Available on Android and iOS mobile
Currently single-player only, but an Internet connection is nonetheless required. A multiplayer mode is planned for the near future.
Mario Kart Tour is a chance to wave a flag. Not the one at the finish line, but to signal a hole in the road. Choosing a game on mobile is no easy matter, especially when old trusted figures turn their coats and speed down the road to easy money.
No need to introduce Mario Kart. Or is there? A racing game featuring the Mario characters, in zany vehicles, on even wackier tracks. The success of this franchise comes above all from its multiplayer mode, which puts friendships to the test with the help of red shells.
Visually, we are on familiar ground.
Across the generations
Mario Kart enjoys a very high level of goodwill. Across the generations of consoles, parents have almost certainly played it, and the youngest have discovered the Switch instalment. The latter is probably the most complete and polished (we recommend it!). Picture yourself in front of your smartphone’s download screen. You are looking for a game, perhaps even for a toddler. Which will you choose: the good-natured, moustached, yet familiar face of Mario, or the 150 other titles you have never heard of? We’ll let you think about it, but we are convinced it won’t take you long. Did we mention it’s free, too?
According to the game’s terms of use, “Anyone can play Mario Kart Tour”
As in the Switch version, you can choose your character from among the members of Mario’s large family, each with their own characteristics (speed, acceleration, grip, special bonus, etc.). The different races require you to choose wisely according to the track.
Mario Kart Tour is an ultra-simplified version of the concept. Your vehicle moves forward on its own, and you slide your finger from left to right on the screen to start the bends. No running off the road; the route is automatic. It’s super accessible, even for little ones! On the other hand, Mario Kart gives in to the syndrome of the new economic model of video games: microtransactions.
Everything is about rewards and purchases. Everything can be bought: karts, drivers, and so on. These accessories can also be obtained in foul-smelling lottery games, which require a financial contribution. It can be paid with the virtual currency, earned by taking part in races, but a credit card lets you skip steps.
A PEGI 3 rating only certifies that the game’s content is unlikely to shock. It guarantees nothing about the quality of the game or a child’s ability to handle its mechanics.
The race for bonuses
Add to this that all the offers are time-limited, that monthly “passes” are offered to collect bonuses, and Mario’s shimmering world turns into a casino, even though the game is supposed to be aimed at children from age 3!
Yuck! Nintendo’s reputation would have been more than enough for players to be willing to pay a few euros for a good version of their game. Instead, extreme profitability is the goal, targeting an audience that, as one can well imagine, includes a good number of children.
Dangerous game! Turn back as soon as possible. Better still, don’t go in.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V6XecP27wE
When players put themselves on camera facing chance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X89-fqAPP2Y&feature=youtu.be
He works in Switzerland on the topic of excessive screen use, notably with families. He uses video games as a therapeutic tool and keeps a close eye on developments in the medium (new releases, trends, impacts, etc.). Alongside his professional activities, he voluntarily runs a game review website (www.semperludo.com), as well as a nationwide gamers’ association (www.gamingfederation.ch), through which they aim for responsible video game practice.
Twitter: @niels_weber, @semperludo, @GamingFed
