went straight into the new game for the new platform, which had been revealed in October of that year. MKWii was never a gamecube game.

maybe you should go back and replay 50cc with bikes if you're having that much trouble. The wheel dominates in online matches, where the worldwide community has had weeks to acclimate to the wheel.

The poster's entire tone is unpleasant.

StratfordX

href="#c5406452">zensatori: Here's to the Wii Wheel, my friend! And damn some of the items. Others are OK. I have qualms with the Blooper, for instance. It's easy to see through that ink.

Shyguy

Playing without the wheel in multiplayer against the gf yesterday I'd have to say I'm glad I picked up another Wii Wheel shell today ;)

kotaku_canuckian

schmax

Hmm.. Accelerometer must have been out of whack or something.

BadSector

hahaha, this would be pretty difficult hahaha

i just had a winning streak using the wheel on wifi, get it up ye!

bawbagdan

Xlom3000

JorgieX

eastx

Torgen got his apology faceplate but not his fixed GH3 disc

Now onto mirror mode (not worried), and three stars on every cup (having a panic attack).

TheNextLevel

zanzibarlegend

Mearns

mullinsmcd

So if I can do the tricks fine with the wavebird, there is no reason to switch to the wiimote + nunchuck style, right?

LedRush

My friends and I tried all the different control schemes and then we went back to the wheels and found they were more fun, especially when drifting.

Choose what you like best and have a blast!

static

LOL... do they just hand out memos on how to score page hits? Actually, they probably do. Anyway this is FAIL. I'm sorry some people don't think tilt controls (which are insanely intuitive) are fun but the silly hyperbole to bring out the page hits should really be sidelined if you want people to take you seriously.

ajay42

-Wheel - I finished first in two cups, but got an E. It's not bad, and I love the simple up/down for item usage. But the cornering, drifting, and mini-turbos weren't working well enough for my liking. And it responds incorrectly sometimes, which is a deal breaker.

-Remote only - Not even worth trying, obviously.

-GCN/CC - The button mapping is awful. The L trigger for items, especially rapid presses (i.e. golden mushroom) or holding it for dragging is awkward. Why in the world is the Y button unmapped?! And you lose control for tricks because you have to move your thumb to the D-pad. This is a big deal because tricks are very useful and this causes a lot of screw ups while doing them.

-Remote / nunchuk - This is what I'm using. Good button mapping, good use of the speaker and rumble, and good response for wheelies and tricks. My only minor complaint is that it's hard to use the rear view while dragging an item.

Mezodon

Ska-Chan

jiSh

basilafox

Actually I wasn't kidding, but after thinking about it, you're right. I just assumed it must have been using it because I did everything else to try to fix the problem (horribly jerky steering) before finally putting up the sensor bar. Maybe it was a coincidence. BUT, it makes sense that the wii wheel wouldn't use it because you're damned hand covers the IR output. :-p

stoermer

eastx

aldo_14

Chippy180

murfi

murfi

Luke Plunkett

PapaBear434

I agree! I think the wheel is fun and the tricks are super simple to ull off. DAMN ITEMS!

zensatori

nunchaku and wiimote is just like gamecube, this game needed a change and a change it got.

the wheel works fine for me anyway, maybe your wiimotes are wonky.

bawbagdan

When Brawl came out, I started using the Classic Controller and nothing but. I did have to make a few small changes, though. Now, since I've played so much, I can't go back to the Gamecube controller. It just feels weird. I'd really like to get my hands on MKWii myself so I could tell you which I prefer, but I'm going to have to wait on it.

Konatsu

Yeah...well FLICK YOU!..heh

I've done the flicking straight up, towards me, away from me, and every which way, but I always tend to flick a little too much with one hand, causing me to angle off the jump.

Maybe I should drive gangsta style with just one hand in the center at the top, leaned back all the way on my recliner while popping guys with my 9 out the side window....

