In February 2018, Nintendo announced that its next big mobile game would be Mario Kart Tour. Although the title was recently available in closed beta in some countries, the final release date remained uncertain.
Today, we can happily report that Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart Tour will officially launch on iOS and Android on September 25.
Buckle up because #MarioKartTour will be available on 25/09. Follow @mariokarttourEN for more information on the game's release. pic.twitter.com/1V0njTVWRxAugust 27, 2019
You can now pre-order Mario Kart Tour on the App Store or pre-register your interest in the game on the Play Store, the iOS and Android versions are free.
However, despite the lack of a starting price, the preview screenshots of the mobile game clearly show that there will be plenty of optional microtransactions to largely make up for the otherwise free-to-play aspect of the title.
Based on these screenshots, it looks like in-game currencies will be used to unlock characters, vehicles, and other items, and that it's possible to earn those currencies through running and completing challenges, there will certainly be the ability to speed up in largely the unlocking process by releasing real money.
3...2...1...Come on! Pre-order Mario @ The NintendoAmerica Mario Kart Tour now: https://t.co/PwPKQkr5IE pic.twitter.com/LBgGKUSH1rAugust 27, 2019
Mario Kart Tour will feature some of the classic courses that fans have come to know and love, as well as a list of tracks based on real-world cities that change every two weeks.
Players will be able to play with one finger, allowing them to control the direction, drift, and projection of objects onto their opponents. In addition to the typical race formula, there will be other tracks where you will have a target outside of your first place such as "Goomba Takedown" and "Vs. Mega Bowser".
Naturally, being a mobile game, you will have the opportunity to compete with other players, both in individual races and in a more macro sense in the world ranking. You can also choose to play alone, even if you still need a persistent Internet connection and a Nintendo Account to do so.
Nintendo's first big foray into mobile gaming, Super Mario Run, received mixed reviews, mainly due to its mismanagement of its in-game purchases, however, it appears that Mario Kart Tour has taken a more aggressive approach. familiar, similar to the recently released Dr. Mario World, but we'll have to wait and see how Nintendo fares.