Yoshi races down Rainbow Road, narrowly missing a green shell, and picks up a question box. He bullets all the way past Bowser and cuts him off for first place. Beyond the screen, two teenagers sit locked in battle. Winning a game of Mario Kart isn’t just a matter of superior intelligence and skill, pride is at stake.
The new Mario Kart Tour app gives people with cell phones an opportunity to play Mario Kart anywhere, anytime. I did an Instagram poll which showed 85 percent of responders liked the new game, and asked anti-app people why they didn’t approve. Most haters complained about the control systems, although there’s multiple options, from classic manual drift to an automatic smart setting. There’s even an option called gyro handling were players can rotate their device similarly to how they would play on the Wii.
Multiple students spend their lunch periods and time at home unlocking new players, items and levels. Some of the best features have to be unlocked. To add friends on the app, and later race against them, you have to get high points and win certain races. Coins can also be won from races and used to buy different skins, cars and characters. The real fun comes with playing against your peers for a mighty victory.
Soon, the Mario Kart Tour app will offer a $4.99 per month Gold Pass, which allows users to unlock special bonuses, races and the 200cc mode. Players can stay on the app without this Gold Pass and just play the races offered without it. Will the app dull out after people get bored of the races? Or will the obsession over a real racer’s game, Mario Kart, reign once again?
Mario Kart racing from the App Store to mobile devices
