Underneath all of the micro-transactions is an admittedly great racing game. However, the gacha mechanics are hard to ignore for Mario Kart fans.
After over a year of waiting, Mario Kart Tour is finally available in closed beta form in the U. S. and Japan. Unfortunately, the game as it is now is filled with micro-transactions.
Mechanically, Mario Kart Tour has the makings of a great mobile racing game. You drag your finger to the left or right to steer the kart, with turns becoming sharper the further you drag your finger to either side. If you keep your finger off the screen, your kart just goes straight. You can also drift if you drag your finger enough to the left or right and hold it there for a few seconds.
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The controls are simple enough to grasp and execute, though drifting can be a bit finicky. The good news is that you have a large roster of characters, karts, and gliders to choose from to make your racing experience a bit easier. To that end, Mario Kart Tour features 30 characters, 20 karts, and 10 gliders.
Once you pick your racer and track, you eventually encounter item blocks that have been a Mario Kart staple since the first game for the SNES. So far, I’ve encountered banana peels, coins, all three shell colors, bob-ombs, lightning, and the super horn.
