You may still be enthralled with the Brawl, but the next big thing for Wii is right around the corner. Hell, it’s competing against arguably the biggest game of 2008. Nintendo today announced that Mario Kart Wii will release in the U.S. on April 27th, going head-to-head with Grand Theft Auto IV. Not that either game has to worry about having their market cut by the other, as the two titles are on opposite ends of the gaming spectrum.

Mario Kart Wii will have players take to the streets for the first time in karts or bikes on 32 race courses. 16 brand new track, and 16 classics that have been brought back. If Mario Kart DS showed anything it’s that the series is still viable, and including the great tracks of yesterday is a smart move. Players will also have the opportunity to use their Mii avatar in the game. This will be awesome as I pit Abe Lincoln against Chuck Norris in a battle for supreme victory. Whenever I imagine this matchup I can never visualize who would win…and now I’ll get to find out.

Mario Kart Wii heads to your house on April 27th, and if you want to the Wii Wheel is sold separately. Nintendo continues the great tradition of supporting multiple control options: Wii remote with or without the Wheel, Remote and Nunchuk, Classic Controller and the Gamecube controller. This is a feature that more developers need to start including.