Gizmodo Australia » wii wheel

Wii Wheel Mount Plays Mario Kart in Stereo(types)

Mark Wilson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

For those who don’t like the floating steering wheel of Mario Kart Wii (because it lacks the realism of driving around a banana-spewing bulletmobile), this wheel mount by JTT isn’t a bad solution. Using a suction cup to attach the wheel to any flat surface, the top tilts 120-degrees so you can compete old-lady or bus-driver-style. But for US$28, we really wish it had the famous Chinese-girl-driving-wrong-on-one-way setting. Oh well. I guess good old fashioned psychotic “don’t-cut-me-off”-motherfucker-Caucasian will still serve me as well as it always has. [JTT via GoNintendo]

Wii Wheel and Wii Fit Board Combined to Make Racing Simulator

Jason Chen — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000

If you’ve already got a Wii Wheel and a Wii fit but are too cheap to buy an actual racing wheel with pedals, Nintendo Wii Fanboy has a good way to combine the two to accomplish kinda the same thing. All you need is a PC, a couple of apps and the ability to follow written instructions, and you too can be the proud owner of that thing you see in the video above. The only thing we suggest is that there’s some short of wheel block type things to prop up the balance board so it doesn’t feel like you’re flooring it all the time. [Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Blazepro Offers Realistic Wii Racing Wheel For Better Mario Kart Control

Sean Fallon — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:00:00 +0000

If you haven’t quite earned a licence for Mario Kart driving, you can bypass the tacky training wheel and head straight for a realistic, grown-up solution. Blazepro is now offering a beefed-up racing wheel for the Wii that promises better driving accuracy. And, since the base can be attached to any desktop for better stability, chances are it can deliver on that promise. When your skills improve, you can even detach the wheel for traditional in-air gameplay. Available for only US$5.87. [Superufo via Wii News]

Suck At Mario Kart? Build a Training Wheel in a Few Easy Steps

Sean Fallon — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:50:00 +0000

At first glance I thought that this homemade wheel mount was absolutely ridiculous—and with good reason. However, the fact that I recently played Mario Kart with my novice girlfriend leads me to believe that their could be a place for a mount like this. Using only a couple of 36-inch bungie cords and a plastic crate you can build what is essentially a traning wheel for the game that helps beginners settle down with the wiimote and master the basic steering movements. Just don’t let any of your gamer friends catch you using it. A video of the steering wheel mount “in action” is available after the break.

[Wii Fanboy]

Video: Hands-on With the Nintendo Wii Wheel

Adrian Covert — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:00:00 +0000

I got up close and personal with the Wii Wheel at last week’s Nintendo Media Summit, where I (literally) played hours of Mario Kart Wii. I tried playing with the wheel attached and without, trying different configurations of play. And after spending a day with the peripheral, I can’t exactly call it great, but it’s not horrible either.

My first thought when this was announced last year was that I didn’t need a piece of plastic to hold my Wiimote in place; I’d steer the controller by itself just fine. But last Thursday came around, and I approached the wheel cautiously, got comfortable, and even warmed up to the little white circle. While the game can certainly be played without the wheel, there’s something that just feels right about holding it in your hands. There’s more room to grip with your hands, and you’re given a better frame of reference as to how much you’re steering.

There is also an elongated, horizontal button on the back that acts as a mechanical proxy for the B trigger button on the underside of the Wiimote. Hitting the B button is a key part of the drift element in Mario Kart. Without the wheel, trying to hold the Wiimote horizontally in two hands while pressing the 2 button for gas and the B button for drift was a bit awkward. Not so much with the wheel in the hand.

However, the wheel took a little getting used to. I found myself oversteering at first, forgetting to steer later, and waving the wheel in strange directions (also exhibited in the above video by Kotaku’s Michael McWhertor). But after awhile, I calmed down and found a sweet spot where I could play with a bit of skill. So the Wii Wheel may not be God’s gift to racing control, but it doesn’t make the experience any worse either. And as far as Mario Kart itself goes…go talk to Kotaku, they’re the game freaks. [Mario Kart Wii @ Kotaku]

DIY Wii Wheel Leaves Little to be Desired

Mark Wilson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:43:00 +0000

Why fork over more money to Nintendo for a second Mario Kart Wii Wheel when you can just make one yourself? Sound difficult? It’s not, as long as you know how to tape a controller to a sauce pot lid. For some reason we didn’t spot a similar prototype among Nintendo’s 30 original designs. Which just goes to show you, multitudes of white plastic don’t always make something better. (But it sure helps to put a price tag on the thing.) [mod via kotaku]

Nintendo Power Contest: Wii Wheel Cost Driven Down to $9.99

Gizmodo US Edition — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:30:57 +0000

Your friends still aren’t worth the cost of admission to your place for a game with Nintendo’s Wii Wheel, but they’re getting closer now that a Nintendo Power contest rules page lists the peripheral at US$9.99. [GoNintendo]

Wii Wheel Gets US$14.99 Price Tag; Your Friends Aren’t Worth it

Haroon Malik — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Looks like the fellows at Gamestop let the pricing for Nintendo’s Wii Wheel slip, and US$14.99 is the price you’ll be paying for each friend you have over on Mario Kart Wii day, (April 27th.) The game will retail at US$49.99, which includes one Wii Wheel to boot, but for multiplayer mayhem, you’re going to have to fork out that little bit more. Friends suck…not in a good way. Jump to see a blown up shot of the flier with the figures. [Gamestop; Thanks, David W]

First Hands-On Video of Wii Wheel with Mario Kart Wii

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0000

My buddy Stephen T over at MTV’s Multiplayer blog scored the first video demo of the Wii Wheel in Mario Kart Wii game play. Melvin at Nintendo shows him how to insert a Wiimote into the Wheel, then head to the races. Watch T manage to execute a wheelie and a powerslide, then—in the second video in the link below—try the same manoeuvring sans Wheel, with far less enthusiasm. He doesn’t say whether or not it’s a true winner or a waste of plastic, but my guess is, he likes it better than this guy. His biggest gripe? No horn to honk, Maggie Simpson style. FYI: If you live in Canada, UK or Japan, MTV hates your guts. [MTV Multiplayer]