Mario Kart 8 coming to Wii U in spring 2014

Mario Kart 8 is in development on Wii U and is set for release in spring 2014, Nintendo announced today during its Nintendo Direct for E3 2013.

One of the major new elements in this iteration of the kart racing series is anti-gravity, with tracks rotating sideways and even upside down as the karts' wheels turn into magnets to stay on the track. Karts can also sprout hang gliders when they go off high jumps, and kart choices now include motorcycles, according to a trailer Nintendo showed during the presentation. You can watch the trailer below.

It will be the first entry in the franchise on Wii U. The previous game in the series, Mario Kart 7, was released exclusively on Nintendo 3DS in December 2011.

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