The Mario Kart Tour rollout began earlier this week and has received a mixed bag of fan feedback on Android and iOS.
While many Mario fans are satisfied by the basic gameplay on offer, they were surprised to find out that many of the multiplayer features are still offline and that some content is stuck behind a paywall.
Multiplayer will be arriving alongside changes to Friend options and ranking via a new update. Unfortunately for Mario Kart fans, we haven’t been given a release date for when this might happen.
The latest news on the subject reads: “Race around the world across a variety of new and classic courses! We hope you enjoy this first tour! Be sure to stay tuned here for the latest game news, because we’ve got a lot more coming.”
And some gamers have struggled to get worry-free access to the new mobile game today. Mario Kart Tour is a free-to-play title that can be found on the Google PlayStore and Apple App Store.
But some fans report running into error messages when booting up, leaving them unable to use any of the game’s core features.
Mario Kart fans have seen error 806 appearing on their phones and many believe this is connected to the servers being overrun today by new players.
The error on the iOS and Android mobile game said servers were experiencing heavy traffic.
Adding: “The servers are experiencing heavy traffic. Your log-in request will be processed in the order it was received. Support code: 806-1415”.
In the longterm, this issue should fade away as more Mario Kart Tour servers go online, or some players stop accessing it on a regular basis.
But some gamers are seeing the error popping back up tonight on their screens as more Nintendo fans download and start playing Mario Kart Tour.
It follows the revelation that the 200cc tier – the fastest available in Mario Kart Tour – has been locked behind the Gold Pass subscription service.
More on today’s launch can be found below from a new Nintendo statement: “The free-to-start Mario Kart Tour brings the endless racing fun of Mario Kart to mobile devices, allowing players to collect a variety of drivers, karts and gliders from an expanding roster.
“Players can strive to achieve high scores, unlock additional cups, earn in-game rewards, or compare their online ranking in a weekly ranked cup with players from around the world. Many classic tracks, items and characters make return appearances, and new courses and special items specific to each driver have also been introduced, like Diddy Kong’s Banana Barrels and Peachette’s Mushroom Cannon.
“Players can choose which drivers, karts and gliders to use in races across a variety of courses, including fresh takes on classic tracks and special city courses. City courses, special in-game event courses inspired by real-world locations, will be available during specific time periods and take place every two weeks.
“The first city course, inspired by New York City, begins today and will be available until 07.59 CEST on 9th October. During this time, players will also have the chance to obtain the mayor of New Donk City, Pauline, in the character’s first-ever appearance in a Mario Kart game, as well as a New York-themed kart and New York-themed glider.
“These drivers, karts and gliders can be earned by using Rubies, the game’s in-game currency, to fire off the in-game warp pipe. Rubies can be earned in-game as a milestone reward when unlocking cups, completing challenges, or by purchasing them using real-world money.
“New York City is just the first of many stops in Mario and friends’ world tour, with more city courses, such as Tokyo and Paris, taking place in the near future. Mario Kart Tour will continue to receive new content and updates post-launch.
“Players can sign up for a free two-week trial subscription to the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass by tapping the Gold Pass purchase button in-game. With the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscription, players can unlock the extra-fast 200cc mode, obtain additional in-game rewards from racing, and gain access to bonus goals exclusive to Gold Pass members. Once the two-week free trial period ends, it will convert to a monthly subscription for £4.99/month unless cancelled.”