Nearly a year after its initial launch, the mobile iteration of Nintendo’s popular go-kart racing series, Mario Kart Tour (iOS/ Android) is finally getting a key missing feature that should have been in the game at launch. What are we talking about? The ability to flip your phone into landscape mode.
With this new perspective offered to players, Mario Kart Tour finally feels and plays like a real Mario Kart game. Though its graphics are nowhere close to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart Tour offers a similar experience and thrill of the race.
Mario Kart Tour was the biggest game on the iPhone in 2019. The Verge reported that the Mario Kart, which debuted in September, topped Apple’s free game charts. It edged out strong competition from the likes of Call of Duty: Mobile and Fortnite.
Apple, however, did not reveal the specific download numbers for Mario Kart Tour. But, considering that Call of Duty was downloaded an estimated 100 million times in its first week, it is safe to assume Mario Kart Tour’s numbers are north of that figure.
Prior to this Mario Kart Tour could only be played in portrait mode. Also, unlike its console counterparts, Mario Kart Tour’s controls are simplified to the point that players do not need to tap or press on any virtual button to accelerate. Instead, they control the kart by sliding their finger left or right. Alternatively, they can use tilt controls while powerups can be used by tapping on the screen.
Despite its high number of downloads, the game at launch was quite underwhelming as players were limited to racing against computer-controlled opponents. Nintendo finally added the ability to race against other humans when it added real-time multiplayer mode via an update in March 2020.
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