Mario Kart News
October2020
News Ruined Your Mario Kart Live Cardboard Gates? Don't Worry, You Can Print More At Home
Disaster averted
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is out today, meaning Switch players all over the world are now busy setting up their very own Mario Kart race tracks in their living rooms. Should things take a bit of a wrong turn, however, Nintendo's got your back. As you'll know if you've read our Mario Kart Live review, the software and Mario RC...
Guide Where To Buy Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit On Nintendo Switch
Speed is of the essence
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit might not be the Mario Kart sequel you were expecting in 2020, but it's sure to become one of the year's hottest products. You use your Switch and the wonders of "Mixed Reality" technology to control a RC car and race it around a custom-built track in your living room, kitchen or bedroom. The...
Poll Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?
Mario Kart enters the real world
Today sees the arrival of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit on the Nintendo Switch. Obviously, it's similar but also different from any other Mario Kart game ever released. Instead of taking control of a virtual kart, this time around you're operating a remote control car. Obviously, one big factor with this game is...
Video Here's A Look At All 24 Track Themes Available In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
It's out this Friday!
If you're itching to see more of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit before it speeds into living rooms this Friday – can you believe we're only days away already? – then you'll want to check out the video above. A series of short clips have been uploaded to the game's official Japanese website, and Nintendo Everything has taken...
Video Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Gets A Shiny New Commercial
It's out next week!
Next week sees the launch of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit on Switch, Nintendo's latest attempt to bring innovative fun into your home through a combination of video games and physical toys. A new commercial has been posted online to build the hype (see above), showing off some of the exciting things you can do with the new...
First Impressions Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Don't get RC about it, you might like it
You probably don't need us to tell you that Mario Kart is one of Nintendo's crown jewels; the series has sold a staggering 150 million copies to date, with 35 million of those attributable to the most recent mainline instalment, Mario Kart 8 – which, in a rather unique twist, is currently the best-selling...
News Velan Reveals An Early Prototype Of Its Mario Kart RC
The finished product is "essentially a mini-console on wheels"
Nintendo has released a developer interview video featuring Velan Studios, the team behind Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. While the entire thing is worth watching, one of the highlights would have to be a look at one of the prototype karts. Here it is, along with some extra insight from...
Video New Trailer Gives In-Depth Look At Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
3, 2, 1...Go!
Nintendo has just released a brand new extended trailer for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, coming to Switch on 16th October. It gives us our best look at the game yet - explaining how the kits, karts and tracks work. Set up for the game involves placing down four gates, then driving through each one to create a course layout. An area...
September2020
Random Not A Fan Of Mario Kart Tour's Mobile Controls? Try A Wii Nunchuk
Ah, that's better
Mobile game Mario Kart Tour is a decent new way to play the iconic series on your smart device, but even with its newly improved control layout, some players just can't be doing with its touchscreen interface. If you've grown up playing Mario Kart on your favourite consoles we guess this is pretty understandable, but what if you...
Poll It's Been One Year Since Mario Kart Tour Was Released, Are You Still Playing It?
Racing ahead
One year ago, Nintendo officially released Mario Kart Tour on Android and IOS mobile devices around the world. To celebrate the game's first anniversary, Nintendo will be hosting a special tour, appropriately named "1st Anniversary Tour" and will show a preview of it at a later date. Can you believe it's been one year since...
News Mario Kart Tour's New Los Angeles Event Jumps Aboard The Mario Sunshine Hype Train
Mario (Sunshine) joins the roster
Another new tour has arrived in Mario Kart Tour, bringing a new – and very timely – Mario variant along for the ride. The Los Angeles event is available to play right now, running up until 6th October at 10:59pm PT. It continues the game's theme of racing through famous, real-world locations. While LA may be...
Poll Did You Know That Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Supports Up To Four Players?
Or did you think it was just two?
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit might not necessarily be the future of the Mario Kart series, but it's shaping up to be a fun detour which mixes real-world RC cars with AR visuals displayed via your Switch's screen. The game's trailer does an excellent job of communicating just how cool a concept this is, but there's...
Gallery Here's A Look At Some Of The Costumes In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Games launches this October
Let's be honest - none of us expected Nintendo's next Mario Kart title to use real RC cars and augmented reality. That's not the only different thing about Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit compared to the mainline series. The racers in this upcoming release will also be able to wear costumes. Something that we haven't...
Talking Point Can Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Possibly Be As Good As It Looks?
