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In a reassuring segment of today's Wii U Direct, Satoru Iwata announced — in name if not footage — games that will be playing a bigger role later this year. One of these was a new Mario Kart entry, currently in development and, most importantly, planned to be playable at this year's E3.

With an over-riding message of the broadcast being "the games are coming", this is hardly a surprise. As it'll be playable this summer, and as Mario Kart is arguably easier and quicker to develop than some other titles, we'd certainly speculate that this could be a solid potential release for the Holiday season. Perhaps not, but among the various announced franchises, this seems like a safe bet.

We, of course, look forward to seeing it in action as the year progresses, with more Nintendo Direct broadcasts promised. In the meantime, you can always check out some real life Mario Kart until the Wii U's game drives into view.

Let us know how high Mario Kart is on your Wii U wishlist, while hopeful speculation on features, tracks and playable characters are all welcome.