Wheelie good

Remember the Wii Wheel? It’s a plastic peripheral that some would rather forget, and others will have fonder memories of. Despite mixed reactions, the wheel was ultimately an integral part of the Mario Kart experience on the Wii. Nintendo strongly marketed the product offering a new way to play, making it an accessory even the most conventional of Mario Kart fans had trouble avoiding, and even going as far as inserting footage of iconic Nintendo characters using the accessory in the opening scene of the Wii iteration of the game.

With the foundations of the Wii Wheel well in place, a new and officially licensed racing wheel has now been revealed for the latest Wii U entry in the series, Mario Kart 8. As can be seen, there are a few adjustments here and there - including the removal of the upper mid-section of wheel to provide a more racing-like look (and hopefully feel), along with some dashing artwork to round it off.

The product (currently standalone only) is available via UK retailer GAME for the preorder price of £10 — including free delivery — and will be released roughly one week prior to the release of Mario Kart 8 on May 20th. There is currently no information regarding the release of the new Mario Kart Racing Wheel elsewhere, or if there will be a bundle deal including the latest Mario Kart game, but to ease the minds of those who are concerned, there should be nothing stopping Mario Kart 8 users from using their existing Wii Wheels. It's just a lump of plastic, after all!

Let us know if you like the lines and styling of the Mario Kart 8 Race Wheel in the comments below, or if you feel that Nintendo should have tried something a little more different this time around.

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[source au.ign.com]