Our inner six-year-olds are losing it right now
Last week, after many months of rumour and speculation, we were finally treated to the 35th Anniversary Super Mario announcements we'd been waiting for. As well as the expected remasters in the form of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and a Switch port of Super Mario 3D World (
News The 'Super' Mario Kart Tour Event Starts Today, Celebrating The Series' SNES Beginnings
With familiar faces and karts
Mario Kart Tour is kicking off a brand new event today which celebrates the series' very first title released way back in 1992. You may have spotted its announcement during last week's Mario 35th Anniversary Direct; the event runs from now until 22nd September and will feature special appearances from Mario and Donkey...
News Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Uses Real RC Cars And Augmented Reality
Turn your living room into a race track
Nintendo has lifted the lid on its next Mario Kart game, and we certainly weren't expecting it to look quite like this. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit uses real RC cars with cameras attached to them. The idea is that you create your own course in the real world, and then race around it using the Switch. The...
August2020
News Here's Another Look At Hot Wheels' New Mario Kart Line
The Bowser's Castle Trackset
Earlier this month, during a special Comic-Con at home video stream, the Hot Wheels team revealed it would be bolstering its existing Mario Kart line with some new products - including the characters Cat Peach and Diddy Kong, glider karts and a special mystery Yoshi egg line. Now, in the latest update, Famitsu has...
News Mario Kart Tour's Pirate Tour Adds King Bob-Omb And Pirate Bowser Jr.
And a DS course returns!
The latest tour has arrived in Mario Kart Tour, adding new characters, a new course, and a whole new theme. With the Wild West Tour now all wrapped up, it's time for the Pirate Tour to take over. This new event introduces King Bob-Omb and Bowser Jr. (Pirate), which we suppose are a little more traditional than some of the...
Random Modder Makes Fully-Functioning Mario Kart Course Inside Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Complete with Time Trial minigame
We've seen plenty of mods for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before, many of which have impressed us no end, but this latest effort you're about to see is on a whole new scale. Modder and YouTube user Waikuteru has been in touch with us here a
News Hot Wheels Shares A Sneak Peek Of Its New Mario Kart Racers
Yoshi eggs, glider karts and more!
Last year, Hot Wheels launched a Mario Kart line and it's been an "amazing partnership with Nintendo", according to the toy car company. During a special Comic-Con at home video stream, the Hot Wheels team shared a special sneak peek of what coming later this year. Hot Wheels' Chris Colangelo explained in full...
July2020
Random Test Your Memory With This Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Concentration Challenge
A little test from Nintendo
Earlier this year Nintendo released Brain Training for Nintendo Switch in Japan and Europe, although for some unknown reason it has yet to launch in North America. While there's still no sign of Dr Kawashima's daily brain sharpener reaching North American shores, Nintendo of America has tweeted a short video which tasks...
News Mario Kart Tour Is Getting A Landscape Mode And A New Control Layout
All coming in the next update
Mario Kart Tour's next update will add the option for players to enjoy the game in landscape mode as well as portrait mode, Nintendo has revealed. Since the game launched last September, Mario Kart Tour has been a portrait-exclusive affair. This newly announced landscape option helps the game to look a little more at...
News Crowdfunding Drive For Go-Karting Firm Previously Known As MariCar Fails Spectacularly
Raises less than 1 percent of its target goal
Remember MariCar? It's a company which offers go-kart tours around Tokyo, with participants famously dressing up as characters from the Super Mario series. As you can imagine, this annoyed Nintendo, which took MariCar to court for copyright infringement case against the karting firm in 2017. It was...
May2020
News Celeb-Studded Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tournament Takes Place Tomorrow For Charity
Catch it live on Twitch
Tomorrow, 19th May, viewers on Twitch will be treated to a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament featuring a cast of famous faces, all in the name of charity. The event's being hosted by CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a charity working to fight against suicide, to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week which takes...
News Mario Kart Tour Update Adds Multiplayer Team Racing And Custom Matchmaking
Version 2.1.0 has arrived
A new update has drifted onto the scene in Mario Kart Tour, bringing with it a couple of welcome new features that should improve your multiplayer gaming experience. The first new addition is Team Races, which puts players into four separate teams of two racers. These races can be made up of friends nearby, friends online,...
April2020
News English Gamers Are The Best At Mario Kart, New Study Says
But US players are better at Pac-Man
The data is in, and we're happy to confirm that English gamers have been declared the best Mario Kart players the world has ever seen. So that's that. Yes, data-focused gaming publisher Kwalee has put together a study taking a close look at more than 16,000 different games, looking into top-ranking achievements...
News It's Been Three Years Since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Was Released On Nintendo Switch
Time flies when you're having fun
Three years ago, the eighth major installment in the Mario Kart series got a major speed boost when Nintendo released Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. The 'Deluxe' version includes all of the existing DLC, sees the return of the proper battle mode, adds new characters like the Inklings, and updates the...
