The much-anticipated release of Mario Kart Tour this September (after an extended period of testing) was a bit of a letdown. The game was riddled with excessive in-app-purchases, had a questionable loot box mechanism, and lacked a multiplayer component — arguably the selling point of the entire Mario Kart series. At the time, the in-game-menu said that multiplayer was "inbound", and we now know more details.
Read MoreMario Kart Tour online multiplayer beta invites everyone to play during its second lap (Update: Out now)
Mario Kart Tour finally arrives on Android, and it’s easily the worst game in the series
At the tail end of August we learned that Mario Kart Tour would land on Android on September 25th, and early this morning, the racer was officially released on the Play Store. Now, the thing to remember is that this is a game that has been delayed more than a few times, with announced dates coming and going, and now that I've played the end product, it's clear why. At its core, Mario Kart Tour is yet another bland gacha game with a famous brand slapped on top, but things get much worse than this, so strap in, because this ride's about to get very bumpy.
Read MoreMario Kart Tour is available on the Play Store for pre-registration, official release September 25
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.
Read MoreMario Kart Tour closed beta is live, and it's already a disappointment
Last month we learned that Nintendo would offer a closed beta test of Mario Kart Tour to select users that applied for access. Well, it looks like I got in, so now that I've had some time to play the beta I figured I'd share my impressions for those that are curious how its development is shaping up.
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Nintendo is accepting applications for Mario Kart Tour closed beta access
Nintendo originally announced that Mario Kart Tour would be coming to Android all the way back in January of 2018, but at the beginning of 2019 Nintendo announced a delay, and that the mobile racer would be launched sometime this summer. Well, the months are getting warmer, which means summer is inching closer, and in preparation for the upcoming release, Nintendo is now accepting applications from Android users that would like to enter into a closed beta test for Mario Kart Tour.
Read MoreDr. Mario is coming to Android this summer
Nintendo has announced that it's bringing its Dr. Mario franchise to Android and iOS in a partnership with LINE Corporation, a Tokyo-based developer of mobile games. It will be an action puzzle game titled Dr. Mario World, and it's slated for a global release (including Japan and the US) sometime this summer. It's going to be free to download, and it will include optional in-app purchases.
Read More[Update: Official announcement] Mario Day event starts popping up in Google Maps for some
Mario Day is right around the corner (March 10—get it? MAR10?), and it looks like Google is putting on a little celebration. Nintendo's beloved red-capped plumber has started cropping up in Google Maps.
Read MoreNintendo announces Mario Kart Tour coming to smartphones in fiscal year 2018
Nintendo has announced (as part of an investor call) plans for the release of Mario Kart Tour, the first Mario Kart game on smartphones, by the end of the next fiscal year. As is standard for Japanese companies, the fiscal year runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year, meaning that Mario Kart Tour will grace the Play Store and Apple App Store by March 31st, 2019. Other than the logo, no information about the game was disclosed.
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