Start your engines… Mario Kart 8 announced for Wii U

In what is likely surprising news to only a few, Nintendo has announced their new Mario Kart, ‘Mario Kart 8‘ for the Wii U, to be released in Spring 2014.

The game resembles a hybridisation of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Wii, now with glossy HD graphics, with gliding and underwater driving mechanics and the option to choose from karts or bikes returning. Nintendo’s E3 Direct Broadcast also highlighted some crazy new track design with vertical, sloped and upside-down paths. Rainbow Road should be a fun one then.

Fittingly, vehicles also come equipped with wheels that allow you to stick to any surface and rotate.

Gameplay footage suggests a return to classic Mario locales including Peach’s Castle, Luigi Circuit and a desert course though I imagine there are plenty of surprises left to be revealed.

Online play will see modification through integration with the Miiverse but what form this will take remains to be seen. {EDIT: You can play with up to 12 people per race both locally and online. You can use Miiverse to host tournaments and set rules as well, and after a race finishes you can watch a 30 second highlight reel. Replay data can be saved and shared with the community. Mario Kart TV is the means by which all this will be possible.}

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