Nintendo Confirms Mario Kart 8 Bundle, Plus Free Wii U Game For Early Adopters

Ahead of the game’s launch on May 30th, Nintendo has released a flurry of details in relation to Mario Kart 8. Among the headlines, the company revealed that users who pick up a copy of the ever-popular racer will be eligible to claim a free Wii U game from a roster of ten digital titles.

This rather alluring offering, which will encourage early adopters to register their copy through the company’s Club Nintendo website before July 31st, extends across both North America and Europe; however, it’s worth noting that the catalogue differs slightly by region.

Here’s a full list of what we can expect:

Pikmin 3
Wii Party U
New Super Mario Bros. U
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Nintendo Land (EU only)
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Wii U (EU only)
Game & Wario (EU only)
The Wonderful 101 (EU only)
Sonic Lost World Wii U (EU only)
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (EU only)

Elsewhere, Nintendo confirmed the previously-rumoured Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle, which will include a 32GB black console, a Mario Wii remote plus, a Wii U wheel and of course, a copy of the game itself for $330.

Not only that, the company also unveiled several new details regarding the game’s multiplayer component. In teaming up with your favourite race partners, gamers will be able to compete in four distinct modes including Tournament, Friends, Regional and, if you feel up to task, Worldwide. From there, competition rules can be customized in order to fine-tune in-game options such as time of day, difficulty and the available weapon arsenal.

Perhaps one of the most novel new features for Mario Kart 8, though, is Mario Kart TV. Essentially, the native editing suite allows users to pull and indeed customize footage from the 12 most recent races. So, whether it’s a well-placed banana skin or a last-minute blue shell attack, your crowning achievements can then be shared through Miiverse or, alternatively, uploaded directly to YouTube.

Without a doubt, Mario Kart TV is a neat addition to the franchise, particularly in this ever-changing climate where captured footage is king. And it won’t be long before gamers can drift around Rainbow Road, as Mario Kart 8 is poised to launch exclusively onto Wii U on May 30th across North America and Europe.

---