Smartphone users can finally load up on lightning and ride the Rainbow Road without shelling out for new console, with the release of the brand new Mario Kart mobile game. Mario Kart Tour, which has been in development hell for several years, has finally been released on iOS and Android devices. Despite the anxious wait, it looks like fans of the series are in for a treat.
The description of the game on Google Play, where it currently has a rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 4,000 player reviews, states that:
“Mario and friends go global in this new Mario Kart as they race around courses inspired by real-world cities in addition to classic Mario Kart courses! These destinations will be featured in tours that rotate every two weeks! In addition to courses based on iconic locales, some of your favorite Mario Kart characters will get variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game!”
Check out the Mario Kart Tour trailer here:In total, there are a whopping 16 cups to compete in, plus new tracks inspired by cities including New York and Tokyo. Players will be able to choose from no less than 35 different characters, who will be ranked and unlocked according to rarity as the game progresses.
In order to play the game, users will have to first create a Nintendo Account. Though Mario Kart Tour is described as “free to play”, the description on Google Play also states that there are “optional in-game purchases available,” and, “Persistent Internet, compatible smartphone, and Nintendo Account required.”
In addition to the standard account, the Mario Kart tour website contains information relating to an optional “Gold Pass” which “allows players to get more in-game rewards in Mario Kart Tour.” Precisely what a Gold Pass entails is currently unclear, but it seems likely that it will play a role in game progression. Whether or not this “freemium” aspect of the new game makes a difference to how it’s ultimately received by fans remains to be seen.