September 24 was a totally normal day at Ludlow High School. Lessons were being learned, tests were being taken, friends were talking. Then, it swept overnight. Mario Kart Tour went live on app stores everywhere. Wherever you looked, people were playing it, nose-deep in their cell phones. The day before, almost nobody cared about Nintendo. So why is everyone so invested it it now? From what I’ve heard, it’s because of the nostalgia factor. Mario was a staple in almost all of our childhoods, so it’s only natural that we’d return to him eventually. 

But is the game worth all the praise? The ratings on the App Store say yes, while people I’ve spoken to seem to have mixed feelings. The only issue that many people see is that in order to log into the game, you must create a Nintendo Account. Nintendo Accounts are what allow you to start playing the game and other games that are made by Nintendo. 

The game is still going strong and is highly addictive. The closing cups in the game’s first tour, the New York Tour, have tracks that force you to get over 10,000 points in a single race to get a perfect five Grand Stars, which are items that allow you to get Tour Gifts, which feature characters, Upgrade Tickets, gliders, and karts. It’s not impossible, but the way to get over 10,000 points is to have the right character, kart, and glider combo, most of which have a less than 1% chance to pull from the pipe, which costs rubies, currency that is only obtainable through daily gifts, completing some challenges, and purchasing them with real money, and over 10,000 coins to unlock through the in-game shop. 

In my own honest opinion, yes, the game is fun. Although it has its flaws, the gameplay is enjoyable and has good replay value. I’d recommend it to anyone who would like a newer, solely mobile Mario Kart game. To quote former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, “The game is fun. If it’s not fun, why bother?”