Raise The Chequered Flag Because Mario Kart Tour Is Racing Onto Mobile Soon

Really hope it's a full game, but I wonder how it'll be with just touch control.

They ALSO announced that Switch Online is coming September 2018 and that an Illumation-produced Mario movie is coming with Miyamoto himself helping to make it! It's a Twitter Direct!

I bet you it'll be free to play...and it'll get very boring after a day or so.

Let me blue shell some scam phone lines right now Nintendo

I hope it's good enough to fulfill its obvious purpose--to get people to buy a Switch and play the real thing.

@Discipledoctor Why would it be touch control, pretty much every modern device comes with a gyroscope nowadays.

I hope this doesn't take development resources away from a true Mario Kart 9 on Switch. I know 8 Deluxe came out last May, but a new installment could come as soon as 2019 if we're lucky.

That being said, I'm not against this existing. I'm just curious what form they are going to take with this game.

This sounds very appealing! Please make this work, Nintendo!

Mario Kart is certainly not a game I'd ever want to have to control with a touch screen. If it worked and was good it could be a blast, but I'll have to see that to believe it.

Great!!! ^.^
however, same here, I hope it's a full/complete game, but, well, knowing how are the tactics in the games for smartphones: Free to start and limited events and use of power ups with microtransactions (something similar like Alphast 8);

well, I hope everything is for the best and it will be a great game

This is great news. Thank you Nintendo. Now no IOS Time exclusive

@SakuraHaruka I hope. Also Nintendo need to bring it on windows 10 store

It’ll be free to play, Nintendo has learned their lesson from Mario Run.

The bigger question is what’s the catch. I think we might just be looking at a Mario Kart with a “Temple Run” sort of skin, with a little multiplayer scattered in. No way they’d deliver even half a Mario Kart on mobile when they have Switch’s to sell

Apple stock just raised 20% in anticipation of smashed iPhones.

Can’t wait to see it delayed until Summer 2019 😒

Wait till they don't release this to all countries

@rjejr “Nintnedo CEO”

Did you write that tweet? Lol

"I'm using tilt controls" is going to be taken to a whole different level...

@LegendOfPokemon Please don't jinx it

2018: Pay $.99 for a Blue Shell
2019: Nintendo becomes the world's biggest mobile gaming publisher

Nintendo's pathetic stubbornness really has got to stop. I don't see what benefit they get from not putting their mobile games up for the whole world to see and play and enjoy...

So another Nintendo property uncomfortably shoehorned onto a mobile device? Great.

Stock gonna pop.

"Chequered"!?!?!!. See Nintendo of America's Tweet for superior English... Foolish islander. Muahahahaha!

@MH4

If I see the slightest cameo of the Minions in this movie, I'm going to kill somebody.

...Why did it have to be Illumination...

Honestly this just makes me sad, I know they aren’t but it makes me feel like they are moving toward going third party. I hate seeing people playing Nintendo games on their phones, play on the hardware. I don’t know, I don’t really have a real reason for being upset.

GPS based actual running game? Mmmm.....probs not

@SimplyCinnamon53

Trust me, they aren't. In any way imaginable.

I am instantly biased against mobile titles, and this is no exception. I don't see how a mobile Mario Kart could work. How could you play a racing game with any semblance of competent control on a smartphone's touch screen?

@thesilverbrick Except that unlike Super Mario Run, if it's done properly it might actually be really good. Mario Kart does fit in a mobile device pretty well in my opinion.
But if they follow Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing and make a very watered down experience instead... well, then it'll be like those games: fun for a couple of days and forgotten afterwards

@Heavyarms55 tilting controls work pretty well if done properly. It won't be the full experience, but it can become a really fitting game for mobile if done right, of course

@maruse Still sounds like a terrible idea in my mind, but since Mario Kart Wii did so well I could see that. But not all phones have the same quality tilt functions, so if they go that route it will limit the phones that can actually play the game.

@Heavyarms55
There's a reason why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe exists...

I wonder what this means for MK9 release. Will it be long after this? Or perhaps they'll release closer together with some sort of interaction?

are we gonna buy karts for $2-$5 each?
otherwise, i hope it's good...?

