• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Mario Kart Wii pros...I need some help

J

Jeff-DSA

Member
I spent the week out in Middle of Nowhere, Colorado last week and my aunt and uncle had a Wii with Mario Kart Wii. I have the game, but I probably haven't played it since the week it came out. Anyway, we hit the game pretty hard and I was baffled at how bad I was at the game in comparison to my cousin who uses the Wii Wheel.

Now, before everybody just calls me out for being a Mario Kart n00b, I used to absolutely dominate on every Mario Kart before this version. So what's the deal? Can the wheel really give you that big of an advantage? Is this just a case of him freakishly memorizing the tracks and I'm not 100% sure of the proper drift lines yet? Does the boost not do as much for you as it used to?

For what it's worth, I finally switched to Automatic toward the end of the night and I started beating him. So what I want to know from people who play regularly, should I stick with the wheel and just abandon drifting/boosting, or should I just learn the game really well with the older style controls and tough out a bunch of losses?

What way is ultimately faster on a more consistent basis?
 
I don't have much to add other than I was in a similar situation: I dominate my friends and family in previous Mario Karts, yet I have trouble placing well in MK Wii. Granted, I've only played two, maybe three times, so I might need to adapt to the new mechanics.
 
What control method are you using?

The Wheel works better than using a GCN controller, but the Wiimote+Nunchuk setup is the way to go.
 
I didn't play MK Wii a whole lot, but I always played it in manual and my (online) friends in automatic, and I rarely won a race despite being the most experienced MK player of the group. :lol
 
It's weird. I absolutely can not use the Wii Wheel for the life of me, but I am pretty good with the GC controller.

I know a number of people who never even touched a Gamecube controller that can absolutely destroy me with the Wii Wheel. They're better with it than I could ever be with the controller.
 
Ysiadmihi said:
What control method are you using?

The Wheel works better than using a GCN controller, but the Wiimote+Nunchuk setup is the way to go.
Click to expand...

I was using Wiimote/Nunchuk. I just got stomped by my cousin. He'd finish races a full 30 seconds ahead, it was embarrassing.
 
Um, what?

There are pros for every control type, but in general a wii and nunchuk setup rocks the living shit out of the wheel.
 
While playing single player I started with the wheel, then switched to nunchuck/wii-mote config and finally ended up using the classic controller to finish the end of the 150cc mirror cup. According to my time trials using the classic controller easily gets me the fastest times. I used Manual Drifting as well.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
I was using Wiimote/Nunchuk. I just got stomped by my cousin. He'd finish races a full 30 seconds ahead, it was embarrassing.
Click to expand...

Well if you did better using automatic, I think you just need to learn the tracks a little better so you can power slide more effectively.
 
Ysiadmihi said:
Well if you did better using automatic, I think you just need to learn the tracks a little better so you can power slide more effectively.
Click to expand...

Right. Automatic is almost completely inferior to manual.

Oh, and use a bike.
 
Ysiadmihi said:
Well if you did better using automatic, I think you just need to learn the tracks a little better so you can power slide more effectively.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, but it felt like the automatic drift slowed me down a whole lot less than the manual drift. I also felt like I could corner much, much, tighter on Automatic.
 
I always play with the wheel. Only advantage really is ergonomics, nothing else though. You play it enough without the wheel you'll eventually get a lot better.

Only advice I have is to play it more and learn the tracks, hit all the boost pads and make sure you perform tricks on a jump. Also if you get the acid tripped space track, restart or something because that track fucking sucks.
I only say that because I suck at it
 
Manual gives a boost if you drift.

Try practicing with the standar car or bike. And then move over and choose whatever fits your style.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
For what it's worth, I finally switched to Automatic toward the end of the night and I started beating him.
Click to expand...


and that, is when you truly lost...
 
For what it's worth, the game is freaking awesome. After finally digging deep into it I'm ready to get lost in Mario Kart again.

I'll probably go with the Classic Controller and just tough it out for a while on Manual.
 
Ysiadmihi said:
Daisy + Mach Bike = :D
Click to expand...

Bingo. I also go for Toad, maybe diddy kong? Can't remember after not having played in a few months.

Yes, there are super pros who will rock you regardless, but a mach bike with a small/medium rider is the easy way to stomp the living shit out of 85-90% of other players out there.

