We all knew it was coming. Not only did Nintendo tell us it was on the way earlier in the year, but almost every single console since the SNES has had a version of the popular racing series, so it was kind of a given. And if there's one way to shift units of a console, it's to release a Mario Kart game - Mario Kart Wii shifted almost 35 million copies and Mario Kart 7 raked in more than 8 million - and with Wii U sales floundering, it should hopefully bring a much needed boost. Assuming you can wait till next year, anyway.
Don't make eye contact...
While most of the previous Mario Kart games have stayed true to the series roots - and accessible, arcade inspired Nintendo-themed kart racer that's dripping with charm and power-ups - every so often Nintendo likes to throw us a curve ball. On the GameCube they added co-operative karts, which let two players race together in the same vehicle; Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS added hang gliders and underwater racing; and while the latter returns for the Wii U version, we get another new feature to mix things up - anti-gravity. As you speed through the game's tracks, you'll suddenly find yourself racing along the walls of a haunted mansion or driving upside down over Peach's castle, with your vehicle automatically shifting into the new 'anti-gravity' gear.
Other little tit-bits have emerged too - Waluigi and Toadette return as playable characters, being conspicuous by their absence in the latest 3DS entry. Mario Kart 8 also bumps the number of racers online back up to 12, keeping the motorbikes and mid-air tricks that debuted in Mario Kart Wii. While nothing's been said about split-screen multiplayer so far, it seems almost a given that the game will allow for at least four player split-screen, while there's a huge selection of old and new tracks to race around too - we spotted Melody Motorway, Piranha Plant Pipeway and Kalamari Desert to name but a few, as well as a new looking track littered with sweets and treats. A new Mario Kart TV feature lets you record and share highlight videos with the Miiverse community too, which, once the new private Miiverse communities hit in the next Wii U update, will make settling disagreements between with friends much easier - now you can catch that devious banana-slinger in the act.
Sadly though, we'll have quite a wait for the next iteration of our favouritest racing franchise, as Mario Kart 8 isn't due to hit the Wii U until spring next year - boo-urns. Until then, why not check out the trailer below and see how many tracks you can recognise:
