Mario Kart is lit, but needs multiplayer mode, more complexity

Our friend and incredibly handsome news editor Andrew Lee showed us his phone. On the screen, Mario donned his classic red cap, accompanied by his brother Luigi in his patented green. Behind Mario were Toad, Bowser and Peach, and in the distant background was an airborne Yoshi. Above them in block letters were the words “MARIO KART TOUR.”

We looked at each other, quickly unlocked our phones and downloaded the game. 

The mobile game Mario Kart Tour, released on Sept. 25, immediately had us hooked. 

With its unique playing style and simple controls, the game kept us racing cup after cup. Unlike most racing games, Mario Kart Tour is played vertically on the phone. Although this means the field-of-view is narrower, the game makes it work. Instead of tilting the phone to steer (which is possible if you enable gyroscopic steering), your character drives forward automatically, and you just need to swipe left or right to turn and tap the screen to use an item. Using the drifting controls gives you boosts and more points if you drift long enough.

In addition to the simplicity of the game, its similarities to the original Mario Kart games are impressive. It felt nostalgic to be racing through maps that we played on during our childhoods, dodging crabs in Koopa Troopa Beach or speeding along the fiery Bowser’s Castle. 

The game’s item boxes are still one of the most exciting aspects. We saw red and green shells, bananas, mushrooms, the squid that squirts black ink and even the iconic Bullet Bill. When we played, we found that holding on to a banana or a green shell instead of using it was often a smart decision because it could block other items thrown at you.

However, an aspect new to Mario Kart Tour is that some characters are able to receive two or three items per box rather than one. Which characters get more items depends on the map being played. The possibility of getting three items introduces a new ability called a “frenzy,” which occurs when three of the same item are rolled and give the character a speed boost and continual usage of the item for some time. These new additions add fun twists to the original Mario Kart games.

Nonetheless, because the game was not very complex, we found it dull after a while. The races are not too difficult, so we were able to essentially complete the game in under two weeks. After this, we went back to beat our high scores on some of the races, but there were no other objectives to complete.

Furthermore, the game relies a bit too much on in-app purchases. To get more characters, karts and gliders, you need to use a pipe, which randomly gives one of the three and often gives duplicates. Using the pipe costs rubies, which can be earned slowly through the game or be bought with money. Because having the right characters for the right map can be such an advantage, those who spend money will most likely win more races.

Finally, the social aspect of the game could use some improvements as well. Besides a leaderboard with your friends, there is not much else to do with them. Although the game is teasing a multiplayer mode which will be released soon, for now, all we can do is race against random opponents. Adding a feature where we could race friends would definitely increase the appeal for the game.

Overall, we found Mario Kart Tour to be an exciting and competitive interpretation of the original Mario Kart games that captivated us for a short amount of time, but no longer. Adding more objectives as a player progresses as well as a multiplayer mode would keep us playing longer.