Mario Kart Tour

Revision as of 22:38, October 15, 2023 by CaptainDX (talk | contribs) (→‎Ranked cup: Not entirely sure on bottom tiers, but should be accurate)
Not to be confused with Super Mario Kart Tour or Mario Tour.
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour logo
Developer Nintendo EPD[1][2][3]
Bandai Namco Studios[4]
DeNA[5]
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) iOS, iPadOS, Android
Release date September 25, 2019[?]
Language(s) English (United States)
French (France)
German
Spanish (Spain)
Spanish (Latin America)
Italian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean
Genre Racing
Rating(s) iOS & iPadOS:
4+ - Four years and older
Android:
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
IARC:3+ - Three years and older
Input Touch controls

Mario Kart Tour is a mobile game in the Mario Kart series. Unlike Super Mario Run, it is free-to-play from the App Store and Google Play. The game reuses many assets from Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, though its art style is more simple and cartoony. Gameplay mechanics such as gliding, underwater driving, and character-specific special items return from past entries. In addition, the game introduces some features new to the Mario Kart franchise, such as reverse courses, trick courses, a combo system that grants points based on actions, and the Frenzy mechanic, which allows racers with three item slots to deploy a large amount of any item during a race, including Spiny Shells and Bullet Bills, at random should said item be in all three slots.

The game was first announced during a financial briefing on January 31, 2018.[6] On April 23, 2019, Nintendo opened applications for participating in a closed beta test of the game to Android users in North America and Japan, which began on May 22, 2019, and ended on June 4, 2019.[7] The game officially launched for iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices on September 25, 2019, in 163 territories, which covers nearly the same roster of availability as Super Mario Run, with the exceptions of Belgium and Vietnam, the former of which banned games with loot boxes in 2019 for violating gambling laws.[8] Users who pre-registered acquired the game a day early. Unlike the previous Super Mario mobile games, a Nintendo Account is required for it to be playable.

On October 31, 2019, Nintendo announced the first multiplayer beta test exclusive to Gold Pass members,[9] which began on December 18, 2019, 11:00 p.m. (PT) and ended on December 26, 2019, 9:59 p.m. (PT). On January 21, 2020, Nintendo announced a second multiplayer beta test for all players, regardless of whether they have a Gold Pass subscription or not,[10] which began on January 22, 2020, 11:00 p.m. (PT) and ended on January 28, 2020, 9:59 p.m. (PT). The second multiplayer beta test allowed players to play with each other in their immediate vicinity based on their device's location data. Finally, on March 2, 2020, Nintendo announced that multiplayer would officially be implemented into the game on March 8, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. (PT).[11]

On September 1, 2022, Nintendo announced that Battle Mode would be added to the game on October 5, 2022.[12] It was released in the eponymous Battle Tour.

The tour occuring in the game changes every two weeks, changing the selection of courses available. For four years after the game's release, new content was added at the start of each tour, such as new courses, drivers, karts, and gliders. On September 11, 2023, it was announced that the 2023 Anniversary Tour would be the final tour to introduce new content, with later tours being identical to the ones from the Battle Tour onwards.

Gameplay

The goal of the game is to be in first place at the end of each race and get a high score, using items obtained by driving through Item Boxes. The game is played in a portrait or landscape position, while the phone's touch controls are used to play the game, such as dragging the finger across the screen to steer the kart. There are three ways the player can make turns. For the phones supporting it, the gyroscope can be used to steer. The player can choose what action is started when tapping and sliding the fingers on the main area of the screen, with the other action being performed by tapping a small circular button at the bottom and then sliding the fingers if needed. The main setting has the driver jumping every time the screen is tapped, allowing the kart to drift by sliding the fingers. In the other configuration, the kart does not jump when tapping the screen, which results in it steering when sliding the fingers on the screen. After steering for a while, the kart starts auto-drifting and charging Mini-Turbos and Super Mini-Turbos, but not Ultra Mini-Turbos that are only charged when drifting. Similarly to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with auto-accelerate and smart-steering enabled, karts accelerate automatically and can steer players away from walls. The intensity of smart-steering can be changed in the game's settings. If smart-steering is turned off, the player will be able to access most shortcuts without using Mushrooms, albeit slower.

The game's mechanics are based on Mario Kart 7, and many of its courses (both new and retro) return in Mario Kart Tour. A few features from Mario Kart 8 that required substantial changes to the game, such as Bikes, ATVs, anti-gravity, and 12-player races, are missing, while the 200cc class is present. Other features from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, such as auto-accelerate, smart-steering, and Ultra Mini-Turbos return. Unlike previous games, the player cannot customize their tires.

When a race is completed, the player will be awarded with Grand Stars, experience points for the used driver, kart, and glider whose base points are not maxed out, and coins. If the player finishes in the top three places, the gauge to level up will be filled, while if the placement is 5th or lower, the gauge will be dropped. When the gauge is already empty, however, the player will not level down. Only the points gained in the specific course will be lost, meaning that the first race on each course won't make the player lose experience points even if they arrive in 8th place; similarly, each course has an experience points cap. The more experience points have already been gained on a specific course, the fewer experience points will be awarded by arriving in the first three places until the cap is reached. At that point, only the experience points lost due to arriving in 5th place or lower will be regained when arriving in the first three places. The total amount of experience points gained in a course is never reset and is carried to the following tours, forcing the player to drive in new courses to still keep gaining experience points and leveling up.

Grand Stars are awarded depending on whether a certain point threshold has been reached. Experience points for the driver, kart, and glider are awarded depending on the placement. The coins obtained are those collected during the race, plus one additional coin for every 1,000 points obtained during the race. Each day, it is possible to obtain up to 450 experience points for the drivers, karts, and gliders and up to 300 coins by racing (900 experience points and 600 coins when the player is subscribed to the Gold Pass starting with version 2.4.0). When those limits are reached the player cannot obtain experience points or coins by racing until the next day. In order to continue gaining experience points or collecting coins, the player can use point-boost tickets for the former and can play Coin Rush or get rewards from challenges for the latter. Filling up the gauge to level up gives a reward to the player, increases the points earned when reaching a specific placement in the race and, when level 7 or level 12 are reached, allows the player to buy more items in the shop. Currently, the maximum level the player can reach is 400.

Placement Experience points for each non-maxed out driver, kart and glider that was used in the race
50cc 100cc 150cc and 200cc
1 8 9 10
2 7 8 9
3 6 7 8
4 5 6 7
5 4 5 6
6 3 4 5
7 2 3 4
8 1 2 3

Another premium item, bought with real-life currency according to a monthly subscription model, is the Gold Pass, which grants access to the 200cc engine class, Gold Races (and multiplayer ranks S to S+6), additional items from Tour Gifts, and Gold Challenges. Players can gain rewards by renewing their Gold Pass subscription, such as ten rubies every month and a regular high end from a gold pipe for every three months of continuous subscription.

Every driver, kart, and glider has favorite courses, on which they offer advantages if they are used. Each course has three tiers for each driver, kart, and glider. Third-tier drivers receive one item from every Item Box, second-tier drivers receive two items and first-tier drivers receive three items. Second-tier karts give a bonus points multiplier of 1.5 and first-tier karts give a bonus points multiplier of 2. Second-tier gliders increase the time between two point-gaining actions to count as a combo and give a combo bonus multiplier of 2 and first-tier gliders increase the combo-time even longer and give a combo bonus multiplier of 3. The player can enter a Frenzy by obtaining three of the same item at the same time, which allows the player to temporarily use that item an infinite amount of times in addition to granting them invincibility. Super and High-End drivers, karts, and gliders have a higher number of points gained when choosing them and more preferred courses. In addition, drivers have their own special items, similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s item system. Karts have their own driving-related bonus such as increasing the effectiveness of drifting, while gliders increase the likelihood of obtaining a certain item and the points gained when using said item. All drivers, karts, and gliders can be leveled up, and they all come with upgrades once this occurs. Since the 2.6.0 update, drivers, karts, and gliders are able to upgrade a favored course to a favorite course from being leveled up, with Normal items gaining one after reaching level 6, Super items gaining two after reaching levels 3 and 6, and High-End items gaining four after reaching levels 3 and 6.

The courses the player can play depends on the tour, which changes every two weeks. Since the Battle Tour, each tour has fifteen cups, and adds new drivers, karts, gliders, and courses. Starting with the Baby Rosalina Tour until the Anniversary Tour (2022), each tour had twelve cups. Starting with the 2019 Paris Tour until the Mario Bros. Tour, each tour had eighteen cups. Starting from the New York Tour until the 2019 Halloween Tour, each tour had sixteen cups. During certain tours, mainly ones themed around real-world locations, the game includes one course that is new to the series. Each cup contains three races and one bonus challenge. Bonus challenges require the player to beat a certain goal with a certain character, kart, and glider. Once each of the courses and the bonus challenge are all played and enough Grand Stars are obtained, the player can move on to the next cup. In later tours, cups are automatically unlocked without any requirements. In Mario Kart Tour, cups are named after the playable characters.

Ranked cup

Every week, one of the tour's cups is a ranked cup. In a ranked cup, the player is placed on a leaderboard based on their overall score in the game against nineteen other players. The player gains a reward for finishing in the top 10 and will increase in tier at the end of the week if their end position is near the top, while they will lose one or two tiers if finishing poorly enough above tier 20. Since the Cooking Tour, tier 25 and up rewards points-cap tickets for the top few positions. These tickets, along with the corresponding point-boost tickets, rotate between driver, kart, and glider tickets on a weekly basis. In some tours, drivers replaced coins in the rewards for moving to a higher tier. Currently, the highest tier the player can reach is 99.

Placement Rewards
From tier 1 From tier 11 From tier 21 From tier 25 From tier 30 From tier 35 From tier 40 From tier 45 From tier 50 From tier 60 From tier 80
1 Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,000
Point-boost tickets ×3 of each type
Rubies ×25
Coins ×1,100
Point-boost tickets ×3 of each type
Rubies ×25
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×3 of each type
Rubies ×25
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×3
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×1,500
Point-boost tickets ×3
Points-cap tickets ×1 Super, ×1 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×1,500
Points-cap tickets ×2 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×2,000
Points-cap tickets ×4 High-End, ×4 Super, ×4 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×2,000
Points-cap tickets ×5 High-End, ×5 Super, x5 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×2,000
Points-cap tickets ×6 High-End, ×6 Super, ×6 Normal
Rubies ×25
Coins ×2,000
Points-cap tickets ×7 High-End, ×7 Super, ×7 Normal
Rubies ×30
Coins ×2,000
Points-cap tickets ×8 High-End, ×8 Super, ×8 Normal
2 Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,000
Point-boost tickets ×2 of each type
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,100
Point-boost tickets ×2 of each type
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×2 of each type
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×2
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×2
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×3
Points-cap tickets ×1 Super, ×1 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×3 High-End, ×3 Super, ×3 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×4 High-End, ×4 Super, ×4 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,500
Points-cap tickets ×5 High-End, ×5 Super, ×5 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,500
Points-cap tickets ×6 High-End, ×6 Super, ×6 Normal
Rubies ×20
Coins ×1,500
Points-cap tickets ×7 High-End, ×7 Super, ×7 Normal
3 Rubies ×10
Coins ×1,000
Point-boost tickets ×1 of each type
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,100
Point-boost tickets ×1 of each type
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×1 of each type
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×1
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×1
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Point-boost tickets ×2
Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×2 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×3 High-End, ×3 Super, ×3 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×4 High-End, ×4 Super, ×4 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×5 High-End, ×5 Super, ×5 Normal
Rubies ×15
Coins ×1,200
Points-cap tickets ×6 High-End, ×6 Super, ×6 Normal
4 Rubies ×5
Coins ×500
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Point-boost tickets ×1
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Point-boost tickets ×1
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Points-cap tickets ×1 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Points-cap tickets ×2 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Points-cap tickets ×3 High-End, ×3 Super, ×3 Normal
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Points-cap tickets ×4 High-End, ×4 Super, ×4 Normal
Rubies ×10
Coins ×600
Points-cap tickets ×5 High-End, ×5 Super, ×5 Normal
5
6
7 Coins ×300 Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Points-cap tickets ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Points-cap tickets x1 High-End, ×1 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Points-cap tickets x1 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Points-cap tickets x2 High-End, ×2 Super, ×2 Normal
Rubies ×5
Coins ×400
Points-cap tickets ×3 High-End, ×3 Super, ×3 Normal
8
9
10
11–15 No reward ? ? Points-cap tickets ×1 Normal Points-cap tickets ×1 Super, ×1 Normal Points-cap tickets ×1 Super, ×1 Normal Points-cap tickets ×1 High-end, ×1 Super, ×1 Normal Points-cap tickets ×1 High-end, ×1 Super, ×1 Normal
16–19 No reward
20 No reward


Placement Tier change
From tier 1 From tier 21 From tier 22 From tier 25 From tier 30 From tier 35 From tier 99
1 +3 +3 +3 +3 +2 +1 0
2 +3 +2 +2 +2 +1 +1 0
3 +3 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 0
4 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 0 -1
5 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 0 -1
6 +2 +1 +1 +1 0 -1 -1
7 +1 +1 +1 0 0 -1 -1
8 +1 +1 0 0 -1 -1 -1
9 +1 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
10 +1 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
11–15 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
16–19 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
20 0 -1 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

Points

See also: Mario Kart Tour race points system

Points are collected during standard races and are used to gain Grand Stars and to rank players, both overall and in ranked cups. There are three ways of obtaining points in races: base points, bonus points, and position points.

Base points

Base points are given at the beginning of the race and are the sum of the base points of the character, kart and glider selected. They range from 800 to 3020 points (3320 points for Mii Racing Suits). The base points can be increased through experience points obtained at the end of the races or through point-boost tickets that provide 50 experience points each. The experience points are used to fill a gauge that when filled will increase the base points until the maximum amount has been reached. The amount of experience points needed to fill the gauge increases every time the gauge is filled. Since the Cooking Tour, points-cap tickets are added to the game, making it possible to raise the maximum amount of base points of a driver, kart, or glider.

Base points of drivers and kart parts
Amount  
Drivers
  
Karts and gliders
 
Normal
 
Super
 
High-End
 
Normal
 
Super
 
High-End
Initial 400 450 500 200 220 250
Base cap 600 675 800 300 330 400
First raised cap 648 765 980 324 366 490
Second raised cap 704 870 1190 352 408 595
Top cap (until 2022 Anniversary Tour) 760 975 1400 380 450 700
Third raised cap 768 990 1430 384 456 715
Top cap (since Battle Tour) 816 1080 1610 408 492 805

Bonus points

 
Chargin' Chuck obtaining bonus points by performing a Jump Boost as part of a combo

Bonus points are points awarded every time a special event happens during the race. Said event might be a Jump Boost, gliding for a certain amount of time, finishing the lap in a certain position, hitting opponents or hazards, or various other cases. If a further event happens before about two seconds have passed from the previous one, the combo indicator goes up and the points obtained are increased. The actual time that can pass between one event and the next can be increased by choosing a glider of a higher tier in the course, by choosing a glider of higher rarity, or by leveling up the glider. The number of points given is calculated as follows:

  • Points: (base points of the event × multiplier due to kart tiering in the course × multiplier due to kart rarity and skill level) + combo bonus + bonus point boosts + eventual increase from kart's special skill + eventual increase from glider's special skill

The combo bonus is calculated as follows:

  • Combo bonus: multiplier from glider's tiering in the course × Min{combo count - 1 ; (cc of the engine class) / 10}

For the purpose of the calculation, 200cc is considered the same as 150cc.

The bonus point boost is calculated separately for the driver, kart, and glider chosen that are in the first tier of the course, as follows:

  • Bonus point boost: base points × (skill level - 1) × [(cc of the engine class) / 30000]

In this case as well, 200cc is considered the same as 150cc. If more than 200 events happen, the bonus point boost is not applied from the 201st event onward.

Position points

Position points are awarded to the player depending on their placement at the end of the race. They are calculated as follows:

  • Position points: [(position points due to the level of the player + engine class bonus) × position multiplier] + bonus point boosts for position

The bonus point boost for position is calculated separately for the driver, kart, and glider chosen that are in the first tier of the course, as follows:

  • Bonus point boost for position: base points × (skill level - 1) × number of events that occurred in the race × position multiplier × [(cc of the engine class) / 30000]

As in the other cases, 200cc is considered the same as 150cc.

The engine class bonus is the following:

Engine class  
50cc
 
100cc
 
150cc
 
200cc
Engine class bonus 0 200 400 400

The position multiplier depends on the placement at the end of the race and works as follows:

Placement 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Position multiplier 1 0.85 0.75 0.65 0.55 0.45 0.35 0.2

Additional internal data (RaceScoreParam)

The following internal data stems from the Peach Tour.[13]

The engine class affects the obtained points in various other ways, as shown by the internal data:

Engine class dependent points-related parameters (EngineLevelParams)
Parameter  
50cc
 
100cc
 
150cc
 
200cc
AddScoreIntervalWhileGlide 2.5 2 1.5 1.2
AddScoreIntervalWhileWater 7.5 6 4.5 3.6
AddScoreIntervalWhileItemType018 2.5 2 1.5 1.2
AddScoreIntervalWhileDriftKeep 2.5 2 1.5 1.2
InterimRankBonusRate 0.5 1 2 2
ComboNumMax 5 10 15 15

The InterimRankBonus multiplied by the InterimRankBonusRate is the amount of points obtained at the end of the first lap or the first two sections of three-sectioned tracks. The InterimRankBonus has the following values:

InterimRankBonus
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
Points 100 80 60 50 40 30 20 10

Finally, the maximum time between events in a combo depends on the base points given by the last action of the combo, with no effect of the combo count, as shown by this combo-related data:

Combo-related parameters (Combo)
Score 5 10 20 30
Time 1.4 1.8 2.1 2.4
ComboScoreAdd 1
ComboScoreRate 0.1

The combo time is calculated as follows:

Combo time = Max{Remaining combo time; Combo time of the last action}

where the combo time of the last action is calculated as follows:

Combo time of the last action = Time × multiplier from glider's tiering in the course × multiplier due to glider rarity and skill level

where the multiplier from the tiering is around 1.45 if the course is one of the favorites of the glider and around 1.225 if the course is favored by the glider, being equal to 1 otherwise, and Time is based on the value reported in the table using intermediate values for intermediate scores (i.e. 1.95 seconds for 15 points and 2.25 seconds for 25 points) and either 1.4 seconds or 2.4 seconds for scores smaller than 5 points and greater than 30 points, respectively.

Auto Mode

Introduced in version 2.6.0, Auto mode is a new option in single-player races that allows the player to spectate in a race fully controlled by the AI. The driver, kart and glider chosen by the player will participate in said race and will be the default AI player followed. The player is able to choose the racer followed by the camera and has control on the relative positioning and zoom of the camera. A button at the bottom allows to take screenshots at the rendering resolution of the game rather than the display resolution of the device. Starting with version 2.8.0, seven additional filters can be applied to the camera. When the race ends, the Coins and event tokens (but not team tokens) collected by the chosen driver are given to the player, along with the obtained experience points of the driver, kart and glider. The experience points of the player will instead remain unaffected, regardless of the outcome of the race. One additional filter, the Pop Art filter, has been added at the start of the Princess Tour.

Filters

Collectibles and currencies

Grand Stars

Grand Stars are the main collectibles related to individual tours. Up to five of them can be earned by reaching certain point thresholds in each standard race and up to three of them can be earned by clearing specific goals in each bonus challenge. Furthermore, clearing Tour Challenges and Gold Challenges will reward the players with Grand Stars as well. Finally, using a star ticket will reward a Grand Star per ticket used. Up until the Peach vs. Daisy Tour, clearing the daily challenge each day did also warrant a Grand Star.

They are used to unlock gifts. In the past, they were also used to unlock cups. When the last gift is obtained, coins are rewarded in place of Grand Stars, and when a new tour starts, the Grand Stars obtained are reset to zero.

Rubies

Rubies are the main premium currency of Mario Kart Tour. They can be purchased with real-life currency at the Shop, but can also be obtained as daily login bonuses, as a player level up bonus, as part of tour gifts, as a reward for the ranked cup, or as a reward for Standard Challenges, Premium Challenges, or special challenges.

Rubies can be used in three different ways: to buy Spotlight items, to buy Mii Racing Suits, or to play Coin Rush mode.

Coins

 
Gold Mario in Coin Rush during the Bangkok Tour

Coins are collected during a race and rewarded for the number of points obtained during said race, up to 300 per day (600 if the player has the Gold Pass). In a single race, the amount of coins earned is

Coins earned = coins obtained during the race + floor((total points earned in the race)/1000)

The coins obtained during the race are capped at 99, while no cap on the coins obtained through points is known.

