iPhone and Android users will gear up for some one-handed racing action with Mario Kart Tour when the franchise’s mobile debut launches on September 25.
Nintendo has finally announced the global release date after a lengthy beta that was exclusive to Japan and the US. Mario Kart Tour takes tracks and characters from the series’ storied history and brings them to smart devices for some mobile motorsport.
As with Nintendo’s first Mario mobile outing Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour will be played with one hand, so you will be able to blue shell your friends while freeing up your spare hand for other activities, like cooking or, I don’t know, showering?
Rather than holding down the A button to accelerate, Mario Kart Tour auto-accelerates while the player swipes left and right on the touchscreen to control turning and drifting. This cruise control mode was available as an option on Mario Kart 8 but players had the option to switch it on and off. Reports from the beta suggest you will have the same option in Mario Kart Tour.
As with Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour will be free to download and play but there will be in-app purchase options if you’re looking to unlock more content (characters, tracks, etc) faster.
Reports suggest there will be 30 Mushroom Kingdom mainstay characters to use but sadly there’s no hint thus far of any non-Mario racers (such as Link from The Legend of Zelda).
There will be classic tracks borrowed from past Mario Kart titles, such as Koopa Troopa Beach and Luigi’s Mansion, but Nintendo has suggested there will be brand new tracks inspired by real-world city (think New Donk City) and variations on classic characters that “incorporate the local flavour of cities featured in the game”. Sounds like Mario Kart Tour will be taking a page out Super Mario Odyssey’s globetrotting journal.
You can pre-register your interest on the App Store and Google Play now so that you will be notified when the game officially releases.
Brodie Fogg is also Associate Editor at Reviews Australia
Brodie Fogg
Managing Editor - Streaming
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