Mario Kart Arcade GP DX announced: Namco & Nintendo developing

Mario Kart: Arcade GP DX has a very awkward name, but it's coming to Japanese arcades, courtesy of Namco Bandai and Nintendo. It seems that both companies are getting rather cosy lately, as they have also teamed up on the next iteration of Super Smash Bros. The new racer was announced this morning, along with some debut images.

IGN reports that the game will hit arcades later this year and will debut at the Japan Amusement Expo in two weeks time.

The game's competitive mode can support up to four players, and brings back some new mechanics from Mario Kart 7 -such as gliders - and will apparently include camera tech that lets players snap their mug to replace their character picture.

NeoGAF has translated some information regarding the games modes, which are said to include Grand Prix, two-player Co-op, and "Clone Battle" mode.

Could this be a first glimpse of what the inevitable Wii U Mario Kart will look like? Let us know what you think below.