Besides the main way of obtaining coins, they can also be obtained in Coin Rush and in several rewards, such as obtaining three challenges on a challenge card in a row, column or diagonal line, in gifts, as daily login bonuses, as player level up bonuses, as a replacement for Grand Stars or items at the maximum level, while waiting for Multiplayer races, as rewards for ranked cup placements and friend ranking. Also, friends can send five greeting coins to each other every day.

In Coin Rush, the player can spend rubies to obtain a great number of coins. Over 300 coins are found in the course. For each tour, another course is available in Coin Rush. Gold Mario is the regular driver, and the Gold Standard is the regular kart driven. The coins obtained from Coin Rush are multiplied by a certain number, depending on how many rubies a player has spent.

Coins multiplier Rubies
2 5
6 15
10 25

During the Cooking Tour, the Coins Aplenty Event was added to the game. This event gives the player twenty-four hours to obtain a large number of coins from a certain cup, which varies between players. 300 coins are awarded at the end of the first race on each course in the cup during the duration of the event, for a total of 900 guaranteed extra coins from the event; these coins do not count towards the daily cap of 300 coins from races. In addition, the daily cap is ignored on each of these three races, providing three extra opportunities to score coins beyond the cap if it has already been reached. These events are held every Saturday and Tuesdays (the latter day has been added since the Super Mario Kart Tour). Starting from the 2021 Autumn Tour, the number of coins is raised to 500 and held every Saturday, though in the Toad vs. Toadette Tour, the coin amount returned to 300 and the schedule reverted to every Saturday and Tuesday.

Coins are mainly used in the Daily Selects section of the shop.

Tokens

Introduced in the Wild West Tour, event tokens are a special type of coins that can be collected during events. The way to collect event tokens differs from event to event. The different ways to collect event tokens are:

  • Collecting from courses.
  • Landing hits with shells.
  • Landing hits with Bob-ombs.
  • Landing hits with bananas.
  • Causing opponents to crash.
  • Performing Mini-Turbos.
  • Keeping combo bonuses.

Some tours feature a Team Rally event, in which the player can collect team tokens. Team tokens can always be collected from courses, when the player races with a driver that is part of the chosen team. At the end of a race with a driver from the player's team, the player will be rewarded with additional team tokens for every 1,000 points they collected during the race. If the player's team has won the race, the player will get even more additional team tokens as a reward.

Since the 2021 Autumn Tour, the Token Aplenty Event is held every Monday (formerly every Tuesday in the 2021 Autumn Tour and the 2021 Halloween Tour). This event is similar to the Coins Aplenty Event, but instead of being rewarded with a fixed amount of coins at the end of the race the player will get a random amount of event tokens (or team tokens, when the event takes place during a Team Rally), ranging from 50 to 300.

Event tokens and team tokens are used in the Token section of the Shop.

Pipes

Pipes can shoot out a driver, kart, or glider, all of which have their own rarities. A pipe contains a determined probability distribution of Normal, Super, and High-End items, all of which are chosen randomly within their class and rarity. It is possible that a player obtains an item from a pipe that already has been obtained; when this happens, the level gauge of that item will be increased by one unit. Usually, if the pipe is about to shoot out a High-End item, it will be golden instead of green (sometimes, however, it might occur that a green pipe shoots out a High-End item).

As of the Wild West Tour, the player can shoot out one random regular High-End item from an All-Clear Pipe once in a tour, as soon as they have finished every cup from the tour. The list below shows all of the available items from the All-Clear Pipe as of the Battle Tour.

High-End items obtainable from the All-Clear Pipe Rate (each)
High-End drivers Dry Bowser, Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Cat Peach, Tanooki Mario, Pauline, Peach (Explorer), Nabbit, Captain Toad, King Bob-omb, Fire Rosalina, Tanooki Rosalina, Kamek, Peachette, Black Yoshi, White Yoshi, Peach (Wintertime), Cat Rosalina, Chargin' Chuck, Toadette (Explorer), Cat Toad, Wario (Cowboy), Birdo (Black), Birdo (White), Gold Koopa (Freerunning), Penguin Luigi, Shy Guy (Pastry Chef), Dixie Kong, Funky Kong, Mario (Aviator), Toad (Party Time), Pauline (Party Time), Bowser Jr. (Pirate), Mario (Classic), Baby Peach (Cherub), Daisy (Swimwear), Luigi (Classic), Ice Mario, Daisy (Farmer), Mario (Racing), Lakitu (Party Time), Pauline (Rose) 0.5319%
High-End karts B Dasher, Badwagon, Carrot Kart, Cat Cruiser, Prancer, Sneeker, Sports Coupe, Circuit Special, Bruiser, Wild Wing, Bumble V, Steel Driver, Goo-Goo Buggy, Macharon, Black B Dasher, Black Circuit, Queen Bee, Gold Train, Black Turbo Yoshi, White Turbo Yoshi, Radish Rider, Inferno Flyer, Wildfire Flyer, Red B Dasher, Platinum Taxi, Glam Bruiser, Wild Black, Wild Pink, Apple Kart, Gilded Prancer, Choco Macharon, P-Wing, Black Turbo Birdo, White Turbo Birdo, Snow Skimmer, Green Apple Kart, Poison Apple Kart, Dragonfly, Firefly, Dozer Dasher, Clanky Kart, Rose Queen, Banana Master, Offroader, Dreamy Egg, Head Honcho, Pink Wing, Red Taxi, Blue Soda, Dark Buggy, Koopa King, Cact-X, Sushi Racer, Pirate Sushi Racer, Silver Bullet Blaster, Green Circuit, Gilded King, Crawly Kart, Black Dozer, Sunset Cloud, Iron Cucumber, Rose Taxi, Cact-Ice, B Dasher Mk. 2, Sakura Quickshaw, Jet Cruiser, Pink Dozer, Grand Badwagon, Lime Tea Coupe, Sunny Surf Sailer, Kamek's Zoom Broom, Black Cat Cruiser, Cream Cat Cruiser, Vampire Flyer, White Snow Skimmer, Gray Cat Cruiser, Jukebox Buggy, Green Lightning, Cupid's Arrow, Prop Kart, Tropical Truck
High-End gliders Swooper, Cloud Glider, Gold Glider, Pink Gold Paper Glider, Bullet Bill Parachute, Royal Parachute, Dry Bowser Umbrella, Rainy Balloons, Blizzard Balloons, Sunset Balloons, Chocolate Banana Crêpe, Strawberry Crêpe, Wicked Wings, Wonderful Wings, Starchute, Rainbow Starchute, Silver Starchute, Daisy Glider, Butterfly Wings, Butterfly Sunset, Butterfly Prism, Banana Wingtip, Blooper Wingtip, Meteor Balloons, Crimson Crane, Springtime Crane, Pink Gold Meteors, Chocolate Donut, Strawberry Donut, Heart Balloons, Fireworks Parachute, Great Sail, Blizzard Parasol, Black Great Sail, Planet Glider, Dragon Wings, Black Toe-Bean Balloons, Toe-Bean Balloons, Ship's Wheel, Tropical Glider, 8-Bit Star, Manta Glider, Silver Bells, Treasure Map, Flybrary Book, Cheep Cheep Masks, Pretzel Glider, Vampire Wings, Dream Glider, Silver Manta Glider, Calico Parafoil, Cat Parafoil, Rose Parasol, Black Cat Parafoil, Snow Crystals, Surf Master, Silver Surf Master, Starry Great Sail, Tanooki Parafoil, Candlelight Flight, Piranha Plant Balloons, Candlelight Flight Cake, Luigi Parafoil, Sky-High Flyer, Wicked Topaz

As of the Wedding Tour, regular login bonuses are replaced with Today's Challenge in which the player must complete a race on a pre-selected course with a pre-selected driver, kart, and glider. After completing this daily race, the player can shoot out a free pipe launch (except on day 14) which can contain regular items, as well as rubies, coins, and item tickets. The player receives a special blue-colored badge on day 14 as a reward for playing on every day of the given tour. Until the Anniversary Tour (2022), the player received 5 rubies on days 5 and 10, in stead of a free pipe pull.

Since the Samurai Tour, the player can buy pipe launches in the Token Shop. In some tours, also golden pipes can be bought in the Token Shop.

Since the Battle Tour, pipes appear as Tour gifts and Gold Gifts. Some of the pipes that appear as Gold Gifts are golden.

Menu

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Main Menu
       
Multiplayer Challenges Tour Gifts Shop
       
Drivers Karts Gliders Tickets
       
Profile Friends News Mii
   
Gifts Settings

Banners

On the top of the menu, players can spend rubies to fire one of the tour's pipes, purchase special offers, or subscribe to the Gold Pass.

Multiplayer

 
Example of progressing towards a higher multiplayer grade.
The grading system in multiplayer mode, which continues up to S+9.

Multiplayer mode was added to Mario Kart Tour on March 8, 2020, where up to eight human players can play against each other. Players race against each other in three courses in a chosen cup of the current tour, with the cup changing every 13 minutes, allowing the player to race in cups that have not yet been unlocked. There are four sets of rules that interchange daily: 100cc with default item slots, 100cc with two item slots, 150cc with default item slots, and 150cc with two item slots. Matches are also periodically set to be Team Games[14] (not to be confused with Team Rallies), wherein players are randomly divided into two teams and their combined standings at the end of a match decide the winning team. In the "With Friends or Others Nearby" mode, the player can set the rules themselves, including the engine class (50cc, 100cc, or 150cc), number of item slots (1, 2, or default), number of teams (none, 2, 3 or 4), number of races (3, 6, or 12), enabling teams, enabling Friendly-Fire Mode for teams, and inclusion of COM racers. The player can also create a Room and invite players to join it with a code.

Introduced in version 3.0.0, Battle Mode is a mode in multiplayer where players must eliminate each other by popping their balloons. A battle ends if there is only one player remaining, or if the time limit is reached. In the "With Friends or Others Nearby" mode, the rules that the player can set include the number of item slots (1, 2, or default), the option to play with Bob-ombs only or Shells only, number of battles (3, 6, or 12), and inclusion of COM racers.

Multiplayer features a grading system ranging from F to A for regular users, and onward from S to S+9 for Gold Pass subscribers. There are separate grading systems for races and battles. Prior to the version 3.0.0 update in September 2022, the maximum grade was S+6. Until version 3.0.0, multiplayer races were split between Gold Races (exclusive Gold Pass subscribers) and standard races. Gold Races featured additional rule variations (150cc with default item slots, 150cc with two item slots, 200cc with default item slots, and 200cc with one item slot). The player's grade is split up with a green grade for races and a purple grade for battles.

When the player is waiting for a multiplayer match to be found, they will earn coins. Up to 100 coins can be earned per day with this method. As of version 3.0.0, the Multiplayer Pipe is available, which the player can fire after having saved up enough points from playing races or battles in Multiplayer mode.

Once every few tours the Kart Pro event will take place (with its first appearance in the Snow Tour), in which the player can earn rewards like badges and rubies by completing challenges on a Kart Pro challenge card, including maintaining a streak of three wins in Standard Races or Gold Races. The amount of rubies the player will get as rewards for completing this challenge card depends on their grade. Grades F to A will receive 5 to 10 rubies, and grades S to S+9 will receive 15 to 21 rubies. As of version 2.9.0, players can maintain their streak if they win 2nd or 3rd place.

Some tours have a 2-Player Challenge event taking place, where the player could team up with another player in the "With Friends or Others Nearby" mode to race against a team of set opponents (such as Rosalina and the five babies in Vs. Rosalina Team) and collect event tokens in a set of three courses.

Challenges

See also: List of challenge cards in Mario Kart Tour

Challenges are objectives the player can complete to earn various badges and rewards depending on the type, of which there are eight: Standard Challenges, long-term challenges the player accomplishes throughout the course of the game; Tier Challenges (added in the Mii Tour (2022)) long-term challenges associated with Ranked Cups; Multiplayer Challenges (added in the Baby Rosalina Tour), which are long-term challenges for multiplayer mode; Multiplayer Battle Challenges (added in the Battle Tour), which are long-term challenges for multiplayer battle mode; Tour, Tour Multiplayer (added in the Summer Tour (2021) as part of the Summertime Challenges, later permanent in the Frost Tour), and Gold Challenges, challenges that last for the duration of the tour, the lattermost of which are exclusive to Gold Pass members; and Expert Challenges (added in the Cooking Tour), which contain challenges that are harder to succeed than Tour, Gold, and Standard Challenges, and last for twelve weeks. The first set of Tour Challenges unlocks from the tour's beginning, while the second set unlocks after the first week. Some special event challenges are one-offs, such as the their Anniversary Challenges in the 1st Anniversary Tour, while other challenges last for three tours, such as the Summertime Challenges. Completing Standard and Multiplayer Challenges award the player with rubies, while Tour and Gold Challenges award extra Grand Stars and Expert Challenges reward the player only with badges. Completing special event challenges award the player with high amount of rubies or a High-End driver. Each challenge card holds nine challenges aligned in a 3×3 grid, and for every bingo the player acquires (i.e. any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal match), they earn a certain amount of coins. The player also receives a reward upon completing an entire challenge card.

Daily challenges

Each daily challenge rewarded a Grand Star. The player could have up to three daily challenges available at a time, and upon completing one, a new one would not appear until the following day. Upon entering a new tour, players would receive three daily challenges right away, resulting in a maximum of sixteen daily challenges per two-week tour. The daily challenges were selected at random from the following options:

  • Do a Rocket Start.
  • Get 1st place in a race.
  • Perform a Slipstream.
  • Activate Frenzy mode.
  • Use a Mushroom.
  • Land a hit with a Banana.
  • Land a hit with a Red Shell.
  • Land a hit with a Green Shell.
  • Land a hit with a Bob-omb.
  • Land a hit with a Super Horn.
  • Join a multiplayer race.

From the Snow Tour onwards, daily challenges are no longer featured.

Premium Challenges
 
The first Premium Challenge card in the Snow Tour.

As of the Snow Tour, players can purchase a card for $4.99 USD with additional challenges every tour, with the reward for completing all challenges being a High-End driver, kart or glider. Progress on the challenges is shown whether the player has purchased or not, and all completed challenges can be claimed immediately on purchase. Uncompleted challenge cards can be carried over to the next tour, with up to fifteen able to be held at once.

Total Points Challenge

As of the Snow Tour, the player's total points across all cups can be redeemed for rewards, up to 600,000 points. Among the top rewards are points-cap tickets of increasing levels. Starting from the Singapore Tour, the Total Points Challenge features two challenge cards and goes up to 900,000 points, with more rewards. The Battle Tour later increased the final goal to 999,999 points, which was likely done due to the number of cups being changed from twelve to fifteen.

Tour Gifts

Tour Gifts give the player items if enough Grand Stars are obtained, with the top rewards often being level-boost tickets of increasing levels. Part of the rewards can only be claimed by Gold Pass subscribers.

Since the Baby Rosalina Tour, the player could also unlock free pipe launches from the regular pipes of the current tour, if enough Grand Stars were obtained. Since the Battle Tour, these are no longer available, due to the pipes being replaced by the Spotlight Shop.

As of version 2.10.0, players who started the game for the first time can unlock these characters in the currently-played tour.

  5   10   18   28   38   45   55   65
               
Mario Peach Bowser Luigi Daisy Donkey Kong Wario Yoshi

This was revised in version 3.4.1 to include additional characters and items as listed below.

  5   15   25   35   45   55   65   75
                             
Mario Peach Bowser Luigi Daisy Donkey Kong Wario Yoshi Pipe ×10 Gold Glider Pipe ×10 B Dasher Pipe ×10 Metal Mario Gold Pipe ×10

Shop

The shop consists of six different sections.

Spotlight Shop

Introduced in the Battle Tour, the Spotlight section consists of selected drivers, karts, and gliders that are in the Spotlight. Spotlight items are available for one week, after which they are replaced. There is also a Daily Spotlight shop, which contains six High-End drivers, six High-End karts, and six High-End gliders, and is renewed each day. Once a day, the player can use a Quick Ticket to change the items in the Daily Spotlight. The player can buy each item up to three times for the cost of 150 rubies for drivers, and 100 rubies for karts and gliders.

Until the Anniversary Tour (2022), the pipe section was available in the shop. A pipe contained a determined amount of Normal, Super, and High-End items, plus featured items. The items were not ordered, so each item, including the featured ones, could be potentially found in any placement within the pipe. The player could reset the pipe at any moment. A new pipe was introduced each week and, since the 2019 Halloween Tour, the pipes lasted until the end of the tour.

Usually, a pipe contained the following items, with the spotlight items frequently taking the spot of a High-End item, though Super items could also appear in the spotlight.

Items obtained from a typical new 100 items pipe
Item  
Normal
 
Super
 
High-End
Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider
Amount 32 26 16 9 7 4 2 2 2

Until the 2020 New Year's Tour, the pipe typically contained the following items:

Items obtained from a new pipe
Item  
Normal
 
Super
 
High-End
 
Featured High-End
Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider
Amount 32 26 16 9 7 4 1 1 1 1 1 1

Another common variant was the special pipe holding 50 items, used in special events and frequently not featuring any spotlight item, but rather a slightly different distribution of items to take into account the peculiar items that could be obtained in it.

Items obtained from a typical new 50 items pipe
Item  
Normal
 
Super
 
High-End
Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider Driver Kart Glider
Amount 15 11 9 5 4 3 1 1 1

The probability of obtaining a certain type of item from the pipe is (number of items of that type remaining in the pipe)/(total number of items remaining in the pipe) while the probability of obtaining a specific item is (probability of getting an item of the type of the desired item)/(number of available items of the same type of the desired item).

Mii Racing Suit Shop

Introduced in the Mii Tour (2022), the Mii Racing Suit section consists of 10 different Mii Racing Suits. The player can buy each Mii Racing Suit up to three times for the cost of 100 rubies. However, the first purchase of some selected Mii Racing Suits costs only 70 rubies.

Token Shop

As of the Wild West Tour, the Token Shop (formerly known as the Event Shop) appears during events or Team Rallies. The player can buy items in this shop with event tokens or team tokens. In several tours, the Token Shop is upgraded to feature various High-End items, tickets, and other items. Since the Samurai Tour, pipe launches can be bought as well.

Token Shop's items
Item Pricea Quantity Quantity (Team Rally)
Pipe   50-500b 31 -
Item ticket   5 10 -
Point-boost ticket     10 3 each -
Star ticket   20 Depends on tour -
Coin Rush ticket   20 1
Level-boost ticket Normal     50 2 3 each
Super     100 1 2 each
High-End     250 - 1 each
Points-cap ticket Normal     100 1
Super     200 1
High-End     400 - 1
Super driver, kart, or glider     Depends on tour 1 each Depends on tour
High-End driver, kart, or glider     Depends on tour - Depends on tour
500 Coins   30 5 -
1000 Coins   50 - 10
3 Rubies   30 5

a - In the Token Shop of the Summer Festival Tour, most of the items had lower prices.
b - The cost for the first pipe is 50 event tokens, increasing with 10 tokens for every subsequent pipe until the sixteenth, then with 50 tokens between the seventeenth and the twenty-first pipes. From the twenty-second pipe onwards, the cost is 500 tokens.
As of the Battle Tour, the Token Shop no longer has a regular composition.

Token Shop's items
Item Price Quantity
Balloon   100c 1
Golden pipe   200 1
Pipe   20-500 34
3 Rubies   15 5
500 Coins   15 5
Level-boost ticket Super     25 3
Super     50 2
High-End     120 1

c - In the Battle Tour, the Token Shop included three different balloons, two of which costed 50 tokens and one 150 tokens.

Daily Selects
 
The Daily Selects section of the Shop, before the base set was introduced.

The Daily Selects section is renewed each day. It consists of four rows, of which the first three each contain three items. The items in the left column are drivers or driver-related tickets, the items in the center column are karts or kart-related tickets, the items in the right column are gliders or glider-related tickets. The last row allows the player to play Coin Rush. The first row is available to all players and contains only Normal items and point-boost tickets, the second row is available to players level 7 and above and contains Normal and Super items along with item tickets and quick tickets, and the third row is available to players of level 12 and above and contains only Super and High-End items. The first time an item's skill level is maxed out, it is replaced with other items of the same rarity, type and shop rarity until all the items of the corresponding rarity, type and shop rarity have their skill level maxed out, at which point a level-boost ticket or, since the 2022 Mii Tour, a points-cap ticket is sold in place of these items. If the maxed out category has Normal rarity, only Normal tickets will be sold, once a Super item sold in the Daily Selects is maxed out, the tickets will either be Normal or Super, as soon as a High-End item sold in the Daily Selects is maxed out, tickets of all the rarities will be sold. Starting from the 2022 Mii Tour, High-End level-boost tickets can appear on the third row without having to max out items.

