3rd August, 2012 – Things are really heating up this summer as Mario Kart 7 on Nintendo 3DS fever looks set to sweep the Nation. Nintendo is on a mission to launch Britain’s biggest family gaming tournament as they search to find Britain’s Fastest Family with Mario Kart 7, the fun, family racing game. The regional heats kick off this weekend!

Whoever is crowned Britain’s Fastest Family will become the proud owners of a stunning new Honda Jazz Si* – not to mention a limited edition Mario Kart 7 trophy and a host of other incredible prizes. With all this to race for it is time to get practicing!

The Mario Kart 7 Britain’s Fastest Family Tournament is running across England, Scotland and Wales – offering all Mario Kart 7 fans the opportunity to compete to get the fastest race times. Regional heats will take place at thirty selected HMV store games departments during August, including in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff and Glasgow (* see full list below), but only the fastest from each regional will make the cut and gain a seat at the grand finale in October to be in with a chance to claim the car, title, trophy and incredible prizes.

HMV Head of Technology & Games, Ewan Pinder, comments: “The power of games can best be seen when you bring them to life and create some retail theatre around them in your stores so that customers can see and experience just how wonderful they are. So we’re really excited to be partnering with Nintendo to showcase Mario Kart 7 as part of their Britain’s Fastest Family Tournament.”

Nintendo UK events and partnerships manager, Natasha Chatur, added: “We are really excited to be going on the road with our biggest family gaming tournament this summer. The Mario Kart games are loved by fans across all generations and it is fantastic to see families come together to compete to become Britain’s Fastest Family. We look forward to working with HMV to bring the Mario Kart franchise to life this summer and offer our fans up and down the country a chance to engage and compete as a family.”

Family ties will be tested to the max as the competition is to be made up exclusively of family teams. Young and old family racers alike will join forces to see off the intense competition via a mix of blistering speed and ruthless strategy. Expect no-holds-barred racing as Mario Kart 7 offers the ability to glide over the track as well as speed on the sea floor as you race underwater, all in glorious 3D.

Comedian and huge Mario Kart fan, Rufus Hound has created exclusive videos to help everybody get ready for Mario Kart 7 Britain’s Fastest Family Tournament ahead of the regional heats coming to your town. Rufus’ top tips on how to perfect your racing technique can be found here www.nintendo.co.uk/britainsfastestfamily or accessed via the Nintendo 3DS YouTube channel