With Nintendo often being ever so tight-lipped over the release dates of its biggest games, we’re often left hanging on the rumour and estimates of various retailers. In the case of Mario Kart Wii, numerous European stores had the racer penned in for an April 25 launch. However, Nintendo has spoken out (to our - and no doubt - your delight) to confirm that the game will in fact be zipping into Europe on April 11.

Control Options - Wii Wheel, Wii Remote/Nunchuck, Classic Controller, GameCube Pad

Many hardcore gamers reacted indifferently after Nintendo’s American president Reggie Fils-Aimes first stood on stage to introduce Mario Kart Wii and its accompanying Wheel accessory. However, perhaps to their relief, Nintendo has implemented compatibility for all of the following control options: The Wii Wheel, Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo, Classic Controller and GameCube Controller.

Characters and Vehicles

Mario Kart Wii racer now begins with a total of - count ‘em - six vehicles each (normal, character specific or heavy versions of the kart or motorbike). As you’d imagine, whichever one you choose will affect the speed and handling of your character while racing. We also learn that 50CC races will be kart-only, 100CC motorbike only, and 150CC competitions a mixture of the two. Sounds hectic!

Boosting and Tricks

As for the often-controversial topic of speed boosting through powersliding, waggling of the joystick or tilting into and out of a turn is no longer a requirement. Instead, boost is automatically generated by pressing a button on the back of the Wii Wheel, with the amount of boost determined by how long the powerslide is held.

Mario Kart Wii includes a brand new ‘trick’ mechanic during races. Jolting the Wii Wheel upwards will get your character to perform a signature jump, which, when landed, will reward players with a sneaky boost in acceleration. In addition, hovering behind someone in their kart’s air stream will also result in a short surge in speed.

Multiplayer Modes

Regarding multiplayer action, Mario Kart Wii includes two challenges: Balloon Battle (the traditional balloon-popping deathmatch) and Coin Runner (a race between two teams to collect the most coins). Mission mode, which first appeared in the Nintendo DS version of Mario Kart also features as a mode to encourage the unlocking of bonus items.

Online Racing and Statistics

Mario Kart Wii looks set to offer the most comprehensive online mode of any Nintendo Wii game to date, and the appropriately named Mario Kart Channel is where it all takes place. As well as single player and two-player split-screen online racing (in traditional races and Battle Mode), it will include: total distance raced, favourite character, vehicle and stage, number of wins and losses, racing ghosts sent and received, how many times your kart or motorcycle has been attacked, and more.

Mario Kart Wii is an eagerly anticipated launch for Europe and we are confident that all those who have enjoyed playing previous Mario Kart games, in particular the Nintendo DS version will be pleased and looking forward to its arrival” explained Laurent Fischer, Managing Director of Marketing & PR of Nintendo of Europe. Mario Kart Wii encompasses the core spirit of Mario Kart: an incredibly rich and deep gameplay experience that provides never ending fun. And with the Wii Wheel, every member of the whole family will feel comfortable to join in and experience kart racing regardless of whether they are a karting champion or a complete new beginner. With the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service also allowing friends and family to compete around the globe, we are confident that Mario Kart fans won’t be left disappointed with this installment exclusively on Wii.”

Brilliant news for Europeans, indeed, particularly given that April 11 is just a day after the Japanese launch. The North American launch is currently penned down for April 28, but we wonder now whether this could change to closer match that in other territories.