It looks like Nintendo wasn't able to keep its promise that Mario Kart Tour would come to Android before the end of the summer, but only by a hair. Nintendo recently announced that Mario Kart Tour will be available on the Play Store on September 25th, two days after the end of summer. It would also appear that the game is now available on the Play Store as a pre-registration listing, most likely to accompany the recently announced launch date. This means we have less than a month to go before Mario Kart Tour officially arrives, though after playing through the last beta, I can't say I'm excited.
The official trailer above shows off some of the gameplay for the upcoming release of Mario Kart Tour. The first thing I noticed is that Waluigi Pinball course is in the game, which is a pleasant surprise. The video also shows off a more stable framerate than what was offered in the last beta, and the graphics look improved as well. While it is clear that this video is intended for promotional purposes, my hope is that these noticeable differences from the beta are included in the official release.
Since today's Play Store listing for Mario Kart Tour is new, this means it's the first time we can see the info contained within. Under the additional information section, in-app purchases are clearly listed, but sadly the prices are yet to be revealed. Luckily the Apple App Store doesn't shy away from keeping its customers informed, unlike Google, and so an enterprising reddit user has captured a screenshot of the available prices for iOS. For iOS users, these IAPs range up to $69.99, so if there was any question whether Mario Kart Tour would be free-to-play and contain a bunch of IAPs, I think this should clear things up.
I suppose the late arrival of Mario Kart Tour shouldn't come as a surprise since this is a game that has faced many delays. Now that Nintendo is confident enough to advertise an official release date, it's my hope that the company listened to player feedback during the beta. I mean, we still don't even know if the game will offer online multiplayer races, because the beta only provided the illusion of online racing by plastering player names above bots. I'm not so sure people are going to want a single-player Mario Kart game on mobile, especially if it's loaded with IAPs and loot boxes. In my opinion, Nintendo is tarnishing its family-friendly brand with its greedy mobile games, and I get the feeling people are starting to get tired of it. I suppose we'll have a better idea of player reception once the game drops on September 25th, so here's hoping Nintendo doesn't blow it.
PRESS RELEASE
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3 … 2 … 1 … GO! On Sept. 25, Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo’s newest game designed for iOS and Android devices, boosts out of the starting gate and into the palms of players’ hands around the world. This new Mario Kart game goes beyond Rainbow Road, with special city courses that let players race through courses inspired by actual locations like New York, Tokyo and Paris. A new Mario Kart Tour teaser video and gameplay trailer showing how players can drift and steer their way to victory can be viewed on YouTube. Players who want to be notified once the game is available to download can pre-register now via the AppStore and Google Play.
“For the first time ever in a Mario Kart game, players can drive past giant Warp Pipes while drifting through a New York-inspired cityscape, all with the swipe of a finger,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Whether you’re an experienced Mario Kart pro or just getting your Mushroom Kingdom driver’s license, Mario Kart Tour is a game for everyone that brings some of Nintendo’s most beloved characters into the hands of players around the world.”
In Mario Kart Tour, players can experience the endless racing fun of Mario Kart while collecting drivers, like Mario, as well as karts and gliders. Players can choose which drivers, karts and gliders to use in races across a variety of courses, including new takes on classic courses and special city courses. City courses, special in-game event courses inspired by real-world locations, will be available during specific time periods at launch and beyond. In addition to courses based on iconic locales, some Mario Kart characters will get variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game.
Mario Kart Tour is free-to-start, and will be available to download for iOS and Android devices beginning Sept. 25. A Nintendo Account is required to play Mario Kart Tour. Players can obtain their in-game registration card by linking their Nintendo Account. Those who do not already have a Nintendo Account can create one at https://accounts.nintendo.com/register.
For more information about Mario Kart Tour, visit https://mariokarttour.com/en-US or follow the Mario Kart Tour Twitter page.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.7 billion video games and more than 740 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/.
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Source: Twitter