If you can beat the second nintendo pro score for a handful of the tracks, I'd say you're on the right path.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
For what it's worth, the game is freaking awesome. After finally digging deep into it I'm ready to get lost in Mario Kart again.

I'll probably go with the Classic Controller and just tough it out for a while on Manual.
Click to expand...

Trust me, you really want to stick with the Wiimote and Nunchuk. You have to take your thumb off of the analog stick to reach Up on the d-pad with the CC/GCN pad which is obviously very, very bad.
 
Nunchuk + bike seems to be the most efficient set up, this is how I did my best time in time trial anyway.

But Wheel + car feels better and is funnier to play so that's how I play :lol Also it seems like the Wii Wheel is more precise due to a bigger "motion range", but in bike, the movement you do to make a wheelie fucks up your trajectory, you can always shake the wheel with a perfectly straight motion, but it's a pain to do so.
 
Ysiadmihi said:
Trust me, you really want to stick with the Wiimote and Nunchuk. You have to take your thumb off of the analog stick to reach Up on the d-pad with the CC/GCN pad which is obviously very, very bad.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, is that for tricking only though? What starts your drift with the Classic?
 
reporting in.

Davidion said:
There are pros for every control type, but in general a wii and nunchuk setup rocks the living shit out of the wheel.
Click to expand...
Pretty much!

Sounds like he's an average nunchuck player vs a skilled wheel player. The skilled player will always have the edge.
 
Nunchuck + wiimote is best (especially for bikes), but I find the wheel much more fun. I usually choose a baby + bullet bike.

Also, ditch automatic. Manual is much more fun, and is better in the end.
 
It's because Mario Kart Wii in Single Player is banannas hard for a Mario Kart game.

Anyone good enough to unlock everything in it has sunk a ton of time into the game and therefore knows the tracks, weapons, and advantages of racers better than you.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
Hmmm, is that for tricking only though? What starts your drift with the Classic?
Click to expand...


can't ignore tricking though, it's another way to boost
 
ShockingAlberto said:
It's weird. I absolutely can not use the Wii Wheel for the life of me, but I am pretty good with the GC controller.

I know a number of people who never even touched a Gamecube controller that can absolutely destroy me with the Wii Wheel. They're better with it than I could ever be with the controller.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine, who I play with on a regular basis, always plays with Wiimote+Nunchuck combo and told me the other day he couldn't play with the wheel (like you), yet I play only with the wheel, and I'd say we're roughly on par. Maybe I'm a bit better, but that could be because he doesn't have the game.

What I find interesting is that, for all the talk about how crappy the wheel controls are and how useless that piece of plastic is, a lot of people use it online, have gold wheels, and some of them even have 3 stars and win all the time online! The wheel is definitely not binary in its control mechanics, unlike a D-pad or an analog stick to a lesser extent, but it's far from being fatally flawed either.

[EDIT] That said, the Rainbow Road is always a challenge for me. My performances vary greatly on that track. Holding steady when taking jumps can prove difficult and result in me not landing on the next portion of the track.
 
Kilrogg said:
A friend of mine, who I play with on a regular basis, always plays with Wiimote+Nunchuck combo and told me the other day he couldn't play with the wheel (like you), yet I play only with the wheel, and I'd say we're roughly on par. Maybe I'm a bit better, but that could be because he doesn't have the game.

What I find interesting is that, for all the talk about how crappy the wheel controls are and how useless that piece of plastic is, a lot of people use it online, have gold wheels, and some of them even have 3 stars and win all the time online! The wheel is definitely not binary in its control mechanics, unlike a D-pad or an analog stick to a lesser extent, but it's far from being fatally flawed either.

[EDIT] That said, the Rainbow Road is always a challenge for me. My performances vary greatly on that track. Holding steady when taking jumps can prove difficult and result in me not landing on the next portion of the track.
Click to expand...

I actually think the wheel is an awesome control method. So many more people are willing to play the game because of it. It's just for me, I'd rather have an analog stick.
 
It is indeed awesome! And I can understand why someone would prefer a classic control option for this game. I can play with both just fine, but I like the wheel and am used to it anyway. I wasn't blaming anyone in this thread, it's just that it reminded of those "shitty piece of plastic" and "flawed beyond playable" arguments we hear every now and then.
 
Kilrogg said:
A friend of mine, who I play with on a regular basis, always plays with Wiimote+Nunchuck combo and told me the other day he couldn't play with the wheel (like you), yet I play only with the wheel, and I'd say we're roughly on par. Maybe I'm a bit better, but that could be because he doesn't have the game.

