Fans in the U.S. and Canada will soon have a chance to play one of the biggest games of 2014 before it launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on May 30. Mario Kart 8 for Wii U will be playable at more than 2,700 GameStop stores around the U.S. from 12 to 4 p.m. local time during the weekend of May 17-18 as part of “Mario Kart 8 Test Drive Days.” An action-packed demo version of the Mario Kart 8 game for Wii U will be the highlight of the event, plus anyone who pre-orders or who has already pre-ordered Mario Kart 8 at GameStop will receive an exclusive double-sided poster.

For more information about the demo event, and to find a participating GameStop location near you, visit http://www.gamestop.com/gs/landing/events/Mario_Kart_8_TestDrive/default.aspx. Fans who want a chance to win more Mario Kart 8 and GameStop prizes can visit http://mariokartmemories.com to learn about GameStop’s “#MarioKartMemories” program. The program lets fans enter for a chance to win by posting their favorite Mario Kart memories to Twitter using the #MarioKartMemories hashtag.

Montreal and Toronto Events:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, start your engines! Nintendo of Canada will celebrate the launch of the Mario Kart 8 game by giving Canadian fans the chance to play the game at Best Buy stores across Canada on Saturday, May 24 before it’s officially released on May 30. The celebration will continue with special karting events in Toronto and Montreal on Saturday, May 31.

“Mario Kart 8 will drive players wild with fun, challenging tracks, new playable characters and its anti-gravity feature which will flip kart racing on its head,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Nintendo of Canada is sharing in the excitement of Mario Kart 8 by giving fans a chance to play the game before it launches at select Best Buy stores and at Mario’s Canadian Karting Day events hosted in Toronto and Montreal on launch weekend.”

Play Mario Kart 8 before launch at Best Buy: To give fans a sneak peek at the game’s highly anticipated on-track action, select Best Buy locations across Canada will allow fans to be some of the first to play Mario Kart 8 in-store. On Saturday, May 24, these locations will kick Mario Kart 8 into high gear with hands-on demonstrations from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (local time), during which the first 50 players will receive a voucher to a local karting track for a free race. Additional giveaways will be available for the duration of the retail events, while supplies last. For a list of locations, please visit www.nintendo.ca/ijustkarted.