If you weren't yet revved up for Excite Truck, the racing game that turns your Wii Remote into a steering wheel, come and take a look at some of the tricks at your disposal to spin things in your favour.

Progressing through Excite Truck is done by collecting Stars, which are your rewards for pulling off manoeuvers that separate the men from the boys, as well as staying ahead of the pack far enough to come out on top.

Collision course

Unlike other racing games, in Excite Truck crashing into opponents is a good thing; it earns you Stars. At the start of a race you can usually boost straight into a few other trucks - you'll know you did it right if the words "Super Truck Smash" flash on screen and your Wii Remote chimes accordingly.

Beware of boosting too much, though; your engine will soon overheat or else you're likely to crash into your surroundings. Take the trees for example: to be on the safe side, it's best to avoid them altogether, but then again where's the fun in that? Excite Truck rewards you for driving closely past them, and it's quite a thrill to rush through rows of pine trees and see the Stars pile up on the side of the screen.

Sky high

The tracks of Excite Truck are all equipped with gravity-defying jumps, and getting these right gives you more than just a great view. Better yet, even flat areas can be morphed into mountains if you drive through one of the Terrain Morph items dotted across the road.

Boost away as you drive up a hill, but most importantly make sure you use a boost as you're about to go off the track. Time it right for a Turbo Jump and hold your truck in the air by tilting the Wii Remote towards you. The longer you soar, the more Stars you'll be awarded upon landing.

More flamboyant racers may like to show off by giving their trucks a bit of spin, by pressing 1 and tilting the Wii Remote up and down. This allows you to make a series of 360 turns, but you'd better make sure you're facing the right way when you come down!

Once you master the basics, you can pull off Jump Combos for extra bonuses, as well as string your tricks together by casually drifting around every corner. It's the only way to get the coveted S-rating that will eventually let you unlock"¦. ah now that would be spoiling it, wouldn't it? - Nintendo.