REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Get your fingertips ready: Mario and friends have boosted across the starting line and begun their world tour! Mario Kart Tour, the first Mario Kart game to launch for smartphones, is now available to download on iOS and Android devices. In Mario Kart Tour, players will use intuitive touch controls to boost, drift and speed their way to victory over a series of colorful courses, with some inspired by locations in the real world.
“Many drivers from the Mushroom Kingdom have raced through haunted mansions, jungles and even on rainbows, but this is the first time they have driven on real world-inspired courses,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With Mario Kart Tour, we are able to put the beloved Mario Kart experience into the hands of mobile gamers all over the world.”
The free-to-start Mario Kart Tour game brings the endless racing fun of Mario Kart to mobile devices, allowing players to collect a variety of drivers, karts and gliders from an expanding roster. Players can strive to achieve high scores, unlock additional cups, earn in-game rewards or compare their online ranking in a weekly ranked cup with players from around the world. Many classic tracks, items and characters make return appearances, and new courses and special items specific to each driver have also been introduced, like Diddy Kong’s Banana Barrels and Peachette’s Mushroom Cannon.
Players can choose which drivers, karts and gliders to use in races across a variety of courses, including fresh takes on classic tracks and special city courses. City courses, special in-game event courses inspired by real-world locations, will be available during specific time periods and take place every two weeks. The first city course, inspired by New York City, begins today and will be available until Oct. 8 at 10:59 p.m. PT. During this time, players will also have the chance to obtain the mayor of New Donk City, Pauline, in the character’s first-ever appearance in a Mario Kart game, a New York-themed kart and New York-themed glider. These drivers, karts and gliders can be earned by using Rubies, the game’s in-game currency, to fire off the in-game warp pipe. Rubies can be earned in-game as a milestone reward when unlocking cups, completing challenges or by purchasing them using real-world money.
New York City is just the first of many stops in Mario and friends’ world tour, with more city courses, such as Tokyo and Paris, taking place in the near future. Mario Kart Tour will continue to receive new content and updates post-launch.
Players can sign up for a free two-week trial subscription to the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass by tapping the Gold Pass purchase button in-game. With the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscription, players can unlock the extra-fast 200cc mode, obtain additional in-game rewards from racing and gain access to bonus goals exclusive to Gold Pass holders. Once the two-week free trial period ends, it will convert to a monthly subscription for $4.99/month, unless canceled.*
Playing Mario Kart Tour requires a Nintendo Account, compatible smartphone and a persistent online connection. For more information about the game, visit https://mariokarttour.com/en-US.
*Automatically converts to a monthly subscription at the then-current price, unless canceled. Terms apply.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.7 billion video games and more than 740 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/.
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