For the first time ever in any game, all of Bowser’s seven Koopalings are playable characters. Players with a taste for being bad can get ready to challenge gravity on the race track with Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy and Wendy.

For the first time in HD, Mario Kart 8 introduces original course designs that highlight the game’s new antigravity feature, which allows players to race upside down or up vertical surfaces. Racers will also enjoy a variety of series-favorite features including the return of 12-player online competitive play, four player local multiplayer, hang-gliders, underwater racing and motorbikes.

The Mario Kart franchise will be powered by some real-world horsepower as an Aug. 27 game update will deliver a variety of new features for players, including the ability in-game to download three free Mercedes-Benz cars that players can race: the modern Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s and the legendary Silver Arrow of the 1930s.

The GLA model comes with special wheel options, while players can customize all three new karts with various wheels and gliders in the game. The new content arrives on the 22nd anniversary of the launch of the original Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, which first launched in Japan on Aug. 27, 1992. To further celebrate the upcoming anniversary, Super Mario Kart launches today for $7.99 in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. Players can now experience where the series got its start.

Between Aug. 27 and Sept. 23, Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz will also host an online worldwide “Mercedes Cup” tournament. All competitors need is a Wii U console, Mario Kart 8 game, a broadband Internet connection and the Mercedes-Benz karts. Access to the “Mercedes Cup” in the game can be found in the online tournament section.

The Mario Kart 8 game update will also add a variety of new features designed to enhance the racing experience for everyone. These include:

• Drivers will now have the option to display the course map on the TV screen during races.
• The order of the menu after each race will be changed to “Next Race”, followed by “Watch Highlight Reel”.
• The game will remember the most recent kart options that were selected, even if the Wii U system was powered down.
• Users will be able to change options of other players’ Mario Kart TV downloaded highlight reels, such as changing the focus to different characters or actions.
• A score screen will be added so players can see how many coins they’ve collected, the win-loss record of their online battles and their frequently used characters.
• Improved the stability of the online connection to enhance user experience during online battles.

Up to 12 players can race together online in four different multiplayer modes, as long as everyone has a broadband Internet connection. Like to trash-talk your friends while you’re preparing for a race? You’re in luck! Mario Kart 8 lets players chat with one another in the lobby area using the Wii U GamePad microphone or text phrases as they wait for their friends to join. Players also can create public or private tournaments for which they specify the day of the week, the time and the rules. Per tradition, players will be able to race against ghost data from friends or even the top 10 worldwide racers. They can try to beat them or just pick up a few tips and tricks from studying the best. If you beat the development team’s ghosts, you’ll get cool stamps for use in Miiverse posts.

Players can watch their highlight racing reels, rewind them, play them in slow motion or upload them to Miiverse. They can watch the world’s most popular highlight reels and comment on them. But players with Google accounts can also upload their reels directly to their YouTube channels.

Items are what make Mario Kart games so balanced. No matter how skilled racers are, they’re just a blue Spiny Shell away from disaster. A well-timed item can also turn defeat into victory in an instant. The new Super Horn blows away all other items – literally. Sounding the Super Horn issues forth a sonic shock wave that blasts away everything in the vicinity, including other drivers, Red Shells and even blue Spiny Shells. It’s a potent asset, especially for drivers trying to maintain their lead. Mario Kart 8 also introduces the Crazy Eight, a swirl of eight different items that lucky players can use one by one.

Two new playable female characters make their debut appearances in Mario Kart 8. New heavyweight driver Pink Gold Peach glows with a golden light and makes a nice counterpart to Metal Mario. Baby Rosalina shows up for a play date with other Baby characters. As in past Mario Kart games, players can again choose to play as their Mii characters, which rounds out the field of racers to an even 30.