Would you like to see Captain Toad appear as a playable character in Mario Kart 8? Well, Nintendo’s very own Koichi Hayashida wants him to star in the iconic racing series as well as other Nintendo titles. Interestingly, Hayashida has contacted the director of Mario Kart to see if he’d consider including Captain Toad in the game. Hayashida says he has become quite attached to the charming character and would like to see him feature in a “variety of games.”

Read Full Article

The first Mario Kart 8 DLC pack is available now. Players who have already pre-purchased the content will be advised upon starting the game that the pack is ready and be given a prompt to download it. The first DLC pack contains eight new tracks, three fresh characters and four new vehicles.

Read Full Article

While you can see Fire Hopping in action in the footage by MK8 Records, basically, it's something that allows players to maintain a speed boost via hopping. Fire Hopping is possible to pull off with everything but inner drifting bikes. How does it work? Redditor KaiserYoshi says that, "Apparently, you lose speed faster when in contact with the ground, so jumping repeatedly at the end of a boost will keep you going slightly faster for a slightly longer time."

Read Full Article

The UK release of Mario Kart 8 helped boost weekly Wii U sales by 666 per cent. Retail monitor Chart-Track said the game recorded the highest week one sales for any Wii U title since the console's November 2012 release and the second best launch in the series' history. Mario Kart 8 hardware bundles accounted for 82 per cent of weekly Wii U sales.

Read Full Article

Courtesy of its release one day earlier in Japan, Mario Kart 8 is now on store shelves in the country, though Nintendo will hope that copies will fly off shelves just as quickly. The company and commercial partner Mercedes have wasted no time, meanwhile, in unveiling some free DLC on the way to the title; time to open up the floodgates?

Read Full Article

A Mario Kart TV web app that will allow Mario Kart 8 players to share game rankings and video clips on their smartphones and tablets is incoming, according to President Satoru Iwata at Nintendo's financial results meeting happening right now.

Read Full Article

Nintendo has confirmed the complete Mario Kart 8 track list, which features 16 new circuits and 16 circuits based on courses from previous games in the series. All 32 tracks are playable in Grand Prix, Time Trials and VS Race modes.

Read Full Article

One month from today, Mario Kart 8 will be driving players wild with anti-gravity racing action. To get people revved up for its release exclusively on Wii U, Nintendo has released a new Nintendo Direct video that announces additional Mario Kart 8 news, including a free downloadable game offer for fans, details about its online features, new characters and devastating new items.

Mario Kart 8 Bonus Game Promotion: Whether Mario Kart 8 is purchased at retail or via Nintendo eShop, if you register an accompanying Club Nintendo PIN code of the game with Club Nintendo between 30th May 2014 (10:00 CEST) and 31st July 2014 (23:59 CEST), you will be eligible to receive a free download code for one of 10 selected Wii U games by 31st August 2014 (23:59 CEST). This offer also applies to Club Nintendo PIN codes included in the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software offering and Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition hardware bundle. More details of this promotion will follow at a later date here.

Online multiplayer: In Mario Kart 8, up to 12 players can race together online, with four main ways to find opponents (Global, Regional, Friends and Rivals, Tournament)**. Like to banter with your friends while you’re preparing for a race? Mario Kart 8 lets players chat with one another in the lobby area using the GamePad microphone as they wait for their friends to join. Players can also create public or private tournaments for which they specify the day of the week, the time and the rules. As is Mario Kart tradition, players will be able to race against ghost data from friends, or even the top 10 worldwide racers. Players can try to beat them or just pick up a few tips and tricks from studying the best. If you beat the Mario Kart 8 development team’s ghosts, you’ll get a cool Miiverse stamp.

Mario Kart TV: On this in-game channel, players can view Highlight Reels from their races and tournaments they take part in - with rewind and slow motion replay features to boot - while racers eager to learn from others can watch the world’s most popular Highlight Reels via Mario Kart TV and comment on them. Players with Google accounts can also upload their reels directly to YouTube from within Mario Kart TV, and post these videos directly to Miiverse.

New Items: No matter how skilled some racers are, they’re just a blue Spiny Shell away from peril. A well-timed item turning defeat into victory in an instant. The new Super Horn blows away all other items – literally. Sounding the Super Horn issues forth a sonic shock wave that blasts away everything in the vicinity, including other drivers, Red Shells and even Spiny Shells. It’s a potent asset, especially for drivers trying to maintain their lead. Mario Kart 8 also introduces the Crazy Eight, a swirl of eight different items that lucky players can use one by one.

New Racers: Two new playable female characters make their debut appearances in Mario Kart 8. New heavyweight driver Pink Gold Peach glows with a golden light and makes a shiny counterpart to Metal Mario, while the new Baby Rosalina shows up for a play date with other Baby characters. As in past Mario Kart games, players can again choose to play as their Mii characters, rounding out the field of racers to a total of 30.

