Mario Kart Wii hands-on info

February 19th, 2008, 20:48 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


How does the new Mario Kart Wii handle? What's happened to the powersliding? What new weapons are in there? And what about those bikes? Hands-on impressions have hit the web and answered these questions!

Nintendo of America has been treating US journos to hands-on time with the game.

First up, the all-important controls. Mario Kart Wii will not only use the new steering wheel controller packed with the game - it will also allow for more tradition button controls with either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller or even a GameCube pad. Pleased, we are.

Nintendo told IGN that its testers "seem to favour the steering wheel peripheral over the other options," but we'll believe that when we try it ourselves.

IGN says the steering wheel control takes getting used to because of the difficulty in finding the dead zone - the point at which no steering is applied.

In the typical Grand Prix mode, 50CC is comprised of kart-only races, 100CC is bikes-only, and 150CC lets both lose together.

Also in IGN's report, it reveals that powersliding has also been given an overhaul. Slides are started with the B button, and instead of rapidly steering in opposite directions to build up a boost, the boost now charges over time as you perform your slide. Sounds like a n00b-friendly make-over to us, but we're okay with that.

Meanwhile, a similar report on 1Up reveals that the bikes are "more manoeuvrable" than the karts, but are more prone to being bumped around. As an extra advantage, you can shake the Remote to perform a wheelie, which awards you a small boost after a short time, but wheelies leave you vulnerable to spinning out.

1Up confirms that those stunts seen in the trailers are performed by shaking the Wii Remote - or by pressing a D-Pad button when the Remote isn't in use - at the top of a jump.

Three new items have turned up: the Mega Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros. turns karts into giants, the POW block from Mario Bros. stuns other racers with shockwaves, and a Lightening Cloud item gives you temporary super speed.

As for online play, the full 12-player races will be playable and, more excitingly, you'll be able to have up to two players per console. Split-screen online play FTW!

Exciting stuff indeed. And we've got two fresh new screens below, too - right here.

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