What you need to know
- Nintendo is finally testing its multiplayer racing mode, but you've got to be a Gold Pass member to get it.
- Gold Pass costs $4.99 per month, but a two-week free trial can be used to test the waters.
- The new multiplayer test lasts from December 18 to December 26, 2019.
Did you shell out the $5 a month that's required for the Mario Kart Tour's Gold Pass program? Wondering if your investment will ever pay off? Regardless if you're a seasoned or new subscriber to the Gold Pass program, Nintendo wants to reward you for your loyalty by providing you with an important new feature before anyone else: multiplayer racing.
Yes, the herald of any great Mario Kart game is finally coming to the smartphone entry in the franchise, and it's available right now if you are a Gold Pass subscriber. Interested in joining in? You can sign up for a two-week free trial right in the app on Android or iOS and get to beating everyone online right away. The test lasts from 11:00 PM PT on December 18 to 9:59 PM PT on December 26, which makes this a pretty amazing Christmas present for anyone that might love playing Mario Kart on their smartphone.
Nintendo notes that, since this is a test, you can probably expect to have less-than-perfect performance occur throughout the next week as they make sure their servers are ready to handle the inevitable traffic storm that will occur once the new multiplayer racing mode goes live for all players. For now, though, since only Gold Pass members can participate, the pool of players should be a fair bit smaller than in the near future.
What else will a Gold Pass get you? For $4.99 per month, racers can earn special Gold Gifts like golden karts and metal characters, and will even be able to earn special in-game badges that can be acquired only from Gold Challenges. You'll also unlock the 200cc mode, which is the fastest racing mode available in Mario Kart Tour.
Mario Kart Tour, while a popular entry in the already popular series, has seen plenty of criticism since its launch, with users and critics alike citing the number of microtransactions borders on being offensive. Regardless of these criticisms though, a record number of people play Mario Kart Tour and, once the multiplayer component goes live for all, it's likely you'll never have trouble finding an opponent to race no matter where in the world you are.