News Nintendo UK Reveals Mario Kart 8 Deluxe VS Cup, Take Part To Win eShop Credit
Worth a shot, right?
If you have a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sitting at home and feel up for jumping into a race or two, you could net yourself some lovely eShop credit to spend on your next favourite game. Nintendo UK has announced the 'Nintendo UK VS Cup', in which players will be able to get stuck into some friendly Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online...
March2020
News Mario Kart Tour Multiplayer Modes Are Now Live
Better late than never
Update (Mon 9th Mar, 2020 09:30 GMT): The Mario Kart Tour multiplayer content has now officially arrived. Nintendo is celebrating the launch with a retweet campaign on Twitter which could end up seeing each and every player receive 30 rubies and an in-game badge. Original Article (Tue 3rd Mar, 2020 03:05 GMT): When the...
February2020
News Mario Kart Tour Adds Classic Mario And Luigi And A Remixed Version Of Mario Circuit
"Wahoo!"
Mario Kart Tour is celebrating our favourite moustachioed plumber's roots over the next couple of weeks, with today signalling the start of the Mario Bros. Tour. This new tour will be active from today until 11th March and adds 'Classic' variants of Mario and Luigi into the mix. As you can see in the video above, these versions of...
Rumour The Major Switch Title This Holiday Season Could Have "Tires" In It
Well, that rules out F-Zero
A few weeks ago, the "prolific" leaker Sabi – who has a strong track record – said a new Paper Mario game and 2D Metroid title would be released this year. Just days ago, the same individual claimed
January2020
Random The Mario Kart Series Now Features Nine Forms Of Princess Peach
And you thought Smash's Fire Emblem issue was bad
Mario Kart has a problem. We first noticed it creeping up on us when Mario Kart 8 started to receive DLC on Wii U and with Mario Kart Tour, things are getting completely out of hand. Yep, that's right: there are Princess Peachs absolutely everywhere. The smartphone game has recently kicked off its...
News Nintendo To Be Awarded Over $450,000 In Court Win Against Unofficial Mario Kart Service
Gone for good this time?
Nintendo has won an intellectual property infringement court case against Mari Mobility, a company which has been offering unofficial Mario Kart-inspired go kart services in Tokyo, Japan. You may have heard of this unofficial service before; originally going by the name of Maricar, the company was found guilty of infringing...
News Another Mario Kart Tour Multiplayer Test Is Coming, And You're Invited
Update: And it's live!
Update: Just one day after the thing was first announced, Nintendo has kickstarted the second multiplayer test for Mario Kart Tour. You can get in on the action by heading to the game's menu and selecting 'Multiplayer'. Original Article (Tue 21st Jan, 2020 10:30 GMT): Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart Tour is set to...
Feature Game Of The Decade Staff Picks - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Wahoo! You're number one!
Following on from our reader-voted Top 50 Games of the Decade, Nintendo Life staff members will be picking their personal favourite Nintendo games between the years 2010-2019. Today, Darren looks back at the golden age of the Wii U era in 2014 and beyond... Ah, the good old Wii U. While it was a bit of a commercial flop,...
News Uniqlo's 'Mario Kart Friendship' Range Of Shirts And Hoodies Is Now Available
Snap them up
Update (Thu 2nd Jan, 2020 10:00 BST): As New Year festivities were taking place this week, clothing retailer Uniqlo was busy getting its brand new 'Mario Kart Friendship' range of t-shirts and hoodies available. You can go ahead and pick them up from the Uniqlo website as we speak (we've shared images of some of the best options below)...
December2019
News Mario Kart Tour's New Year Event Starts On 31st December
New driver alts, karts and gliders up for grabs
Nintendo has announced the next event for its free-to-play mobile game Mario Kart Tour. Of course, it's all tied to the new year. Celebrations starting on 31st December with the aptly named New Year's Tour. This next tour will decorate the Tokyo track, add multiple new driver alts, karts and gliders,...
Video Another Look At Nintendo Switch's Officially Licensed Mario Kart Steering Wheels
An ideal last minute gift?
Gaming accessory maker Hori has shared a new video to show off its recently released steering wheels designed for Nintendo Switch. If you haven't seen them before or want to get another look, make sure to check it out above. With both a Racing Wheel Pro Mini and Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe available, players big and small...
