Mario Kart Tour is available to download on iOS and Android today, marking the long-awaited debut of Nintendo’s kart racer on mobile devices. The release date was revealed a month ago, but what wasn’t known until now was that the game has an optional “Gold Pass” subscription.
The Gold Pass gives you various in-game items and badges as you play, and also unlocks the faster 200cc mode. It’s not really clear from the game’s website what any of these items are for. There’s a two-week free trial, after which you’ll have to pay $4.99 a month.
$4.99 a month is also, you may have also spotted the price for a month of Apple Arcade, Apple’s new service specifically designed to fix the microtransaction-riddled hellhole that mobile gaming has descended into. Maybe Mario Kart Tour is an incredible experience that will be worth subscribing to, but my bet is that you’ll be better off spending your $4.99 on Sonic Racing and, every game on Apple Arcade.