Daily Selects' items
Item Price
Base set Additional
Item ticket   50
Point-boost ticket     100
Quick ticket
(no longer available since the Cooking Tour)
  1,000 N/A
Normal Kart or glider    500 1,000
Driver   800 1,500
Super Kart or glider    2,000 7,500
Driver   3,000 9,000
High-End Kart or glider    10,000 25,000
Driver   12,000 30,000
Points-cap ticket Normal     2,000 N/A
Super     5,000 N/A
High-End     20,000 N/A

Since the 2019 Paris Tour, in addition to tickets, only a subset of non-tour-exclusive items can be found as Daily Selects in all of the Tours, here referred to as "Base set". The listed items are most Normal items from the Tokyo Tour and most items from the New York Tour. The Quick Ticket was removed and more items were added in the Cooking Tour at an increased cost and shop rarity, appearing less frequently in the Daily Selects and being unable to replace the items of the same rarity and type when the skill levels of those were all maxed out. They are marked with an asterisk (*) and referred to here as "Additional". Since the Berlin Tour, "Additional" prices were reduced to the "Base set" price, but their shop rarity appears unchanged, with them still not being able to replace items of the same rarity and price when the skill levels of the latter are maxed out. In the Mii Tour (2022), more items were added in the Daily Selects again; they are marked with two asterisks (**). In the Battle Tour, more items were added in the Daily Selects again; they are marked with three asterisks (***).

Type Normal Super High-End
Drivers Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Baby Rosalina, Baby Luigi*, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Dry Bones, Template:Iggy, Template:Larry, Template:Lemmy, Template:Ludwig, Template:Morton, Template:Roy, Template:Wendy Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Rosalina*, Luigi*, Toad (Pit Crew)*, Red Yoshi**, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Lakitu*, Bowser Jr.*, Wario*, Waluigi*, King Boo*, Black Shy Guy**, Red Koopa (Freerunning), Birdo**, Pink Shy Guy**, Birdo (Light Blue)**, Hammer Bro**, Boomerang Bro**, Ice Bro**, Fire Bro**, Birdo (Yellow), Monty Mole** Metal Mario, Peachette, Pauline*, Pink Gold Peach***, Toad (Party Time)***, Peach (Wintertime)**, Penguin Luigi***, Ice Mario**, Baby Peach (Cherub)***, Mario (Classic)***, Luigi (Classic)***, Black Yoshi***, Toadette (Explorer)***, Cat Peach**, Dry Bowser, Funky Kong**, Dixie Kong**
Karts Pipe Frame, Birthday Girl, Mushmellow, Koopa Dasher, Biddybuggy, Blue Biddybuggy***, Cheep Charger, Pink Mushmellow**, Birthday Girl Rosalina***, Green Kiddie Kart**, Red Kiddie Kart**, Bullet Blaster, Bull's-Eye Banzai***, Landship, Pipe Buggy*, Warship***, Green Cheep Charger*** Mach 8, Daytripper, Turbo Yoshi, Soda Jet, Super Blooper, Gold Blooper***, Royale*, Cloud 9*, Poltergust 4000*, Streamliner*, White Royale***, Zucchini**, Red Streamliner***, Red Turbo Yoshi**, Blue Seven**, Super 1***, Dasher II***, Tea Coupe***, Yellow Turbo Birdo**, Egg 1**, Birthday Girl Daisy***, Cucumber**, Flame Flyer, Barrel Train, DK Jumbo*, Chrome DK Jumbo***, Koopa Clown*, Dark Clown***, Para-Wing**, Turbo Birdo**, Light-blue Turbo Birdo**, Bolt Buggy*** B Dasher, Black B Dasher***, Circuit Special*, Black Circuit***, Bumble V*, Queen Bee***, Macharon**, Carrot Kart**, Wild Wing**, Radish Rider***, Wildfire Flyer**, Red B Dasher**, Gilded Prancer***, P-Wing**, Apple Kart***, Dozer Dasher**, Wild Black***, Prancer***, Rose Queen***, Green Apple Kart**, Choco Macharon***, Red Taxi***, Blue Soda***, Green Circuit***, Sports Coupe**, Steel Driver**, Cat Cruiser**, White Turbo Yoshi***, Badwagon, Gold Train***, Bruiser**, Snow Skimmer***, Offroader**, Banana Master**, Poison Apple Kart***, Dark Buggy***, Pirate Sushi Racer***, Head Honcho***, Sushi Racer***, Gilded King***, Black Dozer***
Gliders Super Glider, Parachute, Parafoil, Paper Glider, Droplet Glider, BBIA Parafoil, Minion Paper Glider**, Piston Glider**, Piranha Plant Parafoil* Peach Parasol, Flower Glider, Oilpaper Umbrella*, Lightning Oilpaper*, Pink Flower Glider**, ? Block**, Plaid Ribbon***, Eggshell Glider**, Bob-omb Parafoil, Shell Parachute, Wario Wing*, Waluigi Wing*, BaNaNa Parafoil*, Blue Flower Glider** Gold Glider, Strawberry Crêpe***, Starchute**, Royal Parachute***, Fireworks Parachute***, Crimson Crane**, Blizzard Balloons**, Heart Balloons**, Rainbow Starchute***, Daisy Glider**, Pink Gold Paper Glider**, Butterfly Sunset**, Chocolate Donut***, Chocolate Banana Crêpe***, Strawberry Donut**, Silver Bells***, Manta Glider***, Butterfly Wings***, Great Sail**, 8-Bit Star***, Sunset Balloons***, Swooper, Cloud Glider*, Rainy Balloons***, Wicked Wings***, Banana Wingtip***, Tropical Glider**, Dragon Wings**, Cheep Cheep Masks***
Tier Shop

Since the 2020 Halloween Tour, players can buy items in the Tier Shop. The items available in it are replaced every week, and the higher the player's tier, the more items are available for purchase. Until the Anniversary Tour (2022), the top row featured drivers, karts, and gliders that were favorites of at least one course in that week's ranked cup, and often included at least one High-End part. The items unlock based on the player's all-time highest tier and remain unlocked even if their tier drops. Some items can be bought multiple times, though the price increases after the first or second purchase. Previosly, after unlocking super level-boost tickets, there was a chance that High-End level-boost tickets of the same type will appear in place of them. Since the Mii Tour (2022), High-End level-boost tickets will appear separately if the player's all-time highest tier is at least 50.

Tier Shop's items
Item Unlock
Rank
Price
Initial price After first purchase After second purchase Quantity
Driver1 Normal   N/A 800 N/A N/A 1
Super 3,000 N/A N/A
High-End 12,000 N/A N/A
Kart1 Normal   N/A 500 N/A N/A 1
Super 2,000 N/A N/A
High-End 10,000 N/A N/A
Glider1 Normal   N/A 500 N/A N/A 1
Super 2,000 N/A N/A
High-End 10,000 N/A N/A
Level-boost ticket Normal glider   5 800 1,000 1,200 3
Normal kart   10 800 1,000 1,200 3
Normal driver   15 1,000 1,200 1,400 3
Super glider   20 3,000 5,000 N/A 2
Super kart   25 3,000 5,000 N/A 2
Super driver   30 4,000 6,000 N/A 2
Points-cap ticket Normal     35 2,000 N/A N/A 1
Super     40 5,000 N/A N/A 1
High-End     45 20,000 N/A N/A 1
Level-boost ticket High-End glider   50 13,000 N/A N/A 1
High-End kart   55 13,000 N/A N/A 1
High-End driver   60 15,000 N/A N/A 1

1 - Not available anymore since the Battle Tour.

Ruby purchase

The player can purchase different amounts of rubies with real-life currency.

Profile

 
A profile page showing a badge, favorite drivers and player records.

Players can visit profile pages of themselves and their friends. On a profile page, the player can display a badge, choose their eight favorite drivers out of the drivers they own and can see their records, which include the amounts of collected drivers, karts, and gliders, their highest score they earned on a single course in the current tour, their number of Standard Race, Gold Race and Kart Pro wins, their highest multiplayer grade and their highest tier. Additionally, their current level, tier, and multiplayer grade are shown for the player and their friends.

Badges

The player can collect badges by completing challenges, by ending in the top 1,000 in the All-Cup ranking, or through other case-specific means (such as a Twitter retweet campaign or winning a team rally). Sometimes badges will also be given in the Gift Box. Out of all their collected badges, the player can choose one that will be visible to other players on their profile, though players can view other players' full badge lists. Standard badges have four different types: common badges, gold badges (obtained by completing Gold Challenges and requires a Gold Pass subscription), expert badges (obtained by completing Expert Challenges), and blue badges (obtained by completing Today's Challenge all fourteen days of a given tour). Gold, expert (red), and blue badges are all recolored versions of common badges in their respective colors.

Other kinds of badges are grouped separately and obtained by other means. These include badges earned from completing entire Expert Challenge cards, ranking badges, multiplayer badges such as winning a Kart Pro event, top-placement badges, and Team Rally badges.

Friends

The player can become in-game friends with other players, see the points of their friends on the different cups, and invite them to join a multiplayer room.

Since the Baby Rosalina Tour, a cumulative reward is given to the player if the combined total cup points of the week's ranked cup of the player and all of their friends reach certain amounts. In the Flower Tour only, the reward was rubies instead of coins. Since the second week of the Wild West Tour, the coin amounts have changed.

Total points of player and friends Coins
(until August 5, 2020)
Coins
(since August 12, 2020)
Rubies
(Flower Tour)
50,000 100 100 2
80,000 500 300 3
150,000 1000 600 5

News

Every time that an announcement is being made, a new part of a tour starts, an update of the game is released, a new special offer or pipe is available or something else has been changed, the player receives a message with detailed information about what is new. Messages regarding known issues also appear here.

Mii

The player can upload Mii characters from their Nintendo Account or create new ones. Mii characters can also be shared with other players.

The player can collect different Mii Racing Suits for their Miis to wear. Every time the player gets a new Mii Racing Suit, all of their Mii Racing Suits will get ten additional base points. Each Mii Racing Suit that the player owns has to be assigned to a specific Mii of the player's choice.

Gifts

Sometimes the player receives additional gifts, which can be rubies, coins, or badges. Mainly, these gifts are given at celebration occasions such as celebration days, the start of a new tour, or the launch of Multiplayer mode. Sometimes it happens that the player does not receive a reward due to a technical problem in the game. These rewards can appear as gifts at a later time. Gifts remain available for fourteen days.

Skill level point and points cap raising requirements

The following table lists the amount of skill level points needed to bring an acquired driver, kart, or glider to a certain skill level. Raising the skill level of a driver, kart or glider requires obtaining duplicates of them as Tour Gifts, from the Pipe or the Shop, or from using level-boost tickets that match the type and rarity.

Skill level 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Normal 2 5 8 11 14 20 40
Super 1 2 3 4 5 8 16
High-End 1 1 2 2 3 5 8

The following table lists the amount of points-cap tickets needed to raise the maximum amount of base points of a driver, kart or glider to a higher cap.

Cap 1 2 3 4
Amount of tickets 1 5 10 12

Courses

See also: List of favored and favorite courses in Mario Kart Tour

Race courses

Mario Kart Tour features 103 different race courses (132 if each route is counted for courses with multiple re-routes), the most out of all Mario Kart games. Until the Anniversary Tour (2023), at least one additional course was added at the start of almost every tour. Notably, Mario Kart Tour introduces course variants,note with courses having up to three variants in addition to the normal one:

  • Courses marked with "R" (Reverse), labeled "SI" (Sens inverse) in French, are driven in reverse orientation, and mostly just have alterations to make this possible if necessary or to add in some course elements. Every race course in the game has an R variant.
  • Courses marked with "T" (Trick),[15][16] labeled "A" (Acrobatique) in French and "X" (Extreme) in all other languages, feature many additional ramps, Kanaami Roads, and obstacles with which to perform Jump Boosts, but are usually otherwise the same. Some specific T variants feature other alterations, such as adding Kanaami Roads to replace glider sections (like in DS Airship Fortress T), changing the order the course is traversed in (like in N64 Kalimari Desert 2T), or even changing the starting location (like in 3DS Rock Rock Mountain T). Every race course in the game except GBA Bowser's Castle 4 has a T variant.
  • Courses marked with "R/T" (Reverse/Trick), labeled "SI/A" (Sens inverse/Acrobatique) in French and "RX" (Reverse Extreme) in all other languages, feature the elements of both R and T courses. As such, they go through the course backwards while adding more ramps, Kanaami Roads, and other obstacles with which to perform Jump Boosts and combos. Unlike with R and T variants, many courses were introduced without R/T variants and gained them later on. Originally, R/T variants only appeared for city courses, with them introduced in the same tour as the city course's other variants, but classic courses would start having them as well beginning with the 2019 Winter Tour, after which every tour has had three to five R/T variants (of any course type). From then to the 2020 Trick Tour, each tour saw one to three new ones added. Every race course in the game except GBA Bowser's Castle 4 and 3DS Rock Rock Mountain has an R/T variant.

When counting R, T, and R/T variants separately from their normal counterparts, the total number of courses in the game is 499.

Prior to the Battle Tour, with some exceptions, city courses were added with all four variants in the same tour, while all other courses were first added without the R/T variant, which would then release in a subsequent tour whose exclusive additions were R/T variants. From the Battle Tour onwards, all courses added to the game would debut all four variants at once upon introduction, much like the city courses (with the exception of GBA Bowser's Castle 4, which debuted with only its normal and R variants).

Almost every tour features classic courses and remix courses, while every new course appears exclusively in specific tours.

note - "Variant" is the official term used for both the courses designated R, T, or R/T and the numbered, re-routed versions of a particular course.[17][18][19]

New

There are seventeen original courses in Mario Kart Tour, referred to as "new courses". If each individual route is counted separately, the total increases to forty-seven.

City courses

44 of the 53 new courses are based on real cities. There are fourteen cities represented in the game, namely New York City, Tokyo, Paris, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney, Singapore, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Athens, Rome, and Madrid. These courses each have three unique routes that have the racers going through different areas of the city; additionally, New York Minute and Tokyo Blur each have an additional fourth route that brings together all of the paths from the other three routes into one long lap.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
New York Minute New York Tour        
New York Minute 2 Holiday Tour (2019)        
New York Minute 3 1st Anniversary Tour        
New York Minute 4 2nd Anniversary Tour        
Tokyo Blur Tokyo Tour        
Tokyo Blur 2 New Year's Tour (2020)        
Tokyo Blur 3 Summer Festival Tour
Mario vs. Peach Tour
       
Tokyo Blur 4 Mario Tour (2021)        
Paris Promenade Paris Tour (2019)        
Paris Promenade 2 Valentine's Tour        
Paris Promenade 3 Paris Tour (2021)        
London Loop London Tour        
London Loop 2 Baby Rosalina Tour        
London Loop 3 Halloween Tour (2021)        
Vancouver Velocity Vancouver Tour        
Vancouver Velocity 2 Penguin Tour        
Vancouver Velocity 3 Autumn Tour (2022)        
Los Angeles Laps Los Angeles Tour (2020)        
Los Angeles Laps 2 Los Angeles Tour (2022)        
Los Angeles Laps 3 Los Angeles Tour (2021)        
Berlin Byways Metropolitan Tour
Spring Tour
       
Berlin Byways 2 Berlin Tour        
Berlin Byways 3 Anniversary Tour (2022)
Anniversary Tour (2023)
       
Sydney Sprint Sydney Tour (April–May 2021)        
Sydney Sprint 2 Sydney Tour (September 2021)        
Sydney Sprint 3 Anniversary Tour (2022)
Anniversary Tour (2023)
       
Singapore Speedway Singapore Tour        
Singapore Speedway 2 Ocean Tour
Anniversary Tour (2022)
       
Singapore Speedway 3 Winter Tour (2023)        
Amsterdam Drift Amsterdam Tour        
Amsterdam Drift 2 Metropolitan Tour
Anniversary Tour (2022)
       
Amsterdam Drift 3 Peach vs. Bowser Tour (November–December 2022)        
Bangkok Rush Bangkok Tour        
Bangkok Rush 2 Winter Tour (2023)        
Bangkok Rush 3 Winter Tour (2023)        
Athens Dash Spring Tour        
Athens Dash 2 Spring Tour        
Athens Dash 3 Anniversary Tour (2023)        
Rome Avanti Night Tour        
Rome Avanti 2 Night Tour        
Rome Avanti 3 Anniversary Tour (2023)        
Madrid Drive Summer Tour (2023)        
Madrid Drive 2 Summer Tour (2023)        
Madrid Drive 3 Anniversary Tour (2023)        
Other courses

In addition to the city courses are seven original courses that are not based on a real location, one of which has three different routes akin to the game's city courses. Despite the fact that Sky-High Sundae, Yoshi's Island, and Squeaky Clean Sprint officially debuted in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, they are labeled and marketed as new courses for Mario Kart Tour as well, including in internal data.[20]

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Merry Mountain Winter Tour (2020)
Holiday Tour (2021)
       
Ninja Hideaway Ninja Tour (2021)
Mario vs. Peach Tour
       
Sky-High Sundae Sundae Tour (2022)        
Piranha Plant Cove Exploration Tour (2023)        
Piranha Plant Cove 2 Exploration Tour (2023)        
Piranha Plant Cove 3 Mii Tour (2023)        
Yoshi's Island Yoshi Tour (2023)        
Piranha Plant Pipeline Pipe Tour        
Squeaky Clean Sprint Vacation Tour        

Remix

Mario Kart Tour introduces a new category of course called remix courses, which have the "RMX" prefix prepended to their names. These courses have their designs taken from the Super Mario Kart course environments (with the exception of RMX Bowser's Castle 1, which is instead based on GBA Bowser's Castle 1), but feature a completely new layout, with each one centering around a particular obstacle (namely the blocks in RMX Mario Circuit 1, the ramps in the RMX Choco Island courses, the Star Rings in RMX Rainbow Road 1, the Mushroom Trampolines in RMX Rainbow Road 2, the Water Geysers in RMX Vanilla Lake 1, the igloos in RMX Vanilla Lake 2, the stairs in RMX Ghost Valley 1, the conveyor belts in RMX Bowser's Castle 1, and the lily pads in RMX Donut Plains 1). There are ten remix courses in the game.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
RMX Mario Circuit 1 Mario Bros. Tour
Yoshi Tour (2020)
       
RMX Choco Island 1 Flower Tour
Trick Tour (2021)
       
RMX Choco Island 2 Peach vs. Daisy Tour
Doctor Tour (2023)
       
RMX Rainbow Road 1 Super Mario Kart Tour
Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2020)
       
RMX Rainbow Road 2 New Year's 2021 Tour
Space Tour (2021)
       
RMX Vanilla Lake 1 Frost Tour
Sundae Tour (2023)
       
RMX Vanilla Lake 2 Sundae Tour (2023)        
RMX Ghost Valley 1 Kamek Tour
Toad vs. Toadette Tour
       
RMX Bowser's Castle 1 Bowser Tour (2022)
Bowser Tour (2023)
       
RMX Donut Plains 1 Battle Tour        

Classic

There are 72 classic courses in Mario Kart Tour (73 if counting N64 Kalimari Desert 2 separately from N64 Kalimari Desert). There are no classic courses from Mario Kart 8, making this the first mainline Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to not have at least one classic course from every previous mainline Mario Kart game. Despite this, several classic courses that appeared in Mario Kart 8 retain much of their design and layout from that game's version of the course, though others do not. Mario Kart Tour features three fifths of all courses featured in the mainline series prior to Mario Kart 8.

Like in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the finish line banners for certain classic courses use the classic Mario Kart logo. The courses from SNES to GCN, as well as remix courses, use an updated version of the classic logo, while the courses from DS to 3DS, as well as the second section of N64 Kalimari Desert 2 and the second banner in the R/T variant of GCN Baby Park, use the current logo. DK Mountain is an exception to this, as despite it being a GCN course, the banner uses the current logo instead of the updated classic logo.

Super Mario Kart (SNES)

Fifteen courses return from Super Mario Kart, with the only absent courses from this game being Bowser Castle 1, Bowser Castle 2, Koopa Beach 1, Mario Circuit 4, and Ghost Valley 3.