News Mario Kart Tour Finally Gets Real-Time Multiplayer, Kind Of
A beta test gets things underway
Ever since it first drifted onto the scene, Mario Kart Tour players have been hoping to see the addition of true multiplayer gameplay. Thankfully, that very day is (kind of) upon us, with the launch of a beta test for select users. Starting from today, 19th December, and running until 05:59 UTC on 27th December, a...
News Birdo Joins Mario Kart Tour's Holiday Event As A Playable Character
And there's a reindeer Yoshi
Yet another new tour is on the way to Mario Kart Tour this week, and it looks set to add three new characters for players to pick up. Serving as the last tour of the year, the 'Holiday Tour' is due to kick off from 10pm PT on 17th December (so that's 6am GMT the following morning). As you can see in the promotional...
Guide Where To Buy The Hori Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Racing Wheel
Play Mario Kart in style
Gaming accessory maker Hori is set to release a Mario Kart Racing Wheel for Nintendo Switch, with two versions now appearing at various retailers. If you're hoping to track one down or learn more about it, you've certainly come to the right place. Both wheels come with pedals for that authentic driving experience, but there...
News Google Play Votes Mario Kart Tour As One Of The 'Best Casual Games' For 2019
Alongside a Toy Story game
Mario Kart Tour has had a very successful first few months on the road, generating millions of dollars in revenue and even going on to be the most-downloaded free game on the Apple Store this year, despite launching in September. Now, it's getting even more recognition. Google Play has listed the title in its 'Best Casual...
News Mario Kart Tour Is Apple's Most Downloaded Game Of 2019
Racing ahead
Nintendo's Mario Kart Tour might have only launched in September, but it's experienced one of the biggest mobile video game releases of 2019. In its first 24 hours of availability, it was downloaded 20 million times and banked $1 million. By the end of the first month, the downloads skyrocketed to 123 millio
News Nintendo's Mario Kart 8 Switch Bundle Dominated This Year's Black Friday Sales
And Switch was a top Google Trend
As Microsoft and Sony gear up for the next generation of console gaming, Nintendo is focused on maintaining the sales momentum of its current hardware. The holiday period is obviously an important time for these sales, and according to some "early analysis" from Wedbush Securities, the standard Switch featuring a...
November2019
News Mario Kart Tour Sets Course For London Next Week
Two new characters appear in the pipe
The next destination for Mario Kart Tour has been revealed, with all of our favourite Mushroom Kingdom racers setting course for rainy old London. The new tour will feature a brand new London-themed track, two new drivers for the game's spotlight pipe, and presumably the usual addition of new karts and gliders...
News Pink Gold Peach Is Ready To Race In Mario Kart Tour's Limited-Time Winter Event
Let's go!
The winter tour is currently underway in Nintendo's latest mobile release, Mario Kart Tour. Part of this update includes the arrival of the new racer, Pink Gold Peach. This racer is part of the second phase of the update which is available from now until the end of the tour. Apart from Pink Gold Peach, you can also unlock the Wildfire...
News Zavvi Launches Mario Kart Racing Merch Range
Just in time for Christmas
UK online store Zavvi has been busy this year launching various officially licensed Nintendo merchandise for Super Mario, Legend of Zelda and more recently Luigi's Mansion. But now the design boffins hav
News Mario Kart Tour Celebrates The Festive Season In Its Latest Update
And updates the controls
Lakitu's latest video for Mario Kart Tour has revealed the next big update (out today) is the Winter Tour. This update adds in the Mario Kart DS track DK Pass, three new drivers, new karts and gliders, and updates the control system. Here's a bit about the control update at the 1:30 mark: Now you can steer and drift...
News Turns Out Bandai Namco Helped To Develop Mario Kart Tour
Partnership with Nintendo continues to flourish
It has been revealed that Bandai Namco, the studio famous for series such as Tekken and Pac-Man, had a significant role in the development of Nintendo's recent mobile release, Mario Kart Tour. Bandai Namco has revealed its involvement on its official website, noting that the studio implemented visual...
News Mario Kart Tour's Next Stop Is Paris, Complete With Vacation Peach And Pastry Chef Shy Guy
Va-va-voom
It won't be long before you find yourself drifting into a brand new country with Mario Kart Tour, as the free-to-start racer is gearing up for a trip to Paris, France. Starting at 10pm PT on Tuesday 5th November (so that's 1am ET / 6am GMT / 7am CET the following morning), Mario and co. will be taking to the streets of Paris for more...
More details to be revealed soon
When Nintendo launched Mario Kart Tour on mobile devices back in September, users quickly noticed the game featured a special Gold Pass subscription – allowing racers to get more in-game rewards. If you didn't think there was enough incentive to sign up previously, Nintendo is now attempting to increase its value...
