Kart Challenge Racing Wheel Wii
February 22, 2010 by admin
Filed under Most Popular Wii Games
- Entirely Programmable with “MAPPING” Function: all buttons, crosses, pedals and levers may be switched around.
- Steering wheel “Plug & Play” and pre-programmed by default for the Mario Kart Wii Challenge! Look and feel designed perfectly in the spirit of the Mario Kart Wii!
- Progressive pedals with foot-rest for ultra-precise and comfortable acceleration, braking and skidding!
- “Vibration Feedback” system (motor integrated in the steering wheel). Directional sensitivity adjustable for more precise control. Central fixing system for optimal stability.
- Also compatible with all “Virtual Console” games, “Gamecube” and with the Wii games compatible with the Gamecube joystick.
Product Description
Kart Challenge Racing Wheel for Wii. Plug & Play Steering wheel with pre-programmed default settings for the most popular Wii karting game on the market. Designed in the spirit of the most famous Wii kart game “Vibration Feedback” system (motor integrated in the steering wheel) Also compatible with all “Virtual Console” games, “Gamecube” and with the Wii games compatible with the Gamecube joystick Directional sensitivity is adjustable for more precise control Wheel offers realistic linear resistance with automatic return to center Includes progressive pedals with foot-rest for ultra-precise and comfortable acceleration, braking and skidding.
Kart Challenge Racing Wheel Wii
My son never really liked the wii wheels where you put the controller in it and steered in mid air. He enjoyed using this as it turns more like an arcade wheel. I did read the reviews about the table, and sort of agree that a convenient table may be something many people don’t have(we have a leather storage ottoman there, not a table.) We decided to use one of those Table Mate trays, since we have those for the kids and it worked really well and use it for the wheel. It is adjustable and can be put away when the game isn’t being played. Worked well for us!
Rating: 4 / 5
We were excited about the Kart Challenge Racing Wheel Wii when we first heard about it, but it doesn’t turn out be be great for our family. I think this is in part because my son is now 15 and we have a higher level of game play… I think it might actually be a great present for a younger kid.
Pros:
1. Unlike many Wii devices, does not need a Wii remote to work.
2. Having the pedals is excellent
Cons
1. Wired. So you can’t be far from the Wii.
2. It needs to be anchored, by clamping to a table of an appropriate height. We actually had a nearby end table that we tried to appropriate for this purpose, but it wouldn’t work… the table needs to have an overhang of about 6 inches, and ours has only 2 or so. (Overhang of the top of the table to the base/supporting part of the table.) We were unable to attach the racing wheel to the table.
3. It seems to be sized for smaller hands. It’s actually a little bit bigger in diameter than the Wii driving wheels, but due to the positioning of the controls at the back, we found it more cramped than the Wii wheel for our big hands.
Despite the disadvantages, if I had a young Wii player (say in the 5-8 range) to shop for (and think there might be a solution to the clamping issue), I think this would be an excellent present. It’s cool, and it would be lots of fun for a young player.
Rating: 3 / 5
My 5 year old daughter is having a blast with this product as I write this. The Kart Challenge Racing Wheel works with both the GameCube and the Wii (or the Wii running GameCube games), and it is ideal for Mario Kart Wii or Mario Kart for the GameCube.
There are two main components to the product: (1) a steering wheel that clamps on to a desk or table, and (2) a foot panel that includes both an accelerator and brake pedal. For a young child, this offers the benefit of no buttons to memorize.
The only real negative part of the product is that it is not wireless, and it has a very short GameCube style cord that has to plug into the top of the Wii (or into the front of the GameCube). You might need one or more controller extension cords, or the product simply may not work for you if you can’t easily place it close to the console.
We used a small table and a child sized chair, and we put it pretty much right in front of the TV and Wii.
Nintendo also makes a steering wheel product (the Wii Wheel), and it is wireless, but it is not nearly as much fun as this wheel.
