Since the invention of the automobile, kids have pantomimed driving with pretend steering wheels. Since the dawn of the video game age, people of all ages playing racing games have twisted and turned their controllers to steer their vehicles, even though it had no effect on the action on the screen. Now, Mario Kart Wii makes these fantasies a reality and brings a new level of immersion and interaction to video games.

The raucous driving game, which launched Sunday, comes packaged with the Wii Wheel steering wheel accessory that houses the Wii Remote controller and lets players steer just as though they were driving a real car. The accessory has been specifically designed and engineered so that even someone who has never played a video game before can pick up the Wii Wheel and start racing instantly.

“Just like Wii Sports, Mario Kart Wii will have everyone in the household playing together, laughing and having fun,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “With the Wii Wheel and ability to race with Mii caricatures, Mario Kart Wii literally puts players directly into the game.”

While newcomers will find it easy to hop into a race, Mario Kart Wii holds plenty of challenges to keep veterans busy. Mario Kart Wii features 16 new tracks, as well as 16 retro tracks from previous Mario Kart games. Dozens of characters from the Mushroom Kingdom are present, and each has his or her own collection of customized vehicles to race.

For the first time in the Mario Kart series, racers can compete on either motorbikes or karts as they find shortcuts, grab power-ups and take down other racers in a frantic free-for-all. In addition to the Wii Wheel, players can also choose from three other control configurations, such as the Nunchuk and Wii Remote controllers, Nintendo GameCube controller or the Classic Controller, so everyone will find a suitable setup.

Four people can compete on a single Wii system, or up to 12 people near or far can race via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s online gaming service. A new Mario Kart Channel on the Wii Menu lets players compete in tournaments, check rankings, see when their friends are playing and download ghost data.

For more information about Mario Kart Wii, visit www.mariokart.com. Remember that the Wii console features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.