- Title: Nintendo's Mario takes driving seat in race for mobile hit
- Date: 24th September 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - 2016) (REUTERS) NINTENDO SHOWROOM SIGN READING (English): "NINTENDO" SUPER MARIO BROTHERS STATUE BOOTH OF FIGURES NINTENDO GAME CHARACTER FIGURES CUSTOMER SERVICE IN NINTENDO GAME FRONT BANNER READING (English): "NINTENDO GAME FRONT"
- Embargoed: 8th October 2019 09:12
- Keywords: Nintendo Mario Kart game Mario Kart Tour app
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIION
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIION
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Video Games
- Reuters ID: LVA002AY0M8I5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Nintendo Co. Ltd. is set to bring one of its most successful franchises to mobile for the first time on Wednesday (September 25) with the global launch of Mario Kart Tour, in a test of the gaming firm's strategy to drive growth beyond consoles.
Mario Kart Tour will feature gameplay familiar to longtime Nintendo fans but with controls optimised for mobile devices. Players steer characters such as Mario, Wario and Toad as they race karts through Tokyo and other cities while laying traps for opponents.
Mario Kart's mobile outing is the latest title steered by the moustachioed plumber Mario, known for his exaggerated, Italian-accented English. Since his debut in the game Donkey Kong in 1981, Mario has become Nintendo's virtual face and a mark of quality for many of the industry's top-selling titles.
Mario Kart Tour's release comes ahead of a number of games for Nintendo's hybrid home-handheld Switch console designed to appeal to more casual players, including two Pokemon titles in November and island life simulator Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March.
(Production: Kwiyeon Ha) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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