Mario Kart is currently booming on German Twitch. This is exactly why we are introducing you to the free version of the mobile phone racing game in our first part of the “Mobile Game of the Month” format: Mario Kart Tour.
Why do we present this game to you? In 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was the last real Mario Kart to arrive on Nintendo Switch. Exactly, this game is currently booming on the Twitch streaming platform. German streamers like MontanaBlack or EliasN97 are showing the racing game regularly, so it is experiencing a kind of second spring. In the past 30 days, Mario Kart landed at # 6 of the most popular games on Twitch Germany (via sullygnome)
Of course, viewers are impressed, but you can only play the game yourself if you have a Nintendo Switch. For all the players who do not have the console at home, now we present an alternative: Mario Kart Tour for the smartphone.
Mario Kart Tour: the free alternative to the Switch game
How do you get to Mario Kart Tour? The application is available for free on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Just make sure you have enough storage space, because the files to download are quite large.
- Android users can download it from the Play Store here.
- IOS users can download them from the app store here.
Before you can get started, you must create or link a Nintendo Account. Only then can you really start.
This is the race.
These are the contents of the game: Mario Kart Tour is practically the racing game on the mobile phone. There are maps that you already know from other parts of the series and there you compete against other players. These can be NPCs, online players, or even friends.
Unlike the console, you drive 2 laps each way, but you can also attack your opponents with the known elements. There are missiles, tanks, and the hated bananas, among other things. So you shoot your opponents and aim for first place.
The game is played in portrait or landscape format, as you prefer. Your character drives automatically, but of course you have to drive him around curves, so you can also skid and thus trigger a turbo.
There are different modes to choose from. Numerous mugs are featured prominently. You always have to drive on 4 different maps and earn stars. If you have completed a cup, you can proceed to the next cup.
Alternatively, there is the online mode, in which you compete with other players from around the world. You can also create your own room in which to challenge your friends.
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Displaying YouTube content I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy. Link to YouTube content Here you can see the Mario Kart Tour trailer.
This is positive: Mario Kart Tour is basically free and that’s really cool, because there is so much to choose from. You can play different maps, unlock characters and bet online against opponents.
Mario Kart Tour is especially compelling in the middle, because a fast lap is always possible and Pay2Win doesn’t outshine it.
Overall, Mario Kart Tour offers a lot for a normal mobile phone game and can be compared to the Switch version in many places. Large selection of routes, familiar elements from Mario’s world, and mechanics that are also known from the Switch version. This includes skidding or flying after big jumps.
This is negatively noted: A big point of criticism is the Pay2Win aspect in Mario Kart Tour. To unlock some cups, you need stars that you can win in the cups earlier. To unlock all cups, you need so many stars that you must complete almost all routes perfectly or alternatively use real money.
Also, there is always advertising for the game store. The special offers should encourage you to pay and if you want to play as all the characters, you have to invest in the tubes, that is, in the loot boxes of the game. Also, you are very lucky for you to draw the correct characters. Players who then invest money tend to have better characters that, for example, bring you more items or more speed in the race.
What is Pay2Win? This term is relevant time and time again, especially for free games. This describes an advantage in the game over other players when you invest real money. For real money, for example, you get items that strengthen your character.
Free games often use Pay2Win because they help fund themselves. An alternative to these items are cosmetic items that do not have any advantages in the game, but simply change the appearance of the character.
Here’s what the reviews say: On the respective app stores, the ratings seem pretty solid:
- Google Play Store: 4.1 out of 5 stars with over 1.9 million reviews
- IOS App Store: 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 60,000 reviews
Overall, the reviews say that while the game has a different feel than the Switch, it is still a lot of fun and can be played for free too. The control focus is clearly on the smartphone and the difficulty level is assessed as fundamentally fair.
The Pay2Win approach is also criticized here. If you want to succeed in online matches, you have to work a long time and, in the best of cases, invest money to be able to compete against other drivers.
Here we have even more mobile recommendations for you:
- The best mobile games currently in 2021 with multiplayer
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Is that an alternative for change? Definitely! It is not on the same level as the Switch version and the mobile controls require a bit of practice, but as a free alternative it should not be underestimated. So you can play Mario Kart Tour in the middle and definitely have fun.
But keep in mind that the Pay2Win aspect becomes clear over and over again, especially in online mode. If you can’t live with that, you should especially play against NPCs, because you always have a chance, even without investing real money.