Mario Circuit 1, Choco Island 2, Donut Plains 1, and Koopa Troopa Beach 2 return as classic courses from Mario Kart DS, Ghost Valley 2 and Mario Circuit 3 return from Mario Kart Wii, Mario Circuit 2 and Rainbow Road return from Mario Kart 7 (with Rainbow Road also returning from Mario Kart 8), Donut Plains 3 returns from Mario Kart 8, and Ghost Valley 1, Choco Island 1, Donut Plains 2, Vanilla Lake 1, Bowser Castle 3, and Vanilla Lake 2 make their 3D debut as classic courses.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Mario Circuit 1 New York Tour
Holiday Tour (2019)
       
Donut Plains 1 Hammer Bro Tour
Yoshi Tour (2020)
       
Ghost Valley 1 Halloween Tour (2019)
Valentine's Tour
       
Mario Circuit 2 Tokyo Tour
New Year's Tour (2020)
       
Choco Island 1 Cooking Tour
Autumn Tour (2021)
       
Ghost Valley 2 Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2022)
Halloween Tour (2022)
       
Donut Plains 2 Cat Tour (2021)
Yoshi Tour (2021)
       
Mario Circuit 3 Paris Tour (2019)
Vancouver Tour
       
Choco Island 2 Tokyo Tour
Ice Tour
       
Vanilla Lake 1 Ice Tour
Trick Tour (2020)
       
Bowser Castle 3 Bowser Tour (2023)        
Donut Plains 3 Halloween Tour (2022)        
Koopa Troopa Beach 2 Marine Tour
Sunshine Tour
       
Vanilla Lake 2 Holiday Tour (2021)
Sundae Tour (2023)
       
Rainbow Road Tokyo Tour
Winter Tour (2019)
       
Mario Kart 64 (N64)

Eight courses return from Mario Kart 64, with Frappe Snowland and Choco Mountain returning as classic courses from Mario Kart DS, Mario Raceway returning from Mario Kart Wii, Luigi Raceway, Koopa Troopa Beach, and Kalimari Desert returning from Mario Kart 7, and Royal Raceway and Yoshi Valley returning from Mario Kart 8. This game also notably introduces a second variation of Kalimari Desert known as Kalimari Desert 2, which, despite being a reroute of the original Kalimari Desert new to Mario Kart Tour, is categorized as an N64 course in-game.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Luigi Raceway Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2022)
Mario Tour (2023)
       
Koopa Troopa Beach New York Tour
Vancouver Tour
       
Kalimari Desert Tokyo Tour
Holiday Tour (2019)
       
Kalimari Desert 2 Wild West Tour
Toad vs. Toadette Tour
       
Frappe Snowland Ice Tour
Vancouver Tour
       
Choco Mountain Exploration Tour (2020)
Wedding Tour
       
Mario Raceway Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2023)        
Royal Raceway Peach Tour
Yoshi Tour (2021)
       
Yoshi Valley Yoshi Tour (2022)
Yoshi Tour (2023)
       
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)

Fourteen courses return from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, with the only absent courses from this game being Shy Guy Beach, Mario Circuit, Cheese Land, Ribbon Road, Broken Pier, and Rainbow Road.

Peach Circuit, Bowser's Castle 2, Luigi Circuit, and Sky Garden return as classic courses from Mario Kart DS, Bowser's Castle 3 returns from Mario Kart Wii, Bowser's Castle 1 returns from Mario Kart 7, Snow Land returns from the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, and Riverside Park, Boo Lake, Cheep-Cheep Island, Sunset Wilds, Yoshi Desert, Lakeside Park, and Bowser's Castle 4 make their debut as classic courses.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Peach Circuit Princess Tour        
Riverside Park Animal Tour        
Bowser's Castle 1 New York Tour
London Tour
       
Boo Lake Halloween Tour (2022)        
Bowser's Castle 2 Hammer Bro Tour
Trick Tour (2020)
       
Luigi Circuit Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2023)        
Sky Garden Sky Tour
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Cheep-Cheep Island Summer Tour (2021)
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Sunset Wilds Sunset Tour
Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2020)
       
Snow Land Holiday Tour (2022)        
Yoshi Desert Yoshi Tour (2023)        
Bowser's Castle 3 Bowser Tour (2022)
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Lakeside Park Sunshine Tour        
Bowser's Castle 4 Bowser Tour (2023) (N and R variants)
N/A (T variant)
N/A
    N/A N/A
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)

Seven courses return from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, with Mushroom Bridge returning as a classic course from Mario Kart DS, Waluigi Stadium and DK Mountain returning from Mario Kart Wii (with Waluigi Stadium also returning from the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass), Daisy Cruiser and Dino Dino Jungle returning from Mario Kart 7, and Baby Park and Yoshi Circuit returning from both Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 8.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Baby Park Cat Tour (2022)
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Mushroom Bridge Mii Tour (2023)        
Daisy Cruiser Ocean Tour
Sunshine Tour
       
Waluigi Stadium Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2023)        
Yoshi Circuit New York Tour
London Tour
       
DK Mountain Animal Tour        
Dino Dino Jungle New York Tour
Valentine's Tour
       
Mario Kart DS (DS)

Seven courses return from Mario Kart DS, with Peach Gardens returning as a classic course from Mario Kart Wii, Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, DK Pass, and Airship Fortress returning from Mario Kart 7, Shroom Ridge returning from the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, and Mario Circuit making its debut as a classic course.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Luigi's Mansion Halloween Tour (2019)
London Tour
       
Waluigi Pinball Halloween Tour (2019)
Valentine's Tour
       
Shroom Ridge Doctor Tour (2023)        
DK Pass Winter Tour (2019)
Ice Tour
       
Mario Circuit Mario Tour (2023)        
Airship Fortress Pirate Tour
Trick Tour (2021)
       
Peach Gardens Peach vs. Bowser Tour (November–December 2022)        
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Nine courses return from Mario Kart Wii, with the only absent courses from this game being Luigi Circuit, Moo Moo Meadows, Toad's Factory, Mario Circuit, Wario's Gold Mine, Grumble Volcano, and Bowser's Castle.

Mushroom Gorge, Coconut Mall, Koopa Cape, and Maple Treeway return as classic courses from Mario Kart 7 (with Coconut Mall also returning from the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass), while DK Summit, Daisy Circuit, Dry Dry Ruins, Moonview Highway, and Rainbow Road make their debut as classic courses.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Mushroom Gorge Mii Tour (2022)
Mii Tour (2023)
       
Coconut Mall Doctor Tour (2022)
Doctor Tour (2023)
       
DK Summit Snow Tour
Holiday Tour (2022)
       
Daisy Circuit Princess Tour        
Koopa Cape Peach vs. Bowser Tour (May 2022)
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Maple Treeway Halloween Tour (2020)
Autumn Tour (2021)
       
Dry Dry Ruins Ninja Tour (2023)        
Moonview Highway Night Tour        
Rainbow Road Space Tour (2023)        
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

Twelve courses return from Mario Kart 7, with the only absent courses from this game being Wuhu Loop, Music Park, Maka Wuhu, and DK Jungle.

Piranha Plant Slide and Neo Bowser City return as classic courses from Mario Kart 8, while the remaining courses make their debut as classic courses.

Course Debut tour
R/T debut tour
Normal version R variation T variation R/T variation
Toad Circuit New York Tour
New Year's Tour (2020)
       
Daisy Hills New York Tour
Winter Tour (2019)
       
Cheep Cheep Lagoon New York Tour
Holiday Tour (2019)
       
Shy Guy Bazaar New York Tour
Ice Tour
       
Mario Circuit Tokyo Tour
Winter Tour (2019)
       
Rock Rock Mountain New York Tour
N/A
      N/A
Piranha Plant Slide Piranha Plant Tour
New Year's Tour (2023)
       
Wario Shipyard Wario vs. Waluigi Tour
Samurai Tour
       
Neo Bowser City Tokyo Tour
New Year's Tour (2020)
       
Rosalina's Ice World Rosalina Tour
Space Tour (2021)
       
Bowser's Castle New Year's 2022 Tour
Samurai Tour
       
Rainbow Road Holiday Tour (2019)
Baby Rosalina Tour
       

Battle courses

There are five battle courses in the game, consisting of two new courses and three returning from previous installments, including one each from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart DS. Similar to the battle courses in Mario Kart 8, the new battle courses are repurposed from their corresponding city courses, albeit with more restricted pathways that can be taken. Among the returning courses, Cookie Land and Twilight House return as classic battle courses from Mario Kart Wii while Battle Course 1 returns from Mario Kart 7. Rather than each battle course having unique background music, they all use Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's arrangement of SNES Battle Course 1's music.

New Classic
Course Debut tour Image Course Debut tour Image
New York Minute B Autumn Tour (2022)   GBA Battle Course 1 Battle Tour  
Paris Promenade B Spring Tour   GCN Cookie Land Battle Tour  
DS Twilight House Halloween Tour (2022)  

Tours

Main article: List of tours in Mario Kart Tour

Each tour consists of a series of cups, with each cup containing three courses and a bonus challenge. The featured character of the cup has the preference for every course in it increased by one tier. There are also special Team Rally tours that happen once every six or seven tours, during which all drivers are divided into two teams. Each team has a team captain, which is the driver the team is named after. At the start of a Team Rally tour, the player must choose one of the two teams to join. During a Team Rally, players can collect team tokens on courses, with the winning team being whichever collects the most total team tokens by the end of the tour.

# Tour Dates Week 1 spotlights Week 1/2 spotlights Week 2 spotlights Ranked cups Spotlight course
1 New York Tour September 25, 2019 - October 8, 2019             
2 Tokyo Tour October 9, 2019 - October 22, 2019             
3 Halloween Tour (2019) October 23, 2019 - November 5, 2019             
4 Paris Tour (2019) November 6, 2019 - November 19, 2019             
5 Winter Tour (2019) November 20, 2019 - December 3, 2019             
6 London Tour December 4, 2019 - December 17, 2019             
7 Holiday Tour (2019) December 18, 2019 - December 31, 2019             
8 New Year's Tour (2020) January 1, 2020 - January 14, 2020             
9 Ice Tour January 15, 2020 - January 28, 2020             
10 Valentine's Tour January 29, 2020 - February 11, 2020             
11 Vancouver Tour February 12, 2020 - February 25, 2020             
12 Mario Bros. Tour February 26, 2020 - March 10, 2020             
13 Baby Rosalina Tour March 11, 2020 - March 24, 2020             
14 Hammer Bro Tour March 25, 2020 - April 7, 2020             
15 Yoshi Tour (2020) April 8, 2020 - April 21, 2020                
16 Trick Tour (2020) April 22, 2020 - May 5, 2020             
17 Flower Tour May 6, 2020 - May 19, 2020              
18 Jungle Tour May 20, 2020 - June 2, 2020             
19 Cooking Tour June 3, 2020 - June 16, 2020                
20 Peach Tour June 17, 2020 - June 30, 2020               
21 Marine Tour July 1, 2020 - July 14, 2020             
22 Exploration Tour (2020) July 15, 2020 - July 28, 2020             
23 Wild West Tour July 29, 2020 - August 11, 2020             
24 Pirate Tour August 12, 2020 - August 25, 2020               
25 Summer Festival Tour August 26, 2020 - September 8, 2020                   
26 Super Mario Kart Tour September 9, 2020 - September 22, 2020             
27 Los Angeles Tour (2020) September 23, 2020 - October 6, 2020                
28 1st Anniversary Tour October 7, 2020 - October 20, 2020                 
29 Halloween Tour (2020) October 21, 2020 - November 3, 2020             
30 Sunset Tour November 4, 2020 - November 17, 2020                 
31 Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2020) November 18, 2020 - December 1, 2020                   
32 Winter Tour (2020) December 2, 2020 - December 15, 2020                
33 Rosalina Tour December 16, 2020 - December 29, 2020                   
34 New Year's 2021 Tour December 30, 2020 - January 12, 2021                         
35 Berlin Tour January 13, 2021 - January 26, 2021               
36 Cat Tour (2021) January 27, 2021 - February 9, 2021             
37 Peach vs. Daisy Tour February 10, 2021 - February 23, 2021                   
38 Snow Tour February 24, 2021 - March 9, 2021                   
39 Mario Tour (2021) March 10, 2021 - March 23, 2021                   
40 Yoshi Tour (2021) March 24, 2021 - April 6, 2021                    
41 Ninja Tour (2021) April 7, 2021 - April 20, 2021                
42 Sydney Tour (April–May 2021) April 21, 2021 - May 4, 2021                
43 Bowser vs. DK Tour May 5, 2021 - May 18, 2021                   
44 Trick Tour (2021) May 19, 2021 - June 1, 2021               
45 Wedding Tour June 2, 2021 - June 15, 2021                   
46 Paris Tour (2021) June 16, 2021 - June 29, 2021                
47 Summer Tour (2021) June 30, 2021 - July 13, 2021                
48 Los Angeles Tour (2021) July 14, 2021 - July 27, 2021                 
49 Mario vs. Peach Tour July 28, 2021 - August 10, 2021                    
50 Frost Tour August 11, 2021 - August 24, 2021                
51 Kamek Tour August 25, 2021 - September 7, 2021                
52 Sydney Tour (September 2021) September 8, 2021 - September 21, 2021                
53 2nd Anniversary Tour September 22, 2021 - October 5, 2021                 
54 Autumn Tour (2021) October 6, 2021 - October 19, 2021                
55 Halloween Tour (2021) October 20, 2021 - November 2, 2021                
56 Toad vs. Toadette Tour November 3, 2021 - November 16, 2021                    
57 Space Tour (2021) November 17, 2021 - November 30, 2021                   
58 Holiday Tour (2021) December 1, 2021 - December 14, 2021                   
59 Penguin Tour December 15, 2021 - December 28, 2021                   
60 New Year's 2022 Tour December 29, 2021 - January 11, 2022                   
61 Singapore Tour January 12, 2022 - January 25, 2022                   
62 Wario vs. Waluigi Tour January 26, 2022 - February 8, 2022                    
63 Los Angeles Tour (2022) February 9, 2022 - February 22, 2022              
64 Sky Tour February 23, 2022 - March 8, 2022                   
65 Mii Tour (2022) March 9, 2022 - March 22, 2022                   
66 Samurai Tour March 23, 2022 - April 5, 2022                
67 Yoshi Tour (2022) April 6, 2022 - April 19, 2022                   
68 Amsterdam Tour April 20, 2022 - May 3, 2022                
69 Doctor Tour (2022) May 4, 2022 - May 17, 2022             
70 Peach vs. Bowser Tour (May 2022) May 18, 2022 - May 31, 2022                   
71 Cat Tour (2022) June 1, 2022 - June 14, 2022                   
72 Metropolitan Tour June 15, 2022 - June 28, 2022                    
73 Bangkok Tour June 29, 2022 - July 12, 2022                
74 Piranha Plant Tour July 13, 2022 - July 26, 2022                
75 Ocean Tour July 27, 2022 - August 9, 2022                   
76 Sundae Tour (2022) August 10, 2022 - August 23, 2022                   
77 Bowser Tour (2022) August 24, 2022 - September 6, 2022                      
78 Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2022) September 7, 2022 - September 20, 2022                   
79 Anniversary Tour (2022) September 21, 2022 - October 4, 2022                         
80 Battle Tour October 5, 2022 - October 18, 2022           
106 October 4, 2023 - October 17, 2023
81 Halloween Tour (2022) October 19, 2022 - November 1, 2022           
107 October 18, 2023 - October 31, 2023
82 Autumn Tour (2022) November 2, 2022 - November 15, 2022           
108 November 1, 2023 - November 14, 2023
83 Animal Tour November 16, 2022 - November 29, 2022            
109 November 15, 2023 - November 28, 2023
84 Peach vs. Bowser Tour (November–December 2022) November 30, 2022 - December 13, 2022            
85 Holiday Tour (2022) December 14, 2022 - December 27, 2022             
86 New Year's Tour (2023) December 28, 2022 - January 10, 2023           
87 Space Tour (2023) January 11, 2023 - January 24, 2023           
88 Winter Tour (2023) January 25, 2023 - February 7, 2023             
89 Exploration Tour (2023) February 8, 2023 - February 21, 2023             
90 Doctor Tour (2023) February 22, 2023 - March 7, 2023             
91 Mario Tour (2023) March 8, 2023 - March 21, 2023               
92 Ninja Tour (2023) March 22, 2023 - April 4, 2023             
93 Yoshi Tour (2023) April 5, 2023 - April 18, 2023            
94 Spring Tour April 19, 2023 - May 2, 2023             
95 Bowser Tour (2023) May 3, 2023 - May 16, 2023           
96 Mii Tour (2023) May 17, 2023 - May 30, 2023           
97 Princess Tour May 31, 2023 - June 13, 2023             
98 Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2023) June 14, 2023 - June 27, 2023              
99 Night Tour June 28, 2023 - July 11, 2023             
100 Pipe Tour July 12, 2023 - July 25, 2023                
101 Sunshine Tour July 26, 2023 - August 8, 2023             
102 Vacation Tour August 9, 2023 - August 22, 2023            
103 Summer Tour (2023) August 23, 2023 - September 5, 2023              
104 Sundae Tour (2023) September 6, 2023 - September 19, 2023             
105 Anniversary Tour (2023) September 20, 2023 - October 3, 2023           

Drivers

Main article: List of drivers in Mario Kart Tour
See also: Mario Kart Tour in-game statistics

Counting each Mii Racing Suit separately, there are 265 playable characters in Mario Kart Tour, the largest number of playable characters in a Super Mario game. Notable new playable characters to the Mario Kart series include Peachette, Pauline, Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, Ice Bro, Monty Mole, Dixie Kong, Captain Toad, Nabbit, King Bob-omb, Kamek, Chargin' Chuck, and Poochy, with Ice Bro and King Bob-omb also making their first appearances overall as playable characters. Some characters return as playable to the series after being absent from multiple installments: Donkey Kong Jr. is playable for the first time since Super Mario Kart, Petey Piranha is playable for the first time since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Diddy Kong, Birdo, and Funky Kong are playable for the first time since Mario Kart Wii. Excluding characters not from the Super Mario franchise, only two playable characters from previous mainline Mario Kart games do not return in Mario Kart Tour, namely Koopa Paratroopa from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Honey Queen from Mario Kart 7.

Miis also return from previous Mario Kart games, debuting in the 2022 Mii Tour. Like in Mario Kart 8, they have a multitude of different racing suits they can wear; however, each suit now has its own special skill. There are 65 suits, with at least one new suit being added in each tour from the 2022 Mii Tour until the 2023 Anniversary Tour.

Upon launching the game for the first time, players will be given either Toad or Toadette. After the tutorial, they are granted a free pipe launch which grants Peachette, Metal Mario, or Dry Bowser.[21][22] The Red Mii Racing Suit is also given as a free gift for players. Gold Mario is the only playable character in Coin Rush mode, which was the only mode in which he was playable until the 2023 Anniversary Tour; he has the unique ability to draw in nearby coins to himself, with this having a larger radius in Coin Rush than otherwise.

Unlike in other Mario Kart games, characters are sorted by the rarity of unlocking them. There are three tiers of rarity: Normal, Super, and High-End. While the Normal characters are easier to unlock, rarer characters have a greater number of starting points and have more favored and favorite courses.

The only differences between drivers in the main statistics affect acceleration and weight, and depend on the driver's size class.[23]

 
The driver selection screen as it appears in-game as of the Pipe Tour

Karts, gliders, and tires

Main articles: List of karts in Mario Kart Tour, List of gliders in Mario Kart Tour, Tire § Mario Kart Tour|Tire § Mario Kart Tour|Tire § Mario Kart Tour

There are a total of 336 karts and 225 gliders in Mario Kart Tour, the most of any Mario Kart game. Several karts and gliders return from previous installments, though new ones also appear alongside variants of existing ones; these variants share their in-game model, differing by textures, and are grouped together within the internal files. Like drivers, karts and gliders are organized by three tiers of rarity: Normal, Super, and High-End. Each kart and glider has its own special skill that provides specific benefits during a race; karts give bonus points for performing a particular technique while gliders increase the chance of obtaining a particular item from Item Boxes as well as the points gained from using that item. Each kart and glider also has its own favored and favorite courses, and using a kart or glider on such courses increases their bonus points multiplier, or combo bonus and combo-time, respectively.

Unlike in Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, tires are not customizable, being set to a specific kart, and have no effect on stats.

In battle mode, a new feature allows the player to customize their balloons that appear during the match. However, unlike karts and gliders, these balloon designs are purely aesthetic. There are currently 34 balloon designs in Mario Kart Tour.

