Nintendo is offering tournaments for Mario kart Wii players worldwide to compete in. The tournaments appear in the Mario Kart Channel, which can be installed via the Mario Kart Wii game disc. Each tournament will take on a unique shape, requiring the player to perform different feats to the best of their ability. The first tournament was made available last Thursday, and Nintendo plans to offer new challenges every few weeks.

The tournament made available Thursday asks racers to compete for the fastest time on the Mario Circuit stage. The course was given a slight alteration in view of the competition, resulting in a number of Chain Chomp enemies moving against traffic throughout the race. In addition, this particular tournament is not raced solo but alongside a full repertoire of computer opponents.

Racers can take the challenge as many times as they would like during the duration of the tournament. After one score is submitted, leaderboards become available for viewing. Their performance is matched up first against friends, then regional players, and finally compared to Mario Kart racers worldwide. A top ten list is provided for each category.

Players will be able to compete in and enjoy this first tournament up until May 9 when Nintendo will officially declare a winner.

NINTENDO ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE MARIO KART WII TOURNAMENTS

May 1, 2008

Nintendo has thrown down the gauntlet for Mario Kart® Wii racers worldwide. Now it's time to see who's up to the challenge, as players take on the world in Mario Kart Wii Tournaments.

Every few weeks, a new tournament will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, an online feature that not only allows players to compete in tournaments, but also exchange race data with friends. Tournaments might take the form of a challenge for players to race a certain course as fast as they can with specific characters, or to collect a number of coins on a course using the Wii Wheel™ accessory or another control setup. They can feature unique rules or obstacles on the course.

The first tournament, which appears today, directs racers to compete for the fastest time on the Mario Circuit. Look closely though – something may be different. Players can attempt the challenge as often as they like during the duration of the tournament. Their best time will be recorded and added to the worldwide rankings, allowing players to see how they stack up against the best racers from around the world.

NOTE: If you would like to participate in Mario Kart Wii tournaments, your Wii™ console needs to be connected to the Internet. For more information about how to get online, visit Wii.com. For more information about Mario Kart Wii, please visit www.MarioKart.com.