NoA PR - Nintendo News: Defy Gravity: Test Drive Mario Kart 8 at Select GameStop Stores May 17-18

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fans will soon have a chance to play one of the biggest games of 2014 before it launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on May 30. Mario Kart 8 for Wii U will be playable at more than 2,700 GameStop stores around the U.S. from 12 to 4 p.m. local time during the weekend of May 17-18 as part of "Mario Kart 8 Test Drive Days." An action-packed demo version of the Mario Kart 8 game for Wii U will be the highlight of the event, plus anyone who pre-orders or who has already pre-ordered Mario Kart 8 at GameStop will receive an exclusive double-sided poster.

For more information about the demo event, and to find a participating GameStop location near you, visit http://www.gamestop.com/gs/landing/events/Mario_Kart_8_TestDrive/default.aspx. Fans who want a chance to win more Mario Kart 8 and GameStop prizes can visit http://mariokartmemories.com to learn about GameStop's "#MarioKartMemories" program. The program lets fans enter for a chance to win by posting their favorite Mario Kart memories to Twitter using the #MarioKartMemories hashtag.

Mario Kart 8 is the first entry in the long-running and much-loved Mario Kart franchise on Wii U. The game features anti-gravity racing, which lets players drive upside down and along walls in fantastically designed tracks. In addition to the return of many characters and items fans of the series know and love, Mario Kart 8 introduces new playable characters like all seven of Bowser's Koopalings and new items like the player-chomping Piranha Plant and blue Spiny Shell-stopping Super Horn.

Online multiplayer modes return to Mario Kart 8 and are more social than ever before. Up to 12 players with broadband Internet access can compete with each other online and, using the new Mario Kart TV feature, watch and share highlights of their best racing moments on Miiverse and YouTube.

Mario Kart 8 is now available for pre-order at GameStop stores throughout North America. A deposit may be required for pre-orders. For more information about the game, visit http://mariokart8.nintendo.com/.