Mario Kart 8 will be released on May 30th in the UK, Nintendo has announced.
The new instalment in the classic series of racers is a key release for Nintendo and its Wii U console, which saw a wealth of critically acclaimed releases in 2014 but achieved lacklustre sales.
The new game will arrive under a huge amount of scrutiny, but as far as we can tell established fans shouldn't worry too much.
In a limited play test last year the game showcased everything we already love about Mario Kart, but added new gravity-bending tracks, and a range of new characters (Bowsers minions, 'Iggy, Larry, Ludwig, Morton, Roy and Wendy').
In a 'Nintendo Direct' press announcement the company added that 'Little Mac' from the classic NES game 'Punch-Out!!' will be present in the upcoming release of Super Smash Bros for Wii U, while Nes Remix 2 will be released on 25 April and Super Luigi Bros - a new right-to-left scrolling platformer - will be released soon too.
Nintendo also announced:
- Game Boy Advance titles coming to Wii U Virtual Console: Including Metroid Fusion, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3.
- Mario Golf: World Tour for 3DS will have extensive training and customisation modes
- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS in 2015
- Bayonetta 2: A new trailer for Bayonetta 2 showcased the Umbran Climax, a single, powerful attack that allows Bayonetta to release all her accumulated magic power.