The Wii launch has its share of racing games -- GT Pro, Excite Truck, Tony Hawk Downhill. Off all of these, however, Need for Speed Carbon is perhaps the most high-profile, due to the longevity and popularity of the franchise. While the Wii version falls right in line with other iterations of NFS Carbon in most respects, the one difference -- control -- all but kills the experience.

Looking at the Wii remote, it's not hard to see it being used as a steering wheel. That's basically what it is in Carbon. However, while you'd think the buttons would face towards you, this game recommends that you hold the remote as if it was laying flat on a table. Perhaps it was a sensitivity issue, but the result makes all the buttons difficult to hit. For example, to look behind you, you must mash the B button with your pinkie knuckle, and press right on the d-pad. That's far from an ideal way to play. Even holding 2 for the gas isn't all that intuitive.

This would be forgiven if Need for Speed controlled like you were driving an actual car. After all, isn't that really the point of all this Wii remote business? Sadly, that's not the case. Your car is a possessed demon that only vaguely listens to your commands. It's gimmicky at best, and an absolute abomination at worst. If you're heading into a spin, you might as well restart the race then and there. With the way your car fishtails around corners, this should be renamed Need for Speed: Tarpin (it's a type of fish, get it?!).


Carbon's whole concept is driving along perilous cliffs threatening to swallow your vehicle whole. On Wii, it's hard enough to stay in your lane of traffic, much less keep from plummeting to your death! It's not a total lost cause, however. With practice and patience, you'll eventually assimilate the nuances of control, and actually be able to win a few races and enjoy the game for its strengths. But the fact of the matter is, this Wii version is supposed to be enhanced by the unique control, not crippled by it.

When I mention the game's strengths, they are many. You have a whole world to explore, with rival gangs defending their turf and persistent cops defending the law. Challenges offer a plethora of race types, from simple checkpoint time trials to drift competitions to the much-hyped canyon duels -- where you and an opponent speed down a steep mountainside, hoping to leave the other in the dust or send them off the cliff. Multiplayer is limited to two-player split-screen, but with so many race types, it's got some legs.