@maruse I hate playing games without tactile buttons, and a game like Mario Kart especially needs them. Smartphone gaming is awful.

@thesilverbrick I don't like mobile gaming much either, but if there's a game that doesn't need buttons too much... that's Mario Kart.

@maruse If my experience with tilt controls in Mario Kart on Wii, 3DS and Wii U were any indication, this one is going to be uncomfortable and awful.

Looks over to his videogame cabinets and focuses on MK8D.

Nods

Yeah, I'll stick with you.

@thesilverbrick I can't opine there since I haven't play Mario Kart in any of those devices. But tilt controls in games like Real Racing on the iPhone are quite nice.
I guess we'll never know until the game gets released.

How on Earth is Mario Kart mobile going to work?

How will you steer with precision? This is a terrible idea.

@MonkiPlays @wiggleronacid But why would they rush to make Mario Kart 9 on Switch. As far as Nintendo's concerned MK8D is a brand new game.

Either way they usually come out every 3 years so shouldn't expect one until 2020 if ever. It's always been one per console and most Switch owners aren't going to want to buy Mario Kart twice, especially so close together.

I just hope it’s good.

@10-zx Maybe because Illumination has made good movies.

And in the astronomically slim chance the Minions ARE in this movie, at least we know they're a great fit together. Case and point, Mario+Rabbids. (TBH I'd kill for a Mario+Rabbids movie, ha!)

And with Shigeru Miyamoto helping to make the movie, they're not gonna make this thing a constant butt-joke festival like the Minions movie.

I don't wanna start an internet comment war, so the conversation must respectfully end here. Good day to you, friend.

For some reason I'm very excited for this despite my problem with all of Nintendo's mobile output. Mario Run is overpriced and the free games they offer only get decent overtime. Animal Crossing still feels like a poorly made knockoff but is getting better. Miitomo was pretty bad to start with and now that I actually kind of enjoy it they're abandoning it. They're acting a bad indie studio that releases a basic model and expects everyone to love it before they finish it.

you all know that the Joy Cons work on smartphone, right? Maybe that will be an option. That being said, I am not interested in any smartphone games - haven't even installed one since I own a smartphone. I keep playing on Switch, Snes and Nes Mini.

I wouldn't mind a Mario Kart 9 on Switch, though.

I'm interested, but I'd like to see more information.

I am not a mobile gamer, but I do applaud Nintendo for bringing their most recognizable brands to mobile. Maybe next time we'll get Nintendogs...?

@FatAlbert1 I think think you’re on the right track (no pun intended) about this game resembling Temple Run or maybe something along the lines of that Tomb Raider Relic Run game. I doubt it will make use of gyroscope controls or a virtual thumbstick. Nintendo has been keeping their smartphone games simple to use and more or less completely possible to play with one hand.

Nintendo could just copy the control scheme from Horizon Chase. Offer the first cup for free, then sell the rest for in-game coins which can either be earned during races or paid for in ££££.

Online multiplayer is a must.

How's about Nintendo concentrate on putting out an original Mario Kart game on Switch? Mobile games get boring very quickly but we'll see how it turns out and of course this will have the obligatory always connected online needed in order to play.

@Discipledoctor if they would allow for mfi controllers it would be great. I am not interested in using my iPhone as a motion controller steering wheel.

You can pay to buy blue shells.
You can pay to avoid blue shells.

Nintendo will earn so much money by doing this.

Interesting.... Although the release window is disconcertingly vague.

I just hope it doesn't come out as an ios timed exclusive again like Super Mario Run did. I can't speak for everyone but personally I was really hyped for that game & couldn't wait to play it, as an Android user I was rather disappointed. By the time it did release on Android the hype had completely died down and I never did bother buying it.

Admittedly because I thought it was far too expensive for a Mobile game.

@thesilverbrick,

Nintendo are using the mobile platform to raise more awareness of their franchises and make money.

They are not intended to take anything away from proper (full) Nintendo games that will appear on their consoles.

How would this even work? I'm interested in seeing what this looks like.

