One of the most anticipated portable games this year is Mario Kart 7, and that's understandable given the franchise's illustrious track record (pun intended).

It's hard not to be excited anytime Nintendo announces a new game in the Mario Kart series, and Mario Kart 7 looks like it should finally ensure 3DS owners that things will be better from here on out — especially early adopters who may have felt the burn of the elongated game drought for the handheld.

Gamers can expect to see veteran racers such as Mario, Bowser, Yoshi, Peach, Donkey Kong, and Luigi to all be playable right from the game's first starting line, but there's no debate that one of the more appealing features of the game is unlocking new racers.

Thus far, three new characters have been announced — Lakitu, Metal Mario, and Shy Guy — but it would seem that Nintendo didn't stop there - with the new additions to the game's roster - as two brand new characters have been confirmed to make their Mario Kart debut in the upcoming seventh installment.

Mario Kart 7 Playable Roster Revealed

The new characters were revealed in the latest edition of Nintendo Power magazine, and they are none other than Wiggler and Honey Queen. Wiggler has appeared in numerous Super Mario titles since its first appearance in Super Mario World on the SNES. Honey Queen on the other hand is a more recent character that made her debut in Super Mario Galaxy, and her inclusion was not even remotely expected. Still, both characters are a welcome addition to Mario Kart 7's growing roster.

Nintendo Power assured fans that there are still racers that have yet to be revealed, and that they will leave those characters a mystery for the time being. Speculation regarding just who these unannounced characters are is completely up to speculation, but favorites such as Waluigi, Daisy, Diddy Kong, and Dry Bones seem like givens. There is likely still room on the roster for one or two other characters as well, so it'll be interesting to see which characters make the cut.

One thing is certain though... Wiggler and his feet/hands look bizarre driving that kart.

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Source: PidgiPress (via GoNintendo)