When Mario Kart for the Wii was first released, it shipped with a plastic wheel-shaped peripheral. Now, the upcoming 3DS game Mario Kart 7 looks set to follow in the Wii game's tracks, with peripheral shop Hori (best known for its arcade joysticks and controllers) confirmed as the maker of the new Nintendo-branded steering wheel peripheral.

Japanese gamers can start steering like a pro on December 1.

The separately sold accessory will cost gamers 1,280 yen ($16.82) and will be released alongside the Japanese version of Mario Kart 7 on December 1. Apart from steering the wheel left and right for movement via the 3DS's accelerometer, the peripheral will have large L and R triggers for controls.

Hori has yet to confirm on whether the steering wheel will be available outside of Japan and Asia. Mario Kart 7 will have underwater and airborne races in addition to the familiar cast of Mushroom Kingdom characters on vehicles.

For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's recent Mario Kart 7 preview.