Mario Kart 8 Gets New Items, Characters, And Tracks

One of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo Wii U since that console launched is Mario Kart 8. The racing game has been a mainstay for Nintendo consoles for years. Mario Kart 8 will be a Wii U exclusive and Nintendo is offering some details on new features that will be seen in the game. Mario Kart 8 is set to launch on May 30.

Some of the new features we already know for the game include the ability to race upside down or up vertical surfaces thanks to the anti-gravity feature. Mario Kart 8 will also get a spin boost when upside down or on walls that changes the way competition flows. That spin boost is gained by bumping racers or certain obstacles on track.

Nintendo has revealed some returning characters including Metal Mario, Lakitu, and Shy Guy. Those new characters go in with the others we know about, like all seven of Bowser's Koopalings. Two new items will be coming to the game including the Piranha Plant that attaches to the front of the players cart and chomps other players, banana peels, and shells thrown by other characters.

The other new item is the Boomerang Flower that stuns opponents when you hit them with it. The arc of the boomerang also lets it hit multiple opponents at the same time and can be thrown three times. New tracks are coming to the game along with favorites like Moo Moo Meadows, Toad's Turnpike, and Donut Plains. Those tracks have been changed a bit and re-imagined for fresh game play. The game has 16 new courses and 16 remixed classics. Mario Kart 8 was announced officially at E3 2013.

SOURCE: Nintendo