A DIY Mario Kart Wii training wheel

by Ross Miller { May 21st 2008 at 5:00PM }

Are you still struggling with the Wii Wheel in Mario Kart, despite everyone online who's kicking your derrière while using it? Nintendo Wii Fanboy's Revolutionary columnist Mike Sylvester has a rather, erm, revolutionary idea: a do-it-yourself training wheel to help add subtlety to your turning. Check out the article for more information; a video demonstration is embedded after the break.

Tags: diy, mario-kart, mario-kart-wii, nintendo, wii-wheel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

voodoo_craig @ May 21st 2008 5:04PM

More importantly it's also self centering!

I'm sick of going ever so slightly squiffy down the straights.

Edd @ May 21st 2008 5:06PM

people are actually stuggling to use the wii wheel?
i mean i know the gamecube controller can feel more accurate than the wheel,

i think its because you yanks only drive in straight lines and have no experience in turning your cars (saying that, id rather drive straight everyday than have to use the roundabout down my road anyday)

PojoMofo @ May 21st 2008 5:10PM

yeah we dont have to drive figure 8 super round-abouts all the time, seriously why are they neceassry? just have a freakin stoplight

Zertoss @ May 21st 2008 5:10PM

I'm struggling with the wheel, mostly because after a turn, trying to powerslide immediately into the next turn sends me powersliding in the opposite direction. I guess I'm hopping too soon, but I just can't turn the wheel as fast as I can slam the stick from one side to the other.

Naota @ May 21st 2008 5:27PM

The reason Americans drive in straights rather than in circles is due to proper civil engineering rather than a lack of driving ability if you were to ask me.

notanidiot @ May 22nd 2008 12:16AM

Naota your obviously not a civil engineer. Traffic circles have nothing to do with curvy or straight roads. In fact everyone commenting before me failed to realize that fact. They are utilized instead of traffic lights or stop signs. Surprisingly enough, when utilized in the proper environment, they increase traffic flow. They also eliminate t-bones, which are the worst traffic accidents, saving resources, time and money in many other departments. So a smart engineer should never rule them out. Anyway, getting used to a entertainment device has nothing to do with real life activities. Any respecting gamer should know that by now since the release of guitar hero.

Naota @ May 22nd 2008 7:01AM

I have one question for you then, where is the proper environment for a roundabout then?

notanidiot @ May 22nd 2008 9:22PM

Well I'm not studying to be a civil engineer, rather a mechanical engineer. So my knowledge was second hand. But a quick Google search brings up quite a few results. Here's one article referring to Lanford's attempts at traffic circles. Anyway if you want my hunch, I would say they are good for replacing stop signs in most places. It's not worth my time to look deeper into it.

http://www.cityoflangford.ca/newsarticle.asp?TopicID=163

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ May 21st 2008 5:08PM

No way. I can't imagine people are really having issues with this...

John McPoop @ May 21st 2008 10:15PM

Well the problem (for me) is the damn thing has no base ... You just flail it around in the air ... The standard wheel is an epic fail for me ... There is a 3rd party accessory wheel that has a base .. However .. I just attach the Wii-mote to my Logitech Gran Turismo Prologue wheel and problem solved ... Well the problem of it feeling awkward is solved but not my sucking ... You have to admit that wheel is awful

Chase @ May 21st 2008 5:11PM

Imprecision with motion controls?! NO WAI

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ May 21st 2008 5:47PM

It isn't that the controls aren't imprecise, just that without an actual "center point" for the wheel, it makes it a bit difficult to use.

Phil Ringsmuth @ May 21st 2008 5:13PM

And this does what, exactly?

shMerker @ May 21st 2008 5:22PM

According to the article it forces a vertical orientation for the wheel and auto-centers it. Seems like the added resistance would prevent jerky motions as well, though that wasn't explicitly stated. You'd be amazed what you can find out by just following the source link.

Alex @ May 21st 2008 5:16PM

the Wii Wheel is fun to use during 50 and 100cc, and if your playing with friends who haven't played the game much. But when I'm playing 150cc or online I always use the Classic Controller.

Naota @ May 21st 2008 5:29PM

This is actually a pretty good idea. If I pick up a copy of Mario Kart I'll have to try this.

chez @ May 21st 2008 5:33PM

Great idea but don't rape my ears showing it to me.

John McPoop @ May 21st 2008 10:17PM

You rape my eyes everyday ... How is Pokemon working out for you?

King3567 @ May 21st 2008 5:34PM

Mario Kart Wii was very disappointing in my opinion. They tried waaay too hard to appeal to Casual gamers.

Farseer (GDI) @ May 21st 2008 6:15PM

And what exactly appeals to the casual players?

11 opponents who always have the perfect weapon to take you out of first place just before the finish line?

The addition of motion controls and motorcycles, both of which have a fairly steep learning curve?

Dual spark boosts on karts and wheelies on bikes?

Mid-air boosts?

Yeah... those additions sure made the game much easier in my opinion...

Tango Charlie @ May 21st 2008 5:43PM

I didn't think it was possible to make yourself look like any more of a retard while using the Wii, but here someone's gone and proved me wrong.

Mr Khan @ May 21st 2008 5:51PM

It's a neat idea, Mike Sylvester, i'll give you that. It gives to the Wii Wheel the component which most feel was lacking: a center of stability.

