F1 2009 Updated Hands-On

We're not sure if our blow-out victory at the Japanese Grand Prix today while playing Codemasters' upcoming F1 2009 for the Wii is a good thing or not. After all, F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor racing--where the finest drivers in the world compete in the most technically advanced cars on earth. Who are we to think we can step in and even compete in such vaunted company, much less dominate at Suzuka?

At least part of the reason for our victory was the AI drivers, which seemed to be set--for Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo purposes--at their lowest level of aggressiveness and competency. As a result, while whipping around the turns of Suzuka in Fernando Alonso's Renault, we were able to easily pass the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and even current world championship leader Jenson Button like they were standing still.

The other reason for our success was the game's controls--which work surprisingly well at first blush. We played the game with the Wii Remote and Nuchuck in combination--with the B button acting as gas and the Z button acting as the brake. Steering was controlled with the Nunchuck's analog stick, and we could activate a limited amount of boost (via the game's reproduction of the KERS system) by pressing the C button.

Learning the controls was easy--and we were happy to see that the cars were responsive under braking and in the turns and, in true F1 fashion, were demonic on the straightaways. There seemed to be some basic steering assist to help us navigate some of Suzuka's trickier curves, and there didn't seem to be much in the way of damage modeling engaged--still, our laps weren't perfect. Giving it too much gas when coming out of the long curve that precedes the Crossover straight, it was easy to get the nose out of shape, slowing us down considerably.

After three laps of Suzuka, we had a race trophy under our belt and a decent impression of where F1 2009 is heading on the Wii. What remains to be seen is whether the game's approachability on the console will be supplemented by enough challenge to keep serious race fans interested for the long haul. We're keeping our fingers crossed because the game is looking good and running at a solid frame rate. Besides, it has been too long since F1 fans got their video game fix. Stay tuned for more on F1 2009 in the coming weeks.