There are five official ways to control "Mario Kart Wii." But what if you wanted to explore some other options?
Gaming blog Joystiq has done a wonderful job putting each of the five official control schemes through a very scientific round of tests.
But they missed two additional controllers.
With the help of the RetroPort connectors from RetroZone "Mario Kart" fans (sort of) have the option of using their old NES and SNES controllers. Unfortunately, much like "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," the game is virtually unplayable with both of them.
While both feel significantly better in your hands than the Wii Wheel, they only offer the ability to give your cart gas and reverse. Since the controllers plug in via the Gamecube ports, they are treated as Gamecube controllers. Because of that, the steering is mapped to the non-existent analog sticks, while the tricks are mapped to the directional pad.
You can drive straight back and forth, but that's it. Sadly, there's no drag racing in "Mario Kart."
With the help of the SNES controller I was at least able to look behind me.
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Mix a little tech wizardry in with a some hardcore nostalgia, and what you get is a potentially fantastic product from Retrozone that allows for downloadable content for an NES game.
The geniuses at Retrozone have dedicated their lives to keeping the retro gaming community fed with new innovations for old systems. And now they're offering NES fans the DLC-enabled game "Glider" to play. While "Glider" appears to be based off of an old Mac game, it's the first game to offer the ability to download new content for the game from the Retrozone website.
From the official website:
In the most advanced homebrew yet you control the paper airplane in search of a way out of the 60 room house. Fly over floor vents to get lift or use fans for a speed boost. This house wasn't build very well so you will have to avoid water leaks, arching outlets, paper shredders, and other dangers. Shoot down fast moving enemy planes with rubber bands for more points! When your paper isn't in danger, collect bonus items. Use the three saved game slots to continue later when The House beats you. The backup battery in the cart is socketed so it can easily be replaced with no soldering.
The Glider cart is flashable which means you can replace the built in house with brand new ones. Once you beat The House get a new set of rooms from www.retrousb.com and use a USB CopyNES.
While it may not be the most streamlined system, it is definitely an innovation that I never thought would see the light of day.
Since the Wii was released there have been a multitude of peripherals that have been released, and it seems that there's actually been more than average due to the success of the console. In terms of peripherals, I'm generally not a huge fan; they just add to the gaming clutter in my apartment. However, one company has truly created something that every single retro gamer with a Wii must have. So thank you Retrozone for your Retroport, because I can finally play my NES and SNES Virtual Console games with my NES and SNES controllers, and it actually makes a difference.
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