Mario Kart is one of Nintendo's most popular games, and the latest release, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, is one of the best iterations yet.

But the oodles-of-fun multiplayer game is set to get even better with the introduction of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR in Japanese arcades. Yes, that's right, Mario Kart is going full virtual reality.

It's unlikely you'll ever get to play the VR version, as it's only limited to select Japanese arcades for now, although Nintendo Everything has said similar arcades could make their way to London.

The game throws you right into the action, placing you in a kart as either Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi, and giving you a whole new perspective of your favourite Mario Kart tracks. You can get up close and personal with the other racers and see their different facial expressions more clearly, as well as getting a brand new look at the Piranha plants that want to eat you, among other obstacles.

What's very clear from the VR perspective is either just how small the karts are compared to their surroundings, or just how massive castles and plants are in the game's wacky world.

Mario Kart VR will work using the HTC Vive headset for accurate tracking of not only your head movements, but your arms too, whether they're turning the steering wheel or throwing a shell or banana. The game will debut in Bandai Namco's VR Zone arcades in Tokyo this month and should arrive in London sometime in the summer. There won't be a mainstream release of the game for home consoles.