Exclusive Mario Kart 8 software and hardware bundles are available for pre-order now on the Official Nintendo Store.

With just over a month to go until gravity-defying racing comes to Wii U in the shape of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has today announced that a Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition Wii U hardware bundle will accompany the launch of the game on 30th May.

The release of the Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack – Special Edition represents an ideal offering for first-time Wii U owners, with a black Wii U Premium console with 32GB of storage packaged alongside a black Wii U GamePad controller, Sensor Bar, and the all-important Mario Kart 8 game disc. With Mario Kart 8 set to feature 16 remixed classic courses, as well as 16 courses that are brand new to the series, both newcomers and veteran drivers alike will face fresh karting challenges with the added twist of a new antigravity feature allowing Mario and company to race upside down or up vertical surfaces.

While the likes of Bowser’s minions – all seven of the pesky bunch – will be playable for the first time in Mario Kart history from 30th May, experienced drivers such as Princess Peach and Yoshi have featured in all games in the series to date. Fans wishing to pay tribute to these two legendary racers can get their hands on new Wii Remote Plus Peach and Wii Remote Plus Yoshi controllers, both of which will release on 30th May, the same day as Mario Kart 8 launches in stores and on Nintendo eShop. Decked out in all pink with signature flashes of blue and yellow, the Wii Remote Plus Peach features a regal touch on the front of the controller in the form of a white crown. Meanwhile, the Wii Remote Plus Yoshi controller comes complete in a green and white shell, with an iconic Yoshi egg adorning its front.

As a reminder, fans looking to pick up Mario Kart 8 alongside a special collectible can also get their hands on a Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle, which comes complete with a Spiny Shell Collector’s Item alongside a physical copy of the game. The Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle is available to pre-order while stocks last including from the Official Nintendo Online Store.

Just over one month remains until Mario and other legendary racers from the Mushroom Kingdom line up at the starting grid in Mario Kart 8, complete with 32 new and remixed classic courses influenced by antigravity, new items to unleash during the heat of a race, and a host of ways to enjoy the action including 12-player online competitive play, and four-player local multiplayer. An overview trailer showing all the purchase options available to fans when Mario Kart 8 comes to Wii U on 30th May can be viewed below.

This rumour is from gameblog.fr, which cites good-old anonymous sources to state that it'll be a 32GB Black Wii U with a copy of the game and a 7-day trial to Wii Karaoke U. The same sources have apparently provided the following concept box art, too.

Read Full Article

Mario Kart 8 runs at 60fps in single-player and 2-player, but at only 30fps during 3 and 4-player modes, Nintendo has told VideoGamer.com. The news follows a fresh wave of hands-on previews and a brand new trailer released today, and is similar to issues found in previous Mario Karts that saw the frame rate drop during split-screen multiplayer.

Read Full Aticle

With Mario Kart 8's arrival creeping agonisingly close, Nintendo has lifted the lid on more details and removed embargoes on a fair bit of information. One set of details is actually from last month's GDC (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco, with quotes from a round table interview finally emerging.

Read Full Article

Nintendo today revealed new information on Mario Kart 8, the latest instalment in the fan-favourite racing series launching exclusively for Wii U on 30th May - in stores and on Nintendo eShop.

For the first time in HD, Mario Kart 8 introduces original course designs that highlight the game’s new anti-gravity feature, which allows players to race upside down or up vertical surfaces. Racers will also enjoy a variety of series-favourite features including the return of 12-player online competitive play, four player local multiplayer, hang-gliders, underwater racing and motorbikes.

New features include:

Spin Turbo: While racing upside down or on walls, players can bump into other racers or certain course obstacles to get a speed boost. Spin Turbo fundamentally redefines the way that players compete, and makes antigravity racing even more exhilarating.

Returning characters: In Mario Kart 8, players can race with returning characters Metal Mario, Lakitu and Shy Guy. These newly revealed returning characters join a host of previously announced favourites including all seven of Bowser’s minions, who are playable for the first time in Mario Kart history.

New items: Two new items join the fray in Mario Kart 8. First, the Piranha Plant attaches to the front of the players’ kart and chomps at other characters, banana peels on the course or even shells thrown by other characters. Each time the Piranha Plant lunges forward to bite, the player receives a brief boost of speed. The second new item is the Boomerang Flower. After acquiring it, racers can throw a boomerang at opponents to stun them, and its arc allows players to strike multiple opponents with a single toss. The boomerang can be thrown three times, forward or backwards.

New courses: Remixed classic courses make a return in Mario Kart 8 with favourites such as Moo Moo Meadows from Mario Kart Wii, Toad’s Turnpike from Mario Kart 64 and Donut Plains from Super Mario Kart, among others. The graphics and layout of these courses have been redesigned and reimagined. For example, Toad’s Turnpike now allows players to drive up certain walls in antigravity mode. The game will include 16 new courses and 16 remixed classic courses.

