Unlike Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for which gamers have received daily updates for months via the official website, word on the next-generation version of Nintendo’s other much-loved franchises - Mario Kart Wii - has been distinctly thin on the ground. However, rumour has it will launch in Japan on April 10.

Japanese magazine Gemaga reports the news that Mario Kart Wii will be zipping into the country’s stores on April 10 this year, where only a vague “Q1 2008″ had been touted beforehand.

As for the North American and European releases, we’ve still nothing to go on. However, if Gemaga is correct, then it’s good news for importers as well as giving a marker for the rest of us to guess when Mario Kart Wii might ship internationally.

First announced at the E3 Media and Business Summit earlier in July 2007, Mario Kart Wii is the follow-up to the Nintendo GameCube’s Double Dash and is set to feature motion-sensing controls enhanced with the Wii Wheel peripheral, as well as online play.

[Source: Jeux-France]