One of the first images that hit the 'net for Mario Kart Wii was the Wii Wheel, a cute little white plastic accessory that clips onto the Wii Remote, and... uh... it makes it look like a steering wheel. It seems suspiciously like it's going to be from the Crappy Plastic category of Wii accessories.

Or...

Check out the comments at the Engadget post that announces Wii Wheels going on sale individually at GameStops for $14.99. You'll find some Devil's Advocates arguing that the Wii Wheel does serve a gameplay function: by forcing you to hold the Wii Remote at the correct angle, it prevents the "oversteering" phenomenon that a lot of people complained about in games like Excite Truck.

This is an argument that gave me pause. In just about any Wii game that uses tilt input, there usually is some sort of horrible input problem you can cause by tilting the remote too much. Could an attachment like the Wii Wheel really keep gamers from oversteering in Mario Kart Wii?

I don't know. What do you think?

Mario Kart Wii screens on GamePro.com

More articles about Mario Kart Wii

Comments [7]

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Blackbolt

[p]You know, Nintendo really needs to stop with all of the damn plastic accessories that do absolutely nothing. I.E. The Wii Zapper. Come on, "Oversteering"?! That's the absolute crock and well all know it. [/p]

[p]If it was like the Xbox wireless racing wheel, I could see some point to it, but all it is a plastic wheel with an indent groove in it to place the wiimote into it. It does nothing at all. If it served some functionality like the Wii balance board, I don't have a problem with it.[/p]

[p]Crock, I tell you! Crock![/p]

Lynxara

HTML code in these parts, sir, not BB code. =)

My personal inclination leans toward "worthless plastic", but the "oversteering" theory was a little too interesting to pass up.

Maybe I just want to believe in a world there Nintendo isn't charging $15 for an accessory that literally does nothing.

TribeMindMD

Well, if nothing else, the wheel would provide a better, more natural grip. The Wiimote, I've noticed, is a little awkward when held sideways; you just can't get a solid hold on it that's really comfortable.

KouAidou

Also, if the wheel has a spring in it or something to naturally configure you back to "center", it seems like that could be really useful when you're on a straightaway. I remember playing Kororinpa, and if you tend to get shaky hands after hours of gaming (like me!), it can be really hard to just align yourself on a straight course for a game like this.

Kouban

Wouldn't that require some form or steering column, which I don't think this will have?

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