Mario Kart Tour is Nintendo’s latest foray into the mobile gaming market, bringing Mario Kart’s kart racing gameplay to iOS and Android devices. Besides Super Mario Run, which launched with a $9.99 price point, most of Nintendo’s mobile titles are free-to-download. So, is Mario Kart Tour free? Or does it follow in Super Mario Run’s Mario-sized footsteps? This Mario Kart Tour price guide will fill you in on everything you need to know about the game’s cost and microtransactions.
Mario Kart Tour | Free-to-play?
As with many mobile titles (and, increasingly, many AAA console titles), it’s not quite as simple as, “Is Mario Kart Tour free or not?” Mario Kart Tour is billed as a “free-to-start” mobile title, meaning you can download it for free, but there will be in-game purchases.
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While the Mario Kart Tour release time won’t come until September 25, the free download is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now. This means that, if you have automatic downloads enabled on your device, the game will automatically begin downloading as soon as it goes live.
Mario Kart Tour | Microtransactions
So, just how is DeNA’s newest Nintendo title monetized? At launch, Mario Kart Tour microtransactions include the following list of options, ranging from $1.99 to $69.99. These prices may seem high, but other Nintendo mobile games have offered more expensive purchases — Fire Emblem Heroes, for example, offers 140 Orbs for $74.99.
- Ruby x3 – $2.99
- Ruby x10 – $5.99
- Ruby x23 – $12.99
- Ruby x48 – $26.99
- Ruby x93 – $49.99
- Ruby x135 – $69.99
- Gold Pass – $4.99
- Special Offer – $19.99
Rubies serve several in-game functions, including participating in Coin Rush mode and firing the Pipe, which randomly unlocks drivers, karts, and gliders. In addition to being purchased, Rubies can also be earned in-game via Tour Gifts, unlocked with the Grand Stars race rewards. Not much has been revealed about the Gold Pass, but it likely functions somewhat like Fortnite’s Battle Pass, making additional unlocks available during specific time frames.
