Mario Kart Tour multiplayer will come with global race rooms

By Ewdison Then/

Although Nintendo hit it big with the portable console that is the Nintendo Switch, its luck on mobile has been less than stellar. Its most profitable mobile game is practically a gacha version of the popular Fire Emblem franchise while smartphone spins of its iconic properties sometimes gather dust. That may finally change next week when the more familiar Mario Kart Tour finally gets its promised multiplayer feature and then some.

Unlike the completely new Super Mario Run or the "updated" Dr. Mario World, Nintendo faithful are more familiar with the more intense and more insane antics of Mario Kart. There were fears that the mobile port, formally named Mario Kart Tour, would be a watered-down version of the beloved franchise. To some extent, it was when it launched given the lack of competition with others.

That fortunately changes on Sunday when Nintendo finally rolls out an update that will finally add the promised feature. According to the company's tweet, the new mode will allow smartphone gamers to compete with seven other Mario Kart Tour players. What's more, these seven competitors could be your in-game friends or even strangers nearby, admittedly a unique application of location features.

More than the simple multiplayer gameplay, however, Mario Kart Tour will actually feature different multiplayer modes, including Standard and Gold Races. These are the equivalent of online game rooms where you can set certain rules to add some challenge to races.

These multiplayer features will land on the game starting March 8 at 8:00 p.m. PT. Of course, it could take some time before the update reaches all players. The new features could boost the game's popularity for a while but it remains to be seen if it will also boost IAPs sales for good.

Recommended