 
The kart selection screen as it appears in-game as of the Pipe Tour
 
The glider selection screen as it appears in-game as of the Pipe Tour

Items

Frenzy

Main article: Frenzy

Depending on the selected driver and course they are used on, players can get one to three items at once. In the case that a character gets three of the same item, they will activate the new Frenzy Mode, in which they immediately activate Super Star power, and can charge all the Mini-Turbo stages much more quickly and can use unlimited supplies of the respective item until the invincibility runs out. Any item can appear in Frenzy Mode, except for the Star, which is exclusive to certain bonus challenges.

The probability of obtaining a Frenzy depends on the current position and lap and on the driver chosen. In particular, the current position and lap define a base probability that is then summed to a bonus depending on the rarity and skill level of the driver chosen. The resulting probability is capped at 50%, even if the sum exceeds said value.

The following is the base probability of a Frenzy in single player races used in the 2020 Halloween Tour:[24]

Base probability of a Frenzy in single-player races
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
First lap 5 6 7 9 13 15 18 22
Second lap or higherc 6 7 11 12 18 22 29 41

Multiplayer races use different Frenzy probabilities:[25]

Base probability of a Frenzy in multiplayer races
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
First lap 1 2 4 6 10 14 17 21
Second lap or higherc 3 4 8 9 15 22 32 50

c - On 3DS Rainbow Road and its variants, the second lap probabilities are applied from the second segment onward.

Item Box items

Items function mostly the same as in previous installments in the series. As in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, every character has their own special item that most other characters cannot obtain. By upgrading drivers to certain levels, they can obtain improved special items: Normal drivers to level 7, Super drivers to level 5 or higher, and High-End drivers to level 4 or higher.

The game introduces eleven new items to the series: the Double Bob-ombs, the Ice Flower, the Bubble, the Banana Barrels, the Mushroom Cannon, the Coin Box, the Dash Ring, the Bob-omb Cannon, the Giga Bob-omb, the Super Bell, and the Capsule, all of which are character-exclusive items. Several items also return in this game after a long absence from the series, including Bowser's Shell, Yoshi's Egg/Birdo's Egg, the Giant Banana, the Heart, and the Mega Mushroom from Mario Kart Wii; the former four (from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) are all special items, while the lattermost is a regular item. Additionally, the Hammer item from the Mario Kart Arcade GP series appears in this game for the first time in a non-arcade Mario Kart game as a special item, though its functions are different. The Lucky Seven and Super Leaf, which were both absent in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, also return in this game as special items.

The probabilities used in single player mode outside of Frenzies are reported. It is possible that the first item boxes of the races use different probabilities. The probability of common items can be increased by using gliders with the respective item skill. The actual probability is calculated as (item probability + glider bonus)/(sum of the probabilities of the eligible items); when no item can be obtained, a Coin is obtained instead. For the detailed probabilities of obtaining an item when an Item Box is opened, see Mario Kart Tour item probability distributions.

Image Name Description Drivers Single player base probability
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
  Banana "Don't let this one give you the slip! Your kart will spin out if you hit one. You can carry one behind your kart to protect yourself from a single attack." All 35 12 20 15 0 0 0 0
  Triple Bananas "Three bananas revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw them all at once and they'll land all lined up in a nice, tidy row!"           20 15 35 30 25 0 0 0
Triple Bananas+ "Improved Triple Bananas. The appearance rate of Triple Bananas increases, and the chance to get Triple Bananas in a frenzy is slightly increased as well. The bananas revolve arround your kart at a faster rate and provide better coverage for defense."
  Giant Banana "Not only does this big banana spin out karts that hit it, but after being struck it breaks into three regular-sized Bananas. The only banana split you'll be sad to see!"              20 15 35 30 25 0 0 0
Giant Banana+ "Improved Giant Banana. The appearance rate of Giant Bananas increases, and the chance to get a Giant Banana in a frenzy is slightly increased as well. It splits into an additional banana."
  Green Shell "Flies straight and crashes any kart it hits. Keep it behind your kart to protect yourself from a single attack." All 20 15 20 18 8 8 0 0
  Triple Green Shells "Three Green Shells revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw all of them at once and they'll fly in a straight line."            0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Triple Green Shells+ "Improved Triple Green Shells. The appearance rate of Triple Green Shells, as well the chance of a Triple Green Shells frenzy, slightly increases. The shells revolve around your kart at a faster rate and provide better coverage for defense."
  Red Shell "Homes in on a kart in front of you and crashes whatever it hits. Keep it behind your kart to protect yourself from a single attack." All 0 48 20 20 25 17 0 0
  Spiny Shell "Chases down the kart in 1st place, crashing through anyone it hits before reaching its target. This will make you regret being in 1st place! Or even near the kart in 1st place..." All
(Does not appear in Battle Mode)
0 0 0 0 5 5 3 0
  Bowser's Shell "This big ol' shell on loan from Bowser will crash any karts it hits and keep on going. It can only be thrown forward."        0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Bowser's Shell+ "Improved Bowser's Shell. The shell is bigger and a little better at tracking opponents."
  Bob-omb "This will walk towards opponents who get too close, and then explode when it touches a kart or when some time has passed. Karts caught in its blast will crash. In Battles, it explodes on impact with the ground or a wall." All 1 3 10 15 10 10 0 0
  Double Bob-ombs (new) "Two Bob-ombs will revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw them both at once. Two is better than one, right?"                    0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Double Bob-ombs+ "Improved Double Bob-ombs. You get an additional Bob-omb."
  Mushroom "This classic item gives your kart a speed boost. Doesn't get much simpler than that! In Battles, you can cause your opponents to crash by ramming into them while boosted." All 5 12 25 29 20 25 30 21
  Triple Mushrooms "Why use just one Mushroom when you can use three? Tap the screen to use them all at once for a longer-lasting speed boost."              0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Triple Mushrooms+ "Improved Triple Mushrooms. The appearance rate of Triple Mushrooms increases and boost last a bit longer."
  Mega Mushroom "Increases your kart's size, allowing you to crash any opponents you hit. You'll return to regular size after some time or when you're hit by an item." All
(Does not appear in Battle Mode)
0 0 0 0 27 30 40 30
  Bullet Bill "Transforms you into a Bullet Bill for a set amount of time. You'll dash forward with all the power of a Bullet Bill and crash any opponents that you hit." All
(Does not appear in Battle Mode)
0 0 0 0 0 0 25 40
  Blooper "Squirts ink onto the karts in a higher position than yours, blinding the other drivers for a set amount of time. You can wipe the ink off by swiping the screen." All 0 0 0 3 5 5 0 0
  Lightning "Calls down lightning to spin out your opponents and destroy the items they hold. Those struck will be smaller and slower for a set amount of time." All
(Does not appear in Battle Mode)
0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9
  Fire Flower "Three fireballs will revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw them all at once, spinning out any kart they hit. You're really burning up the track now!"                   0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Fire Flower+ "Improved Fire Flower. The chance to get a Fire Flower in a frenzy is slightly increased, and you'll get an additional fireball to help strike your opponents."
  Boomerang Flower "Tap the screen to throw a boomerang. Not only will it spin out any karts it hits, but it will collect any surrounding coins for you too. In Battles, it will break if it hits a wall."                     0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Boomerang Flower+ "Improved Boomerang Flower. The chance to get a Boomerang Flower in a frenzy is slightly increased and you'll get one additional boomerang. Once obtained, the boomerangs will revolve around your kart and provide coverage for defense."
  Ice Flower (new) "Three balls of ice will revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw them all at once and they'll freeze any kart they hit, causing them to slide."              0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Ice Flower+ "Improved Ice Flower. The chance to get an Ice Flower in a Frenzy is slightly increased, and you'll get one additional ice ball for a better chance of striking your opponents."
  Super Horn "The loudness of this horn will blow away any surrounding items and karts. It can repel Bloopers, and even Spiny Shells!" All 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  Coin "This gives you two Coins. It's used automatically once you pick it up." All 35 10 5 0 0 0 0 0
  Heart "This protective Heart revolves around your kart for a set amount of time, shielding you from attacks. It will vanish upon taking damage. You can stack up to five at once."              0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Heart+ "Improved Heart. After use, you immediately get an additional Heart that lasts for six seconds."
  Yoshi's Egg "Homes in on the kart in front of you and crashes once it hits. Three more items will fly out when it breaks. It's the item that keeps on giving!"         0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Yoshi's Egg+ "Improved Yoshi's Egg. The egg is bigger and it releases four items."
  Birdo's Egg "Homes in on the kart in front of you and crashes once it hits. Three more items will fly out when it breaks. It's the item that keeps on giving!"        0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Birdo's Egg+ "Improved Birdo's Egg. The egg is bigger and it releases four items."
  Bubble (new) "Briefly envelops your kart and protects you from damage for a set time. While in the bubble, you will get a speed boost and float in the air. Watch out, because it will vanish upon taking damage! In Battles, it can float you over walls."         0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Bubble+ "Improved Bubble. The speed of the bubble is increased."
  Banana Barrels (new) "Arm your kart with two fully-loaded barrels of Bananas! Continually shoots out Bananas in front of your kart for a set time."     0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Banana Barrels+ "Improved Banana Barrels. There's a chance that a Giant Banana will be fired instead of a Banana."
  Mushroom Cannon (new) "A cannon designed to resemble a Mushroom. Continually shoots out Mushrooms in front of your kart for a set time."              0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Mushroom Cannon+ "Improved Mushroom Cannon. Mushrooms are fired in three directions."
  Lucky Seven "Seven items (Red Shell, Banana, Green Shell, Bob-omb, Super Horn, Mushroom, and Blooper) revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to use all seven items at once."                    0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Lucky Seven+ "Improved Lucky Seven. The chance to get a Lucky Seven in a frenzy is slightly increased. Three coins will appear in addition to the seven items."
  Coin Box (new) "A box with a golden sheen. Generates a large amount of Coins in front of your kart for a set time."                        
  (Coin Rush)
20 15 35 30 25 0 0 0
Coin Box+ "Improved Coin Box. There's a chance that red coins will appear."
  Dash Ring (new) "Tosses out three rings in front of you along the track. Pass through them for a speed boost! In Battles, you can cause your opponents to crash by ramming into them while boosted."                   0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Dash Ring+ "Improved Dash Ring. The chance to get a Dash Ring in a frenzy is slightly increased. Two additional rings are tossed in front of you, and the speed boost when passing through a ring lasts a bit longer."
  Bob-omb Cannon (new) "A dangerous cannon fueled by red-hot coals! Continually shoots out Bob-ombs in front of your kart for a set time."               0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Bob-omb Cannon+ "Improved Bob-omb Cannon. Two cannons that each fire one Bob-omb at a time are equipped."
  Hammer "Throws multiple Hammers in an arc aimed at karts in front of yours."           0 30 20 25 35 15 0 0
Hammer+ "Improved Hammer. The chance to get a Hammer in a frenzy is slightly increased. There are two additional hammers, widening the strike zone."
  Giga Bob-omb (new) "This giga-sized Bob-omb can only be thrown forward. after being thrown, it will explode after hitting a kart or bouncing 3 times. It has a larger blast radius than a standard Bob-omb. In Battles, it explodes after bouncing twice."         0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Giga Bob-omb+ "Improved Giga Bob-omb. The Giga Bob-omb is bigger and its blast radius is a bit wider."
  Super Bell (new) "A bell rings above the driver, knocking away nearby karts and items. The bell rings three consecutive times."        0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Super Bell+ "Improved Super Bell. The bell rings one additional time, and the chance to get a Super Bell in a Frenzy is slightly increased as well."
  Super Leaf "Wag the Tanooki tail to attack nearby opponents. The tail will collect any surrounding coins for you while it's wagging!"     0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Super Leaf+ "Improved Super Leaf. Kart speed is increased while tail is wagging."
  Capsule (new) "Three colorful capsules surround your kart. They'll bounce at opponents when thrown."      0 0 15 35 40 30 30 0
Capsule+ "Improved capsule. You get an additional capsule, and they're a little bigger too."
  Feather "Jump over items and walls. You'll get a speed boost upon landing, which you can use to ram into your opponents to cause them to crash." All
(Only appears in Battle Mode)
  Super Star "Turns you invincible for a time. Your kart will be faster and any karts you hit will crash." All
(In single-player, appears in certain bonus challenges and Frenzy mode in normal races. In multiplayer, appears in rulesets with less than 3 item slots, and Frenzy mode in rulesets with 3 item slots. Does not appear in Battle Mode.)
N/A

Inventory items

These items are collected throughout the course of the game through various means, such as challenges, log-in bonuses, and Tour Gifts.

Image Name Description
      Coin Coins gathered during races are used to purchase items and characters in shops. Only 300 coins (or 600 coins for Gold Pass subscribers) can be obtained in normal races per day. Players can obtain additional coins from challenge rewards, Coin Rush, and other methods once the cap has been reached.
     
     
Ruby Special currency used to play Coin Rush without the Coin Rush ticket or purchase drivers, karts and gliders from the Spotlight Shop.
  Event token Special currency used in Token Shops.
             Team token Special currency used in Team Rallies and Token Shops.
  Grand Star Rewards from achieving specified race scores and completing challenges. The more Grand Stars a player obtains, the more cups they can participate in and the more presents they can receive in each tour. If all of the tour gifts have been opened, coins will be awarded instead. Once a tour ends, the total number of Grand Stars resets to zero.
  Item ticket Allows the player to instantaneously receive an Item Box during normal races. Only one ticket can be used per race.
    Point-boost ticket Provides 50 experience points to the base points of drivers, karts or gliders. If the base points of a driver, kart or glider are already at maximum, no more point-boost tickets can be used.
   
   
   
Level-boost ticket Increases the skill level of drivers, karts or gliders by one unit. The type of ticket must match the rarity. If the skill level of a driver, kart or glider is already Level 8, no more level-boost tickets can be used.
   
   
   
Points-cap ticket Increases the cap of the base points of drivers, karts or gliders. The type of ticket must match the rarity. If the maximum base points of a driver, kart or glider can no longer be unlocked, no more points-cap tickets can be used.
  Coin Rush ticket Allows players to participate in the Coin Rush mode of the current Tour once without spending Rubies.
  Star ticket Grants a Grand Star.
  Quick ticket Subtracts a day out of the remaining time needed to unlock locked cups of the current tour, or changes the content of the Daily Selects or Spotlight Shop.
        Balloon Item used in Battles.

Course elements

It has been requested that this section be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: include more course, bonus challenges and Coin Rush appearances

Interactable course elements

The following table lists elements that slow racers down, crash them, offer them a Jump Boost and/or simply give them bonus points when interacted with in a certain way. For ways to interact with these elements for bonus points, see Mario Kart Tour race points system § Object interactions.

Note: Statements that an obstacle causes drivers to crash, spin out, or otherwise slow down on contact typically hold only when said drivers are in a default state. In most cases, drivers are unaffected by obstacles if they are undergoing invincibility frames or are under the effects of a Frenzy, Mega Mushroom, Bullet Bill, or Super Star. The only obstacles that can still slow drivers down regardless of their state are those that are solid objects and cannot be taken out by any means (bumpers, flippers, Walking Trees, windmills etc.).

Subject Location Description Can give bonus points
 
Anchor
3DS Wario Shipyard, R, T, R/T An obstacle that swings back and forth and acts like a wall. Yes
 
Asteroid
SNES Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T Asteroids appear in the background of Rainbow Road courses. They act as minor obstacles that can block the player's path in 3DS Rainbow Road and RMX Rainbow Road 1's gliding sections. No
Wii Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
3DS Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 1, R. T, R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 2, R. T, R/T
 
Ball of Fire
DS Mario Circuit, R, T A fiery projectile spit out by Fire Piranha Plants. Any driver hit by a Ball of Fire spins out. Yes
 
Banzai Bill
DS Airship Fortress, R, T A larger variant of Bullet Bills that travels in a straight line. When a driver collides with a Banzai Bill, they spin out. Yes
Wii Moonview Highway (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
 
Barrel
DS Airship Fortress R, R/T An obstacle that breaks upon collision with a racer, slowing them down. Yes
Wii Mushroom Gorge (Break Item Boxes)
3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon (Break Item Boxes)
3DS Wario Shipyard, R, T
London Loop, R, T
London Loop 2, R, T
London Loop 3, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway 3, R, T, R/T
Rome Avanti 2, R, T, R/T
 
Barrel Bomb
SNES Mario Circuit 1 (Goomba Takedown) An explosive object that can be triggered by throwing a projectile or by driving into it. Upon exploding, a Barrel Bomb will also cause other Barrel Bombs within range to detonate and defeat any nearby Goombas. Some Barrel Bombs stand on the ground, while others float or fly using propellers. Yes
GBA Bowser's Castle 2, R, T
GBA Sky Garden (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GCN Dino Dino Jungle (Goomba Takedown)
DS Luigi's Mansion (Goomba Takedown)
DS DK Pass (Goomba Takedown)
DS Airship Fortress (Goomba Takedown)
Wii Maple Treeway (Goomba Takedown)
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Rock Rock Mountain (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Neo Bowser City (Goomba Takedown)
London Loop 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
RMX Rainbow Road 2 (Goomba Takedown)
 
Bath Bomb
Squeaky Clean Sprint, R An underwater object. It releases a soapy cloud that gives drivers a Jump Boost. Yes
 
Big egg
N64 Yoshi Valley, R, T A large egg that spins and moves in a circle, crashing any driver that comes into contact with it. Yes
 
Blimp
GBA Luigi Circuit, R, T, R/T A blimp that flies around the course in all variants of GBA Luigi Circuit and GBA Sky Garden, the normal and T variants of Singapore Speedway, and all variants of Singapore Speedway 2. In the R and R/T variants of Singapore Speedway, it is stationary and allows for racers to perform Jump Boosts on it. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
GBA Sky Garden, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway 2, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway 3, R, T, R/T
 
Bob-omb Car
GCN Mushroom Bridge, T A car resembling a Bob-omb that explodes on contact. Racers can get a Jump Boost if they land on it. Yes
Wii Moonview Highway, T
 
Bone Piranha Plant
SNES Bowser Castle 3, R, T, R/T A skeletal Piranha Plant that lunges at drivers, spinning them out if it reaches them. Yes
GBA Bowser's Castle 4R
 
Boost Ring
Singapore Speedway An object that appears in gliding sections and gives drivers speed boosts. Yes
Singapore Speedway 2T
Singapore Speedway 3T
 
Boulder
Sydney Sprint 3, R, T, R/T An upright obstacle found in grassy portions of the course. It slows down drivers who collide with it. Yes
 
Bumper
DS Waluigi Pinball, R, T, R/T An object that bounces metal balls and racers off when they collide with it. Some bumpers are stationary, while others move around in circles. Racers can perform a Jump Boost by bouncing on top of a bumper, which is possible in DS Waluigi Pinball T after they drive off a ramp. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
 
Burner
DS Airship Fortress, R, T, R/T A flame-throwing object that slowly moves back and forth, burning and spinning out any drivers that touch its flame. No
 
Bus
GCN Mushroom Bridge, R A large vehicle. In GCN Mushroom Bridge, buses moves down the road along with the rest of the traffic, causing drivers to simply lose some speed when run into. In GCN Mushroom Bridge R, they are stationed on the side of the road. Yes
 
Cannon
N64 Yoshi Valley A large cannon that launches drivers to a much farther portion of a track while activating their gliders. In N64 Yoshi Valley, GCN DK Mountain, Wii DK Summit, and Wii Maple Treeway, cannons take the form of a Barrel Cannon. In DS Waluigi Pinball, one appears in the form of a pinball launcher. In DS Airship Fortress, it appears as a regular ship cannon. In Wii Rainbow Road, it appears as a large Star Ring with a rainbow tunnel. In 3DS Rainbow Road R and Singapore Speedway T, it takes the form of a blue and gray metallic version of a Barrel Cannon. In Vancouver Velocity 2 and the normal and T variants of Singapore Speedway, they take the form of red and blue circus cannons, respectively. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
GCN DK Mountain, R, T, R/T
DS Waluigi Pinball, R, T, R/T
DS Airship Fortress, R, R/T
Wii DK Summit, R, T, R/T
Wii Maple Treeway, R, T
Wii Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
3DS Rainbow Road R
Vancouver Velocity 2, R
Singapore Speedway, R, T
Athens Dash, R, T
Athens Dash 2R
 
