Mario Kart News
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
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)...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
