Mario Kart Tour

 

Mario Kart Tour marks the series' smartphone debut, making it one of the most accessible games in the franchise. Looking at Nintendo's other mobile titles, one may expect this game to be a shallow implementation of the core mechanics fans have come to expect from mainline entries in the series. In a way, that assumption is accurate. However, Tour does an incredible job of hiding it. Thanks to the beautiful courses and the largely faithful racing gameplay, this feels exactly like a modern Mario Kart should, at least at the start.

My first reaction to playing this game was awe. It felt like a full Mario Kart experience on my phone, which is definitely not what I was expecting when it was first teased. The races are fast paced, steering and drifting feel smooth and responsive, and winning races is more dependant on skill than financial investments. However, it quickly became apparent that the goal of this game wasn't really to win races. As you play, the game pushes you to build your collection of drivers, karts, gliders, and badges. If you're willing to drop money on the game, those things will come more easily to you, but if you insist on playing for free (as I did), you'll have to invest significant time into this title. 

I really enjoyed growing my collection, with each new addition encouraging me to work even harder. However, I soon realized that I wasn't really playing the game for fun anymore. It became a sort of daily chore, pulling me away from the rest of my life just so I could try to unlock an event character before they went away. I was technically still enjoying the game, but I want to be dedicated to a game because it's fun and exciting, not because I'd be at a disadvantage if I didn't play. Because of that, I decided to step away from Tour. There are plenty of better options in the series if I'm itching for a race.

The game is available for Android here (as of 12/31/20): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nintendo.zaka&hl=en_US&gl=US
The game is available for iOS here (as of 12/31/20): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mario-kart-tour/id1293634699

Popular posts from this blog

Meow Tower: Nonogram Pictogram

Image
I seem to have a thing for mobile games about cats, and I am a huge fan of Nintendo 's Picross series. Normally those two interests don't overlap, but Meow Tower changed that. Combining the fun of befriending cute cartoon cats and solving intricate number puzzles hooked me immediately. While it's technically not a Picross game, seeing as that is a Nintendo trademark, the nonogram puzzles are still the same, and I loved being able to play them on my phone. Granted, there have been plenty of options to play these kinds of puzzles on the phone for years, but Meow Tower  sets itself apart from the rabble thanks to its stellar aesthetic. The developers behind this game are true artists. While it's a solid, straightforward nonogram game at its core, Meow Tower just looks so much better to play than any of the numerous generic options that crowd the app stores. The bubbly sticker-book style used for the art and menus gives Meow Tower a lot of charm and personality from t
Read more

Space Lich Omega

Image
Inspired by the ever popular Candy Box and Candy Box 2 , Space Lich Omega is an browser-based RPG adventure with an almost entirely ASCII display. However, it chose to step away from the established fantasy style of it's inspiration for a more science-fantasy theme. I ended up having a fun time with this game, despite its need for a little polish, thanks to the unique story and hilarious pop-culture Easter eggs that can be discovered throughout the different explorable locations. Despite the crude-ish interface, I never had any trouble navigating throughout the game. I actually ended up beating it in a relatively short time, especially when I had my gunk production going all out, allowing me to jump my health up enormously. Although I did need to do a little grinding every now and then for an item that I missed, that didn't interfere with my enjoyment too much. Ultimately, this is no Candy Box , but it still has its merits and is worth playing if you ever find yourself in
Read more

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Image
Reusing game engines has proven to be pretty popular in the Zelda series. It offers developers a chance to craft more experimental and risky games, as the initial investment on the engine was covered by the previous, more traditional release. As a huge fan of A Link Between Worlds , I was ecstatic to learn it was getting a pseudo-follow-up. My excitement only grew when Nintendo sent me an early-access demo, and I somehow had no concerns that this was another multiplayer-focused game, despite my preference for solo play. Since the previous multiplayer Zelda games had pretty functional single-player modes, I anticipated that I could expect the same here. Unfortunately, that wasn't an entirely accurate assumption. Like its predecessors , Tri Force Heroes is level-based in order to accommodate its multiplayer focus. All of the stages are designed like dungeons, so they hold up really well for puzzle-solving challenges, but they lack a lot of the same charm you can find in Four Swor
Read more