The "Wii U has had quite a good year so far," Nintendo's UK marketing boss Shelly Pearce has claimed in a new interview with MCV.

Sales of the struggling console are said to be up 60 per cent in the UK this year, which Pearce attributes to to the launch of Mario Kart 8.

"We've really seen momentum pick up with Mario Kart 8 back in May," explained Pearce. "That was when we saw a step change, not just in terms of sales but also people's attitudes to Wii U.

"People are starting to consider buying now, which was cemented by our E3 activity. All the software that we showed then gave people confidence that there were lots of games coming that they wanted."

UK general manager Simon Kemp shares Pearce's positivity about Wii U.

"We've felt a real increase in interest and momentum. Compared to 12 months ago, it does feel noticeably different," said Kemp.

Peace added: "One of the key things for us is that people are staring to realise what software there is, what games they can get this Christmas, but importantly a lot of key stuff that is coming next year, too. It is a really strong line-up."

She concluded: "We are expecting to see real growth from Wii U this Christmas and we will continue to build on that next year".

The big Nintendo games for 2015 are Splatoon, Captain Toad and the new Zelda title, says Pearce.

Source: MCV #809