12-player Mario Kart?

Told you, didn't we? But knowing that Mario Kart Wii was going to be announced at Nintendo's E3 press conference didn't make us any less excited.

When it came to the thing actually being revealed - in precisely 30 seconds of mouthwatering footage - we were cheering on the edge of our chairs just like you, gawping at the promising new tracks and classic old ones just like you... squeezing our eyelids shut and wishing that we could be transported ahead to 2008 in order to play it right now, just like you.

Of course, you want to know everything there is to know about Mario Kart Wii. So we've dug away with our info spades to uncover the secrets behind Mario Kart Wii - the characters, the vehicles, the tracks, the items, the online play - and brought the whole lot to you here.

Nintendo's E3 showing couldn't have delivered us a more exciting announcement. Drink it in, and try to come to terms with the fact that if Nintendo's plans work out, you'll be overtaking people on your big TV - online - in less than five months.

The trees are alive

No kidding - as with Super Mario Galaxy, Mario's world seems happier than ever. The trees lining Mario Circuit here actually wiggle from side to side - part of the general visual bounciness that sees smoke rising from pipes and tubfuls of gold careering over your head in Wario Mines. The waterfall in Yoshi Falls looking about a bazillion times better than it did on DS, yessir. You can bet that Nintendo's saving the dreamiest tracks for revealing much later: including this generation's optically-overloaded version of Rainbow Road.

Hop-and-Boost is back

Hop! Hop! Hop! Forget Double Dash!!'s tarmac-glued karts. The briefest glimpse of Yoshi pogoing past Luigi proves that the ace jump/skid controls from Kart 64/DS are back. The Wii's 2 button would be the natural fit for it too, and it marks a return to gratifying last-minute foe-slamming, hours spent teasing out secret/glitchy trampolining shortcuts - not to mention boosting your way out of corners with that beautiful blue burst of blowtorch-exhaust.

Another block party

Mario Kart wouldn't be Mario Kart without rainbow-shimmery "?" blocks dotting the tracks, and one section of Wario Mines shows them grouped in typical evil manner - a zig-zag across the track - that's just primed for those teeth-gnashing sliding-right-through-and-missing-them-all moments

CATEGORIES
Latest in Racing
Mario racing on a desert track during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Porting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to the Nintendo Switch was "kind of an afterthought," and now it's so popular that getting fans to switch could be a challenge
Wreckfest 2
Devs behind beloved destruction-focused racing game Wreckfest launch the sequel in early access with a trailer full of physics glitches and fatal error messages
A decorated purple car speeding head-on down a road in Toyko Xtreme Racer
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a novel throwback to classic PS2 racing games like Midnight Club, and I can't get enough of it
Rivals Hover League appearing in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
The spirit of Burnout heads to the future as Rivals Hover League brings destruction derby to the skies
Japanese Drift Master appearing in FGS Live From GDC
After a years-long way, this Initial D-inspired open-world racing game is now just around the corner
Bionic Bay appearing at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
Check out Bionic Bay's frantic physics fueled racing in this new Future Games Show trailer
Latest in News
A large, muscly bloke eating noodles at a bar while two people point pistols at him from behind in Cyberpunk 2077.
The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 developer enters into partnership with Pokemon Go owner to create a new game "set within one of CD Projekt's IPs"
Owen Cooper in Adolescence
Sorry, Adolescence season 2 isn't happening, despite its 99% Rotten Tomatoes score and record-breaking Netflix audience
Daredevil: Born Again episode 6
Daredevil: Born Again's long-awaited moment has been called "pure cinema" featuring one of the "best lines in comic book movie history"
Daredevil looking mean and moody.
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just nodded to Thanos and the Avengers movies in the most obscure way
The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast assemble
Fantastic Four star says the Marvel movie "will go down in history" for rejuvenating the MCU, "in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther hit"
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows is shown running on a Nintendo 3DS in an impressive bit of fan homebrew