Hopefully we'll get more info soon.

Not too bothered. Also not bothered for Mario Kart 9. I’d much rather an 8/16 cups worth of DLC for 8 then to waste time making an entirely new game.

Okay this could be big. The eternal questions are:

1) Is it a paid game or a FTP? If latter, ain’t interested.

2) Does it have online DRM like Super Mario Run? If so, not interested (as everywhere I ended up wanting to play it had no signal or couldn’t).

God, no!!!

This is awful news.

I don't mind Nintendo making crappy throwaway games for mobile, but they shouldn't be perverting their iconic IP in this fashion.

I wouldn't even mind so much if complete retail versions of these mobile games were made available on the Switch, but that's not going to happen.

I wouldn't mind so much if this is to be a one-off purchase game, but considering how much more successful the F2P crapfest Fire Emblem: Heroes was compared to Super Mario Run, I am not at all optimistic.

I'll stay cautiously pessimistic about this game until we know if it's any good. If it's free to play like with Pocket Camp, then it could quickly become a tedious grindfest.

@wiggleronacid I've seen this argument a lot from other people online. I don't see the validity of that argument. DeNA was acquired for this type of thing so it's likely the actual AAA Mario Kart team is in fact, hard at work on the next Mario Kart.

We see this time and time again from Nintendo. Metroid Prime 4 is being developed but a different studio was working on Samus Returns. I think it's very plausible that to develop two things at once for the same IP.

The main problem with all these Nintendo apps is that they are so heavily interwoven into their online structure that I can't play them on the bog at work. Because it is basically a tiled void. Joke! I never play games during work hours.............put potty time is different in a timezone.....

A pocket Zelda game would sell like hotcakes...
Big N you listening?

I really liked the gyroscope controls on Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing's mobile version. Really, kart racing just needs a brake button, fire button, and jump/slide button. Gas doesn't need a button for mariokart, just change the fire button to rev the engines during the opening countdown.

It's gonna be tilt controls, and then tapping the screen to use items. I don't know how accelerating is going to work.

Maybe it’ll be auto accelerate, and you touch the screen to brake, like the crash bandicoot Racing mobile games

This is like a color by number Mona Lisa. Not initially a fan of this announcement.

@clvr What can I say, I'm a trendsetter. 😆 Though if I were CEO this would all be a dream, this is their system seller game, this and SSB are the 2 nos for mobile for me. SMR wasn't Mario, it was a Mario mini-game. Will be interesting to see what this is, the tour in the title has me intrigued. Game comes free with 1 world, 4 race maps, every other week they sell a new 4 map world, kind of like MK8 but you get 1, buy 10 more, rather than the other way around.

@thesilverbrick I've only played MK since Wii and I've only ever played with tilt controls. I'm by no means competitive and don't play online but my son's and I have a lot of fun. My wife is just always happy not to finish 12th. So MK is VERY playable using tilt controls, my whole family has been doing it that way going on 10 years now. The real problem I see is items and drifting. My guess is it's an auto-run game with a right tap for items and a left hold for drifting. Haven't decided if it's horizontal or vertical, but I also haven't decide if I'm just dreaming this yet.

@Malcrash THIS, is one of the best comments I have ever read on this site; and I feel the same way.

I'm not getting excited about this news. All of the Nintendo apps have been watered down versions of their full-game selves.

@wiggleronacid Two completely different development teams.

@rjejr ahahahahahahahahaha guess you’re right 😂
Next step, we’ll see the spelling change in their logo as well lol

Here's hoping they haven't ditch MK9 for this.

If Mario Kart Tour is as good as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, I'm down.

Please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions please don't have microtransactions.........

I can already poop with my switch. I'm ok.

A runner with karts, mark my words!

Nintendo milking that cash cow!

Would be kind of cool if it was a full Mario Kart experience, with touch and/or accelerometer controls. Albeit it would be a smaller experience than what you'd find on consoles/handhelds. But wouldn't it also be cool if we got to use this mobile game to unlock special karts and maybe even special power-ups that could then be transferred through the Nintendo Account over to a new Switch Mario Kart title? That would be a nice feature and it would allow Nintendo to use a mobile title as it was intended: to give awareness of Nintendo's hardware offerings through mobile and to allow for cross-play.

