Nintendo
- The first-ever "Mario Kart" game is headed to smartphones this summer — it’s called "Mario Kart Tour," and it’s free-to-play.
- The game isn’t available just yet, but an early version is available to a select group of people on Android devices.
- After playing the game on Wednesday morning, I have mostly positive things to say about Nintendo’s next major smartphone game.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
For the first time ever, "Mario Kart" is headed to smartphones. The game is scheduled to arrive at some point this summer.
And for some people, it’s already here — "Mario Kart Tour" entered a period of limited testing on Android phones this week. I was one of those lucky people who got into the early test period, and I’ve spent the last 24 hours playing the game in bursts.
Here’s what it’s like:
One caveat up front: As this is a closed beta test, we’re not allowed to share images or video from "Mario Kart Tour." All the images in this piece are from other "Mario Kart" games.
Nintendo
Don’t worry: "Mario Kart Tour" is quite fetching. I’m playing the game on a Pixel 3a, and it looks great on the smartphone screen.
It’s clear that the graphics aren’t as dazzling as, say, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" on the Nintendo Switch, but they’re similarly colorful and charming.
All that said: We can’t share any images or video from the closed beta because, well, it’s a closed beta. "Uploading content such as videos or still images of game screens to the Internet or social networking sites is prohibited," the FAQ for the game’s closed beta says. Bummer!
But maybe if you go searching on YouTube, you’ll find some footage. Maybe.
So, what is "Mario Kart Tour"? It’s very similar to the "Mario Kart" games you already know and love, but adapted to smartphones.
Nintendo
Like the latest entries in the long-running, beloved "Mario Kart" franchise, "Mario Kart Tour" features a mix of racing, battling, and item collection.
There’s one huge difference to how the game plays: You don’t have to accelerate or brake.
Due to the nature of "Mario Kart Tour" as a smartphone game, the gas and brake are handled automatically by the game. It’s the one major adjustment I had to make when moving from traditional "Mario Kart" games to the smartphone version.
The other, more subtle adjustment: using a touchscreen to move my racer left or right. It is, frankly speaking, difficult to use — but no more difficult than any other smartphone-based racing game I’ve played.
The racing itself is fun, and many of the hooks from the most recent "Mario Kart" games are there.
Nintendo
Despite the fact that the racers drive themselves, everything from the steering to the use of items to the little speed boost you can get at the beginning of a race is a delightfully accurate re-creation of the console games.
Tapping the screen while going over a jump offers a little speed boost, and carving around corners with a great drift also offers a subtle boost.
Using items is similarly simple: a swipe down drops the item behind you, and tapping on the screen sends items ahead (or, in the case of a mushroom, sends your racer speeding ahead).
The game feels fully featured in this sense — outside of the auto-acceleration mechanic, "Mario Kart Tour" feels like a full "Mario Kart" game.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: Nintendo’s first ‘Mario Kart’ game for smartphones has been delayed to the summer
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Ben Gilbert)