...sorry - too much GTA 4 anticipation.

OneLetter

That is all.

Rondogg

I tried using the analog stick but it just doesnt feel natural anymore to drive by wobbling my thumb :P

Kamakaze

KM91

Sensor bar placement?? The sensor bar is NOT used when you are driving with the wheel.

Maybe I'm too tired this morning to catch the sarcasm.... ;P

BadSector

XgamerM

mjn328

And the other options aren't that bad either. Except the wheel-less Wiimote.

Nirual

MSUSteve

LedRush

stoermer

dunnace

ScottyF311

cheeseboybeans

6010

KrisNaga

was that a veiled bash at Excitetruck ?

( i think it blew )

expansionsss

The only problem is the little jump deviations you get from time to time, but I'm not good enough to care about that.

EloraHRanma

The WW, much like a real car, takes very small adjustments and subtle movements. I found it very responsive and accurate. I was placing 1st in 150cc races (1 player, admittedly) without too much trouble. I have not been able to successfully do a full online VS match, though.

Anyone else having that problem where the matches end prematurely, or disconnect before they even start?

Robotube

Isaac VanDuyn

dry-roasted-peanuts

Case closed.

LedRush

Yin

But then again i won't mind paying that for it.

so, moot point.

but nice to know the nunchuk are worth the money on this.

Onizuka-GTO

Sunjammer

I still might keep at it with the Wii wheel during singleplayer sessions, though. Hmmm.

MrPerson

Maybe michael schumacher should use a thumstick....fail!

Ahmunnaeetchoo

panfriedcharlie

For tricks I just jerk the Wii Remote down with both hands to keep the steering balance.

_Hayko

For a game like MK emphasis should be on speed, not on making others slower.

Sunjammer

Kuroomu

ShaggyB

It's not optimal by any stretch, but i could actually see it work to improve a ton of "straight" racing games considering how precise it feels for small changes. Not that those games will ever find a real home on the Wii.

Sunjammer

Yin

The Nunchuk option is fine, I even enjoy the hands free option it gives like in other games, but Mario Kart feels like such a controller title.

Crazyreyn

teh_joe

crescentfresh

chaman_shimano

Shyguy

evilonion

Eschguy

elronathon

The Chin

lebowsky

Instead of a "flicking" motion, try tilting the wheel towards you. I originally "flicked" (which meant I would jerk my entire arm straight up) and had the same problem.

If you just tilt your wrists up, I've found that it allows you to get the trick, but still have control of the kart enough to make a solid landing.

Of course, you may be doing this...and our definitions of "flick" differ.

TRT-X

And of all of them, the classic is the one that enables you to relax the most, which is what I play games for anyway. If I want to use a steering wheel, I'll get in my Toyota.

bluetom00

Skiam

ArmyofJuan

The way it's set up, you have to hold Left or Right on the D-Pad to keep the item dragging behind you. This can "feel" awkward when holding an item while also trying to Drift. (Holding the D-Pad right while turning left, or vice versa)

It would've been nice if they had set it up so that pressing Left/Right deploys the item, rather than having to HOLD it to keep it out.

The ability to fire forward or backward using up or down is fantastic, and could have stayed...but I just wish I could set "prep" the item with left or right then take my hand off the D-pad until I need it.

Oh, and Blue Shells should go back to how they were in Mario Kart 64 (though I'd prefer they go away entirely). I may get a Blue Shell in last place, but it doesn't do a dang thing for anybody but the 2nd/3rd place racers (depending on how bunched together the top four or so are.

I think they may even have changed it so it locks onto 1st place at launch, instead of when it's approaching. I've yet to prove this theory....

TRT-X

DarkHogosha

That's the beauty of the situation, they give you choices. 5 different control schemes rather than just forcing one on you and saying "Do it this way because we said so." Same thing goes for Smash Bros.