Breaking new lap records from launch to discontinuation.
As with their other mobile outings, i don't have much hope that it will be anything people are interested in more than a week or two before it succumbs to oblivion.

@MH4

As long as it isn't anywhere near like the Minions movie.

Forgot to include bananas. If there's a single mention of "BA-NA-NA!", I'm going to kill somebody else.

Sigh.

@Nintendofan83 @Jokerwolf I'm not saying it won't take away from main-game development. I just hope it doesn't. And they never specified who is making it. Yeah, probably DeNA. But that doesn't mean the main staff behind Mario Kart titles won't have anything to do with its development. Partnerships help development processes a lot but there is a lot that goes into game design aside from the brute coding that I'd be shocked if the main Nintendo team didn't help out a little. Just look at Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. That game used so many assets from New Leaf that I would be shocked if the Animal Crossing development team didn't take a decent amount of time to research mobile games and how they profit, analyze how Animal Crossing could be implemented into such a form, and give DeNA the information and assets they need to make it.

It really just comes down to the concept and scope of the mobile game. It's hard to know exactly what's going on behind Nintendo's doors, and I think saying "I hope it doesn't" and not jumping to conclusions saying "it definitely will" is acceptable.

@Paddle1 True. That's why I said "2019 if we are lucky". But development teams are always working on something, and I'm sure they'll have another Mario Kart ready for when sales of 8 start to decline a bit. But who knows when that will happen!

Brilliant, although it no longer means I can say "if you want Mario Kart you'll have to buy Nintendo's consoles" whenever a PSXBone fanboy says "I would love to have Mario Kart on [name any other console]"

Also, get ready for all the "I'm not paying THAT for a smartphone game when it launches with a £9 price tag"

£9 is cheap for Mario Kart (if it's a full fleshed out game). Nintendo is a premium developer, you pay for the quality the same way you pay a premium for food at a highly rated restaurant.

I feel the game should be pay upfront, get the whole game.

Also, I must say that I would need to demo it, to know if the controls are comfortable to me.

Edit: As long as it is fun, it should be fine. However, I agree that Mario Kart is not an ip that should be on mobile. I don't think gyro controls will make this fun to play. Some games can work without, but do better with, traditional tactile button controls.

I don't get why people are complaining like they didn't know this was coming. Nintendo already tried Mario Kart with arcade and VR so of course they're going to try mobile next. Just be glad this will not replaced the original series. Mario Kart 9 will still come no matter what, it's just a matter of when Nintendo would be ready for 4K.

You see, THIS is why this new site design is STILL a disaster what....a year?......since it was implemented.

This has only just popped up on my home page. I knew about it through other sources yesterday morning and kept coming here to read about it but......nothing.

I still love this site but I can't rely on it as a source for Nintendo news any more and haven't been able to since the redesign.

Holy cow. Every kid's mobile device is gonna have this. Many parents too. I personally would love the pay $10 and nada ever again in the model of Super Mario Run, but I suspect it will be much different this time around.

I personally am going to wait for more details. For me this anoucment confuses me, I am in all honesty expecting this to be a glorified Mario kart TV and not a playable game ( maybe a mini game). I mean surely Nintendo wouldn’t bring out a new Mario Kart for a phone when they rehashed one for the switch right ????. But that being said a major title on a non Nintendo device ? Really then why did I buy a switch ? I get that Mario has had one but that felt some what different a way to extend Mario, but this I don’t no I feel like if it is a full game why will I play Mario kart on the switch , if I was one for Graphics I’d get a PS4 pro etc. But I’m in it for the experience and engevity

Chequered?

This looks kind of exciting. I would love to have a Mario Kart game I could access anywhere at anytime. It may not have the length or depth of a console game, but still fun. My reluctance come to the more mobile aspects. Would it be online plays only, such as Sonic Forces: Speed Battle's approach and how much content would be buried under extra payments?

How did I miss this?!