As a grown-up, I still prefer using the Nunchuk controller for Mario Kart Wii, but the kids love this Racing Wheel.
There is a clamp to hold the wheel in place on the tabletop, so your table or desk needs to be able to support a clamp immediately underneath the wheel. Otherwise, the steering wheel will move around too much.
Because it uses a GameCube style cord/plug, it should work with any Wii or GameCube game where a steering wheel makes sense.
Tip: When firing up Mario Kart Wii with this controller, use the gas pedal to confirm your options (character, car, etc.), and use the brake pedal to go back.
Rating: 4 / 5
We have just the right small table to attach this device to, and my son is able to use this, pedals and wheel, just as they were designed to be used. Wii racing games are pretty fun… Mario Kart is great.
This device gave slightly better feel, a more crisp driving experience. It was kinda more fun than using the wii controller inside one of those plastic wheels they fit into.
But not that much more fun. In fact, there was not a competitive advantage of any real sort. And the little table and the entire set-up starts to get in the way, contributes to the “too-many-cables” feel. It is a step back of sorts to go from a wireless controller to a wired up gizmo-type feel. And I doubt we would ever buy 3 more so that 4 friends can race!
Rating: 4 / 5
Any race game which is Wii or GameCube compatible.
The Thrustmaster Kart Challenge Racing Wheel for the Wii is a plug and play game controller, used instead of a Wii wheel, joystick, or other controller. This product is not wireless, which would’ve been nice. I don’t mind hooking things up if it won’t affect play, but it’s my opinion that cords all over the place are ugly, a safety hazard, and things kids will be playing get broken more easily when they have cords.
The Kart Challenge Racing Wheel is plug and play – we had our 6 year old hook it up to see how easily it was done. With little instruction he found where to hook it into the Wii box (on top), and then hooked it into the Kart Racing Wheels pedals with no problem. Unfortunately, initially we didn’t clamp it onto a table or set it on a table – so we didn’t have the advantage of the non-slip pads on the bottom of the wheel base. We had to hold it between our knees – which wasn’t very bright. When we clamped it to the table – what a difference! It was a breeze to use and made all the difference in controlling turns.
The first game we played using the wheel was Mario Kart for Wii, and the first thing the adults noticed during play was the vibration wasn’t very strong. We were having a blast though, so it didn’t really matter. Our sons had never played using a wheel, and they were just having the thrill of playing. We like race games, and it was a real bonus to have the wheel at home to play games.
Our sons played F-zero-GX after we all played Mario Kart. F Zero GX is a Game Cube game, and playing it using the Kart Challenge Racing Wheel was really enjoyable. Both of our boys are very adept at playing all kinds of games, and have become used to staying in front of the sensor. As I watched I notice they were easily able to do all the things I have trouble with – like staying in front of the sensor, not being able to hold onto the wheel prior to clamping it, and knowing how to program the wheel. Our kids are more adept at playing games where really good hand eye coordination is needed.
I think the adults who’d played with wheel controllers weren’t as please with the Kart Challenge Racing Wheel than the kids were. For the kids just playing a game in a new way, with a new accessory was fun. For the adults there was more to consider – e.g. would I buy this – I would because we didn’t have a wheel, and this felt more solid to us, also some of the wheels don’t have pedals, and this one did – which the kids enjoyed. Can more than one player play at a time? No Is that a consideration? Yes, for us it is. We usually only buy if there’s a 2 player option.
The cord presented a problem for me – as stated above. For other adults the consideration was having to be within 5 + feet or so of the TV, and needing a table to clamp the wheel to. We didn’t use what came with the wheel, but little clamps we had for something else.
Other people seemed more unhappy with it. I think they all had more experience playing with wheels, and probably playing games in general. But it was fun, and esp for the kids – which is why we buy these kinds of things anyway, so I gave it a pretty good rating. Others playing with us might not have rated it quite so highly, the kids said they’d rate it as I did.
Rating: 3 / 5