Need for Speed Carbon

[Dante]

When the Nintendo Wii and Sony's Playstation 3 hit stores next month, they'll usher in a new era in videogames thanks to their unique controllers. Both allow you to control games by gesture; tilting and swooping movements for airplanes, rotational gestures for car steering, pushing forward to shove an enemy, and more. On top of that, the Wii's remote-shaped controller has an optical sensor so that you point at objects on screen, like aiming a gun or selecting an item from a menu.

 

Because of this, we're instituting an occasional feature called Alt-Ctrl that will examine some of the interesting ways in which game developers are using the Wii remote and the PS3 Sixaxis controller (yes, folks, that's the official name), as well as other alternative input devices. First up: an exclusive look at the four control schemes in the Wii version of Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Carbon, complete with screens.

The default driving scheme is similar to other Wii racing games in that it only uses the Wii remote for steering. "The Wii target market is more casual, so that's why this is the default control," said Larry LaPierre during our hands-on session a couple of weeks ago. "Non-gamers had no trouble picking it up. The longest it takes to get the hang of it is 30 minutes. But experienced gamers didn't like it as much. So we have alternatives."

 

Those alternatives use both the Wii remote and the nunchuk attachment. In the first one, you rotate the nunchuk left and right to steer, and tilt the Wii remote forwards or backwards from a 45-degree position to accelerate or brake, respectively. For both the second and third alternatives, you hold the Wii remote at a 90 degree angle and tilt it forward to accelerate, while using the Z-button on the nunchuk to brake. The difference is that in the second alternative, you rotate the nunchuk to steer; in the third, you steer with the nunchuk's analog stick.

 

LaPierre's team worked closely with Nintendo of America on additional the controller configurations. "People like options, and we felt motivated to provide them," he says. "We found three that worked and 20 that didn't." He also added that EA's most recent focus group on this title preferred the Wii version to those on PS3 and 360 because "when they were in control, they felt like they were in control, and when they were out of control, they felt like they were out of control."

 

Of the alternatives, we liked the first approach the best, because during our brief test, it felt just as comfortable as using a more typical gamepad, while adding just the right amount of gesture to the experience. In fact, we preferred it vastly to the default controls, which use the Wii remote alone as a steering bar. Even though all of the Wii racing titles use this approach, and it certainly works, we've never found it to be particularly comfortable.

 

To get the full picture--no pun intended--on Need for Speed Carbon Wii, be sure to check out our exclusive screenshots below.

 

Alt-Ctrl

[mcj metroid]

they have never been good so why should they start now.Hpwever i am very impressed with the ds version.Awsome looking graphics.The wii version could be good.But it's excite truck for me.

[Domstercool]

Each to their own I guess, but lately the Need For Speed series has been a good little collection of games. Most Wanted was pretty damn good and very fun to play through.

[ndreamer]

sounds cool, but those last two screen shots are from the xbox build (listed on the ea website under the xbox build) the top 4 are wii shots.

[Pit-Jr]

Im all for the control schemes that eliminate the need for the nunchuk

[DiemetriX]

The 360 version was horrible. So i see no reason to buy this.

[Oli1983uk]

Have really enjoyed the need for speed games on the Gamecube and I am still playing most wanted trying to complete it 100%, I think I will be buying this one and hope I enjoy as much as the others I have played.

[Cube]

Congats to EA for coming up with an alternate method for controlling a driving game. But It doesn't look very easy.

 

Still...I need a racing game at launch...

[Nintendork]

Kinda game that is better in HD, but I boycotted EA anyway.

What am I gonna do when Spore comes out..

NFS: boring repetitive and shallow.

 

F-Zero Wii ftw

 

The 360 version was horrible. So i see no reason to buy this.

O RLY? I take back my statement about HD then. It's shit in general.

[DCK]

I like it a bit. The Wii needs more racers. Good one for when it goes budget, me thinks.

[Dante]

Screenshots.

[DCK]

I hate easy PS2 ports.

[flameboy]

With Excite Truck seemingly not set to to make it for Launch this is gonna be the one for me IGN gave the 360 version 8.9 which isn't bad check out the review here:

 

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/742/742381p1.html

 

I actually quite liked Underground 2, and Most Wanted was also a good game, they are slowly getting better, I think the racing genre will really benifit from the wii controller and nice to see EA trying to create some alternative controls, although those pics don't really help think they need to be tried to be appreciated.

[Zechs Merquise]

Not really my thing to be honest. But it's nice to see more Wii support and innovative uses of the Wii-mote. I doubt this game will be that high on anyone on this board's list of must have games, but it's the kind of game that more casual gamers love, so it's good to see it looking half decent.

[Kurtle Squad]

At least EA seem to actually be trying a lil with the Wii.

[Dante]

new screenshots

[flameboy]

Its between this and monkey ball for launch i always get a racer at launch but may not this time..

[Mercyful Fate]

Played Carbon on PS2 and I can't say I liked the game or the concept. This I won't even pick up when it's the sales-bin.

[Lance]

I have to say, EA are really starting to impress me. The last few games they have released ( Battlefield 2142, FIFA 2007, and now this ) are actually quite good, and looking through their line-up of games for the future there are a few i'm quite interested in

 

Lance