Let’s-a swipe!
Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo’s mobile spin-off of the popular Mario Kart series, has just entered beta for select users. While players are not supposed to be sharing media online yet, that hasn’t stopped the internet from compiling a bunch of videos and screenshots and sharing them to the world. While video footage of the game was scrubbed from ResetEra, someone archived it on YouTube for all to see.
The general gist is that this is an auto-racer where the user swipes left and right to corner turns. That is probably the best possible way Mario Kart could have translated to phones, to be perfectly honest. Where things start to get hairy are with the supposed gacha mechanics.
Keep in mind, this is all according to the beta, so the final version may change. Currently, unlocking characters, karts, and gliders requires a gacha pull. Players have an energy system to prevent them from doing other races too quickly. Certain characters have better stats/items on specific courses. It’s all typical mobile stuff you’ve come to expect. The game at least shows you the odds of getting different items (as required by law on some marketplaces and in several countries), so that’s nice.
It’s mostly strange that Nintendo would want to launch another monetization heavy mobile app after announcing it was pulling Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes from Belgium. While Mario Kart Tour likely began development before any of the hubbub about loot boxes started, the Dutch Gaming Authority’s declaration isn’t new. I’d imagine Nintendo would want to course correct after that.
In any case, this likely means Tour will never release in those regions, though there’s also the possibility that feedback to this beta will shape the final release. We’ll just have to wait and see when Mario Kart Tour does finally come out for everyone.
Mario Kart Tour Beta Impressions Thread [ResetEra]