October2019
Random Fan Makes Amazing Mario Kart Mod Where Waluigi Races By Running On Foot
And he's incredibly fast, too
There's something special about Waluigi. Something that makes fans have particularly strong feelings either for or against him, something that saw him win an official Valentine's Day poll, and something that makes people want to see him run around a Mario Kart circuit without being in a car apparently. Mod developer...
News You Can Play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe By Steering Ring Fit Adventure's Ring-Con, Kind Of
Style > practicality
With enough imagination, that fancy Ring-Con accessory that comes with your snazzy copy of Ring Fit Adventure could be anything. Sure, it could be just the high-tech Pilates ring it's supposed to be, or it could be Captain America's shield, a discus, a frisbee, a hula hoop... It could even be a steering wheel, which conveniently...
UK Charts Ring Fit Adventure Debuts In Third As Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Closes In On FIFA 20
Update: Revised chart gives Ring Fit Adventure a healthier spot
Update - Tue 22nd Oct, 2019 12:00 BST: Chart compilers GfK Chart-Track have reissued yesterday's UK Charts with a couple of corrections to the All-Formats sales ranking. It seems that Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure debuted not at fifth as previously reported, but in an even healthier...
News After Losing His Keys, Luigi Is Finally Ready To Race In Mario Kart Tour This Halloween
Update: Nintendo drops new video including Luigi and Time Trials
Update 2 - Tue 22nd Oct, 2019 11:30 BST: Nintendo has posted the above video introducing the Halloween Tour, with the game cheekily being renamed in the opening seconds as 'Luigi Kart Tour'. The video details the arrival of Luigi, King Boo, the Ghost Valley course, plus 'eerie karts...
News He Still Can't Get A Spot In Smash, But Waluigi Joins The Roster In Mario Kart Tour
Waluigi Pinball is back!
Ever since Mario Kart Tour launched, fans have been asking, demanding, and praying for the inclusion of Luigi. He was promised to be a playable character but was strangely missing from the starting lineup, so yesterday's big announcement went down well with the green plumber's fan base. Doing what he does best, though,...
News Mario Kart Tour Gets An Update, But It's Not The Multiplayer Fans Are Crying Out For
Badge list, point check feature and more
If you boot up Mario Kart Tour on your smartphone today, you'll notice that the game has been updated to Version 1.1.0. The update brings with it a few new features and fixes "minor issues", but hasn't yet added multiplayer racing. Perhaps the most exciting addition that has arrived is the new badge list. If...
News Mario Kart Tour's Diddy Kong Pack Costs £39, The Same Price As Mario Kart 8 Deluxe On Switch
A tough decision
Mario Kart Tour has several things going for it - the racing is decent if not spectacular, it's great seeing all of our favourite Mario stars (except Luigi) racing around on our phones, and the new tracks are fun to explore - but this pricing system is really starting to take the biscuit. As part of the new Tokyo Tour, which has...
News Mario Kart Tour Adds 14 New Characters And Classic Courses, Including Rainbow Road
Rosalina and Bowser Jr. hit the track
At the time of writing, Mario Kart Tour's new Tokyo event has been live for just a couple of hours. As had been previously promised, it brings with it new characters, courses, challenges, and more. You'll find the new event waiting for you if you choose to open up the app; it'll be runn
News Mario Kart Tour Heads To Tokyo This Week With New Courses And Characters On The Way
Here's when it goes live
This week sees the launch of a brand new tour in Mario Kart Tour, with the New York leg that has been present since the game launched being replaced by a brand new Tokyo-based event. Aptly named 'Tokyo Tour', the new two-week event will add new courses, challenges, and characters into the mix. It'll be kicking off from 11pm...
News Mario Kart Tour's Second New York Tour Adds New Cups, Challenges And More
Ready to jump back in?
If you've been enjoying Mario Kart Tour on your smartphone over the last few days, you'll be pleased to know that the New York Tour Part 2 is now underway. Those adorable Toads have been finishing up their construction of some brand new cups for you to check out, so you might want to head on back into the app to see what's...
September2019
News Mario Kart Tour Downloaded 20 Million Times On Release Day
And it banked $1 million
Mario Kart Tour really is racing ahead, with Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data revealing Nintendo's sixth mobile game is its "most successful yet" in terms of day-one downloads. The newest Mario Kart game is estimated to have already exceeded 20 million installs within its first 24 hours of availability. To top it off,...
News Nintendo Reveals Rarity Of Character And Kart Unlocks In Mario Kart Tour
Go on, fire off the pipe
In Mario Kart Tour, Lakitu encourages you to fire off a pipe that shoots out random characters and karts every time it is launched. In order to do this, you'll need special in-game currency known as "Rubies", which can be unlocked by simply playing the game or purchasing them with real money. Like other mobile titles, these...
