Wii Wheel (aka: plastic shell) sold separately for $14.99

88 Comments by Christopher Grant Mar 29th 2008 7:35PM
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Peripherals

If you're just sure Nintendo's Wii Wheel peripheral is going to make your Mario Kart Wii game that much better, you may want to nab a second (remember, one comes in the box). Lucky for you, Gamestop is more than happy to take your money well before the game's April 27th release, with their latest circular promoting preorders for the game and – what's this? – a single Wii Wheel sold separately for $14.99.

If you ask us, that's pretty steep when you consider the Wii Wheel is just a plastic shell; you're better off putting that $15 towards a used Gamecube controller which, praise be to Bowser, will work just fine with Mario's latest racing simulator.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: Mario-Kart, Mario-Kart-Wii, Wii-Wheel

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Sora267: Mar 29th 2008; 7:43PM

Couldn't you make your own for a lot less dough using some PVC pipe?

ApolloIV: Mar 29th 2008; 7:44PM

Do it before release and you will become internet hero.

Mal F4cti0n: Mar 29th 2008; 8:31PM

Yes, but you probably won't pollute as much as the Nintendo factory will, so why would you want to?

Stop making plastic, worthless sh*t, Nintendo!

Nailio: Mar 29th 2008; 9:56PM

Mal F4cti0n, the reason Nintendo placed last in that list of green companies is because they didn't give the organization their stats so the Green org thing gave them all 0's for everything they didn't know about.

Cesaria (SSBB: 3136-6466-5083): Mar 30th 2008; 7:17PM

@Mal F4cti0n
you can say that about many corporations I'm sure you supply.

OTAM: Mar 29th 2008; 7:43PM

What a joke.

ejordan: Mar 30th 2008; 2:20AM

Praise be to Bowser. I love it.

Benny: Mar 29th 2008; 7:50PM

I better trade in my copy of Super Mario Galaxy for this!

playwhutyalike: Mar 29th 2008; 7:58PM

Everybody aboard the Gamestop Cash Money Whore Train!

Pass.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force): Mar 29th 2008; 8:07PM

Ummmm, this is Nintendo. Gamestop isn't doing this, they're only selling it.

DonWii: Mar 29th 2008; 8:18PM

I bet it IS Gamestop.

Why else do they sell Layton and Advance Wars for $35, when Target and Best Buy sell it for $30.

It is called the Gamestop tax.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force): Mar 29th 2008; 8:53PM

Maybe because Layton and Advance Wars, like most Nintendo first party, carries a $34.95 MSRP and most stores undercut that. Why do I know? I used to work retail. We'd get the Nintendo promo stuff and GBA releases were always $5 above what we were selling it at.

playwhutyalike: Mar 30th 2008; 1:17AM

Thanks, Fid. It's just a joke. Calm down.

NATO_Duke: Mar 31st 2008; 10:44AM

I dont get the joke - this had nothing to do with GS, so you just made the slam outta noplace. Makes no sense, so Fid's response was on point.

The wheel is yet another waste of cash.

Jake11: Mar 29th 2008; 8:00PM

le sigh...

(french for sigh)

Meloche: Mar 29th 2008; 10:23PM

Not to be picky, but it would be *soupir*

WhatIsThatThing: Mar 30th 2008; 12:32AM

Someone's been watching too many "Pepe Le Pew" cartoons...

Rob Accomando: Mar 29th 2008; 8:01PM

I'd rather just take an existing wheel I have and duck tape the wiimote to it.

Mal F4cti0n: Mar 29th 2008; 8:38PM

Really? Not to be too snide, but do you have a bunch of steering wheels you aren't using lying around? I hope you mean from, like a video game system, and not a real car. ; )

I would tape the Wii-mote to a pot lid before I would spend $15 on this, so I get what you mean!

LameDuck: Mar 29th 2008; 9:02PM

[jackass] I know I was going to duct tape my 48" widescreen to the windshield of my car and tape the wiimote to the steering wheel. For kicks, I was also going to start the car so I could get some real feedback. [/jackass]

Jerk Face: Mar 29th 2008; 9:13PM

You could use the leftover tape that Nintendo has laying around from duct taping all those Game Cubes together!

Zing!

Nailio: Mar 29th 2008; 9:52PM

Sorry Jerk face, Its way to overdone to be a zing.

Nailio: Mar 29th 2008; 9:53PM

And apparently making sure how to spell too correctly before I post is underdone...

Stupid o key always taunting me, trying to look like its surprised.

Rob Accomando: Mar 30th 2008; 9:47AM

Mal F4cti0n, yes I have 2 that I don't use anymore. One is a Madcatz for Xbox/ps2/GC and one is a Momo for the PC.

kojo87: Mar 29th 2008; 8:15PM

i should just pull the steering wheel off the 1984 VW Rabbit in my garage and stick a Wiimote to it. then i would actually have an excuse for hanging on to that junker!

