At their E3 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo has officially
announced Mario Kart 8 for Wii U.
Mario Kart 8 will introduce a new hover kart mechanic that's automatically activated at
certain points in new stages (much like the glider and propeller mechanics in Mario Kart
7).
Mario Kart 8 will also bring back the bikes originally seen in Mario Kart Wii, in addition
to standard karts.
Characters confirmed thus far in Mario Kart 8 include Mario, Toadette, Daisy, Koopa Troopa,
Bowser, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Waluigi, and Peach.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said Mario Kart 8 will include the "best collection of
modes yet" for online play, and that players will be able to interact with one another
worldwide via Miiverse.
Since it's original release in 1992, with Super Mario Kart for the SNES, the Mario Kart
franchise has sold over 90 million units globally, with Mario Kart Wii accounting for over a
third of those units at just over 32 million games sold worldwide.
Mario Kart 8 is set to arrive in Spring 2014.
We will keep bringing you all the news, gameplay, and impressions with full live coverage of
E3 all week long, so keep it locked...this is IGN.