I got this game today and its so sweet. The online rivals that of XBOX live and finds matches even faster.
Anyone who had all their hopes for WiFi destroyed by SSBB's online, give nintendo one more shot with MK wii.
Trust me you will not be disappointed!!!

Brodo17

@Schoolimangooli: Well I remember playing Mario Kart 64 when I was 5 and that was the most uncomfortable controller ever. I still loved every second.

mferrari

@Kamix: I don't think it's BAD. I've been using nothing but the Wii Wheel just trying to get used to it. It takes a while but I'm getting the hang of it.

Eschguy

@Gunloc: Here's a look at the wii steering columm
[www.nintendowiifanboy.com]

I don't have anything to do with the site just googled it is all cause you asked :)

Gunloc

He should review all the games.

Including GTA4.

standardman

None of the old videos that are linked to work. I'm curious what he said about the other things...

ddrussianinja

Uncool, Brian. The kid's trying to play Mario Kart and you're TALKING to him?! Do you realize how distracting that is? You could've totally thrown his game off!

Cool vid, though.

BPMβ

I hearby term the Wii Wheel as.... Bum bum bum!

The Whiil!

I want $0.25 everytime somebody says it.

Nolano

I think he's not listening.

0479

Let the kid play his game! Damn.

Babylonian

When does Trecente start being fed garlic?

I must know!

Aimless

@ThisCharmingMan: Agreed. The Wii wheel may not be so great but at least it is something new. I would rather fool around with it and screw up every now and then rather than playing Mario Kart Wii like every other racing game I own.

Besides, I play SSBB with a wiimote and nunchuck and kick major butt online with it...I got used to those controls because it was the first control style I played the game with.
I expect the same out of this game and the Wii wheel.

fenderfuel08

And who said the Wii was for kids? That seriously made me lol.

KM91

Tristan and Mini-Bash make it very very hard for me to continue my "I hate kids" stance.

Soooooo cuuuuuuuuuuute!

Also, having small hands and no upper body strength, reviews by 6-yr. olds are actually useful to me.

Evil Tortie's Mom

@Brian Crecente: I assume you're too classy to tell us which publisher it was. ;)

Doomstalk

@Brian Crecente: I eagerly await your competing viral video service, which I will do everything in my (relatively miniscule) power to make greater and more ubiquitous than You-Tube!

I'm not being sarcastic. I personally would never go to YouTube again if I could just go to K-Tube© instead :)

DaiMacculate

/insert female cute ohhh sound

You'll get an honest answer from kids... Unless they want something.

... Sorry my job makes me cringe at kids sometimes. But anyway Brain your kid is adorable.

That Girl Hates You

@mangoboy: They removed all of my content after some publisher pinhead didn't like one of our Justify posts and complained to YouTube, saying we violated their copyright. YouTube refused to work with me on it. Yes, I LOOOOOOVE youtube.

Brian Crecente

All the reviews are gone. How did the Wireless 360 review violate Youtube's terms of service??

mangoboy

@stargateheaven: I think he was referring to the Sixaxis on ridge racer not the analog.

Audioblack

Cute kid Crescente! Unlike his dad. *AHEM* Just kidding!

Best reviews ever! No reviewer can beat the straightforwardness of a kid.
With the help of a few questions though.

I have to agree with him... it's very interesting to use the wheel, because it at least sounds more intuitive.

But hard to use. Because though it is a wheel, it's not fixed, so instead of just turning it you keep doing these awkward movements which don't quite translate to the experience of driving.

Dunno about the 350 controller, but I'm almost shure that any other wheel joystick can bet the Wii Wheel on driving experience.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

I still want to love the wheel, even though its inferior. I want more Wii-ness out of my Wii games.

ThisCharmingMan

it looks like that kid is saying random answers because he's concentrating too much on the game.
the 360 controller and the ps2/3 controller are virtually the same.

stargateheaven

@Gunloc: Wow, links? Also let me/us know how it works, I don't know how much of a rush it is since MK:Wii is not a day one purchase for me (I'll get it, just might take a couple weeks), but I'm very curious.

DaiMacculate

I think that's the most unbiased and honest review I have ever seen. More from this reporter please :D

Elroc

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: keep your old fart jokes to yourself, theyre not gonna fly up in here, ya dig?

@Brian Crecente: my 4 year old loves the nunchuck setup. he even plays SSBB like that, makes me cringe to watch him play it like that, but that's how he rolls. :D but i know once he sees the wheel, his drool factor will go up to ten.

zanzibarlegend

The wii wheel works just fine and i have no problem wining online games with it. You can control the game perfectly with the wheel or just the wii mote with no wheel, its very well done, i really didn´t expect it to work like it does.
When i got the game i was all "Ok lets give the wheel a try so i can go back to the classic controller.". I didn't go back...

Krumm

Having spent an hour or so struggling through 50cc with the wheel, I can say that yes, it does lessen the control some. The fun factor's there, though: Drifting using the wheel feels nice, and there's a certain satisfaction to performing a well-timed jerk of the wheel when you jump, and pulling off a stunt boost. Expect to hit the wall a few times at first, though, especially as you try to control your drift.

MrPerson

@Mokona: Nintendo said you can use the wiimote in the "handle bar" position. It was in an interview with Iwata. Im actually looking foward to trying that come this sunday.

Gunloc

@DaiMacculate: They already have one out. Its called the multi-axis racing system. I bought it from gamestop when I preordered mario kart.

Gunloc

@will: Dude I love your icon.......just had to say that

oh and that kid is fucking awesome. I wanna be like him when I grow up

Dauragon C. Mikado

I'm in the UK. Been playing MK with the wheel all week. I don't feel the need to use anything else. It's just easier and more pleasant.

Lemming

I think he's having a hard time because you're talking to him while he's playing.

M

i hope i smile like your son when i play it

feartheraven

Cute kid, and yes, if you want honesty, kids tell it like it is. Personally, the wheel looks like an interesting concept to me. I think I would find it hard to steer too, but I'm interested in finding out.

DugDawg

@Brian Crecente: And I learned on the Colecovision. I still to this day wish I could use my right thumb, the wii-mote should let me flip it over and just 'know' that I am playing lefty. It has the sensors already.

I'm not a lefty, it's just that I sliced open my left thumb a while back and have no feeling in the upper inner third of my thumb. I always slip off the d-pad and don't notice for a bit.

The Atari Lynx with its rotate 180 degress mode was fantastic.

mzs

Aww he's like a little pirate in the making.

Majorasblaze

Isn't he a little too old to be playing Wii games?

( It was a joke as in BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Down fanboys! Down! I didn't mean it! Don't hurt me! No, no, no NOT THE FACE! AAAAHHHHHHHHH.......****gurgle sounds**** )

Mr.SithNinja

amazing clip. it's the kind of thing i always wonder about but rarely get a chance to see.

and re:someone else's comments, who i would attribute if i remembered who, this is definitely the target demo for this game and it's interesting to see that he does like it.

i'm not sold, but then i'm a cynic and feel abused that nintendo still calls this a 'multiplayer' game without voice chat. jeez.

PGGB

@LANfill:

Video removed due to terms of use violation.

What was in those videos?

creepwood

I want the Luigi hat the guy in the background was wearing.

SAKY

@Brian Crecente: Huh... I grew up just on the edge of going to d-pad usage... So I'm not great with full on joystick's myself, but some pc flight games helped me out. As if you are genuinely worried about this...

But really, I enjoy these posts with Tristan and Mini-Bash. Kinda brings all this back to real life a little? I dunno, they're awesome though. Thanks you guys for sharing a little bit of your real life.

kosikutioner

your arms get really tired, really quickly using that wheel, wiimote and nunchuk ftw

Shane86

love little Tristan, he's a cool kid.

jp182

@Schoolimangooli: I bet he looks like that because he's a cute, goofy little kid. Just playing the odds on this one...

teeth7

@Doomstalk: I know, crazy huh. Funny story, he actually has trouble playing games on my 2600 Retro. He can't get the large motor skills down because he's so used to using his thumbs.

Brian Crecente

Tristan ain't need no stinking reason to like the Wii Wheel! Why dies he think it's cool? Because it just is! Freaking heed the words of the god-king-kid-gamer Tristan!

Master Saji

Well, I was worried about the wheel, but if Tristan's cool with it, so am I.

*sits and waits patiently for Mario Kart*

...

I should probably DO things while I wait patiently... like go to my final in 20 minutes.

TalKeaton: Game Design Major

So adorable. But I still am not a fan of the wii, I don't know, maybe one day.

VixDiesel

@Brian Crecente: He learned to game on the original (non-S) Xbox controller? That sucker must've been almost as big as he was.

Doomstalk

He totally messed up the kids game by asking all those questions.. :(

Nico8332

@Mokona:
The wiimote itself is quite handlebar shaped, I would guess that's the reason. :p

will

I actually can't wait to try the Wii Wheel.
The only gripe I have actually, is that it will be pretty odd riding a bike and controlling it with a steering wheel. Maybe they tried a handlebar thing for the Wiimote and it didn't feel right...

Mokona

You do not get better reviews than from a kid before they're poisoned by advertising and boss pressure as an adult.

Phazonmasher

@Brian Crecente:

What! That's awesome B.C. I would've thought that it would be too big for him to play with.

dead_red_eyes

@Malthius:

The original? Do you think that he could even wrap his hands around that thing?

dead_red_eyes

@Malthius: He learned to game on that controller. :)

Brian Crecente

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA:

For the love of your god, you cannot successfully convey sarcasm thru text. Sometimes it doesn't matter how thick you lay it on, people just don't get it. As Witz said, using sarcasm tags can be the difference between getting banned or not. Honestly, I thought your post was real ... as we get crap like that all the time here.