News Mario Kart Tour Becomes The Top Free iPhone App In 58 Markets
Racing ahead
Mario Kart Tour got off to a bit of a bumpy start yesterday – with the game's servers collapsing under the pressure of launch demand. Despite the delayed start to the race, this mobile title still managed to perform quite well on its first day. According to mobile market analyst Sensor Tower (via Venture Beat), Nintendo's smartphone...
News Mario Kart Tour Will Get Multiplayer Mode In Future Update
"Inbound!"
After some initial teething problems upon release earlier today, it appears that Mario Kart Tour is now mostly accessible for players. If you do manage to get onto the game, you might notice a greyed-out multiplayer section. The icon was first brought to our attention through this tweet from @VOOK64 (thanks, VGC), and we can confirm that...
News Mario Kart Tour Has A Paid Subscription Service For Bonus In-Game Rewards
And it's more expensive than Switch Online
Mario Kart Tour is now available to download on your Android or iOS smartphone - although, good luck actually getting to play the thing at the time of writing - and more details are starting to emerge regarding the game's payment structures. As you'll probably be aware, the base game is a free-to-start...
News Mario Kart Tour Is Now Live On Smartphones, But Good Luck Getting To Play It
Not the best start
Update (25th Sep, 09:20 BST): As promised, Mario Kart Tour is now up and running, but you might have a pretty tough time getting to play. Loading up the game at the time of writing presents the following screen, indicating that the game's servers are struggling to handle the launch at demand. We've been trying to get through to...
News Super Mario Odyssey's Pauline Makes Her Mario Kart Debut Tomorrow
Fresh from her first tennis outing
Since her starring role in Super Mario Odyssey a couple of years ago, Pauline has been thrust into the Nintendo spotlight. She's already been invited to Mario's tennis roster, and now she's all set to get in on the kart racing action, too. Yes, tomorrow, Pauline will make her Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart Tour...
Video Mario Kart Tour's Toads Are Back In These Adorable 'Real-Life' Trailers
Paris and New York come to life
A brand new Mario Kart game is just around the corner, and while its mobile roots have meant that it hasn't generated the usual amount of hype in Nintendo-focused communities like our very own, it's still a particularly interesting time for the franchise. Mario Kart Tour launches on 25th September and whatever your...
News Rev Up Your Engines For The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe North American Open
Enter now
The Nintendo Versus Twitter account is promoting a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Open event and it starts this month on 22nd September (10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Pacific Time). To participate, all you need to do is enter the following tournament code into your game before the event begins: 2093-5045-4827. All up, there'll be eight winners, determined...
News Mario Kart Tour Will Have Special Bonus Challenges Not Seen In Main Series Games
A welcome addition
Mario Kart Tour is just a couple of weeks away from racing onto our smartphones - in our case, it's patiently sitting in the preregistration pitlane as we speak - but we're still learning new and exciting things about it. We recently learned that Mario Kart: Double Dash's special items are making a return, and that the internet-f
News The Mega Mushroom Makes A Return In Mario Kart Tour
Bigger than before
To build some excitement for the release of Mario Kart Tour on mobile later this month, Nintendo has been sharing information about the game over on the official Twitter account. In the latest update, we're introduced to the Mega Mushroom. In the brief clip below, you can see how this item increases a racer's size for a small...
News Mario Kart Double Dash's Special Items Are Making A Comeback With Mario Kart Tour
From the good ol' GameCube days
The Mario Kart nostalgia just keeps coming with the upcoming smartphone release, Mario Kart Tour. Last week, we shared the news that Diddy Kong is strapping in for a return to the series after 11 years away, and it also seems that the game will be receiving the Special Items last seen in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on...
August2019
Soapbox Mario Kart Tour Looks Lousy With F2P Trappings, But That’s All Right
Keep those currencies and timers where they belong!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Here, Gavin grits his teeth and discusses how he's absolutely fine with the free-to-play aspects of the upcoming mobile Mario Kart. The latest entry...
Video Google Play Pulls Out All The Stops For Its Manic Mario Kart Tour Trailer
RIP phone screens
With the recent Mario Kart Tour release date announcement, discussion and hype for the game have reached a new high amongst the series' fans. Some are excited, some are a little sceptical, but trailers like this are sure to bring the hype regardless. Google Play has released an extended trailer for the game, and while it doesn't...