I myself was skeptical of the Wiil, but after 45 minutes or so of time trials, it felt as natural as analogue controls. Really, i balk at the number of people i see online that aren't using them

Katarn @ May 21st 2008 6:26PM

Because anyone who is decent with a GC controller will beat anyone with the wheel just about every time.

Fatass of Sarcasmness @ May 21st 2008 6:40PM

Not true - play online. Most 8000 and ups are Wheelers.

Also, GC controls straight up suck for this game.

Katarn @ May 21st 2008 7:36PM

Actually you're completely wrong on both accounts, but okay :)

Mr Khan @ May 21st 2008 7:54PM

Ehh, i don't see it. I never even gave the GC controls a try, honestly. I figured the game was built for the Wiil, so the top players would be using the intended controllers

chez @ May 21st 2008 8:03PM

The top 10 people seem to be using GC controllers but in all the games I play Wii wheels seem to win out.

Also it's more fun to use the wheel. And that's true.

Fatass of Sarcasmness @ May 21st 2008 8:13PM

Wrong? You have to take your finger off the stick to do tricks and shit. It sucks. Nunchuk stylr FTW for MKWii.

Also, again, play online - all the 8000+ers I've played (including myself) have golden wheel icons.

el serpiente @ May 21st 2008 9:00PM

Lol, all this fuss over people playing a 10 year old rehash with a piece of junky plastic.

Mr Khan @ May 21st 2008 9:12PM

Shit fatass, you're 8000+?

My threshold seems to be 7000, i can reach it, but every time i have i've had a run of losses, dropped to the mid 6800s, and had to fight my way back up. Currently at 7001

mas @ May 21st 2008 6:35PM

So did anyone ever use a demo station at wal-mart for the PS3? The one with Motostorm...They got the controller hooked to that 1 foot rubber arm that sticks out of the display case. That thing used to annoy me before but when I tried Motorsrorm it was perfect using the motion controls because that arm always recentered you and it took jerky movements out of the equation. This I guess is the DIY home way to do it for Mario Kart so I can see the appeal but I dont want to be driving out of a milk crate.

Mr.ESC @ May 21st 2008 6:53PM

Um I think I'll import a gamecube controller if I ever buy Mario Kart.

Fatass of Sarcasmness @ May 21st 2008 8:14PM

Nunchuk > GC controls

Nincodedo @ May 21st 2008 8:16PM

I didn't realize so many people were having problems with the Wii Wheel. I thought all my friends were just stupid. Well, they are but... they aren't as stupid as I thought they were, I guess. :/

vdeogmer @ May 21st 2008 9:39PM

Dark Video is Dark

MrCheeks @ May 21st 2008 9:57PM

Wow...Methods of Mayham. Very strange to hear that right after I hear it on my iPod.

John McPoop @ May 21st 2008 10:26PM

I wonder what the pixel count is on MK Wii - It looks so dated in comparison to Brawl and Galaxy

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ May 22nd 2008 10:18AM

Can't admit it, sir. Honestly the thing works like a dream for me, and I was rather shocked initially how perfect it works which is why I posted what I did.

But maybe wiimote to sensor bar setup has something to do with why it's funky for other people? Dunno.

D_Average @ May 21st 2008 11:05PM

Groovy

Howard-the-Duck @ May 21st 2008 11:29PM

I think the game lightens up on you if you use the Wii wheel.

Mike Sylvester @ May 22nd 2008 12:00AM

I really had to do some digging to find that "oldie" in my music collection. And I probably won't listen to it again for another eight years.

Mr.X @ May 22nd 2008 2:01AM

Are people really stupid now in days? I never had a problem with the Wii Wheel. If you're still having problems then wow..... you must suck.

hexhunter @ May 22nd 2008 3:50AM

Cheap, white, hollow plastic, then theres that wierd basket thing.

:)

Dracula Jones @ May 22nd 2008 11:15AM

Thanks for posting.

Spybreak @ May 22nd 2008 4:46AM

Cousin brought his Wii and Mario Kart over for one of our family get togethers. Everyone tried the wheel and after one series of races we all went back to playing it with the GC controller. Only played it one day but I didn't like the wheel though. For the record I have the wireless racing wheel for my 360.

MK87 @ May 22nd 2008 5:01AM

There is really better here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHcgji7RTDY

= "Mario Kart" playable with a true & ferrari racing wheel (with pedal set, vibration feedback & auto center-return).
Apparently it's this wheel :
http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=93&PlatformID=10
http://ts.thrustmaster.com/faqs/eng/thr_eng_00119.pdf

Haybail @ May 30th 2008 7:24PM

I like the wheel. Either you like it or don't. Stop crying and play.

Matt @ Jun 23rd 2008 4:34PM

I've been playing Mario Kart in nearly every iteration since the beginning, and I personally think the Wii version is the most fun, most engaging version to date, all thanks to the Wii Wheel. Granted, they overdid it a little, in regard to the number of players in a race, making the relentless barrage of item attacks almost unbearable in 150cc. The DS version has the best difficulty setting, IMO. But I'm definitely sold on the Wii wheel, so much so that I actually went out and bought another wheel so my roommate could play. (I still kick his ass every time, though)

I really don't get why people are still having trouble with it, unless they just aren't really letting themselves get used to it. I know from experience that it works just as well, if not better than GC controls, and anyone who says otherwise is coming from a position of ignorance, due to not giving it the chance it deserves. It does take some getting used to, but I wouldn't go back, now that I have the hang of it.