Mario Kart Wii to feature 16-player online battles

Redmond (WA) - Nintendo may be ready to step up its online gaming presence, as it is reportedly working on a 16-player Wi-Fi mode in the upcoming Mario Kart game.

According to a report in the Official Nintendo Magazine, the Wii Mario Kart game, which has not yet received an official title, will feature online races of up to 16 people. That’s the same number of players allowed in the Playstation 3 game Warhawk, which Sony considers to be its most ambitious online project so far for the console.

Amid the list of features mentioned in the article, the last paragraph starts with, "Did we mention online battles cater for up to 16 players ?" It offered no details beyond that.

A couple other features were announced, including the ability to perform in-air stunts for the kart-racing characters, a first in the Mario Kart series. The article also confirmed that battle mode would be playable online, in addition to standard race mode. Also, tracks from Mario Kart DS will reportedly make their way to the Wii game, with improved 3D graphics. According to Nintendo, Mario Kart DS has been the most successful online game for the DS.

Mario Kart Wii is currently planned for a spring 2008 release.