Nintendo date Excite Truck for the Wii, details inside...

Nintendo have announced that next year break-neck speeds, treacherous roads and death-defying jumps are all on their way to the Wii - along with simple, uncomplicated, innovative controls - in Excite Truck, which will launches across Europe on 16th February 2007.

To control the trucks, players hold the Wii Remote on its side and tilt it left and right like a steering wheel, allowing accurate and intuitive control. As players perform huge jumps they must tilt the Wii Remote forwards or backwards to align their vehicle's wheels with the ground � a perfect landing will result in a vital speed boost.

In the game's main Race Mode finishing first is not the only way to win! Clearing one stage will unlock the next, but as well as scoring points to finish a level by finishing first, players can top up their scores with points for drifting, jumping, smashing into other cars and off-roading through trees. There are numerous tracks to be unlocked ranging from snowy mountains to sandy beaches and plush jungles.

Players can earn over 20 types of truck by unlocking new ones as they progress through the game. Players can also customise their trucks by painting them with their favourite colours and it is possible to unlock special paint jobs for the various trucks by accomplishing certain achievements with one truck. When the paint jobs for all the trucks have been unlocked a special monster truck will be unlocked and available for you to enjoy.

Becoming a true master of Excite Truck isn't an easy task as no two races are exactly the same. While racing, gamers will come across items, which change the course in real-time, causing mountains to grow and land to fall-away into the sea. The key to becoming a truly great racer is learning to respond to these dynamic changes without losing speed.

Perfecting your driving techniques in Excite Truck is not as mammoth a task as it seems though, thanks to the game's Challenge Mode, where players can take part in different challenges such as jumping through a sequence of rings, slaloming through gates and even crashing into other trucks to practice and polish the different techniques required.

The title is the first Wii game to make use of the console's SD card slot, allowing users to customise the in-game sound. Players can select their favourite MP3s from a selection on their SD Card and replace the game's music with those tracks. Whatever your taste in music Excite Truck will be right up your street.

Want to show off your new-found skills? Well never fear, Excite Truck features a multiplayer versus mode where two players can challenge each other in a one on one race around any of the unlocked tracks, using vehicles which the player has earned during the single player game.