Car
GCN Mushroom Bridge, R, T, R/T A course element with different colors and a taxi variant. In most of their appearances, they are stationary, and racers can perform a Jump Boost by bouncing on top of them. In Wii Coconut Mall, two cars appear at the end of the course moving back and forth while other cars appear in the background in the parking lot; in Berlin Byways 3 and Berlin Byways R, cars move along with the traffic. Both types of moving car act as walls that slow down racers. Mushroom-shaped cars appear in GCN Mushroom Bridge and the R and R/T variants of Wii Moonview Highway and release Mushrooms onto the road for drivers to use upon touching them. Yes
DS Shroom Ridge, R, T, R/T
Wii Coconut Mall, R, T, R/T
Wii Moonview Highway, R, T, R/T
New York Minute 2T
New York Minute 3T, R/T
New York Minute 4, R, T, R/T
Tokyo Blur (Ring Race)
Los Angeles Laps (Coin Rush)
Berlin Byways, R, R/T
Berlin Byways 2, R, T, R/T
Berlin Byways 3, R
Sydney Sprint T
Amsterdam Drift 2R/T
Bangkok Rush 2, R, T, R/T
Bangkok Rush 3, R, T, R/T
 
Car (Mushroom)
GCN Mushroom Bridge, R, T
Wii Moonview Highway R, R/T
 
Ceiling Needles
Ninja Hideaway, R Shuriken stuck underneath platforms that move up and down. They spin out racers if they touched. The platforms themselves also have trick ramps on the top of them that can be reached by driving on a higher floor of the course. No
 
Chain Chomp (chained)
SNES Mario Circuit 2T A large chained enemy that lunges towards racers who drive past it, flipping them over if it reaches them. Yes
SNES Mario Circuit 3R/T
SNES Donut Plains 3T
DS Peach Gardens T
London Loop, R, T, R/T
London Loop 2, R, T
London Loop 3, R, R/T
 
Chain Chomp (unchained)
DS Peach Gardens, R, T, R/T A large obstacle that rolls around in circles, flipping any drivers over when they roll into them. Yes
3DS Rainbow Road
 
Cheep Cheep
SNES Donut Plains 3R/T A fish that swims around in a body of water or flops about on land. When bumped into, Cheep Cheeps simply cause drivers to lose some speed. Yes
SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2, R
GBA Cheep-Cheep Island, R, R/T
Wii Koopa Cape, R, T, R/T
3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon, R, T, R/T
Amsterdam Drift 2R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 2
RMX Donut Plains 1, R, T, R/T
 
Clampy
GCN Daisy Cruiser An oyster enemy that periodically opens and closes its valves to reveal objects such as coins and Item Boxes that racers can drive into to collect. If a Clampy closes its valves in on a racer, it will flip them over. Yes
3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon, R, T
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3, R, T
 
Conveyor Belt
DS Peach Gardens T A section of moving floor with arrows on it that are colored either green or red. Driving on green conveyor belts speeds drivers up while driving on red conveyor belts slows them down. In Wii Coconut Mall, the conveyor belts change directions on the second lap. In Singapore Speedway 2, small ramps can be found on the conveyor belts allowing for drivers to perform Jump Boosts. No
Wii Coconut Mall, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway 2, R, T, R/T
RMX Bowser's Castle 1, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3R/T
 
Crate
DS Airship Fortress, R, T, R/T An object that slows down any racer that collides with it. When hit, crates break and release an item such as a Banana or Mushroom. Yes
London Loop, R, T
London Loop 3, R, T, R/T
 
Current
GCN Daisy Cruiser T An underwater air current that pushes drivers away. In 3DS Piranha Plant Slide, 3DS Wario Shipyard, and Amsterdam Drift 2, currents are released from pipes, while in Piranha Plant Cove courses, they are released from cracks in the ground which allow players to perform Jump Boosts. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R, T
3DS Wario Shipyard, R, T, R/T
Amsterdam Drift 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove, R, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3, R, T
Squeaky Clean Sprint R
 
Dash panel ramp truck
GCN Mushroom Bridge R/T A stationary vehicle that can be used as a ramp. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
DS Shroom Ridge (Do Jump Boosts)
Wii Coconut Mall R/T
Wii Moonview Highway R/T
New York Minute T
New York Minute 4
Sydney Sprint T
Berlin Byways 3T
Amsterdam Drift R/T
 
Drain Pipe
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R, T, R/T A pipe that sticks out of a wall, causing drivers that bump into it to lose some speed. Unlike in previous Mario Kart games, gliding into the water that flows from a Drain Pipe does not affect drivers. No
 
Exploring Shy Guy
GBA Sunset Wilds, R, T, R/T An enemy that moves back and forth across the track, causing any drivers that come into contact with it to spin out. Yes
  
  
Falling Pillar
Wii Dry Dry Ruins, R, T, R/T A stone pillar that appears upright on the first lap of a course, but falls to the ground on the second lap, acting as a ramp that allows drivers to perform Jump Boosts. Yes (through Jump Boosts)
Piranha Plant Cove, R
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R
 
Festive tree
Most courses; see Festive tree § Festive tree locations. A decorative element added to courses during tours that occur around the holiday season. Festive trees give bonus points when hit with a shell or a Bob-omb or by driving into them while invincible or Mega. Yes
 
Fire Bar
GCN Waluigi Stadium, R, T, R/T A set of rotating, fiery bars that spin out drivers upon contact. No
 
Fire Chain
GCN Waluigi Stadium, R, T, R/T A rotating ring of fireballs that spin out drivers upon contact. No
 
Fire Piranha Plant
DS Mario Circuit, R, T A Piranha Plant that spits out Balls of Fire onto the road, spinning out drivers upon contact. Yes
 
Fish Bone
GBA Boo Lake, R, T, R/T A skeletal fish that acts as an obstacle in underwater sections, slowing drivers down slightly when bumped into. Non-interactable Fish Bones also appear in N64 Choco Mountain and its variants as decorations. Yes
3DS Wario Shipyard, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3, R, T
 
Flipper
DS Waluigi Pinball, R, T, R/T An object that sends metal balls in another direction when they collide with it. Racers that drive into a flipper will crash. No
 
Floaty
GCN Daisy Cruiser (Do Jump Boosts) An object used by Innertube Goombas to float on the surface of the water. Floaties bounce away drivers while repelling various projectiles, such as Green Shells and fireballs. Yes
Singapore Speedway, R
 
Flying Shy Guy
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar, R, T, R/T A Shy Guy that uses a magic carpet to fly around. Flying Shy Guys appear above the glider section. Colliding with a Flying Shy Guy causes drivers to lose their speed in the air. Yes
 
Fuzzy
Rome Avanti R/T A furry black creature that moves along a track, spinning out drivers upon contact. Yes
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R, R/T
 
Goal Ring
Yoshi's Island, T A ring with Smiley Flowers floating above the ground just before the finish line. It can be reached via a pathway produced by a Winged Cloud encountered prior. When passed through, the Goal Ring gives bonus points. Yes
 
Goat
3DS Daisy Hills, R, T, R/T An obstacle that walks around the track slowly. Drivers that collide with a goat spin out. Yes
Amsterdam Drift 3R
 
Goomba
Any course where a Goomba Takedown bonus challenge takes place A short enemy that stands in the racers' way or walks left and right. Goombas can be taken out with an offensive item or by simply driving into them, although the latter will also cause the racer to spin out. They can also be defeated by landing on them while gliding or after driving off a ramp, which gives the racer a Jump Boost. Yes
N64 Mario Raceway, R, T, R/T
GCN Daisy Cruiser (Do Jump Boosts)
GCN Yoshi Circuit (Do Jump Boosts)
DS Luigi's Mansion (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Waluigi Pinball (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS DK Pass (Do Jump Boosts)
DS Mario Circuit, T
Wii Mushroom Gorge, R, T, R/T
Wii Koopa Cape, T
Wii Maple Treeway (Goomba Takedown)
3DS Toad Circuit R, R/T
3DS Mario Circuit, R
3DS Piranha Plant Slide
Tokyo Blur (Do Jump Boosts)
Paris Promenade
Paris Promenade 2
Paris Promenade 3
RMX Mario Circuit 1, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway, R
Amsterdam Drift T
Athens Dash 2
 
Goomba Tower
SNES Mario Circuit 1 (Goomba Takedown) A stack of Goombas that can be defeated the same way as an individual Goomba. If the Goomba at the bottom of a tower is defeated, all of the ones above it collapse and are defeated as well. TBD
SNES Ghost Valley 1 (Goomba Takedown, Steer Clear of Obstacles)
SNES Ghost Valley 2 (Glider Challenge)
SNES Choco Island 2 (Goomba Takedown)
SNES Vanilla Lake 1 (Goomba Takedown)
SNES Rainbow Road (Goomba Takedown)
GCN Dino Dino Jungle (Goomba Takedown)
DS Luigi's Mansion (Goomba Takedown)
DS Airship Fortress (Goomba Takedown)
Wii Maple Treeway (Goomba Takedown)
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar (Goomba Takedown)
3DS Neo Bowser City (Goomba Takedown)
Paris Promenade 2 (Goomba Takedown)
Los Angeles Laps (Goomba Takedown)
RMX Mario Circuit 1 (Goomba Takedown)
RMX Rainbow Road 2 (Goomba Takedown)
 
Half-pipe
N64 Yoshi Valley, R, T, R/T A ramp on the side of the track that drivers can jump off of for Jump Boosts. Yes
GCN Waluigi Stadium, R, T, R/T
GCN DK Mountain, R, T, R/T
Wii DK Summit, R, T, R/T
Wii Koopa Cape, R, T, R/T
Wii Maple Treeway, R, T, R/T
Wii Dry Dry Ruins, R, T, R/T
Wii Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
Athens Dash, R, T, R/T
Athens Dash 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R, T
Squeaky Clean Sprint, R, T, R/T
 
Super half-pipe
Merry Mountain, R, T, R/T
 
Hot-air balloon
N64 Luigi Raceway, R, T, R/T An obstacle that floats in one place. Hot-air balloons cause racers who glide into them to bounce back. However, if a racer lands on top of a hot air balloon, they receive a Jump Boost. In N64 Luigi Raceway, a hot-air balloon provides an Item Box in the second lap. In N64 Mario Raceway and N64 Yoshi Valley, hot-air balloons appear as background elements high above the courses. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach R
N64 Mario Raceway, R, T, R/T
N64 Royal Raceway, T
N64 Yoshi Valley, R, T, R/T
GBA Peach Circuit, R, T, R/T
GCN Mushroom Bridge T, R/T
GCN Yoshi Circuit T (Glider Challenge)
DS Shroom Ridge T
DS DK Pass R/T (Do Jump Boosts)
DS Peach Gardens, R, T, R/T
Wii Mushroom Gorge R/T
Wii Koopa Cape R, R/T
Wii Maple Treeway T
3DS Daisy Hills, R, T, R/T
3DS Rock Rock Mountain R
Paris Promenade, R, T, R/T
Vancouver Velocity R
 
Icicle
3DS Rosalina's Ice World, R, T, R/T An obstacle that breaks when driven into, slowing down the responsible driver. Yes
 
Inky Piranha Plant
Bangkok Rush, R, R/T A type of Piranha Plant that spits piles of black ink on the road as an obstacle for racers. Racers who drive into an ink pile spin out, and human players additionally have their screen briefly covered with ink. Yes
Bangkok Rush 2, R
DS Peach Gardens R/T
 
Jack-o'-lantern
Most courses Jack-o'-lanterns appear during tours that occur around Halloween. Those found on the drivable portion of a course can be knocked away by driving into them or hitting them with an item, giving bonus points in the process. Jack-o'-lanterns that appear on a track's sidelines or in the background usually come in larger sizes and can be interacted with but not knocked away. Yes
 
Jar / Snake jar
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar, R, T, R/T An object found on the track. Jars will break upon collision with an item or a racer. Running into a jar will slow the racer down. Some jars, referred to as snake jars, move around and release small snakes when broken. Yes
 
Jellybeam
Piranha Plant Cove 2 A jellyfish enemy that floats in place in underwater segments. Players can bump into Jellybeams or hit them with an item to obtain bonus points. They can also land on top of a Jellybeam's head to get a Jump Boost. Yes
 
Jump Boost field
Wii Rainbow Road R An upward force that gives drivers a Jump Boost. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
3DS Rainbow Road R, R/T
Singapore Speedway 3R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 2T, R/T
 
Kadomatsu
Most courses A decorative element that appears on courses during tours that occur around the New Year. Kadomatsu give bonus points when hit with a shell or a Bob-omb or by driving into them while invincible or Mega. Yes (most New Year's tours)
No (New Year's 2021 Tour)
 
Kanaami Road
Many courses and variants in the game A type of platform that appears in many of the game's T and R/T courses. They are used to create new routes or ramps for the player to drive on, thus giving them more bonus points. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
 
Lava Ball
GBA Lakeside Park, R, T, R/T An obstacle that bounces down the mountainside, forming craters where it lands. Drivers can use these craters to perform Jump Boosts, but they crash if they come into direct contact with a Lava Ball. Yes
 
Lava bubble
GBA Bowser's Castle 1, R, T, R/T An obstacle that jumps out of lava at regular intervals. Drivers spin out if they collide with a Lava bubble. Yes
GBA Bowser's Castle 2, R, T, R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 3, R, T, R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 4, R
 
Lava Geyser
GBA Bowser's Castle 4, R A pillar of lava that rises and lowers at regular intervals. Touching one causes drivers to spin out. No
3DS Bowser's Castle, R, T, R/T
RMX Bowser's Castle 1R/T
 
Leaf pile
Wii Maple Treeway, R, T, R/T An object that scatters and releases an item such as a Coin, Mushroom, or Banana when driven into. Yes
 
Magic carpet
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar (Do Jump Boosts) Magic carpets that are not used by Flying Shy Guys can be found floating in one place in mid-air. When a racer lands on a magic carpet, they bounce off of it while receiving a Jump Boost. TBD
 
Maw-Ray
GCN Daisy Cruiser, T A large moray eel that swims around a body of water. Maw-Rays acts as minor obstacles that can cause drivers who bump into them to lose some speed, albeit drivers can perform Jump Boosts on a Maw-Ray by landing on top of it. No
Piranha Plant Cove, R, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R
Piranha Plant Cove 3, R, T
 
Mecha Cheep
Squeaky Clean Sprint, R, T, R/T A Cheep Cheep–like robot that swims around in underwater segments. Like actual Cheep Cheeps, Mecha Cheeps cause drivers who bump into them to simply lose some speed. Yes
 
Mecha Piranha Plant
GCN Waluigi Stadium, R, R/T A large, fake Piranha Plant that moves in and out of a Warp Pipe–like slot. Mecha Piranha Plants are indestructible and act as walls upon contact. No
 
Metal ball
DS Waluigi Pinball, R, T, R/T A large rolling obstacle. Metal balls are first seen in the background of the track, traversing the pinball machine that the course is set on. Once they reach the pinball table section, they are bounced around by bumpers and flippers, crashing into any racer that collides with them. Yes
GBA Bowser's Castle 4
 
Monty Mole
SNES Donut Plains 2, R, T, R/T A creature that digs holes through the ground. Touching a Monty Mole will spin out drivers while the holes and bumps produced by Monty Moles can be used to perform Jump Boosts. Yes
SNES Donut Plains 3, R, T, R/T
GBA Sunset Wilds R/T
DS Peach Gardens, R
Amsterdam Drift, R, R/T
Amsterdam Drift 3T
 
Mushroom Platform
GBA Sky Garden (Smash Small Dry Bones) A large mushroom with a broad cap that acts as normal ground. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
GCN DK Mountain R/T
DS Shroom Ridge R/T
Wii Mushroom Gorge, R, T, R/T
 
 
 
Mushroom Trampoline
SNES Donut Plains 2R/T A large mushroom that racers can bounce off of to receive a Jump Boost. Apart from the regular Mushroom Trampolines, which are red with white spots or (as seen in 3DS Rainbow Road) white with spots of various colors, there is also a blue variety which activates a driver's glider when bounced off of. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
SNES Rainbow Road R/T
N64 Mario Raceway T, R/T
N64 Royal Raceway T, R/T
GBA Peach Circuit T, R/T
GBA Riverside Park T
GBA Sky Garden, R, R/T
GBA Lakeside Park T
GCN DK Mountain R/T
DS Shroom Ridge R/T
DS DK Pass R/T
Wii Mushroom Gorge, R, T, R/T
Wii Maple Treeway R/T
3DS Mario Circuit, R, T, R/T
3DS Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
RMX Choco Island 1R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 1R
RMX Rainbow Road 2, R, T, R/T
RMX Donut Plains 1T
 
Noshi
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach T, R/T A dinosaur that stomps on the track. Racers caught under its feet are squashed. When on the ground, the feet also act as walls that bounce racers back. If a racer lands on top of a Noshi while gliding, they get a Jump Boost. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
GBA Riverside Park T, R/T
GCN Dino Dino Jungle, R, T, R/T
Tokyo Blur R/T
 
Note Block
Squeaky Clean Sprint T, R/T An object that drivers can bounce on. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
 
Oil slick
SNES Mario Circuit 1R, R/T An obstacle that causes any racer who drives into it to spin out. No
SNES Mario Circuit 2, R, T
SNES Mario Circuit 3, R
GCN Mushroom Bridge R
New York Minute (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Tokyo Blur 3R
Tokyo Blur 4, R
Merry Mountain (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
 
Penguin
SNES Vanilla Lake 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles) An enemy that waddles in circular or oval patterns. Players who drive into one spin out. Yes
SNES Vanilla Lake 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GBA Snow Land, R, T, R/T
3DS Rosalina's Ice World, R, T, R/T
RMX Vanilla Lake 1, R
 
Pipe
SNES Mario Circuit 1, R, T, R/T An obstacle that slows down any racer who collides with it. Pipes are spread throughout the track, usually in off-road sections. Piranha Plants and Inky Piranha Plants commonly occupy them, and some trucks carry Piranha Plants in pipes. Some pipes exhale upward currents which can be used to maintain gliding drivers in the air while offering them a Jump Boost. Most pipes found in the game are green and can be launched in the air, giving bonus points when this is done in courses outside of bonus challenges; however, some pipes, such as those seen in the surroundings of DS Shroom Ridge, come in multiple colors and are entirely cosmetic.
(The course appearances listed on the left are for pipes that can be taken out.)
Yes
SNES Ghost Valley 1R, R/T
SNES Mario Circuit 2, R, T, R/T
SNES Ghost Valley 2 (Glider Challenge), R/T
SNES Mario Circuit 3, R, T, R/T
SNES Choco Island 2T
SNES Vanilla Lake 1, R, R/T
SNES Bowser Castle 3, R, T, R/T
SNES Vanilla Lake 2, R, T
N64 Luigi Raceway (Goomba Takedown)
N64 Kalimari Desert (Goomba Takedown)
GBA Peach Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles), T
GBA Sky Garden T
GBA Bowser's Castle 4R
GCN Daisy Cruiser (Do Jump Boosts), R/T
GCN Yoshi Circuit, R, R/T
DS Luigi's Mansion (Glider Challenge, Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Shroom Ridge, R, T
DS DK Pass R/T
DS Peach Gardens, R, T, R/T
3DS Toad Circuit, R, T, R/T
3DS Daisy Hills, R, T, R/T
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar T
3DS Mario Circuit, R
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R, T, R/T
3DS Wario Shipyard R, R/T
3DS Bowser's Castle (Ring Race, Goomba Takedown)
Tokyo Blur 3R
Paris Promenade
Paris Promenade 2, R
Paris Promenade 3
Vancouver Velocity R, R/T
Vancouver Velocity 2R/T
Berlin Byways 3
Amsterdam Drift T
Amsterdam Drift 3R/T
Bangkok Rush, R, R/T
Bangkok Rush 2, R, R/T
Athens Dash R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3T
Piranha Plant Pipeline R, R/T
RMX Mario Circuit 1, R, T, R/T
RMX Choco Island 1, R, T
RMX Choco Island 2, R, T, R/T
 
Piranha Plant (aggressive)
SNES Donut Plains 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles), R/T An enemy that attacks nearby drivers by lunging at them. Drivers that are hit by a Piranha Plant spin out. Piranha Plants appear in various sizes. Yes
SNES Ghost Valley 1R, R/T
SNES Mario Circuit 2R/T
SNES Choco Island 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles), T
SNES Ghost Valley 2 (Glider Challenge), R/T
SNES Choco Island 2T, R/T
N64 Mario Raceway R
N64 Royal Raceway (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GBA Luigi Circuit T
GBA Sky Garden T
GCN Baby Park (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GCN Waluigi Stadium T
GCN Yoshi Circuit, R, R/T
DS Luigi's Mansion (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Shroom Ridge, R
DS Mario Circuit R/T
DS Peach Gardens, R
Wii Coconut Mall (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Mario Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R, T, R/T
Paris Promenade, R, T, R/T
Paris Promenade 2, R, T
Paris Promenade 3, R, T
Los Angeles Laps 3R/T
Vancouver Velocity 2R/T
Berlin Byways 3
Amsterdam Drift 3, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R/T
Yoshi's Island, T
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R, T, R/T
RMX Mario Circuit 1 (Glider Challenge), R/T
RMX Choco Island 1R/T
RMX Choco Island 2, R, T, R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 1R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 2T, R/T
RMX Ghost Valley 1T
 