News Diddy Kong's Racing Once Again With A Return To Mario Kart After 11 Years Away
"And this time, he's in the mood"
With his Nintendo-branded hat firmly in place, Diddy Kong is making a very welcome return to the Mario Kart scene next month as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour. Despite being a Super Smash Bros. star and featuring in the Donkey Kong games available on 3DS, Wii U and Switch, Diddy hasn't been
Poll Box Art Brawl #5 - Super Mario Kart
Before the big blue shell
Welcome to Round 5 of Box Art Brawl, where we take a gander at the box art of a certain retro game and crown one regional variant as champion. Last week the classic NES brawler River City Ransom duked it out with its counterparts until the Japanese version emerged bloody-nosed but victorious, beating down the North American...
July2019
News Mario Kart 7 Is Still The Best-Selling 3DS Game Of All Time, Here Are The Top Ten
The top Nintendo-published games
The Nintendo 3DS may well be on its very last legs, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the games which made it the fantastic console it was (and still is). We've already looked at the top ten best-selling Switch games earlier today, but now it's time to turn our attention to its older cousin, the 3DS. As you...
Random Survey Finds Mario Kart Commonly Has A Positive Effect On Romantic Relationships
A romantic stroll down Rainbow Road?
Love is in the air, alongside banana skins, Bullet Bills, green shells, and us as we get annihilated by the ninety-seventh Blue Shell this week. Yes, a survey conducted by Century Link has attempted to explore gaming's impact on romantic relationships. Apparently, of all games mentioned by respondents, Mario...
Random Three New Ultra Shortcut Glitches Discovered In Mario Kart Wii
More than a decade after its release
Whether you like it or not, Mario Kart Wii is still the best-selling entry in the series to date. As a result, it's got a huge following – even after the more recent success of Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With this in mind, three new "ultra shortcuts" were recently discovered in the Wii title within...
June2019
News Official Mario Kart Hot Wheels Tracks And Cars Are On The Way
And they look amazing
Nintendo and Hot Wheels have today announced a partnership which will see a global release of Hot Wheels Mario Kart die-cast vehicles and tracks. The collection will be made up of three Mario Kart game-inspired track sets and plenty of characters from the franchise. At launch, Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, and Bowser will all be...
News Mario Kart 8 Is Now Five Years Old
We're ready for a new entry
Sure, Mario Kart Tour is coming to mobile devices later this year, but right now, we're still technically playing the same Mario Kart game we were on the Wii U five years ago. Yep, on 30th May 2014, Mario Kart 8 was released in North America and Europe on a Nintendo system that was at the time struggling to appeal to the...
May2019
News Mattel Adds Metal Mario To Its Mario Kart Hot Wheels Line
Shiny!
A year ago, we found out Mattel was teaming up with Nintendo to release a special Mario Kart Hot Wheels line. This series will include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, Wario and Rosalina and arrives in stores next month. If none of these characters interest you, perhaps this special Metal Mario Hot Wheels kart will. It's inspired by...
News The Beta For Mario Kart Tour Doesn't Seem To Include Proper Multiplayer Racing
Well, this is a surprise
The beta for Mario Kart Tour recently went live in Japan. If you haven't read our previous post, it includes the usual driver roster and a selection of retro tracks. Races are cut down to just two laps and the game is played vertically with touch input and swipe commands. It all seems relatively straightforward until you...
News Mario Kart Tour Beta Test Details And Images Are Already Leaking Online
Fancy a sneak peek?
The Mario Kart Tour beta test has just got underway in Japan, and it really didn't take long for all sorts of details and screenshots to find their way online. If you don't want to be spoiled ahead of the game's release, this is your final chance to head back to our home page and away from all the leaked images. We'll kick...
News Mario Kart Tour Beta Test Emails Appear To Be Rolling Out To Lucky Players
Check your inboxes!
It would appear that those fortunate enough to have been selected to take part in the closed beta test for Mario Kart Tour are starting to be notified via email. If you applied for the chance to take part, make sure to keep an eye on your inbox. Last month, Nintendo opened beta test applications for Android users in Japan and...
News These Custom Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tracks Have Us Dreaming Of A Future Track Creator
Super Mario Kart Maker?
With a series as large and wonderful as Mario Kart, it can be tricky to pin down a favourite. If we had to, we'd probably go with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - don't worry, we still love the others - mostly thanks to the fact that the series now seems to have reached a point where everything is so close to perfect. We just don't get...
UK Charts Final Fantasy XII Debuts In 15th, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Still Leads For Nintendo
Mario, Smash and Yoshi all climb
UK chart data is now in for the week ending 4th May, revealing that Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age's new Switch release has debuted in 15th place. With no other major releases or sales to speak of, last week's number one Days Gone has managed to hold onto number one despite a 60% decline in sales from last week...
