Mario Kart Tour

Parents say
Based on 2 reviews
Kids say
Based on 10 reviews
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Mario Kart Tour
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Mario Kart Tour is arcade-style racing game for iOS and Android devices. Like other Mario Kart games, players can use bombs, turtles, and banana peels to take out the competition, though it's all rather cartoony, so there's no blood or gore. Otherwise, this has no objectionable content. Players will have the option to take on computerized opponents or face off against other players in multiplayer races. Commercially, racers earn coins by playing, and can use these coins to buy new characters, vehicles, and other items. Players can also buy coins, and other items, in the game's store, including bundles or a monthly subscription that gives them exclusive vehicles, races, and equipment as well as more coins when you win. The game's also the latest in a long-running series, one that's created multiple games, toys, cartoons, and more. You also need to have a Nintendo account and be willing to link to it to play (though it is free and can be set up through your phone or tablet). Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared, and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
Community Reviews
The best game!
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Mario kart tour is great!
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What’s It About?
In MARIO KART TOUR, the gaming's favorite plumber, his friends, family, and frenemies all engage in a series of go-kart races like they have in the previous Mario Kart games. Using simple touch controls, players have to not only navigate the twisty jump-filled tracks, but also use bombs, turtles, and banana peels to take out the competition. Unlike some racing games, this doesn't have a deep story for a single player campaign. It's just a quest to do well so you can unlock the next event and keep going.
Is It Any Good?
While this does a decent job of translating the arcade-driving series to mobile devices, it's doesn't satisfy the need for speed as well as other installments or other mobile driving games. Like other Mario Kart games, Mario Kart Tour has Mario, Donkey Kong, and their associates engaging in a series of go-kart races. Except that unlike any other go kart races you've played in games or real life, this one not only lets you race against the computer or other people, but it also lets you take them out by tossing turtles, bombs, and other items at them. This also has a large variety of twisty, jump-filled tracks — including some ones from earlier Mario Kart games -- and will even change them up every two weeks.
What sets this apart from other games in this series — aside from being playable on your phone or tablet, and thus having simplified touch controls, of course — is that it not only has tracks from its console counterparts, but new ones that are designed to look like wherever the tour is currently being held. That's why, for example, when you're racing in Manhattan, you get to speed past The Limelight on 6th Ave. Unfortunately, this game does hit some speed bumps. Not only does it awkwardly play in portrait mode, not landscape, but it also looks more like 2008's Mario Kart Wii than the more recent, and thus more detailed, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch. It also doesn't have a lot of pep when you're first starting out (though, in fairness, neither do real go-karts). But while that means there's better mobile racing games, and better Mart Karts, Mario Kart Tour is still a halfway decent way to get your motor runnin' when you can't sit on the couch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about budgeting your money. While you can buy coins you use to purchase new characters, etc., you can also earn these coins by playing, so how do you decide how much is okay to spend on a free game?
In Mario Kart Tour, no one wears a helmet or pads, even though they're constantly being knocked about, but does this seem safe to you?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: September 30, 2019
- Category: Racing Games
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- Version: 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 10.0 or later; Android 4.4 and up
- Last updated: May 31, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love racing
Themes & Topics
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