Nintendo Planning Wii Mario, WiiFit Plus

Nintendo plans to release a new Mario game for Wii, as well as a Wii Fit Plus, a follow-up to its popular exercise game, later this year in Japan. Wii Fit Plus will include competitive elements and internet connectivity features, such as the option to go up against friends and families in "weight loss races," according to an article from Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun, translated by consumer site IGN. The sequel also promises to measure weight and balance more accurately, thought it was not revealed if this is accomplished at a software level or with a new version of the Balance Board accessory. The software is expected to ship in Japan this Fall. The original Wii Fit was available across the Pacific for five months before appearing in U.S. stores. Little was revealed about the Mario game, other than it being positioned as one of Nintendo's tools for bolstering Wii sales in Japan.