Mario Kart is an iconic game of the past, present and future; a multiplayer versatile racer game that’s simple, whimsical and once exclusive to Nintendo consoles. The release of the game into the mobile world last week on Sept. 25 has renewed interest in the franchise.

Upon first downloading the app, you get a feel for the game with the classic Nintendo opening and the colorful presence of all the characters. It starts with leading the player through the tutorial to get accustomed to the game.

Playing past the first level, there are different tour stops. Each has one single player level with an objective to complete, and three multiplayer levels each where you race against seven other players around the world for the first place prize.

Players can choose between two different kinds of steering.Manual drifting assists with turning, and Smart Steering allows the player to have no assistance and try drifting on their own. The controls are simple — slide back and forth along the bottom of the screen to move and tap to use items you collect. Many have found the new online controls easier to use than the original Mario Kart controls. On the other hand, some did find it a bit more difficult because of the way it won’t complete a turn when you try to.

Progressing in the game gives you gifts, and rubies for revealing a special character, kart or parachute. A lot of complaints have arisen because of the amount the game makes you pay money for Mario himself. Rubies are important, they allow you to play a gatcha, which is a game mechanism which you pay rubies and receive a random character. They are also rare, passing levels and getting far enough to a present doesn’t even give you as many as you need to pull one turn. 

The main feature of the game everyone was looking forward to, the ability to play with friends, is still not available. I feel like this reflects badly on Nintendo’s part, this was something I’ve been looking forward to the most. Once you click to check out the multiplayer icon on the menu page, it states that Multiplayer Mode will be available in a future version update. Until then, players will play against their friends on the leaderboards.

Overall, the game is colorful, pretty and vibrant, but it seems its core content and the very charm of the original Mario Kart hasn’t been like the original. It could be improved by adding a functional multiplayer mode and allowing players to adjust sensitivity. It’s still a fun play, but a few more updates may be needed to truly get the original feel. 

Mario Kart Review: ★★★★☆