I'll echo what everyone else has pretty much said. Tristan's adorable, and I appreciate his honesty about the wheel.

dead_red_eyes

Tristan likes the 360 controller, huh? I wonder what he thinks of the original Xbox "man-hands" controller. You probably have one laying around. Ask him!

Malthius

You can almost see the cogs in his head turn when he's answering.

miluda

@Kamix: give the wheel to me.

i need more then one.

D:

Onizuka-GTO

It's nice to see kids before the internet corrupts them into being vulgar, screaming console militants.

Especially when they aren't afraid to say they like Microsoft (or Sony) stuff, since they are supposed to be right in Nintendo's wheelhouse or whatever.

KaneRobot

Don't you understand what the word joke means?

doubtful

I have mario kart wii, and must i say the wii wheel doesnt work that well... @_@

Kamix

@Doomstalk: I know how you feel. it's a sad day when you feel utter jealousy and envy towards this joyful kid playing with the wii-wheel on mario kart.

MUST.HAVE.EXTRA.WII-WHEEL. ARRGGGHHHHHH!!!

Onizuka-GTO

I was bitterly disappointed at first. The graphics on an HD TV look worse than Double Dash did on my old SD TV and using the wheel made me angry at how unresponsive it was.

However, take away the wheel, add some beer and 3 mates and suddenly it's my favourite game; adding (amazingly) to the insanity and mayhem of all the previous titles.

My thoughts at the moment though are that the wii is the last console that Nintendo are going to get away with rehashing old mechanics, characters and graphics. For their next console they are going to have a lot of work to do. No quantity of Mario, Mario Kart and Zelda games are going to be sufficient unless they are happy to slip completely into the casual, brain training, sisters and mum's market.

will

@darvos: Yeah, nowhere near as realistic as pretending to be a big guy with a chainsaw attached to his gun fighting giant aliens. Moving a wheel to pretend to drive a cart? Just ridiculous.

Fnor

hheheheh this kid knows his controller really good, so if he says it easier than exite truck I believe him.

chacho

@ruslander: "I figure it's going to be more natural for me to play using a controller, but that wheel just looks like fun so I am going to make myself play with it."

thats exactly what i feel, but my girlfriend thinks the wheel is going to be great, she preordered it and is excited about the midnight launch at my store lol.

shouryuuken

I cant believe all the wii wheel hate. I bought this game the other day along with mario galaxy and it is awesome. The wheel takes a litte geting used to but after a few goes its like second nature. It feels a bit wierd at first but you get used to it.

Youll be issing out on an awesome game if you dont get it.

teeps1981

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: How do you set up the Wii to use the gamecube controller for MK? Don't konw how to do it and I am too lazy to go through the users manual. Been using the wheel, which although it handles fine, I don't know how to get the mini boosts.

2SBs

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: Sorry, man. It's a sad statement about the comments lately that I immediately assume the worst.

Doomstalk

I'm not really interested in the game, but TBH I'd probably have to just spend a bunch of time with the wheel to make a good decision on it since I tend to stick with older methods that already work well. I kind of liked the Wii Play and Warioware driving games with a normal Wiimote sideways though. In my experience things like that tend to lose calibration fast and go wonky, so maybe the bare wiimote is better because it lets you feel exactly how it's tilted, maybe the wheel is better because if it drifts off center you can just hold it crooked. Regardless I bet the wheel helps make sure it tilts along the right axis for steering.

I use the sticks on Gran Turismo and Burnout, switch between sticks and D-pad on Ridge Racer, and use D-pad only on Wipeout games. I've actually never tried Sixaxis steering on anything yet because I haven't heard anything good about it outside of Wipeout HD. Maybe I'll warm up to motion sensing steering over the years; I'll probably just get a traditional wheel controller before then though.

fuchikoma

I have decided not to get Mario Kart after seeing it in action. I refuse to pretend to drive with a wheel not attached to anything.

darvos

You're kid's pretty adorable Crecente.

But I was hoping you'd ask him whether he likes the gamecube controller or the steering wheel more. It would probably be the controller though.

NeoAkira

Kotaku editors have the cutest kids. Tristan is one handsome little boy.

AnnePackrat

I can't wait to play mario goes to lunch!

Craig-VN-Gossman

@Moonshadow101: No arguements here. I agree.
What a cute kid, he sure is a nice kid. I'd think with all those questions he'd get fustrated. Of course he could have been just scared of Crecente's Vampire look ;p

goldwings

@KingDavid73: Yeah I'm very curious to see how long it takes a peripheral maker to come up with a "steering column" piece that this wheel can sit on top of, that does seem a pretty straightforward addition.

