Mario Kart Tour gets a release date, pre-registration announced

What you need to know

• Mario Kart Tour will hit iOS and Android devices on Sept. 25.
• The game will allow players to experience a version of Mario Kart on different maps inspired by real-world locations.
• Pre-registration is now available on the iOS app store (opens in new tab) and the Google Play Store (opens in new tab)

Soon you'll be able to play Mario Kart, or a version of it, on your phone. Mario Kart Tour, the mobile app inspired by the popular friendship-killing franchise, finally has a release date.

According to the official Nintendo Twitter, the game, which will be available on both iOS and Android, will go live on Sept. 25, 2019. Pre-registration is also now live on both the iOS app store (opens in new tab) and the Google Play Store (opens in new tab).

In Mario Kart Tour, players will get the chance to play Mario Kart, as the name suggests, in a tour around the world. The game will feature courses inspired by real-world cities, and will rotate them out every two weeks. Players can also play on classic courses. although we don't know which ones are available yet.

Characters like Mario, Bowser, Peach, and others will be available to play, but will also get "variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game," according to the official game description.

Unlike typical Mario Kart, this game allows you to play with just one finger, but the description still promises that you can steer and drift, which are important strategies for normal play. The app continues to differ from the console and handheld game though by having features like Frenzy mode, which provides players "an unlimited supply of a certain item and makes you invincible" for a limited time.

Other unique features include a online ranking system and bonus challenges that give you specific goals to complete that don't always rely on winning.

The game will be free-to-play but in-game purchases are a part of the package, which has been the case for previous Nintendo apps like Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The last Nintendo app, Dr. Mario World, was a match-3 game that had microtransactions, which allowed players to buy power-ups or unlock special characters.

In addition, Nintendo announced a new Twitter account for the app, where you can follow for future news and updates. You can also be sure we'll be keeping up with the latest news out of Nintendo. Combining iOS and Nintendo is sort of our sweet spot.