In anticipation of the long awaited release of Mario Kart 8 on 30th May, 2014 we have a few special offers from Nintendo to tell you about today that any fan of the Mario Kart series will be happy to hear.

First of all Nintendo are giving fans the chance to sharpen up their karting skills prior to MK8's arrival by re-releasing the original SNES version of Super Mario Kart for the Wii U Virtual Console, it'll be available to purchase and download on the Nintendo eShop from March 27th, 2014. 

For fans wishing to keep their kart tyres warm and reactions sharp before 30th May 2014, the Super Nintendo classic Super Mario Kart* will release on Nintendo eShop** as a Wii U Virtual Console title on 27th March 2014. As part of a promotion to celebrate both this legendary title and Mario Kart 8, fans who purchase Super Mario Kart on Nintendo eShop from its release until 30th June 2014 can get a discount of £5.49 on Mario Kart 8 if they choose to purchase Mario Kart 8 on Nintendo eShop from the release of the game until 30th June 2014, providing the purchase takes place on the same Wii U console.

If you buy Super Mario Kart on the eShop, you can get a discount of £5.49 on Mario Kart 8 if you also buy that on the eShop on the same Wii U; I don't know about you guys, maybe its because I'm old, but I want the hard copy of the game especially as there has just been a Limited Edition collectors version of Mario Kart 8 including a Spiny Shell (I really hate that powerup) announced, as well as various promotions by different retailers for customers who pre-order the game.

Mario Kart fans who have ever unleashed a Spiny Shell item or been on the wrong side of one will know of their capacity to make or break a race, therefore as a memento of times both good and not so good, the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition software bundle will come complete with a Spiny Shell Collector’s Item alongside a physical copy of Mario Kart 8, with the Spiny Shell proudly perched atop a black and transparent frame. Packaged together as a uniquely designed bundle, the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition launches on 30th May 2014 and is ready for pre-order now from the Nintendo UK Online Store and selected retailers, available while stocks last. Customers in the UK & Ireland who have already pre-ordered the standalone copy of Mario Kart 8 will have the opportunity to upgrade pending availability. One of the most devastating items found in-game, expect to see the Spiny Shell back in its natural environment knocking champion racers off the podium when the item appears in the Mario Kart franchise once more from 30th May 2014.
 

Some of the pre-order items you can get include:-

• Mario Kart-themed keyrings such as the Golden Dash Mushroom and Red Shell's which you get with pre-orders from Littlewoods and Very.
• The Bullet Bill keyring will be given to those who pre-order MK8 from a range of independent retailers including Grainger Games, Game Centre, 365 Games, Game Seek, Base.com, Playtime, The Games Exchange, That Games Shop, Gamescene or Xpress games.
• If you pre-order from GAME, you get a Wii U Super Mario Kart Racing Wheel bundled, which looks suspiciously like a modified version of the old Wii wheel.
• Nintendo UK's online store will also be offering a Mario Kart 8 bundle including the limited edition pack with the Spiny Shell, a Bullet Bill T-Shirt and a Red Shell keyring.

Gravity-defying courses and Mushroom Kingdom racers both old and new come together on 30th May when Mario Kart 8 launches on Wii U. To catch an accelerated glimpse of what lies in store, a new Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition CGI trailer is now available to view, featuring an appearance from the formidable Spiny Shell plus many a character you may have come to know over the years!

Which of the many different promotions interest you guys? Personally I'll be going for Nintendo UK's bundle I think, I dare say it will be far from the cheapest but what can I say I'm a sucker for promo items.