If you wanted to play Mario Kart in the past, you had to own a Nintendo system like the Switch, 3DS, or Wii U. Those days will soon be over, however, as the mobile Mario Kart Tour is officially releasing on September 25.
A version of the series built exclusively for mobile devices, Mario Kart Tour is played with your phone held vertically. Despite this change, it’s still the same Mario Kart gameplay you know with drifting, items to throw, gliders, and plenty of hazards to keep you guessing. There are classic Mario Kart courses included, as well as some inspired by real-world locations you might happen to be visiting as you play. These include the Eiffel Tower, so start brushing up on your French. Some of the real-life-inspired courses will only be available for a limited window, and characters will get variants based on them, as well.
The game uses a scoring system based things like coins collected and players hit, with a combo building up if you’re really skilled. It’s certainly different for a series that typically has one goal and only one goal: Reach the finish line before anyone else.
In order to play Mario Kart Tour, you’ll need to link your Nintendo Account when starting up the game on either iOS or Android. Nintendo is calling it “free-to-start,” which is similar to the approach used in Super Mario Run. According to those who played in the beta, a stamina system will limit how many races you can play per day before you pay.
Super Mario Kart kicked off the series on the Super Nintendo, and since then it has appeared on every Nintendo home console. Handhelds initially didn’t get their own entries, but Mario Kart games have also released on Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and 3DS. The Switch’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just might be the best of the bunch, with a huge number of courses, multiplayer options, and even characters from other Nintendo franchises. Certain courses even change out the coins for other currency to match the theme.
You can prepare for Mario Kart Tour‘s release by pre-ordering the game now on iOS and Android.
