Compare the Wii Wheel vs. the Wiimote in Mario Kart

by Candace Savino { Mar 18th 2008 at 9:00PM }

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

Tags: hands-on, mario-kart, racing, stephen-totilo, wii-wheel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Furkle @ Mar 18th 2008 9:13PM

:( Videos are U.S. only

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Mar 18th 2008 9:57PM

Ah, so the wheel is a useless shell.

Dopple Boppler @ Mar 18th 2008 10:02PM

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.

LeChuck @ Mar 18th 2008 10:28PM

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.

Shogan @ Mar 18th 2008 11:24PM

Maybe I can sell the Wii Wheel and get some trade-in credit. That seems like the best use for it.

Feigr @ Mar 19th 2008 1:02AM

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.

Chris @ Mar 19th 2008 2:08AM

I wish it was controlled Excite Truck style, those controls were great... :(

Timerider @ Mar 19th 2008 10:44AM

Yeah, since you could hit the buttons on top with your fingers easily.

Just_a_guy @ Mar 19th 2008 2:10AM

This is the style that Excite Truck should have had.

AC @ Mar 19th 2008 2:56AM

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.

Microswirl @ Mar 19th 2008 3:15AM

Yeah, a Wii stap-on for your thighs would be hawt.

schmix @ Mar 19th 2008 5:37AM

@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?)

shadowchaoscontrol @ Mar 19th 2008 6:25AM

wait, i'm not the only one who still plays games for fun

Julien @ Mar 19th 2008 9:11AM

No... for a game to be fun it has to be 18+.
Everything else is not even called a game by standards.

Brian @ Mar 19th 2008 8:27AM

We don't all live in the US. The video is not accessable to people outside the US.

Candace Savino @ Mar 19th 2008 11:00AM

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.

KidSqueek @ Mar 19th 2008 1:17PM

i really like the wheel. i'll probably buy 3 extra along with the bundle.

z3r0x @ Mar 19th 2008 1:32PM

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 =)

Croove55 @ Mar 19th 2008 2:43PM

CANDACE! You spilled italics tag all over the comments section! The stains will never come out!

Candace Savino @ Mar 19th 2008 3:34PM

Yikes, fixed! Thanks, though it seems I may have scarred you for life :)

Croove55 @ Mar 19th 2008 3:45PM

Hooray! The day is saved! Root beer floats for everyone!

Majkiboy @ Mar 19th 2008 2:49PM

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

Matt @ Mar 19th 2008 5:28PM

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..

ahistorylefttorustintherain @ Mar 19th 2008 6:15PM

"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.

Furkle @ Mar 19th 2008 6:50PM

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.

Alex @ Mar 19th 2008 6:39PM

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.