Live recorded music: For the first time in the Mario Kart series, select courses in Mario Kart 8 feature music recorded by live performers.

Control scheme: Mario Kart 8 will support a variety of control schemes including the Wii U GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller, the Wii Wheel, and Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The game can also be played in off-TV mode using just the Wii U GamePad.

When Mario Kart 8 launches on 30th May, fans can also get their hands on the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle, which comes complete with a Spiny Shell Collector’s Item alongside a physical copy of the game. The Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition bundle is also available at the Nintendo Store, and will be available to pre-order whilst stock lasts.

With engines revving and gravity-defying courses awaiting, the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest racers are set to line up on the starting grid on 30th May 2014 when Mario Kart 8 launches on Wii U. But in the meantime, whether or not you know your Blooper from your Bullet Bill, Nintendo has today announced two options to get your karting skills up to speed in the form of the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle and a Super Mario Kart promotion coming to Nintendo eShop for Wii U on 27th March 2014.

Mario Kart fans who have ever unleashed a Spiny Shell item or been on the wrong side of one will know of their capacity to make or break a race, therefore as a memento of times both good and not so good,  the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle will come complete with a Spiny Shell Collector’s Item alongside a physical copy of Mario Kart 8, with the Spiny Shell proudly perched atop a black and transparent frame. Packaged together as a uniquely designed bundle, the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition launches on 30th May 2014 and is ready for pre-order now from the Nintendo UK Online Store and selected retailers, available while stocks last. Customers in the UK & Ireland who have already pre-ordered the standalone copy of Mario Kart 8 will have the opportunity to upgrade pending availability. One of the most devastating items found in-game, expect to see the Spiny Shell back in its natural environment knocking champion racers off the podium when the item appears in the Mario Kart franchise once more from 30th May 2014.

Meanwhile, for fans wishing to keep their kart tyres warm and reactions sharp before 30th May 2014, the Super Nintendo classic Super Mario Kart will release on Nintendo eShop as a Wii U Virtual Console title on 27th March 2014. As part of a promotion to celebrate both this legendary title and Mario Kart 8, fans who purchase Super Mario Kart on Nintendo eShop from its release until 30th June 2014 can get a discount of £5.49 on Mario Kart 8 if they choose to purchase Mario Kart 8 on Nintendo eShop from the release of the game until 30th June 2014, providing the purchase takes place on the same Wii U console.

As an added extra for those who pre-order - at retail - either the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle or  Mario Kart 8  as a standalone game, Mario Kart-themed keyrings will be available for fans from selected outlets. Whether satisfying a need for speed with the Golden Dash Mushroom, knocking over rival drivers with a Red Shell, or temporarily bulldozing through a course in the form of a Bullet Bill, the keyrings on offer will represent some of the most memorable items from the Mario Kart franchise.

In the UK & Ireland the Golden Dash Mushroom will be available for those that pre-order at Littlewoods and Very, whilst those pre-ordering via a selection of independent retailers will receive the Bullet Bill keyring. The Nintendo UK Online store will be offering an exclusive Mario Kart 8 bundle which will include the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition Spiny Shell bundle, a Bullet Bill T-Shirt and the Red Shell keyring. GAME will be offering those in the UK that pre-order Mario Kart 8 a Wii U Super Mario Kart Racing Wheel.

To catch an accelerated glimpse of what lies in store, a new Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition CGI trailer is now available to view, featuring an appearance from the formidable Spiny Shell plus many a character you may have come to know over the years!

Satoru Iwata has completed his investor briefing presentation, and one detail that's thankfully beyond the dangers of translation errors is that Mario Kart 8 is set to arrive in May — that window is for the worldwide market.

Read Full Article

Maro Kart 8 is scheduled to launch in spring 2014. New playable characters include Rosalina and various ‘Baby’ Nintendo characters, like Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. New course settings include an airport, the desert and high in the clouds. Meanwhile, vehicles include UFOs, four-wheel ATV buggies, standard karts and bikes.

The first quarter of 2014 will see the next iteration of Nintendo's iconic Mario Kart series released, a game the company's Hector Solis says opens up "a whole 'nother level of racing." "One of the key features now is anti-gravity where your wheels will actually turn horizontally and you'll be able to drive upside-down [and] on walls," he said. "[it] kind of expands the whole race course - the way it'll be played."

Watch Video

Hideki Konno has confirmed that the blue shell will return in Mario Kart 8. The divisive power-up didn't feature in the E3 2013 demo but the Mario Kart producer said that Nintendo are still thinking about what they're going to do with the item. "It's not in the demo out there, but it will be in the final version of the game," Konno told MTV.

Read Full Article