New Wii Mario, WiiFit This Year

Japanese newspaper confirms sequels.

Word of WiiFit Plus already leaked out a little while back. But a sequel to the multi-million-selling fitness software isn't all Nintendo has in the works.

The online version of Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper reports today that Nintendo will release both the new version of Wii Fit along with a new Wii Mario game to Japan later this year.

For Wii Fit, the article says to expect internet connectivity, allowing for users to compete with friends and families in weight loss races. The new version will be able to more accurately measure weight and center of gravity.

The story does not mention if a new version of the Balance Wii Board will be required for this greater accuracy or if Nintendo has managed to attain the greater precision strictly at a software level.

For Mario, the article says absolutely nothing -- just that it's a new entry in the popular series. It lists this as being one of Nintendo's tools for pushing domestic (Japanese) Wii sales, so this is definitely a Wii game.

Wii Fit Plus will hit Japan some time this Fall. The new Mario game is planned for the latter half of the year.

These time frames are just for Japan. While we imagine a new Mario game would be a simultaneous worldwide affair, it's possible we'd have to wait for a new Wii Fit. Japan got the original a few months before us.