What I find interesting is that, for all the talk about how crappy the wheel controls are and how useless that piece of plastic is, a lot of people use it online, have gold wheels, and some of them even have 3 stars and win all the time online! The wheel is definitely not binary in its control mechanics, unlike a D-pad or an analog stick to a lesser extent, but it's far from being fatally flawed either.

[EDIT] That said, the Rainbow Road is always a challenge for me. My performances vary greatly on that track. Holding steady when taking jumps can prove difficult and result in me not landing on the next portion of the track.
Click to expand...


The first time I played Mario Kart, it was with my brothers and cousins, I was the only one that tried using the wheel , everyone else went with remote+nunchuk and GC controllers. I was totally destroyed, always in last place. But after some time practicing (like 3 hours), I started winning up to the point that I was addicted to online and making fun of non-wheel users.
except for Daisy and the bike

Rainbow Road was the first track we played, I was going to hate it(falling + not knowing how to use the wheel), but the music is awesome, and just because of that I could master that track with the wheel and now it's my favorite track. :D
 
Davidion said:
Right. Automatic is almost completely inferior to manual.
Click to expand...
This is flat out untrue. There is an undocumented tradeoff regarding top speed with Auto/Manual. With Auto, you are unable to hop, slide, and use mini-boosts, but your top speed is a tad higher than it would be than if you were using manual. How this tradeoff affects you depends on your vehicle of choice. Some have pretty poor miniturbo power to begin with, so you're better off not using Manual for the most part. On the other hand, if you're using the Mach Bike or the Flame Runner, you should be using Manual.

Even having said that, there are other considerations to be made like whether you're racing against others or running a time trial, and more importantly what tracks you are racing on. A high miniturbo vehicle on manual will dominate tracks like SNES Mario Circuit 3, but miniturbos are all but useless on Moonview Highway.

I use Daisy/Sneakster/Auto, and I have a three star ranking and a 9700+ online rating(as well as a 2:41.063 Rainbow Road time with said combo while I'm bragging), so you can trust me when I say Auto isn't entirely inferior. ;)


As for controls, Nunchuk/Wiimote is best for the following reasons:

- On the gamecube controller, you must take your thumb off the stick to hit the dpad for wheelies/tricks.
- With a Wii Wheel, it's more difficult to engage a maximum turn when on an analog stick you can just press it to the edge.
- Jerking the Wii Wheel up for wheelies/tricks also prevents you from steering during that time, much like taking your thumb off the analog stick. Not to mention the time it takes to change between the two activities.
- When using an analog stick with Auto, you can steer out of a wheelie. If you're using the Wii Wheel, you must first disengage the wheelie to steer at all, and the sensitivity isn't always what it should be.
- When using the Wii Wheel with Manual, it's rather ambiguous which direction it considers you to be steering when you press B. This can be pretty frustrating on courses like SNES Ghost Valley with S turns and it decides you're sliding left when you're trying to turn right.

Generally speaking, while bikes have a slower top speed than their kart counterparts, they are faster than those same karts while in a wheelie, so you need to wheelie whenever possible. Nunchuk/Wiimote makes it easy to abuse them.
 
Anyone else think the single player difficulty is exaggerated? It felt pretty standard for a MK to me...

Love the game, have put tons of hours into it. Nunchuk is my favourite control method, but I go with the others from time to time :)
 
Jazzem said:
Anyone else think the single player difficulty is exaggerated? It felt pretty standard for a MK to me...
Click to expand...
It's important to remember that the AI is rubber band to an extent. Go fast enough and you CAN build separation, even on Mirror.
 
Hitokage said:
I use Daisy/Sneakster/Auto, and I have a three star ranking and a 9700+ online rating(as well as a 2:41.063 Rainbow Road time with said combo while I'm bragging), so you can trust me when I say Auto isn't entirely inferior. ;)
Click to expand...

Ok, now you're REALLY bragging. :lol ;)
 
Hitokage said:
This is flat out untrue. There is an undocumented tradeoff regarding top speed with Auto/Manual. With Auto, you are unable to hop, slide, and use mini-boosts, but your top speed is a tad higher than it would be than if you were using manual. How this tradeoff affects you depends on your vehicle of choice. Some have pretty poor miniturbo power to begin with, so you're better off not using Manual for the most part. On the other hand, if you're using the Mach Bike or the Flame Runner, you should be using Manual.

