Everyone hates on Nintendo but the big N has legions of fans with rose colored glasses to keep it’s pockets stuffed with money. But you don’t always need to be drinking from the cup of Reggie to say you’re hyped for a new Nintendo game, take this trailer for Mario Kart 8.
Through all it’s incarnations Mario Kart has been one of the staples from Nintendo’s catalog that does things right time and time again and Mario Kart 8 looks like it’s not going to stray from this at all. If you’re a die hard Nintendo fanboy you should be grinning ear to ear, if you haven’t played since the original SNES Mario Kart you’ll likely be confused at all the additions but excited none the less.
So is the new Mario Kart 8 the must have app for the Wii U, the system seller, the barn burner, the piece de resistance? For me, not by itself, however I do think it’s another arrow in the quiver of the growing Wii U catalog. But for us the tipping point will come when Super Smash Bros. is released for the system.
Besides the flashy new trailer, of which Madden NFL 15 should take notes from we get some final information on Mario Kart 8. Mario Kart 8 has 12 player multiplayer with pre-game lobbies, Mario Kart TV that shows off both personal and global highlight reels and the ability to export those to YouTube, New Items include the Super Horn and Crazy Eight and finally two new playable characters are added to the franchise with Pink Gold Peach and Baby Rosalina. There’s also a limited time game promotion when registering your Mario Kart 8 game on Club Nintendo where you’ll be able to choose one free Wii U game from a choice of 10 select games in the UK while just 4 in the US. The promotion ends July 31st 2014 so you’ll have to register quickly.
Source Link: YouTube | http://mariokart8.nintendo.com
PRESS RELEASE
NINTENDO GIVES A KARTING CRASH COURSE WITH NEW MARIO KART 8 INFORMATION
Nintendo Direct reveals a new Mario Kart 8 Bonus Game Promotion for Wii U, plus Mario Kart 8 online features, new items and racers
30th April 2014 – 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.
To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit<gp_link type=”http” loc=”//nintendo.co.uk/nintendodirect”>http://nintendo.co.uk/nintendodirect. Today’s announcements include:
- 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 isMario 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 http://store.nintendo.co.uk/offers/mario-kart-8-wii-u.list.
For more information about Mario Kart 8, the game’s newly published full website can be visited at http://nintendo.co.uk/mariokart8, while a brand new game trailer can be viewed here.
For further details:
Nintendo Direct website http://nintendo.co.uk/nintendodirect
Mario Kart 8 website http://nintendo.co.uk/mariokart8
Wii U website http://wiiu.co.uk
Wii U (UK) on Facebook http://facebook.com/WiiU.co.uk
Nintendo UK on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/NintendoUK
Nintendo of Europe on Twitter https://twitter.com/nintendoeurope
Nintendo UK on Twitter https://twitter.com/nintendouk
* The 10 Wii U games featuring in the Mario Kart 8 Bonus Game Promotion are:
– Nintendo Land
– New Super Mario Bros. U
– Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U version)
– GAME & WARIO
– Pikmin 3
– The Wonderful 101
– The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
– Sonic Lost World (Wii U version)
– Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
– Wii Party U
(Members of Club Nintendo who are below the age of 12 will not be able to request a download code for games rated 12 and above.)
Depending on the Wii U hardware pack you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Club Nintendo Terms and Conditions apply. The Nintendo Network Agreement and Privacy Policy apply.
**Broadband Internet access required for online play.
– ENDS –
