Mario Kart 8 playable at GameStop this weekend

Nintendo's upcoming Wii U racing game, Mario Kart 8, will be playable at more than 2,700 GameStop stores across the United States May 17-18, Nintendo announced today.

On those days, you can play Mario Kart 8 from 12 to 4 p.m. local time. Nintendo promises an "action-packed" demo will be playable, and that if you preorder the game (or have already), you'll receive an exclusive double-sided Mario Kart 8 poster.

It's all part of Nintendo's "Mario Kart 8 Test Drive Days" promotion, leading up to the game's release at retailers and through the eShop on May 30. A full list of participating GameStop locations is available at the retailer's website.

The Wii U is struggling at the moment, and Nintendo is no doubt looking to Mario Kart 8 as a title that will help sell consoles.

If Mario Kart 8 is to match the sales of its predecessor, it will need to put up some major sales numbers. Mario Kart for Wii was a massive success, selling over 35.5 million copies and becoming the platform's best-selling non-bundled game. To put that figure in context, Rockstar Games' acclaimed multiplatfom action game Grand Theft Auto V has shipped (not sold) 32.5 million copies.