DaiMacculate

Oh noes....all the old reviews are gone!

LANfill

I pre-ordered Mario Kart Wii the other day and bought an extra Wii Wheel for my girlfriend. I figure it's going to be more natural for me to play using a controller, but that wheel just looks like fun so I am going to make myself play with it. Plus, it's probably the only way I can get my girlfriend to give the game a try. A steering wheel (a familiar object) is much easier to approach than a button-laden controller I think.

ruslander

Even the kids who are supposed to love the Wii like the 360 controller better... yay. I never did like the Wii. But on to the subject at hand. I thought Excite Truck was hard to play, and even with a little steering wheel attachment, I don't think that it would change the awkwardness of a floating steering wheel. If it came with a little stand to make it stationary, that would be a different story.

KingDavid73

@Conrad: LOL. Thats exactly what I was thinking. Also I wonder how many times he's passively heard dad praise the living daylights out of that 360 controller.

ajay42

Looks like a lot of fun... Its targetted towards the kids and they love it so why not.. I think its a great strategy.. I remember those steering wheels microsoft use to sell back in the day with the force feedback. those were duds!

ceokhan

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: I didn't sense the sarcasm, guess I missed the part about you owning a Wii. My bad.

Myst3r1o

@BassForever:

Hmmm indeed it is I suppose. But like I said, sarcastic it was.

I got Mario Kart (UK here) and I prefer the Gamecube controller. Sorry I'm such an old fart like that.

Communist_Gamer who hates EA

Ok we can all lay off Communist Gamer now, he made a stupid joke, thats all. No law here against failing to be funny; I'm sure they'd have given me the boot long ago if there was ;)

DaiMacculate

I found that disturbingly cute. Please put cuteness on that level past the jump, will nobody think of the Diabetic?!?! :)

I hope Tristan appreciates not just what an awesome job his dad has, but that he looks and dresses like a badass vampire hunter without any negative hits to his masculinity.

I think there will rarely be a "My dad can beat up your dad" discussion he legitimately loses, barring extreme cases ;)

DaiMacculate

Pretty cool review, lol. I'm still buying the game but probably not the Wii Wheel.

Oh yeah, and...

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: You are an idiot.

Myst3r1o

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: I thought the Wii was for everyone? Good review, kudos to Ryan

BassForever

You guys know the game is out in Europe right...has ever occured to you that some guys from that faraway fairy tale land might already have told you guys over and over and over that the Wiiwheel is fine, not great, but fine.

Then again, who am I to question the authority of a adowable little kid? ^_^

GerarDOS

@Doomstalk:

I was being sarcastic btw. Thats why I said about how I have a Wii.

I have kids of my own so ya know...

I do apologise if you took that seriously.

Communist_Gamer who hates EA

@Doomstalk:

Sarcasm. Much?

Communist_Gamer who hates EA

@Communist_Gamer who hates EA: You do realize A) that's Brian Crecente's son B) today is Ban Monday, right? You are, as my mother used to put it, "Cruisin' for a bruisin'."

Doomstalk

@KirbyMorph: lol yes, I had to look back but yes.

Schoolimangooli

Did that guy at the end have a Luigi hat?

KirbyMorph

Yes kid it is hard but you learn to love it... then you realise you can set better time trial times with the gamecube pad and you never go back.
If only they had a separate time trail listing for each control type, sure they would also have to have an overall but it would be of been nice.

niacin

Way to load the kids questions. The interviewer would be a good (bad) cop.

Conrad

He's a closet 360 fanboy! Rabble rabble rabble!

This may be a good idea you've on your hands: children critics. They can't be bribed (well, maybe by junk food, but parents can easily counter-bribe them), they're often honest to a fault, and when they say something you don't like it's incredibly difficult to get angry at them.

Asper

Kids. Annoying.

But then again who else is the Wii for other than retards?

(Retreats behind his Wii and Super Paper Mario which he still hasnt finished).

Communist_Gamer who hates EA

I love the Mario Kart license I got. This was a really neat little setup Nintendo had going right in downtown Denver. And I agree with Tristan, the Wii Wheel is difficult to get used to.

voteforgrant

cute kid ... honest review, nice.

Lanhoj

I was actually pleasently surprised at how well it works... but didn't take long to get back to the trusted Wavebird. Respect to anyone who can win online games with it though!

Arcadewolf

He looks uncomfortable playing. I bet his shoulders are tired from keeping his arms up. that's why he has his elbows tucked to his sides.

Schoolimangooli

Haha, he was only half paying attention to anything Crecente said.

I'm still not buying the game.

Aethyr

Well, that's pretty much the target audience.

Moonshadow101

I wish I could be this joyful while I'm losing.

dilpickies

So adorable

CaptainAtman