Upcoming Mobile Game 'Mario Kart Tour' Will Be Free-to-Start - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Upcoming Mobile Game 'Mario Kart Tour' Will Be Free-to-Start

by

Nintendo last week announced that its next mobile game will be "Mario Kart Tour," but with a launch date aimed at any time before the company's fiscal year ending March 2019, not much information is known about the game. Today, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu was reported as saying that Mario Kart Tour will be free-to-start (via TouchArcade and The Wall Street Journal).

mariokarttourlogo
The "free-to-start" terminology is somewhat vague, but when compared to Nintendo's previous use of the phrase it could suggest where Mario Kart Tour is headed. For example, Nintendo currently describes Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp as free-to-start on the game's website, while Super Mario Run's website explains that "you can download and enjoy a portion of Super Mario Run for free."

While far from a definitive answer, this suggests Nintendo might lean towards its recent trend and make Mario Kart Tour a game that's free to play, with in-app purchases that help with certain tasks. Out of Nintendo's four mobile games so far, three have followed this model (Miitomo, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp), while only Super Mario Run has used the pay-once price tier.

Tags: DeNA, Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo

Top Rated Comments

nviz22 Avatar
nviz22
112 months ago
Free to start, pay quite a bit to finish.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
tkukoc
112 months ago
What will kill this for some is the fact it will be all online, all the time, just like the current releases (I'm looking at you mario) they've done. They need offline modes for those who travel.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwaltwhit Avatar
dwaltwhit
112 months ago
I am fine with the mario run model of free to try, $10 for the full thing. I would rather just pay upfront(ish) than pay little by little.

Also online all the time doesn't interfere with my use, but should definitely go away.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
trip1ex
112 months ago
free to start describes Super Mario Run.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCsHands2 Avatar
JCsHands2
112 months ago
Free to start... You mean like a demo?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 103 comments