My Codemasters F1 2009 (Wii) Review

Okay, so I kicked my little brother off his new Wii and got down to the serious business of ''testing'' F1 2009

Menu's, Initial impressions
So Initial impressions are really nice, great menu visuals, combined with the same music from the intro to GP3 (takes me back to a better time..). And then for the first time since I got F1 05 I scrolled through the circuits and drivers, and I loved it, it still has the same feel to it that F1 games in the past had.

Game Modes
So, game modes.. Quick Start, Single Player, Multiplayer. Now unfortunately this game doesnt support online play, but you can have a head to head split screen. Quick Start gives you a three lap race round the circuit of your choice with any driver. Single Player lets you do a full weekend, a full season, time trial, Challenges (like a Scenario mode) and Career. Career Mode is very similar to that in past F1 games: Enter your name, pick a helmet, get offers from teams to do test sessions. My brother picked BMW instead of Torro Rosso, which is a wise move, because you wouldn't want your career ruined would you?? Then after that you get a target for the season (I.e score 30 points) that depend on the team, then from then on its like season mode.

Gameplay
The F1 wheel shaped add-on feels nice in the hands, but initialy the handling feels very fragile and jittey, it seems impossible to get a corner right without over correcting, which feels VERY odd with the GRID style handling. However, if you simply learn to turn a little more precisely, it all goes better, there seems to be a slither of decent phsyics in there, but you have to drive precise to feel it! The front of the car will try to push out through quick corners, and it realisticaly rides over the bumps, and you can feel the weight of the car moving as you go over crests or fast corners. The KERS button is great fun, the big A button right in the middle of the wheel, its so much fun! Just drive that button down and off you go! All in all, the handling suits the Wii very well, its arcadey, but sometimes you get a glimpse of decent physics, and unlike GRID, the car does feel connected to the track. Sometimes. And when you string a lap together, you get a great rewarding feeling.

Graphics
Looks exactly like F1 06.

Marks out of 10
6/10 - Good fun, and the career mode is nice to play through, but its only fun because its on the Wii! Could do with more solid handling and less sensitive controls. And Online play.

I have the say the graphics I've seen of it look rubbish but then I guess it is the Wii lol.
I am very much looking forward to the 2010 iteration for the 360. That should hopefully bring with it better handling and immersion. I guess there is only so much they can do with the Wii.

The Wii's graphics are pretty much the same as the GameCube, and is only cabale of 480p. you can only do so much with NGC graphics...