Even having said that, there are other considerations to be made like whether you're racing against others or running a time trial, and more importantly what tracks you are racing on. A high miniturbo vehicle on manual will dominate tracks like SNES Mario Circuit 3, but miniturbos are all but useless on Moonview Highway.

I use Daisy/Sneakster/Auto, and I have a three star ranking and a 9700+ online rating(as well as a 2:41.063 Rainbow Road time with said combo while I'm bragging), so you can trust me when I say Auto isn't entirely inferior. ;)


As for controls, Nunchuk/Wiimote is best for the following reasons:

- On the gamecube controller, you must take your thumb off the stick to hit the dpad for wheelies/tricks.
- With a Wii Wheel, it's more difficult to engage a maximum turn when on an analog stick you can just press it to the edge.
- Jerking the Wii Wheel up for wheelies/tricks also prevents you from steering during that time, much like taking your thumb off the analog stick. Not to mention the time it takes to change between the two activities.
- When using an analog stick with Auto, you can steer out of a wheelie. If you're using the Wii Wheel, you must first disengage the wheelie to steer at all, and the sensitivity isn't always what it should be.
- When using the Wii Wheel with Manual, it's rather ambiguous which direction it considers you to be steering when you press B. This can be pretty frustrating on courses like SNES Ghost Valley with S turns and it decides you're sliding left when you're trying to turn right.

Generally speaking, while bikes have a slower top speed than their kart counterparts, they are faster than those same karts while in a wheelie, so you need to wheelie whenever possible. Nunchuk/Wiimote makes it easy to abuse them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Hitokage for your advice. In Mario Kart 64, the drift/turbo method is the best way to play and so I thought going into MK Wii that is what I should use (manual method). Now I know why I was losing to my Nephew so much, even though I knew the tracks a lot better than him.

What was Nintendo thinking in making the more difficult control scheme not faster or even slower the Standard scheme? I think they designed MK Wii with too much emphasis on making it accessible to casual gamers and thus, for me, ruined the game.
 
Thanks Hitokage for your advice. In Mario Kart 64, the drift/turbo method is the best way to play and so I thought going into MK Wii that is what I should use (manual method). Now I know why I was losing to my Nephew so much, even though I knew the tracks a lot better than him.
Click to expand...
You could have also been using tricks less or inappropriately, or using a lousy vehicle.

...or getting bad luck with items.


gamefan said:
What was Nintendo thinking in making the more difficult control scheme not faster or even slower the Standard scheme?
Click to expand...
As I said though, throw in some curves and a vehicle with a high miniturbo and the difference is easily overtaken. That's where you get your rewards, not through base line speed. Really though, on both DK tracks I have to try to mitigate my losses because I put line speed over turning speed. Also, whatever you use, it's not nearly as important as learning the tracks and build enough separation to take a blue shell or two.

Metroid Killer said:
Haha me too... I didn't expect Hitokage to be our resident Mario Kart Pro...
Click to expand...
There's a gaffer named Metal who might be better than me.
 
Looks like something positive came out of my ignorant comment afterall. :lol

gamefan said:
Thanks Hitokage for your advice. In Mario Kart 64, the drift/turbo method is the best way to play and so I thought going into MK Wii that is what I should use (manual method). Now I know why I was losing to my Nephew so much, even though I knew the tracks a lot better than him.

What was Nintendo thinking in making the more difficult control scheme not faster or even slower the Standard scheme? I think they designed MK Wii with too much emphasis on making it accessible to casual gamers and thus, for me, ruined the game.
Click to expand...

It's still the best way for speed bikes and several other configurations and as Hito mentioned, any track with considerable amounts of curvature. There was a lot of complaining about how popping wheelies will net you a faster speed, but any expert bike players know that you just can't win with that strategy alone. Speed bikes have a super sharp turn radius, which means the best way to gain speed is absolutely abusing the hell out of even the slightest curvature in the road.

Don't be one of those people who claim that the "casual" emphasis ruined the game, because anyone who's played the game for a while knows just how poorly your average schlep will do against anyone who's remotely skilled. The wins I've walked away with online at Koopa Cape are downright hilarious.
 
