Mario Kart was a big hit when it first came out about 27 years ago, but could the new Mario Kart mobile app top that? At Grand Ledge High School, the game has definitely taken over many students’ phones. The game first started on the Nintendo Entertainment system in 1992, and while it was a big hit back then,  times have changed. It has since become available on other gaming consoles, including the Wii. Recently, it has jumped on to the phones of millions.

    “One thing I like about the mobile app is that it is on your phone,” Hong-An Pham, a senior, said. “With the Wii you have extra stuff you need to carry and it is not as convenient.”  The mobile app was made the same as the original game, with the goal being winning first place in the race. By getting first place, new things can be unlocked, like new characters, go-karts, and other accessories, such as different wheels and increased speed. When the game first starts, a new character is unlocked, and a tutorial on how to play the game begins. 

    Mario Kart has been moving up on the list of chart topping games, and is very popular with kids. The new version can bring back old memories of the game for those who played it. Now that the game has been made into a mobile app, every kid’s childhood dream has been made a reality, and they can play it whenever they are on their  phones.

 “The game is really good, but they hyped it up too much because Mario Kart finally became a mobile app and I think people were just excited about it coming out. But I definitely think it is a fun game to play,” freshman Braden O’Brien, said.

“If I were to rate this game I would rate it a four out of five stars. I would give them five stars, but I am still waiting for multiplayer to be added,” O’Brien said.

Despite its popularity, there is no multiplayer option yet. For now students race against cpus (central processing units). The makers are working on making a multiplayer mode on the app, but they have not set a clear date as to when multiplayer will be released.

 The makers have also made a new feature on the Mario Kart Tour. They now use real-world cities, and some of the classic cities have been seen in the Nintendo version before. Tours are changed every two weeks so new cities are made, which keeps the game more interesting.

“If I were to rate this game I would rate it a four out of five stars. I would give them five stars, but I am still waiting for multiplayer to be added,” O’Brien said. Nintendo has made great games in the past, and even now they are evolving to new and better things.  They may have a few things to fix here and there, but overall, Mario Kart is a quality game. Let’s hope that the game just keeps getting better and better.