Mario Kart 8 gets Nintendo Direct video with new gameplay footage, promotion & features

Nintendo has - without warning - published a new Nintendo Direct video focused on Mario Kart 8, which is due to hit Wii U on May 30. It's full of new gameplay, characters, items, promotions and more.

It follows confirmation of not one but three Mario Kart 8 Wii U console bundles. Hit the link for pack details and pricing.

In an accompanying press release sent to VG247, Nintendo confirmed details of a new Mario Kart 8 promotion. If you buy the game on disc or over the Wii U eShop, and register it on Club Nintendo between May 30 and July 31, you'll get a download code for one of ten selected Wii U games good until August 31.

Here's an image of all the available games:

Other updates include confirmation of 12 player online multiplayer that offers four methods of finding opponents - Global, Regional, Friends and Rivals - and allows voice chat over the Wii U GamePad's microphone. Private and public tournaments can be made by gamers and posted online, and you can also download player ghosts. Beat a Mario Kart 8 developer's ghost and you'll get a bonus MiiVerse stamp.

Mario Kart 8 also introduces Mario Kart TV:

This in-game channels gives player s chance to check out highlight reels from their races and tournaments, with a suite of playback options. Clips can also be uploaded straight to YouTube from within the service, or MiiVerse if they so choose.

Nintendo also announced new racers, including Pink Gold Peach:

Baby Rosalina has also been added to the roster, along with baby variants of other characters:

Bowser's seven Koopa children have been introduced as well, bringing the current racer count to 30.

Finally, some new items were revealed. The new Super Horn will blow away all nearby items, racers, red and blue shells. While the Crazy Eight gives players a swirl of eight different items that can be used one after the other.

Mario Kart 8 is out May 30. Any takers?