Sneakster and Spear, the two fastest bikes in the game, have poor miniturbo power and relatively large turning radii. The Spear I recommend against using outside Time Trial because the handling and acceleration are just too shitty to ever let you reach its lofty max speed in an actual race. The Sneakster, however, is comfortably balanced although it still takes turns a bit wide. :D

Don't be one of those people who claim that the "casual" emphasis ruined the game
Click to expand...
Well, blue shells aside...
 
Hitokage said:
Well, blue shells aside...
Click to expand...

I agree to a certain degree; it would have been SO much better if the shell was ground-bound, but I digress.

However, I've won races with massive margins after being smacked by 4-5 blue shells, so my view on it is torn. :lol
 
Davidion said:
However, I've won races with massive margins after being smacked by 4-5 blue shells, so my view on it is torn. :lol
Click to expand...
The frustration doesn't really sink in until you're in a race with several others of comparable skill and you lose a close contest because of a blue shell with no hope of evasion because 1st place doesn't get mushrooms.

Practicing meditation or some other form of stress relief is vital to playing MKWii for any length of time. ;)
 
gamefan said:
What was Nintendo thinking in making the more difficult control scheme not faster or even slower the Standard scheme? I think they designed MK Wii with too much emphasis on making it accessible to casual gamers and thus, for me, ruined the game.
Click to expand...

This is how I feel and this is why I quit. I was having the same problems as you (couldn't beat my girlfriend despite the fact that I could crush her in previous versions). Maybe I'll try some of the tips on here and give it another run.
 
Davidion said:
Looks like something positive came out of my ignorant comment afterall. :lol



Don't be one of those people who claim that the "casual" emphasis ruined the game, because anyone who's played the game for a while knows just how poorly your average schlep will do against anyone who's remotely skilled.
Click to expand...

After thinking about it, there was really only one control scheme on MK N64, it was to use the slide, as you had NO chance of winning without it. In MK WII, they give you a choice, auto or manual, both have their advantages and disadvantages but both can be effective (from what I am reading here). I guess I assumed that since the slide method was the ONLY way to win in every past MK that the slide method (manual) was the only way to win in MK Wii. Learned something!
 
Hitokage said:
The frustration doesn't really sink in until you're in a race with several others of comparable skill and you lose a close contest because of a blue shell with no hope of evasion because 1st place doesn't get mushrooms.

Practicing meditation or some other form of stress relief is vital to playing MKWii for any length of time. ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. :lol I try to remember that it's about trending, not each individual race, but that shit only works for so goddamn long.

I'm just a bit torn since it's entirely possible for someone marginally better than the other racers to break away from the crowd with next to no way for the rest of the field to take him/her; the very nature of the items in the game encourages field to keep each other back. I see it as a somewhat necessary evil, but it absolutely does punish someone for leading, which is incredibly annoying.

gamefan said:
After thinking about it, there was really only one control scheme on MK N64, it was to use the slide, as you had NO chance of winning without it. In MK WII, they give you a choice, auto or manual, both have their advantages and disadvantages but both can be effective (from what I am reading here). I guess I assumed that since the slide method was the ONLY way to win in every past MK that the slide method (manual) was the only way to win in MK Wii. Learned something!
Click to expand...

There's a surprising amount of depth to this game, as even my own uninformed comments in this thread revealed. Lots of people used to bitch INCESSANTLY about how "utterly broken" the game is because of things like the blue shell, the wheel, the bullet bill, etc.

Try watching the nintendo pro ghosts and world leader ghosts. You'd be surprised at how skillful players have to be to wring every second out of their race. It's a HELL of a motivator. :lol
 
Used the Wii Wheel for novelty for the first couple of hours. I have my 9000 ranking online though with the Gamecube controller. If you can get over 8000 ranking with a wheel, you are truly amazing.
 
NorrenRadd said:
This is how I feel and this is why I quit. I was having the same problems as you (couldn't beat my girlfriend despite the fact that I could crush her in previous versions). Maybe I'll try some of the tips on here and give it another run.
Click to expand...
:lol :lol :lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Mario Kart Wii Deluxe X is out...with 752 tracks
30
2K
spookyfish replied
GAF - I need your help!
0
171
stn replied
Dolphin Gets Triforce support; weird Mario Kart games incoming
32
2K
IbizaPocholo replied
Need some vintage tech help
Drama Retro 
23
745
TintoConCasera replied
Need some monitor advice
2
57
1K
A.Romero replied
Top Bottom