There's no need to bash on any of these schemes because at least we all have the choice to use the one we like most. Everyone wins.

mva5580

I haven't tried playing with the Wavebird yet, but that is what today is for. Thanks for the handy guide though.

OneLetter

In the few weeks since the Euro launch I been playing Mario Kart Wii a whole lot and use 99% of the time the (wired) Cube controller. Pulling of tricks is so easy and natural that I'm assuming that your definition of awkward is very different from mine.

But to each his own. The fact that you can choose between 5 schemes shows that there is for everyone something they like. Which is why this control scheme review is pretty pointless to begin with as everyone has there own preference.

StormdragonBlue

I have had no problems pulling tricks with the dpad, I have finished all GPs but the 150cc Mirror GPs (and those are a matter of time).

Oldschool is never old.

Shiryu

Limafoxtrot

@DigiMish: No, you can't map the buttons.

Darkmoss

topbanana

Captain_Canada

kipperminge

NecroticSoul

Struct09

nemyhlovecraft

Shinamano

Calitri101

animagnum

antialias02

Hyperfludd

Now i've been karting since the SNES and everyone since then and all I believe is that Nintendo love making terrible plastic crap to force us in to buying the game.

That doesn't mean people are buying MKWii for the Wheel. HELL NO. carters love karting for the pure amazement of red shelling some one 5 inches before the end of the race to come in first place and the Wii Wheel will not help games get sold, all of us were going to buy it anyways.

On the other hand... this game as I recall from the past 14 or so hours of playing it since its release all it has got is a lot more CHEAP. Jumping is probably my most favorite part about this new MK, whether it is with a bike or a kart either way it makes the game that much more enjoyable. getting those boosts and drifting seems to be exactly what Nintendo wanted to do and yes you must master both of these to excel anywhere in the MK world.

I really don't have many gripes about this game, other than the fact that bulling around while driving and halting to a stop isn't so fun, and that items like the bullet can make or break the race, 9th to 1st and the win its kind of over the top to me. Yes Nintendo has made this for everyone to play and I don't think people aren't going to buy it but I do think strongly that the hardcore MK'ers are going to get sick of its sooner than not. But then again there's multiplayer to hold its own version of the game on which i've actually been a little obsessed about.

Now i'm off to go kick Rainbow Roads ass, and anyone else who races in my way…

Go Team Venture

In before people crying how the Wavebird/GC controller could have easily used and they refuse to buy the game because of that.

Foxstar Sixtail

brad8989

lapiz

Ethereal006

Gamecube, d-pad to analogue is easy enough to do.

Wii wheel is more difficult, and the problems stated are the main difficulties, but with practice you'll be pretty fine. The only real problem is that you can't really slide without turning before, which means the wheel won't be making any time trial records, but it's perfectly functional otherwise.

creepwood

The author seems concerned about the "tricks" and how it's impossible to do them while using the wheel...I didn't notice that at all.

It's just a quick tilt on the wheel. You don't have to wrench it back or flail...just tilt it up and viola!

I will admit that at first I struggled with the wheel. But that was because I was trying to adjust to the new controls.

But I've already gotten gold's in all 50 and 100cc races. Have a grade of about B (I haven't gone back to some of the earlier cups a second time yet)

So really, this article just confuses me...I've heard nothing but positives about the wheel, and my own experiences have been nothing but the same.

TRT-X

Foggynotion

Slash3

maybe i'll try it with the nunchuck tonight after work.

dh4645

We did get MKW two weeks ago though... Ner ner!

2kreative

If so, maaan... That's just f@$%'d up.

wonder6oy

Swift_

lapiz

so true.

Dakobah

Then today I was playing it online all day, which is 100/150cc

Wii Wheel is Superior, but to each to his own! :)

As long as you have fun it doesn't matter.

Hyperfludd

I wish I could set up the wiimote in a way that I could use the D-pad to steer.

I sill enjoy Mario Kart DS a great deal more than this outing.

Dauragon C. Mikado