Nintendo has announced a delay for smartphone racer Mario Kart Tour, which was due to launch before March 31st in time for the end of the financial year.
Mario Kart Tour is due to be the Nintendo’s next smartphone game, a small screen adaptation of a beloved Ninty classic that’ll join previous efforts like Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp.
This games, and the ill-fated Miitomo, have been decent earners for Nintendo, as legions of fans of these classic franchises and the impressive performance of the Switch are bringing fans into the mobile titles to spend their cash.
However, it appears Mario Kart Tour isn’t quite ready, and Nintendo are taking a pit stop to ensure that the game is in the standard they expect before launch.a
スマートフォン向けアプリ『マリオカート ツアー』は、アプリの品質向上および配信後のサービス内容拡充のため、配信予定を2019年夏とさせていただきます。 pic.twitter.com/YhtI2DWw4H
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) January 31, 2019
The delay makes sense. Two months out from the originally suggested launch date and we haven’t actually seen anything of Mario Kart Tour outside of the logo. Is it a Mario Kart Game? Could it even be something esoteric like a tactics game or an idle clicker? We just don’t know. We’re in the dark, and it’s been an entire year since Nintendo announced the game.
This has had a knock on effect, and there isn’t really a lot of buzz around the game. We dug the most recent release in the series, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch. Former games ed Brett Phipps enthused: “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the next Nintendo Switch must-buy. It’s the best the series has ever been, offering one definitive package.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.