News Mario Kart Wii Sold Five Times As Many Copies As Mario Kart 8 Over The Last Financial Year
Despite being 11 years old
If you need any further proof that Nintendo's evergreen classics are of incredible importance to the company, this little statistic should do very nicely indeed. Towards the end of last month, Nintendo shared its latest financial report. Thanks to this, we were able to share lists of the all-time best-selling games across...
April2019
News Check Out The Title Screen Music Of This Mario Kart 64 Prototype
"Welcome to Muzakart!"
Every week we get fresh little peeks behind the curtain of games both big and small. Recently, Forest of Illusion posted this original theme tune for Mario Kart 64 on Twitter. It comes from a prototype build of the game and it's not the most inspired track in the plumber's songbook. Take a listen below: As you can hear, it...
UK Charts Mortal Kombat 11 Enters At Number 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Still Speeding Along Nicely
A quiet week on the whole
UK chart data is now in for the week ending 27th April, revealing that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still leading the way as Nintendo's best-selling game in the region this week. PS4 exclusive Days Gone has debuted at number one, with the multi-format Mortal Kombat 11 entering the charts in second place. It's worth noting that...
News Mario Kart 7 Is Still Selling Like Hotcakes
Wacky races
While many pundits have declared that the 3DS is now officially dead with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo's latest shareholder reports suggest that evergreen titles like Mario Kart 7 are still enjoying fantastic success. In the last financial year, it has been revealed that Mario Kart 7 shifted 1.21 million units across the...
March2019
Talking Point Could We See Mario Kart Tour At Apple's Event Today?
Perfect timing?
Apple is set to hold a keynote event later today. At the upcoming presentation, the company is expected to mainly talk about new services, with a focus on their video streaming offering that's set to rival both Netflix and Amazon. However, many are hinting that the event could be about much more than just one new service, and won't...
UK Charts Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Still Leads The Way For Switch, The Division 2 Takes Top Spot
Mario, Mario Kart and Smash all in top ten
UK chart data is now in for the week ending 16th March, revealing that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still speeding along as the Switch's best-selling exclusive for another week. After a strong third-place finish last week, the game saw a 12% drop in sales this time around, subsequently making it fall four places...
UK Charts A Slow Week At Retail Sees Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Race Back To Third Place
Devil May Cry 5 debuts at No. 1
UK chart data is now in (a little later than usual) for the week ending 9th March, revealing that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has managed to drift, boost, and presumably red shell its way back to third place. Capcom's Devil May Cry 5 takes the honours this week, with Anthem being knocked off top spot and actually dropping...
Video Mario Kart Wii Mod Doubles The Number Of Characters In Every Race
More racers, more fun
If 12 racers in Mario Kart wasn't already infuriating enough, how would you feel about 24? A video game modder named MrBean35000vr has been able to get 24 karts up and running in Mario Kart Wii. As he explains in the above video, his mod can handle between 24-29 racers, but the game crashes when 30 or more karts are added...
February2019
News Mario Kart 8 Deluxe World Record Attempt Fittingly Destroyed By Blue Shell
Can you imagine?
Ah, the Blue Shell. As is to be expected, Mario Kart's very own rage-inducing spiky ball of doom, destruction, and relationship breakdowns has claimed yet another victim and, this time, it's even ruined a world record speedrun attempt. Speedrunner Skilloz_ was aiming for a 200cc Star Cup world record in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,...
January2019
News Nearly Half Of All Switch Owners Have A Copy Of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Software attach rates revealed
Despite only being on the market for just under two years, the Nintendo Switch has already produced some must-have titles. Even top games originally brought to life on Wii U have been given a glorious second chance on Switch and, for the most part, they've taken that chance with open arms and impressive sales. But just...
News Mario Kart Tour Has Been Delayed Until Summer 2019
Blue shell reportedly to blame
While we're still yet to see or hear the slightest trickle of info surrounding how it will play, Nintendo's upcoming mobile app Mario Kart Tour has been delayed until this summer. Originally scheduled to arrive in the financial year ending March 2019, the app has been pushed back to the summer to improve its overall...
News Mario Kart 8 Is Now The Second Best-Selling Racing Game Of All Time In The US
Based on lifetime dollar sales
Mario Kart 8 is now reportedly the second best-selling racing game of all time across the US, and everyone's favourite red hat-wearing, moustachioed plumber has only been beaten to pole position by his older self. The game has boosted and drifted its way to some seriously impressive levels of success, now just one...
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