You Can Now Play 'Mario Kart' on Your Phone So Say Goodbye to Productivity

The time has come. Nintendo's highly anticipated new mobile Mario Kart game has raced onto smartphones everywhere, giving fans what they've always wanted: the ability to play the iconic title anywhere and everywhere, and zoom around tracks inspired by real-life locations. Yep, Mario Kart Tour ticks both boxes.

Released yesterday — Wednesday, September 25 — on both iOS and Android, the game is a big deal for Nintendo, marking Mario Kart's first foray into the mobile realm. For the past 27 years, if you wanted to hop in a red-coloured kart, pretend you're the company's famous character and hurl shells at your competitors (all virtually, of course), you had to have a Nintendo console or handheld device — such as a Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Cube, DS, Wii, 3DS, Wii U or Switch.

While Luigi, Bowser, Peach and the gang reappear in the game as they've always done, the fresh courses are also a huge achievement. Say goodbye Rainbow Road — Mario Kart Tour features tracks in Paris, Tokyo, New York and more. You can drive past Tokyo Tower, rush beside the Arc de Triomphe and zoom along Broadway, among other spots. The global tours will change every fortnight, too, so you can look forward to more locations. And, on select courses, some beloved Mario Kart characters can navigate their own special variations.

Free to play (with in-app purchases), you use your finger to steer, drift and sling items. Otherwise, it's basically business as usual. Cycle through different karts and drivers, hit the accelerator and get ready to collect coins and unleash oh-so-many banana peels.

Mario Kart Tour is now available for free on iOS and Android via the Mario Kart Tour website.