Start your engines

Nintendo UK has announced that Super Mario Kart will be hitting the European Wii U Virtual Console later this month — March 27th, to be precise.

What's more, as part of a special promotion in the run up to the release of Mario Kart 8, if you download Super Mario Kart you will receive a £5.49 discount on the price of the Wii U sequel, which is due to hit Europe on May 30th. You'll have until June 30th to take advantage of the offer, and the usual caveats apply — you'll only get the discount if you purchase the digital version of the game via the Wii U eShop, and both purchases must be made on the same Wii U system.

The game that started it all, Super Mario Kart originally launched on the SNES back in 1992. "To play it today is every bit as enjoyable as it ever was," is what we said when we reviewed the Wii Virtual Console release back in 2009. "Sure the graphics and sound may have dated, but the core gameplay is still top notch." It's worth noting that this is the US version of the game, and will run at a silky-smooth 60hz.

Will you be investing in this title when it hits the Wii U Virtual Console? What do you think about the chance to save some cash on Mario Kart 8 at the same time? Share your feelings with a comment.