A note about control options in Mario Kart Wii

by David Hinkle { Apr 2nd 2008 at 3:00PM }

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

Control: Mario Kart Wii is compatible with four different control schemes, so players can customize how they want to play:

Wii Remote Controller (with or without Wii Wheel): Steer by tilting the Wii Remote left and right. Or snap the Wii Remote into the Wii Wheel to transform it into a steering wheel for an intuitive, motion-based control scheme.
Nunchuk Controller: Steer with the Control Stick on the Nunchuk and use the Wii Remote to accelerate, perform tricks and drift.
Classic Controller: Mario Kart veterans can let their thumbs do the driving with the Classic Controller. However, players cannot perform certain moves with this control scheme.
Nintendo GameCube™ Controller: Experienced Mario Kart fans may also enjoy this familiar scheme, although some maneuvers cannot be performed.

Tags: control-scheme, controls, mario-kart, mario-kart-wii, wheel, wii-wheel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sonic_13 @ Apr 2nd 2008 3:22PM

Wii Remote all the way for me. Excite Truck got me hooked on that control scheme and I like it a lot better than steering with a joystick on a traditional controller.

Now I'll just have to see whether I like using the Wii Wheel with the Wii remote sideways or not.

Fanatism @ Apr 2nd 2008 3:55PM

Just to clarify here, so it doesn't go overboard with ignorance like it did on kotaku: You can still do tricks with the d-pad on the GC and CC controllers, but the "some maneuvers cannot be performed" would probably mean you can't shake them/use motion sensing, and maybe some trick-animation are unavailable. From what I could understand.

dries @ Apr 2nd 2008 3:59PM

"players cannot perform certain moves with this control scheme"

that pretty much renders the Classic and the Gamecube controllers useless.

James @ Apr 2nd 2008 4:07PM

Hahahah, look at that -- the tool is using the wrist strap with the steering wheel. When did we reach the point where a controller you're *not* swinging around like an idiot has to be anchored to our persons? Somehow we can use the tilt controls on a SIXAXIS without attaching it to our hands with packing tape, and nobody has put one through a TV...

John B. @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:06PM

It's just advertising. Go back to PS3 Fanboy and let the guys at Nintendo do their job without some adolescent ignoramus acting like a smartass.

Feigr @ Apr 2nd 2008 4:30PM

Can I steer using the d-pad on the classic controller? That's all I want to know and I haven't found an answer to that yet despite all these posts on blogs about the MK controls.

Hame @ Apr 2nd 2008 5:03PM

I'm all for choice, but when it comes to control, I don't like multiple schemes. A designer should have the strength in his convictions to decide on one true control method for his game. Though I'm sure it's not the case with MKWii, I am suspicious of any game with multiple control schemes as it suggests that none of them are that good. After all if one of them were truly great it would not need any others. The designer should have the strength to decide, not throw every controller under the sun at the player and say "oh I can't be bothered, you decide".

milan @ Apr 2nd 2008 5:37PM

Well... you can't please all of the people all of the time, but with more options you can hopefully please more people.
I understand what you're saying and the purist gamer in me agrees, but c'mon: it's good to give paying customers the choice.
Besides, if they didn't allow other control schemes to be used, people would complain, because no matter the quality of the control scheme, some would want to try them at least once (and then they may find that they like it!). Really, Nintendo is just giving people what they want.

Jason @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:43AM

Some people (like myself) have difficulty with certain control schemes for various reasons. The non-customizable Mario Strikers is one game that I had to return because I was not able to use the controls they "had strengths in their convictions" and chose.
I for one fully support multiple control schemes. Use the one that works best for you, making more possibilities available does nothing to reduce your "great" control scheme.

Matthew @ Apr 29th 2008 3:26PM

Are you serious Hame? The designers of this game didn't have enough conviction to limit the game to one control style?
That is like saying open-ended style games (GTA) aren't as good as linear games because the designers didn't have enough confidence in the games main objective.