Piranha Plant (passive)
SNES Donut Plains 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles) A type of Piranha Plant that resides on the ground, always facing upward. Racers that drive into one will spin out. Piranha Plants appear in various sizes. Yes
SNES Choco Island 1R, T
SNES Mario Circuit 3 (Do Jump Boosts)
SNES Choco Island 2, R, T, R/T
N64 Kalimari Desert (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
N64 Mario Raceway, R
N64 Royal Raceway, R, T, R/T
GBA Peach Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GCN Baby Park (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GCN Yoshi Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Luigi's Mansion (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Mario Circuit, R, R/T
3DS Mario Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Piranha Plant Slide T, R/T
New York Minute (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Paris Promenade 2R
Berlin Byways 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R, T, R/T
RMX Mario Circuit 1, R, T
RMX Choco Island 1, R, T, R/T
RMX Choco Island 2, R, T, R/T
 
Pokey
Wii Dry Dry Ruins, R, T, R/T A cactus enemy that moves back in forth on the course. Some Pokeys appear taller and bend sideways attempting to spin out racers. Yes
 
Puddle
GBA Luigi Circuit, R, T An obstacle that, like oil slicks, causes drivers who contact it to spin out. No
3DS Neo Bowser City, R, T, R/T
Squeaky Clean Sprint (Precision Gliding)
 
Pumpjack
Los Angeles Laps 2, R, T, R/T An obstacle that moves up and down on the track, acting as a wall when racers come into contact with it. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
 
Ring
Any course where a Ring Race bonus challenge takes place An object that provides the driver a short speed boost. Yes[26]
SNES Mario Circuit 1 (Glider Challenge)
SNES Choco Island 2 (Break Item Boxes)
3DS Toad Circuit (Break Item Boxes)
3DS Rock Rock Mountain (Break Item Boxes)
 
Rocky Wrench
DS Airship Fortress, R, T, R/T A creature that emerges from manholes. Racers that touch a Rocky Wrench are bounced away from it, but its manhole cover can be used to perform a Jump Boost right before it pops out. Yes
Wii Daisy Circuit T
Bangkok Rush T
Rome Avanti 2, R, T, R/T
DS Twilight House
 
Rolling rock
N64 Choco Mountain, R, T, R/T A large obstacle that rolls down on inclines. Colliding with rolling rocks causes racers to be crushed or to spin out. Yes
GCN DK Mountain, R, T, R/T
3DS Rock Rock Mountain, T
Athens Dash 2
 
Sand hill
Wii Dry Dry Ruins, R Hills of sand that get larger and fill up the room as the race progresses. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
 
Shoe
Madrid Drive, R, T, R/T An object worn by Goombas to protect themselves against drivers' attacks. Shoes also enable these Goombas to kick Soccer Balls around. Yes
 
 
Shy Guy (Ninja)
Ninja Hideaway, R, T, R/T An enemy that runs around on the ground and transforms into a single Banana. Another variant of this enemy also appears suspended in the air by kites in glider sections. Yes
 
Sidestepper
SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2T A crab enemy that shuffles from side to side across a track. Racers who come into contact with a Sidestepper spin out. Yes
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach, R, T, R/T
GBA Cheep-Cheep Island (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Wii Koopa Cape (Glider Challenge)
3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon, R, T, R/T
3DS Wario Shipyard, R
Los Angeles Laps, R, T, R/T
Singapore Speedway 3, R, T
Piranha Plant Cove 2R
Yoshi's Island, R
Piranha Plant Pipeline
 
Skating Shy Guy
GBA Snow Land R A Shy Guy that spins out the player when touched. In the R variant on Vancouver Velcocity 2 and the normal and T variants of Vancouver Velocity 3, Skating Shy Guys move around on the ice; in the T variant of Vancouver Velocity 2 they twirl around in one spot; and in the normal and R variants of Vancouver Velocity 3, there are a few that stand in place as spectators. Yes
Vancouver Velocity 2R, T
Vancouver Velocity 3, R, T
 
Snow block
SNES Vanilla Lake 1, R, R/T An object that, when touched, bounces racers away and disappears. Yes
SNES Vanilla Lake 2, R, T, R/T
Vancouver Velocity 3R
 
Snowball
N64 Frappe Snowland (Steer Clear of Obstacles) A large obstacle that rolls down a portion of the track. Racers hit by a snowball crash. Yes
DS DK Pass, R, T, R/T
Merry Mountain (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
 
Snowboarding Shy Guy
Wii DK Summit, R A Shy Guy riding on a snowboard, jumping off the half-pipes on the track. Racers spin out if they touch a Snowboarding Shy Guy without a defensive or speed boosting item. Yes
 
Snowperson
N64 Frappe Snowland, R, T, R/T An obstacle that slows down drivers who collide with it. However, this also gets them destroyed in the process. Yes
GBA Snow Land, T, R/T
DS DK Pass, R, T, R/T
Wii DK Summit (Ring Race)
Vancouver Velocity R
Merry Mountain (Coin Rush), R/T
 
Soccer Ball
Madrid Drive, R, T, R/T An object that gets kicked around by Goombas in shoes. Drivers who interact with a Soccer Ball in any way obtain bonus points. Yes
 
Spider Web
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R An obstacle that breaks and slows drivers down on contact. Yes
 
Spring egg
SNES Choco Island 1, R, T, R/T Spring eggs appeared in some courses during the 2023 Yoshi Tour. When a player hits one with an item, it gives them bonus points. Yes
GBA Boo Lake, R, T, R/T
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T
 
Star Ring
SNES Rainbow Road R/T An object that gives drivers a speed boost when passed through. Yes
Wii Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
3DS Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T
RMX Rainbow Road 1, R
RMX Rainbow Road 2T, R/T
 
Star Thwomp
SNES Mario Circuit 3 (Glider Challenge) A variation of a Thwomp that creates ripples on the track, which racers can perform Jump Boosts on. In addition to being able to squash drivers like regular Thwomps, Star Thwomps cause drivers to flip out when touched from any side. Yes
SNES Rainbow Road, R, R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Wii Rainbow Road R/T
3DS Rainbow Road (Glider Challenge)
RMX Rainbow Road 1, R
RMX Rainbow Road 2, R, R/T
 
Stilt Guy
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A Shy Guy walking on stilts. Drivers who run into the stilts spin out. Yes
 
Swoop
N64 Choco Mountain, R, T, R/T A bat enemy that flies in a row of other Swoops along a certain portion of the track, usually coming the opposite way of racers. Racers that bump into a Swoop are bounced away. Yes
GBA Sunset Wilds, R, T
Wii Dry Dry Ruins R
3DS Rock Rock Mountain, R, T
Tokyo Blur R/T
Vancouver Velocity, R, T, R/T
Vancouver Velocity 3, R, T, R/T
Athens Dash, R, R/T
Rome Avanti, R, T
 
Table
GCN Daisy Cruiser, R, T, R/T An obstacle that slides on the track from side to side, slowing down drivers that collide with it. Yes
 
Thwomp
SNES Mario Circuit 3 (Do Jump Boosts) An obstacle that falls down on the track repeatedly, squashing any drivers caught underneath. If a racer drives into a Thwomp, they lose some speed. When a racer drives off of a ramp and lands on a Thwomp, they get a Jump Boost. Yes
SNES Bowser Castle 3, R, T
GBA Bowser's Castle 1, R, T, R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 2, R, T, R/T
GBA Snow Land (Glider Challenge), R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 3, R, T, R/T
GBA Bowser's Castle 4, R
Wii Coconut Mall (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
3DS Bowser's Castle, R, T, R/T
Tokyo Blur 2, R, R/T
Tokyo Blur 3, R/T
Tokyo Blur 4, R, R/T
Los Angeles Laps T
Berlin Byways, R, T, R/T
Berlin Byways 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles), R/T
Piranha Plant Cove, R, T, R/T
Athens Dash 2, R, T
RMX Bowser's Castle 1, R, R/T
 
Traffic cone
SNES Mario Circuit 1 (Do Jump Boosts), R, R/T An object that gets knocked away when bumped into. Yes
SNES Ghost Valley 2 (Glider Challenge)
SNES Vanilla Lake 1 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
N64 Royal Raceway (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GBA Bowser's Castle 1R
GBA Cheep-Cheep Island R/T
GCN Mushroom Bridge R
GCN Yoshi Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GCN Dino Dino Jungle (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS DK Pass (Do Jump Boosts, Steer Clear of Obstacles)
DS Peach Gardens T
Wii DK Summit R/T
Wii Daisy Circuit, R, T, R/T
3DS Toad Circuit, R, R/T
3DS Daisy Hills R, R/T
3DS Rock Rock Mountain, T
3DS Neo Bowser City (Do Jump Boosts, Steer Clear of Obstacles), R, R/T
3DS Rosalina's Ice World (Glider Challenge), R, R/T
3DS Rainbow Road R, R/T
New York Minute (Steer Clear of Obstacles), R
New York Minute 3R
Tokyo Blur (Ring Race)
Tokyo Blur 3, R, T
Tokyo Blur 4, R
Paris Promenade, R, T
Paris Promenade 2, R, T
Paris Promenade 3
London Loop 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
Vancouver Velocity 2R, R/T
Los Angeles Laps R
Berlin Byways 2, T
Bangkok Rush 2, R, T, R/T
Amsterdam Drift T
Amsterdam Drift 3T
Athens Dash, R, T, R/T
Rome Avanti 2, R, T
RMX Mario Circuit 1R/T
RMX Choco Island 1 (Do Jump Boosts)
Merry Mountain (Coin Rush)
 
 
 
Train
N64 Kalimari Desert, R, T, R/T Trains cross the track in front of racers in N64 Kalimari Desert and N64 Kalimari Desert 2. In Amsterdam Drift, there are two types of trains: one that moves back and forth in the city area and one that travels through a viaduct between the Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans portions. If racers drive into a train, they are thrown upward and receive a Jump Boost. Yes
N64 Kalimari Desert 2, R, T, R/T
Amsterdam Drift, R, T, R/T
Amsterdam Drift 3, R, T
 
 
Truck
DS Shroom Ridge, R, R/T A vehicle that moves along a course. Most trucks drag along surfboards which drivers can perform Jump Boosts off of, while one truck found in Berlin Byways 3 carries a Piranha Plant that lunges at passers-by. In the course's R variant, trucks do not have any cargo. Bangkok Rush 3 features stationary trucks with surfboards. In Wii Coconut Mall, they appear in the background in the parking lot. Yes
Wii Coconut Mall, R, T, R/T
Berlin Byways 3, R, T
Bangkok Rush 3
 
Turning Floor
3DS Bowser's Castle, R, T, R/T A rotating wooden tunnel that appears before the underwater section in 3DS Bowser's Castle. The tunnel's top features several objects that block the player when ran into. In 3DS Rainbow Road, a Turning Floor appears after the start of the final section that has several Dash Panels and Glide Ramps inside of it. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
3DS Rainbow Road, R
Yoshi's Island T
 
Walking Tree
DS Luigi's Mansion, R, T, R/T An obstacle that shuffles from side to side on the track. If racers drive into one, they lose speed. No
  
Water Geyser
GBA Snow Land T A hazard that periodically spouts a column of water. Racers caught by the water are sprung high into the air while doing a Jump Boost. In the New York Minute courses and in Bangkok Rush 3T, water erupts from underneath manhole covers, while in GCN Dino Dino Jungle, 3DS Wario Shipyard T, and RMX Vanilla Lake 1, it emerges from raised cracks in the road. Jump Boosts can be performed when driving over these cracks, while they are only performed over manhole covers when they are shaking. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
GBA Lakeside Park R/T
GCN Daisy Cruiser R/T
GCN Dino Dino Jungle, R, T, R/T
Wii Coconut Mall R/T
Wii Koopa Cape (Ring Race)
3DS Wario Shipyard T, R/T
New York Minute, T
New York Minute 2, R, R/T
New York Minute 3, T
New York Minute 4, R, T, R/T
Paris Promenade (Do Jump Boosts)
Singapore Speedway 2, R
Singapore Speedway 3R/T
Bangkok Rush T
Bangkok Rush 3T
Squeaky Clean Sprint, R, T, R/T
RMX Vanilla Lake 1, R, T
RMX Donut Plains 1R/T
 
Whomp
Berlin Byways, R, T, R/T An obstacle that falls onto the track, squashing drivers caught underneath it. When a Whomp is lying flat on the ground, drivers can perform Jump Boosts on it. Yes
Berlin Byways 2 (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
 
Wiggler
DS Shroom Ridge T An enemy that wanders around, occasionally stopping in place. They cause drivers who touch them to spin out. Yes
Wii Maple Treeway, R, T, R/T
 
Wiggler Wagon
GCN Mushroom Bridge, T A large green bus designed after the Wiggler from Super Mario Sunshine. It moves along the road with other vehicles. When racers drive into a Wiggler Wagon, they simply lose some speed, and when they land on it, they get a Jump Boost. Yes
  
Wind
Any course where a Glider Challenge bonus challenge takes place An air current released from pipes and fans. Wind pushes racers around, giving them a Jump Boost if it travels upwards. Yes
(through Jump Boosts)
SNES Mario Circuit 1R, R/T
SNES Ghost Valley 1 (Do Jump Boosts)
SNES Bowser Castle 3T
N64 Luigi Raceway (Goomba Takedown)
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach R/T
N64 Mario Raceway R/T
GBA Peach Circuit (Steer Clear of Obstacles)
GBA Boo Lake T
GBA Bowser's Castle 2T
GBA Luigi Circuit T, R/T
GBA Sky Garden R
GCN DK Mountain T
DS Luigi's Mansion (Glider Challenge)
DS Shroom Ridge T
DS Mario Circuit T
DS DK Pass R/T
DS Peach Gardens T
Wii Koopa Cape (Do Jump Boosts), R/T
Wii Maple Treeway T
3DS Daisy Hills R
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar R, T
3DS Mario Circuit
3DS Rock Rock Mountain R, T
3DS Neo Bowser City, T, R/T
Vancouver Velocity 2R/T
Vancouver Velocity 3R/T
Ninja Hideaway, R
Singapore Speedway
Amsterdam Drift T
Amsterdam Drift 3R/T
Athens Dash R/T
Athens Dash 2R/T
Rome Avanti T
Piranha Plant Pipeline T
Squeaky Clean Sprint T
 
Windmill
3DS Daisy Hills, R, T, R/T A large structure with rotating blades that act as walls for racers, mostly during gliding segments. No
Amsterdam Drift, R, T, R/T
 
Winged Cloud
Yoshi's Island, T A flying object that, when run into, causes an additional pathway to spawn ahead. The pathway acts as a shortcut towards the finish line and helps drivers reach a Goal Ring. Yes
 
Wooden cutout (Piranha Plant)
GBA Bowser's Castle 2R/T A stationary obstacle that can be destroyed by driving through it. This also causes a driver to spin out. In GBA Bowser's Castle 2R/T, GCN Yoshi Circuit, Wii Maple Treeway R, 3DS Piranha Plant Slide T, Paris Promenade, Paris Promenade 2, Ninja Hideaway, Paris Promenade 3 and Los Angeles Laps 3R, wooden cutouts are made to resemble Piranha Plants, in SNES Ghost Valley 1 and DS Luigi's Mansion, they resemble Boos, in the normal and R variants of 3DS Piranha Plant Slide, they resemble Goombas, and the normal variant of 3DS Piranha Plant Slide exclusively has wooded cutouts that resemble bushes. Yes
GCN Yoshi Circuit, R, T
Wii Daisy Circuit, T
Wii Maple Treeway R
3DS Piranha Plant Slide T, R/T
Paris Promenade
Paris Promenade 2, R, T
Paris Promenade 3
Vancouver Velocity 2 (Glider Challenge)
Los Angeles Laps (Ring Race)
Los Angeles Laps 3R, T, R/T
Ninja Hideaway, R, T
 
Wooden cutout (Boos)
SNES Ghost Valley 1, R, T, R/T
SNES Ghost Valley 2, R, T
DS Luigi's Mansion, R, T, R/T
 
Wooden cutout (Goomba)
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R
Athens Dash 2, R
 
Wooden cutout (bush)
3DS Piranha Plant Slide, R/T

Other course elements

The following are only seen as background or intangible elements.

Subject Location Description
 
Big Cheep Cheep
GBA Cheep-Cheep Island, R, T, R/T A Cheeps Cheep that swims and leaps in the sea.
 
Boo
SNES Ghost Valley 1, R, T, R/T Boos appear and disappear. In DS Luigi's Mansion, they also appear on paintings, of which they occasionally stretch out.
SNES Ghost Valley 2, R, T, R/T
GBA Boo Lake, R, T, R/T
DS Luigi's Mansion, R, T, R/T
RMX Ghost Valley 1, R, T, R/T
 
Bulber
Piranha Plant Cove, R, T, R/T An anglerfish that floats in place. Some Bulbers are found above the starting line in the first and third variants of Piranha Plant Cove.
Piranha Plant Cove 2, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Cove 3, R, T, R/T
 
Fish Bone
N64 Choco Mountain, R, T, R/T Inanimate Fish Bones of various sizes are embedded in a wall at a curve. Unlike the Fish Bones found in other courses, these cannot be interacted with.
 
Flying Train
3DS Rainbow Road (Ring Race, Glider Challenge) A train that circulates around a track. In 3DS Rainbow Road bonus challenges, such trains fly around dropping rings on the track or carrying Star Rings that can be glided through. In Merry Mountain, a sleigh-like train drops coins on the track.
Merry Mountain, R, T, R/T
 
Goonie
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A flock of Goonies fly near the snowy segment of the course.
 
Huffin Puffin
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A group of Huffin Puffins stand on the sidelines in the fields segment of the course.
 
Incoming Chomp
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A Chain Chomp relative that moves by bouncing around. Incoming Chomps can be seen in various areas in the background.
 
Nep-Enut
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A large water creature roaming back and forth in the ocean
 
Painting
DS Luigi's Mansion (Break Item Boxes) A floating portal-like painting that spawns in front of drivers and produces Item Boxes. Portal paintings appear in various sizes.
RMX Ghost Valley 1 (Break Item Boxes)
 
Petal Guy
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T A Shy Guy with flowers on its head. Several Petal Guys act as spectators in the fields segment of the course.
 
Pipe
N64 Luigi Raceway, R, T, R/T While most pipes in the game have an effect on gameplay, some fulfill an entirely cosmetic purpose. These are typically multicolored and are seen in a course's surroundings. In 3DS Wario Shipyard and its variants, such pipes produce currents underwater.
N64 Mario Raceway, R, T, R/T
GBA Peach Circuit, R, T, R/T
DS Shroom Ridge, R, T, R/T
DS Mario Circuit, R, T, R/T
3DS Mario Circuit, R, T, R/T
3DS Wario Shipyard, R, T, R/T
Piranha Plant Pipeline, R, T, R/T
 
Snake
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar, R, T, R/T Green snakes come out of snake jars upon breaking them. Given the theme of 3DS Shy Guy Bazaar, they may be a reference to Cobrats from Super Mario Bros. 2, who also hide in jars.
   
Star Bits
Wii Rainbow Road, R, T, R/T Colorful objects that float around the track.
 
Vase
Yoshi's Island, R, T, R/T Two vases decorate the window sills in the castle segment of the course.

Bonus challenges

Bonus challenges are similar to the Missions mode from Mario Kart DS and the tournaments from Mario Kart Wii, and are found at the end of each cup. In contrast to races, these challenges offer 3 Grand Stars instead of 5 when completed with the highest score needed. The game will set the character for the challenge, even if the player has not obtained them yet, and give them the Pipe Frame and the Super Glider, though this rule does not apply for all Big Reverse Races and Vs. Mega (opponent) challenges. The numbers in the table indicate the number of times that bonus challenge appears in each tour.