Jerk Face: Mar 29th 2008; 9:13PM

Rabbit = Win

Dr. Stabbingworth: Mar 30th 2008; 2:22AM

No, rabbot = win

kojo87: Mar 30th 2008; 12:59PM

rabbot = wtf

{peshue: Mar 29th 2008; 8:16PM

Considering that a regular controller costs $50 I think the price is right in line. All game controllers cost way too much.

Hyams: Mar 29th 2008; 8:45PM

... it's a piece of plastic.

Mal F4cti0n: Mar 29th 2008; 8:47PM

Did you read the post or just the headline? Did you miss the part in parenthesis in the headline?

A controller usually comes with wiring, buttons (all in pretty colors or fancy shapes encased in rubber), cord, a plastic shell, lights, circuit board and costs $30. This is a piece of plastic for $15. I can't think anyone would think a simple piece of plastic to 'enhance' the Wii-mote you already own is worth $15.

"If you ask us, that's pretty steep when you consider the Wii Wheel is just a plastic shell; you're better off putting that $15 towards a used Gamecube controller which, praise be to Bowser, will work just fine with Mario's latest racing simulator."

Swampy: Mar 29th 2008; 8:48PM

While I agree that all controllers cost quite a bit, I find this to be overpriced.

{peshue: Mar 29th 2008; 9:10PM

Mal F4cti0n,
Did I say it was worth $15, no I didn't you seem to be the one with a reading problem.
You can buy 3rd party wheels for around $5 if you want one, but it's not necessary for the game in any way. All I was stating is that in the game market ALL CONTROLLERS COST SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THEY SHOULD.
You don't seriously think that a few LEDs and some overmolding makes a controller worth it's price, I seriously doubt that controllers for any system cost more than $15 to make. They're cash cows for these companies because they know that people need them and for some reason are willing to pay and extra $150 or so to have a full set of controllers for their console.

Mal F4cti0n: Mar 30th 2008; 12:46PM

Of course they cost more to buy than they do to make. That is how companies make money.

But $15 for a piece of circular plastic is not even close to worth it.

I would personally consider buying it if it was $1. But even then, I would rather save my dollar....maybe buy 20 pieces of bazooka joe bubble gum. Hahahaha, I love the funnies!

abyssal: Mar 29th 2008; 8:25PM

people who bought a Wii got shafted in the chilihole and force themselves to play such a lame boring worthless console with the worst possible games on the planet, only people with autism play the Wii

Hyams: Mar 29th 2008; 8:47PM

Goddman, what is your obsession with the word 'chilihole'? You seem to find a way to use it in every single post you make.

Jerk Face: Mar 29th 2008; 9:16PM

Oh my God, he really DOES. Ha ha ha!

Markez: Mar 29th 2008; 11:14PM

good lord, what an asinine comment history

samfish (Brawl: 2793 0291 2277): Mar 29th 2008; 11:29PM

You need to take a few days, sit down, call up someone you can trust and ask them to ram you in the chilihole repeatedly until you've got all those urges to insert things in your's and other's chiliholes out of your system, champ.

deaftly: Mar 29th 2008; 8:27PM

Nintendo is just getting out of control with this bullshit

Burnt Meatloaf: Mar 30th 2008; 3:21AM

It's selling, and Nintendo is just a business.

So, who is at fault?

Tony: Mar 29th 2008; 8:36PM

Dear Nintendo,

The Wii Wheel is a piece of plastic in the shape of a steering wheel.

Please drop the price by $10.00

From,
Tony

Slayer: Mar 29th 2008; 8:37PM

Thats nickel and diming on a whole new level.

Anni (Smash FC: 0946-1930-4929): Mar 29th 2008; 9:08PM

ITT totally rational reactions to a product no one was seriously planning on buying anyway

Heh: Mar 29th 2008; 9:12PM

winrar

Microfoot: Mar 29th 2008; 9:33PM

Nintendo did the same thing with the Wii Zapper (It'd be $15 without Link's Crossbow Training). I guess they decided to be a little greedy when they realized how big the Wii is.

Yuccadude: Mar 29th 2008; 9:37PM

Closeup of Mario's crotch unneccessary, closeup of Peach's crotch needed.

...Where's Samfish?

samfish (Brawl: 2793 0291 2277): Mar 29th 2008; 11:27PM

You rang?

Mills and Boom: Mar 29th 2008; 9:42PM

Might have to get one of these (or at least a cheaper 3rd party version) since theres an army of Excite Truck and Mario Kart fans round my way.

Can't wait for MK. Feels like its crept up on us and no Nintendo, it's not compensation for Super Smash Bros B.

Markez: Mar 29th 2008; 9:52PM

All you clods ripping this article seem to be missing the point. 15$ is an extreme value, as the wheel as many other worthwhile applications:

- Ring toss
- Substitute air hockey puck
- Hat
- Lawn ornament

Ummm, alright I'm running out of ideas. Persumably you could also twirl it on your finger and be cool like the Fonz.

Now what WOULD be cool is if they made the Wii Wheel like some humongous oversized trucker wheel. It'd be like a large hulahooped thing that you hold nearly horizontal. CONVOOOOOY!

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