GRAPHIC BY DEVYN KELLYBY GARY LEE
STAFF WRITER
Hold onto your mushrooms, grab that last item block, READY SET GO!
On Sep. 25, Nintendo’s hit racing game Mario Kart Tour was released on mobile devices through the App Store and Play Store. As a result, the game received a massive amount of success at 20 million installations within 24 hours, beating popular games such as Pokemon GO, Clash Royale and the mobile version of Fortnite.
To begin with, the Mario Kart series first began in 1992 with the release of Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Subsequently, Mario Kart Tour was later introduced as a spin-off game to the Mario Kart series.
In essence, from its phenomenal gameplay quality and addictive racing content, Mario Kart Tour is a game definitely worth playing.
For one thing, the graphics of Mario Kart are so well done to the point that it is similar to its predecessors on the console. Not to mention, the game offers high quality visuals without any glitches or distortions in any of the gameplay. Additionally, the movement of the characters and setting are often very smooth, which results in a more appealing and visually pleasing game that captivates the players into seeing more of these graphics.
Interestingly, the simplicity of the game allows the implementation of complex controls in the console version into a mobile device, making it simple to learn and easy to use. For example, players are able to choose movements between drifting, simple, and manual, which allows the player to race at their own preference. Similarly, more advanced controls such as gliding, jump boosts and usage of items is performed automatically.
Additionally, the game itself is full of both new and old content. Not only does the game allow for classic courses from the original Mario Kart franchise, but also adds in new features such as vending machines and level progression system. Ultimately, the game itself holds no restrictions like stamina or daily caps, which enhances continuous gameplay.
Currently, the game consists of 16 different playable cups, each with three normal races and one conditional race. After completing each course with at least one grand star, the cup will be labeled as “finished,” and if all available “grand stars” are collected, then the cup will be marked as complete. When a cup has been completed, the player gains access to higher cups with greater difficulty.
Likewise, the grand stars are collected through a point system which appears in both normal and conditional races. During the race, players will try to reach first place through the use of special items, shortcuts or anything that may be helpful. The points are then calculated based on the players placement and performance during the race. In conditional races, the player are required to complete a certain task such as murdering enemies or practice certain features of the normal race. In addition, the points in conditional races are obtained through first completing the requirements of the race. Consequently, extra points will be awarded if the player obtains more than the required amount of points granting players more grand stars.
Moreover, unlike some of the installments in the past, such as Mario Kart Wii 7 and 8, the game itself is completely free. Although the game has no charge, it still has almost all of the aspects of Mario Kart such as items, collectables and much more. Since the game is still in its early stages, more content of the game is to be expected in the future.
Overall, Mario Kart Tour is still a great game, not only due to its accessibility, quality and reputation but also to the fundamentals it represents as being part of the Mario Kart series.