New Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon Wii U Bundle Is UK's Cheapest Yet

Nintendo has announced a new Wii U bundle that packages the 32 GB version of the console with two acclaimed exclusive games, Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. It will be available across Europe from October 30.

Mario Kart 8 is pre-installed on the console, while Splatoon will be included in the form of a download code, redeemable on the Nintendo eShop. Disc-based versions of the games are not included.

Although Nintendo has not offered a price for the package, UK trade website MCV reports it will be available for £240. With the regular prices of the software factored in, this would make the bundle the cheapest ever released by Nintendo.

This deal comes as Nintendo begins its transition to its next generation console, codenamed the NX, which is expected to be revealed for the first time in 2016. In September, company named Tatsumi Kimishima as its new president, and successor to Satoru Iwata.

Nintendo said it would not discuss the NX until 2016, despite announcing it was in development in mid-2015. At the time, president Satoru Iwata said the NX represented a "new concept." He added the company was not thinking of it as a "simple replacement for" the 3DS or the Wii U.

The decision to announce the project so early was, according to Iwata, affirmation of Nintendo's "strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business."

In March 2015, Nintendo announced it had signed a deal with the global mobile games publisher DeNA, which includes the creation of "new gaming applications featuring Nintendo IP, which [both companies] will develop specifically for smart devices."