Mario Kart is a gloriously simple video game. Yes, there are some advanced techniques — rocket starts, drift braking and the like — that are borderline essential if you want to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online. For the most part though, it’s an approachable racer for the masses. With Mario Kart Tour, the first installment for mobile devices, Nintendo has managed to simplify the control scheme even further. In this touch-friendly version, your racer drives forward automatically. Swiping horizontally will cause them to turn or drift, depending on the control scheme you’ve chosen, while dragging up or down will fire the item they’re holding forwards or backwards.
It works surprisingly well. Admittedly, you don’t have the same level of control as console entries. There were times, for instance, when I couldn’t tighten my turn despite dragging my finger to the edge of the screen. Still, it’s mostly effortless to drift around corners with the speed and poise of rally driving legend Ken Block. If you do end up struggling, there’s a whole host of assistive options including Smart Steering, Auto Item and Gyro Handling — the latter of which lets you steer with motion controls — in the settings. In short, there’s a control scheme that should suit every player regardless of their skill level and experience with prior Mario Kart titles.
Nintendo has wisely streamlined other parts of the racing experience, too. If you drive over a ramp, for instance, your racer will automatically perform a stunt — no button press required — and get a burst of speed upon landing. It’s also impossible to completely fall off the track and go out of bounds. Some turns and bridges have no railings, hinting at danger, but they either lead to a lower part of the course or have an invisible barrier.
