Heads up, all you Mario Kart 8 fanatics who love to play Wii U games. There's a big, free wondrous surprise headed your way.
By April 23, you will be able to get your hands on a new pack boasting a chunk of features and items from the Animal Crossing series.
That's the latest news from Nintendo and it's a surprise, given the downloadable content (DLC) was originally scheduled to hit the Internet sometime in May.
That's not all. There's a free update that brings 200cc speed into play, presenting lots more challenges. As one fan notes, it's "bananas" in the gaming world.
The news comes from Nintendo's Direct event. The new speed option is 50cc speedier than previous speeds.
What that means is that players need to hone those crucial braking skills. Before 200cc arrived, players had 50cc, 100cc and 150cc speeds and likely felt pretty confident at those speeds. Just consider some real life info - just going five miles faster in a real-life driving scenario can substantially increase the potential for injury and death.
The new speed capability is described as "blistering" by one media report, which notes the 150cc was the "ultimate challenge" for those die-hard Mario Karters.
It's all arriving on April 23, along with Mii racing suits unlocked by hitting the Amiibo figure on that Gamepad.
For newbies to the Mario Kart game mania, the 200cc option, which works on new tracks and every earlier track, it's just all about speed, baby!
If you are willing to part with a few bucks, about $8, the DLC pack offers three new racers (Dry Bowser, Villager and Isabelle), eight more courses and four more vehicles. One cool aspect is that the Animal Crossing gameplay changes with the seasons.
Now, for those not that familiar with Mario Kart 8, it's a 2014 game and the eighth installment of the Mario Kart franchise, which was a huge success and holds the title of the fastest selling Wii U game as of June, 2014.
One likely reason Mario Kart 8 is beloved is that the racing game features anti-gravity racing, meaning drivers can scale walls and even ceilings. The fact that 12 people can play the game is also a good reason it's become a huge gaming phenomenon.
