Official 3DS Wheel Shown Off

Oh, Nintendo. You beautiful, crazy beast. From B.O.B. and the Power Glove right up to the Wii Balance Board and the 3DS Slider Pad, Ninty has been known for their bullish approach to peripherals.

Obviously, some work spectacularly well (Balance Board) while some become persistent jokes (Power Glove). We fear for the fate of the clip-around 3DS Slider Pad with it’s extra analogue control and bulky appearance. We’ve got a new peripheral to fear now though: the Mario Kart 7 Wheel.

Made by fight stick veterans, Hori, and released as an official Nintendo product, you can be sure that the quality will be there. It’s just the application we worry about.

As you can see, the 3DS clips into it so you can use it with the game’s gyro controls and first person viewpoint. I suppose it could potentially be a bit of fun, as long as you’re not also trying to keep your eyes focussed on the 3D images – turn that slider down to off before tilting…

Nintendo has yet to confirm a worldwide release for this but it comes out in Japan on December 1st. Hopefully we’ll get it too, we don’t have enough clip on plastic for our Nintendo equipment.

Source: ONM

11 Comments

  1. It seems that Nintendo has to fall on it’s face to realize that the way they are currently going is the wrong way. We want quality games without gimmicky peripherals… A 3DS revision with a second stick built in would also be nice.

    • it’s important to note that while /we/ might want quality, “core” games and no gimmicky peripherals, there are millions of people who want exactly what Nintendo do.

      They’re just catering to a different market and that’s what’s made them the most financially successful platform holder this generation. It’ll be interesting to see how that carries on as we move forward, especially with the slow start for the 3DS, but you’d be mad to discount them this early.

      • That is very true, but just look at this peripheral. It’s a piece of rubber/plastic that does nothing but allow you to hold your 3DS kind of like a wheel to complement a method of controlling your virtual driver in a way that goes against the very essence of said device. You turn the screen, you lose the 3D effect. Balls. I don’t get it…

  2. that’d be handy to give you more to grip onto and make playing on the 3ds more comfortable.
    but i’ve never actually enjoyed playing racing games with tilt contols, even when it was just the joypad, moving the screen about at the same time doesn’t seem like a good idea.

    • yeah, that racing thing for the iPad 2 I spent £7 on was a waste of money, it’s a nightmare to play.

  3. Isn’t the 3DS supposed to be a portable gaming console?

    Either way, it fails.

  4. The only way I can see this working, is if tilt controls are matched by the screen display tilting to match your steering angle, like the way that Real Racing was supposed to on the iPad.

    Having said that, as you say, it would only work in 2D mode, so can’t imagine it even being considered.

    Is there any chance this is just a 3rd party cash-in add-on by Hori and the Nintendo/Mario branding is just a licensing deal, like the “Made for iPod” logos?

    • Well they’re not making money from 3DS sales so they have to recoop something. I think they should just admit defeat, pull the 3DS and release a redesign next year. Save face.

  5. Double sided tape + small plate = something I’d rather use, that’s also cheaper. Not being the target market, I think this is awful. Undoubtedly it will sell, lots.

  6. Jeez, what a steaming pile of keek!

  7. It looks like a cheap piece of plastic. I think i would use the buttons to play a game instead of using that wheel. It looks like the 3DS could fall out.

    Also what if you have already used that other thing, won’t you have trouble trying to use the wheel as well? Oh god, what if a developer is cruel enough to use both?

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