11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Well-designed accessory that adds to the fun of Wii driving games
Date of Review: May 9, 2008
The Bottom Line: This is a well-designed accessory for the Wii that makes playing racing games more fun.
With the release of Mario Kart Wii, Nintendo finally released an official steering wheel accessory for the Wii. Since there are a lot of third-party wheels on the market, I thought I'd give gamers some information to help them decided if the official Wii wheel is worth purchasing.
Appearance: The Wii wheel is a hollow plastic wheel that's 7 inches in diameter (If you need a visual, it's about the size of my hand when my fingers are outstretched). It's all white except for a blue circle on the back that has the Wii logo inside it, and it matches the Wiimote nicely. Since the Wiimote goes inside the center of the wheel, the wheel doesn't really have any buttons, except for a button on the back left side that basically serves as an extender for the B button.
Assembly: There's not much to it -- you simply put the Wiimote into the hole in the center of the wheel, with the wrist strap side on the right, and push down. It fits perfectly with no pushing or pulling needed. To remove the Wiimote, you can push it out from the small hole on the right back sid of the wheel, or pull the wrist strap.
Functionality: The wheel is lightweight and easy to grip. The surface isn't slick, so you're not going to find yourself hurling it across the room by accident. The extender on the B button is very handy.
Other features: The wheel has a hole on the left for the infared part of the controller, so you can leave the Wiimote in the wheel and still navigate the Wii menus. There's a small indention in the right side for the wrist strap, but if you're going to play a game for a long period of time, then you might just want to take the wrist strap off. I find it gets in the way if I don't wear it, and it feels weird wearing it with a racing game. I'd prefer if the wheel let me tuck the strap into it somehow.
Overall impression: I think Nintendo did an excellent job with the Wii Wheel. I can't really think of anything I don't like about it. It fits nicely in my hands, feels sturdy, and doesn't inhibit gameplay in any way.
How it affects gameplay: A wheel isn't necessary to play racing games on the Wii, but I find turning the wheel much more fun than simply turning the controller.
Cost and availability: A Wii Wheel comes packaged with Mario Kart Wii, which costs $50. You can buy Wii Wheel separately for roughly $10. You should be able to buy them most places video games are sold.
Compatibility: I have the Nyko Charging Station for my Wii, which means I have different battery covers on my controllers. This does not affect my use of the Wii Wheel in any way...the controller still fits in the there just fine. I don't know how it might work with other charging stations' battery covers or if you've got any kind of skin on your controller, though, so your results may vary.
