What you need to know
- Mario Kart Tour has been released on iPhone and iPad.
- It's free to download, requires iOS 10, and can be played on iPhone 5 and iPad Air or later.
- Server traffic is so high at launch, users are being placed in a queue to log-in.
Mario Kart Tour has finally been released for iPhone and iPad! The first-ever iteration of Mario Kart for mobile was made available to pre-download early this morning, and the game was officially launched at 1 am PT/8 am UTC. However, initial traffic on the servers was so high that users were met with a message advising that they would be put in a queue to log-in! Once through the queueing process, users are asked to sign in with their Nintendo account or to create one for the first time. With that successfully completed, you'll be assigned your first driver (I got Toad) and taken through a tutorial.
Mario Kart Tour will include some classic features from previous console versions of the game with tracks, characters and abilities that will be familiar to many Nintendo players. But there's also some brand new features for mobile, including special challenges and of course intuitive touch controls for racing in the absence of a controller.
Mario Kart Tour is free to download on iOS and iPad OS now. The game includes in-app purchases which will give paying users access to extra content such as new characters. However, you can also sign up for a $4.99 a month subscription-based mode called Gold Pass. Only revealed at launch, this service comes with a two-week free trial and allows you to unlock badges, gold items, and the faster 200cc racing mode.
It's Mario Kart on your phone
Nintendo continues to roll out the big guns on mobile and Mario Kart Tour is about to be your next big timewaster.