Ready, Set, Rocket Start Time Trial Ring Race Do Jump Boosts Big Reverse Race Goomba Takedown Glider Challenge Steer Clear of Obstacles Break Item Boxes Smash Small Dry Bones Vs. Mega (opponent) Combo Attack Take them out quick! Snap a Photo Precision Gliding Big Reverse Race vs. 100
Description "Pull off a Rocket Start!" "Go for your best time!" "Pass through rings!"1 "Do Jump Boosts!"2 "Aim for 1st!" "Take down Goombas!"3 "Glide as far as you can!"4 "Don't crash!" "Break item boxes!"5 "Smash Dry Bones!"6 "Aim for 1st!" "Keep the combo going!" "Take them out quick!" "Clear the photo goals!" "Glide through the targets!" "Aim for 1st place!"
New York Tour 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2
Tokyo Tour 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 2
Halloween Tour (2019) 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Paris Tour (2019) 3 3 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 2
Winter Tour (2019) 3 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2
London Tour 3 2 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 2
Holiday Tour (2019) 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2
New Year's Tour (2020) 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2
Ice Tour 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2
Valentine's Tour 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2
Vancouver Tour 2 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2
Mario Bros. Tour 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2
Baby Rosalina Tour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Hammer Bro Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Yoshi Tour (2020) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Trick Tour (2020) 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
Flower Tour 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1
Jungle Tour 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1
Cooking Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Peach Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Marine Tour 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Exploration Tour (2020) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Wild West Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Pirate Tour 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Summer Festival Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Super Mario Kart Tour 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Los Angeles Tour (2020) 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
1st Anniversary Tour 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Halloween Tour (2020) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Sunset Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2020) 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Winter Tour (2020) 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Rosalina Tour 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
New Year's 2021 Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Berlin Tour 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Cat Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Peach vs. Daisy Tour 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Snow Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mario Tour (2021) 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Yoshi Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Ninja Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Sydney Tour (April–May 2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bowser vs. DK Tour 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Trick Tour (2021) 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Wedding Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Paris Tour (2021) 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Summer Tour (2021) 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Los Angeles Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mario vs. Peach Tour 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Frost Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Kamek Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Sydney Tour (September 2021) 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
2nd Anniversary Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Autumn Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Halloween Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Toad vs. Toadette Tour 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Space Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Holiday Tour (2021) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Penguin Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
New Year's 2022 Tour 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Singapore Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Wario vs. Waluigi Tour 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Los Angeles Tour (2022) 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Sky Tour 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mii Tour (2022) 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Samurai Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Yoshi Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Amsterdam Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Doctor Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Peach vs. Bowser Tour (May 2022) 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1
Cat Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Metropolitan Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bangkok Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Piranha Plant Tour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Ocean Tour 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Sundae Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bowser Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2022) 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Anniversary Tour (2022) 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Battle Tour 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Halloween Tour (2022) 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
Autumn Tour (2022) 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Animal Tour 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Peach vs. Bowser Tour (November–December 2022) 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1
Holiday Tour (2022) 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
New Year's Tour (2023) 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1
Space Tour (2023) 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
Winter Tour (2023) 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Exploration Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Doctor Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mario Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Ninja Tour (2023) 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1
Yoshi Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
Spring Tour 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Bowser Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Mii Tour (2023) 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Princess Tour 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Mario vs. Luigi Tour (2023) 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Night Tour 3 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Pipe Tour 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1
Sunshine Tour 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Vacation Tour 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Summer Tour (2023) 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Sundae Tour (2023) 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 - Formerly "Clear (number) rings."
2 - Formerly "Do (number) Jump Boosts."
3 - Formerly "Hit (number) Goombas."
4 - Formerly "Glide at least (distance)."
5 - Formerly "Hit (number) Item Boxes."
6 - Formerly "Smash (number) opponents."

Apple Store demo

A special demo of Mario Kart Tour was made playable at Apple Store outlets and kiosks.[27] Unlike in the full consumer version, the menu and Coin Rush mode are inaccessible, and points cannot be saved when the player quits the app. Additionally, there are only three cups available:

 
Toad Cup
 
New York Minute
 
3DS Toad Circuit
 
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach
Do Jump Boosts
Yoshi, New York Minute
 
Mario Cup
 
Tokyo Blur
 
3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon
 
3DS Rock Rock Mountain
Goomba Takedown
Mario, Tokyo Blur
 
Peach Cup
 
Paris Promenade
 
3DS Daisy Hills
 
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar
Vs. Mega Bowser
Any character, Paris Promenade

There are only 10 drivers, 7 karts, and 6 gliders available in the demo:

Drivers Karts Gliders
                         

Differences in power-saving mode

There are some minor and major differences in the game's menus and race courses when it is set to "power-saving" mode, to maintain device performance (in older supported phone models) and decrease battery usage.

General differences
  • Opponents do not have any animations nor do they emit voices.
  • The minimap does not appear in races.
  • The models for the drivers have low quality textures.
  • Course textures are less detailed.
  • The sound effect of passing through Dash Rings is present only if they were activated by the player.
  • The Shy Guys, Yoshis, and Toads that are normally found along the sidelines of several courses are absent, though they can still be heard.
  • The screen has a lower resolution, resulting in slightly pixelated graphics.
  • Trees are swapped out for lower-detail models.
  • In some courses, models adding extra detail get removed. This is particularly noticeable in Tokyo Blur right after passing the National Diet Building, where every building in the background except for one is removed.
Course-specific differences

Updates

Main article: Mario Kart Tour update history

Version 1.0.2

Release date: October 3, 2019

  • In some cases, it may become impossible to play if no nickname is entered during the Nintendo Account linking process.
  • After linking the Nintendo Account, certain players may encounter error code 805-9314 and playing may be impossible.
  • In some cases, it may become impossible to play when the player enters the main screen on the startup of the game.
  • Other minor issues.

Version 1.1.0

Release date: October 17, 2019

  • You can now view a list of badges you have obtained.
  • You can now check the points required to get Grand Stars, the number of Grand Stars, and your current best score on the screen for courses and bonus challenges.
  • Addressed known issues.

Version 1.2.0

Release date: November 17, 2019

  • Adjusted race controls.
  • You can now earn bonus points for finishing a race in Frenzy mode.

Version 1.4.0

Release date: December 11, 2019

  • You can now see more information about other players in your ranking tier, including the driver they are using.
  • Adjusted how the ranking announcement and menu screens are displayed.

Version 2.0.0

Release date: March 4, 2020

  • Added support for racing against players from around the world via multiplayer. This service is scheduled to become available on March 8th, at 8:00 PM PT.
  • Added a camera feature. Using this feature during a race allows you to freely move the camera around your driver as they automatically steer. Use it to view the action from different angles!
  • Made other adjustments and addressed known issues to improve the overall gameplay experience.

Version 2.1.0

Release date: May 13, 2020

  • The Team Game rule has been added to multiplayer.
  • The Room Code feature has been added to multiplayer.
  • Support for Expert Challenges has been added. These challenges will become available in future tours.
  • Support for the Coins Aplenty event has been added. This event will become available in future tours.
  • The issue preventing players from receiving a level-up reward when they advance to the next player level has been addressed.

Version 2.4.0

Release date: July 21, 2020

  • Added support for landscape orientation during races.
  • Players may now invite their friends to a multiplayer room that they have created.
  • Added support for different events. Further details, including the schedule, will be made available via upcoming in-game notifications.
  • Adjust the appearance of the main screen.

Version 2.6.0

Release date: October 14, 2020

  • A driver's special skill can now be improved when their level is increased.
  • When a driver, kart, or glider is leveled up, a number of their favored courses are upgraded to favorite courses.
  • Auto mode has been added, which lets users watch drivers automatically drive through courses as well as share screenshots via other applications.

Version 2.6.2

Release date: November 8, 2020

  • Adjusted the number of Greeting Coins received and the animation when receiving them.
  • Addressed known issues.

Version 2.8.0

Release date: February 17, 2021

  • Made preparations for the new Kart Pro event, which challenges players to achieve consecutive multiplayer wins.
  • Made preparations for a system that rewards players depending on the total of their highest scores across all cups in a tour.
  • In landscape mode, players can now play with steering controls on the right side of the screen and item controls on the left.
  • Added photo filters for auto mode.

Version 2.9.0

Release date: April 14, 2021

  • Adjusted the rules for Kart Pro so that a player's win streak will be maintained if they get 2nd or 3rd place.
  • Adjusted the chance for opponents in a single-player race to use the Lightning or Spiny Shell items.

Version 2.9.1

Release date: May 23, 2021

  • Made preparations so that players will receive gifts for continuing their Gold Pass subscriptions. This will begin in a future tour.
  • Made preparations for Today's Challenge, in which players race with a preselected course and driver for a chance at receiving gifts like rubies or firing a pipe. This will begin in a future tour.

Version 2.10.0

Release date: September 15, 2021

  • You can now join Standard Races/Gold Races that a friend is playing.

The following changes are planned to be implemented in future tours.

  • You will be able to see detailed play records for each past tour.
  • Additional rules for events to collect event tokens.
  • We're preparing an event in which you can get lots of event tokens.

Version 2.12.0

Release date: March 2, 2022

  • Made preparations for Mii drivers to be usable in future tours.
  • Made preparations to increase the maximum level of drivers, karts, and gliders to level 8.
  • Made adjustments so usernames are displayed above drivers at the start of a multiplayer race.
  • Changed the app icon.
  • Fixed bugs.

Version 2.14.0

Release date: July 3, 2022

  • Made preparations for a new bonus challenge, Big Reverse Race vs. 100. It will be released in a future tour.
  • Players can now use a quick ticket to update the Daily Selects lineup once a day.
  • Completed challenge cards can now be hidden.
  • Made adjustments to the FAQ and Customer Support pages.
  • Addressed known issues.

Version 3.0.0

Release date: September 28, 2022

  • Made preparations for Battles, a new way to play.*
  • Made preparations for the Spotlight Shop, where you'll be able to exchange rubies for drivers and more.*
  • The best score you've ever achieved on each course will now be recorded.
  • You can now play the next course directly from the race results screen.

*These are scheduled to be provided for future tours.

Version 3.0.1

Release date: October 19, 2022

  • Addressed known issues

Version 3.1.0

Release date: November 7, 2022

  • Made it so that the number of players remaining and the number of balloons popped will be displayed during battles.
  • Addressed known issues

Version 3.2.0

Release date: December 8, 2022

  • Made adjustments to how the Shop is displayed.
  • Addressed known issues

Differences from previous Mario Kart games

  • Mario Kart Tour is the only Mario Kart game where every character must technically be unlocked, and where there is no set starting roster.
  • It is also the only game to not have a Grand Prix mode, with every fortnightly Tour containing a reshuffled selection of Cups, and Cups containing three courses and one bonus challenge to be played in any order.
  • The number of players in each race has reverted back to eight, like in all mainline games up to Mario Kart DS and in Mario Kart 7.
  • Apart from GCN Baby Park and 3DS Rainbow Road, all races consist of two laps/sections, as opposed to the usual three.
  • Drivers, karts and gliders can be leveled up.
  • The music continues from where it leaves off after the final lap fanfare plays, instead of restarting like in past games.
    • The only exception to this is 3DS Rainbow Road, which reuses its final lap music from Mario Kart 7 and always begins at the start of the song.
    • On the final lap, for most courses the music's pitch is increased by four semitones rather than one as in the other games since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The exceptions are Merry Mountain and Bangkok Rush, which are pitched up by one, Rome Avanti, which is pitched up by three, and Piranha Plant Pipeline, which is pitched up by two.
  • Percussion is not heard in the music when the player is in 1st place like in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8.
  • Lakitu does not appear at the beginning of or throughout races.
    • Starting from the New Year's 2021 Tour, the Lakitu referee in his festive attire appears as a playable driver known as "Lakitu (Party Time)".[28]
  • Stars are not obtainable from regular item boxes in single player mode, with item Frenzies having similar effects instead. However, in multiplayer mode, stars appear from item boxes in rulesets with fewer than three item slots (as Frenzies are not obtainable).
  • For the first time since Super Mario Kart, Triple Red Shells are absent. This is likely due to how using multi-items (such as the Triple Mushrooms or the Lucky Seven) sends out all of their items at once, which would be useless for items that always lock onto the next racer.
  • This is the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Super Circuit to have numbered new courses (e.g. Tokyo Blur 3) and the first Mario Kart game to feature numbered variants of classic courses (namely N64 Kalimari Desert 2).
    • Unlike in the previous games, these numbered courses take place in the same map, but use a different course layout: the starting line is in the same location (with the exceptions of Los Angeles Laps, Berlin Byways, and Piranha Plant Cove), but the courses split off from each other onto different routes. Some variants, such as Vancouver Velocity 2 and Sydney Sprint 2, have racers crossing the starting line in the opposite direction of the other variants.
      • The remix courses feature numbers in their names as well, though in that case when the number changes the map layout changes as well.
  • For the first time since Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the Golden Mushroom is absent, as it is functionally replaced by the Mushroom Frenzy.
  • Multiple items can be received from a single item box.
  • This is the first Mario Kart game to lack losing themes and animations after races; the same theme and animations play for any placement below 1st. However, losing voice lines for most of the characters can be found in the game's files.
  • Courses, karts, and gliders that had different names between American and British English in previous games instead only use their American English names, with the exception of the B Dasher Mk. 2, which only uses its British English name.
  • Karts that originally had moving parts (not counting tires), such as the tentacles on the Super Blooper and the blower on the Flame Flyer, no longer have them move.
  • If an opponent hits the player with any item, the screen will display the word "Ouch!" with the icon of the opponent's current driver displayed above it.
    • Likewise if a player hits the opponent, the side of the screen will display the word "Hit!" with the icon of the opponent's driver and the item they got hit by.
  • The item warning sound effects differs between certain items. The warning sound effect from Mario Kart 8 is used when targeted by a homing item (Red Shell, Yoshi's Egg, or Birdo Egg) and when an opponent behind the player is under the effects of a Star, Mega Mushroom, or Bullet Bill. The homing item warning sound effect from Mario Kart Wii is used when targeted by a Spiny Shell.
  • Various sound effects, such as the item roulette, Jump Boosts and when the player's current placement changes, are taken from Mario Kart DS (for the former), Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 rather than from Mario Kart 8.

Glitches

Opponents' drivers get stuck in multiplayer battles

Certain connection errors in multiplayer battles cause opponents to dissociate from their players and drive straight into the first wall they encounter, where they remain stuck until the time runs out or the player who experiences this bug strikes them out.[29]

Staff

Producer

Creative Director

Game Directors

  • Yugo Hayashi[1]
  • Shinya Fujiwara[1]

Characters Voices

*-Applies to all variants of that character.

Reception

Critical reception

Initial impressions of the beta were mixed. Journalists praised the gameplay and graphics, but criticized the free-to-play gacha elements of the game. Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica compared the game's in-app purchases to Spiny Shells, blowing up the classic Mario Kart experience. He suggested that "the developers pick a side: attach an annoying economy to a deeper control scheme and more legitimate online options, or make it cheaper and less obnoxious to watch Mario drive himself."[30] Ethan Gach of Kotaku also stated that the game is "a mostly faithful but stripped-down recreation of Mario Kart decked out with all the microtransactions and lottery mechanics mobile games are infamous for" and also lamented the lack of a multiplayer mode.[31] Steven Asarch of Newsweek complained about the game's "freemium greed" and that it is "ruined by microtransactions".[32]

The game's reception on release was mixed to negative. Andrew Webster of The Verge praised how intuitive using items is, while criticizing the controls, calling them imprecise, and the game's monetization, stating that "The problem is so much of the game feels designed around monetization, as opposed to just being a fun game."[33] Chris Scullion of Nintendo Life gave a positive review, praising the lack of an energy system, the points system, and the large amount of cups, while criticizing the time required to get used to the controls, the gyro controls, and listing the game's monetization as a con, stating that opinions on the game's monetization will vary for each person, while arguing that "It's rubbish to an extent, absolutely, but despite the outrage you may be seeing in some circles, it's no different to any other game with a loot box system; it's always nearly impossible to guarantee you'll get the exact thing you want" when talking about the game's gacha mechanics, and that "More than the gacha system, the Gold Pass is gaining a lot more controversy than it really should be, with some misunderstanding what it does and assuming this subscription service is necessary in some way. To be clear, it really isn't, and absolutely won't be of interest to 99% of the player base." when talking about the game's Gold Pass subscription.[34] Michael McWhertor of Polygon gave a negative review, stating that the game "lacks the joy of its fully-featured counterparts", criticizing that the steering feels inconsequential, stating that "the game can feel as if it's playing itself", the lack of difficulty when playing against computers, the lack of motivation to continue playing, and the game's microtransactions.[35] CJ Andriessen of Destructoid gave a negative review, criticizing the game's microtransactions and how the game rarely gives the player Rubies, stating "Tour's fatal flaw is it's continually pushing players into ham-fisted situations where they have to spend money rather than creating a game so exceptional they'll want to spend money.", the limitations on unlocking, collecting, or upgrading certain things, the game's controls, stating "There are three control options, none of which are completely sufficient.", while praising the variations to courses, though noting that "there is still a bit of disappointment when you wait a day to unlock a new cup only to find it's Daisy Hills again.", the New York Minute track and that Nintendo at the time of the article's publication planned to add more new tracks to the game, though noting that "One of the great joys of any Mario Kart title is seeing what types of new courses the developers have designed and that joy just isn't present in Tour."[36] Kyle Hilliard of IGN, in a mixed review, praised the series' transition from consoles to mobile phones, stating that "during those moments where I was speeding down the track expertly launching turtle shells at my opponents I felt like I was playing a real Mario Kart game" though stating that Mario Kart Tour is an "undeniable downgrade from Mario Kart 8", praised how items are used, the game's bonus challenges, and the brevity of the races, cups, and bonus challenges, while criticizing the game launching without multiplayer, the game's microtransactions and their cost, having to wait for later cups to unlock, and the quantity of Grand Stars unlocked being affected by the kart or character the player unlocked.[37] Jon Cartwright of GameXplain, in a negative review, stated that "Mario Kart is better than this", stating "Because it's so similar to the core games, it becomes comparable to them, amplifying its faults even further.", criticizing the controls, calling them "extremely unintuitive", and "a huge, restrained, letdown" after stating that the controls felt "extremely simplistic"; the game's monetization, stating that "This may be a free game compared to a full sixty dollar release, but money has never felt so intrusive in Mario Kart"; and the track New York Minute, stating that "this track is not good enough for Mario Kart", while praising the game's bonus challenges and the game's Reverse tracks, calling them "really cool ideas", while also praising the game's roster of playable characters and its graphics.[38]

As of August 26, 2020, Mario Kart Tour received a mixed Metacritic Metascore of 58, and a negative User Score of 3.8.[39] Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, as of August 26, 2020, Mario Kart Tour received an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google Play[40] and an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the App Store.[41]

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Unknown Andrew Webster, The Verge N/A "This doesn't mean Mario Kart Tour won't be successful. In fact, early signs point to the game having a record-breaking launch. But that success isn't because the game is good, and it's especially disappointing from a company that prides itself on quality. Mobile aside, Nintendo is at a creative high point, regularly launching major Switch games to near-universal acclaim. They're games that sell hardware and help players think differently about what games can be. On console, Nintendo sets its own pace; on mobile, it follows."
Unknown Chris Scullion, Nintendo Life 7/10 "Get used to Mario Kart Tour's unconventional control system and ignore its overpriced and unnecessary subscription service and you're left with a fun, free mobile take on the series. It was never going to replace Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but by not including an energy system and promising regular new content Nintendo is at least offering a decent alternative to pass the time when you're out and about without your Switch."
iOS Michael McWhertor, Polygon N/A "Mario Kart Tour stalls right from the starting line. It lacks the competitive thrills of other Mario Kart games, focusing more on an endless series of unlockable virtual things to acquire.

But it appears that a full multiplayer mode is coming to Mario Kart Tour, which may provide more thrills than chasing AI-controlled kart racers and the daily drip feed of currency. For now, however, this is hardly a vital addition to Nintendo’s library of games, mobile or otherwise."

Unknown CJ Andriessen, Destructoid 4.5/10 "Mario Kart Tour is a blemish on the franchise it shares its name with. The genre-defining creativity found in past entries is completely absent here, replaced by a hollow experience that's simply coasting on the name and goodwill of the games that came before it. I can only hope this is Nintendo's mobile initiative hitting rock bottom, and that it's all uphill from here. Because I can't stand the thought of another one of my favorite series having its reputation dragged the mud[sic] in search of a quick buck."
iOS Kyle Hilliard, IGN 6.7/10 "The actual gameplay and racing of Mario Kart Tour is well done: controlling the karts feels good, the courses and characters look and sound great, and playing simplified one-handed Mario can be a lot of fun. But the road to a mobile version of Mario Kart is a bumpy one. On top of multiplayer not currently being available at all, Nintendo continues to struggle with how to comfortably monetize a mobile game without hamstringing its gameplay. Tour’s prices are prohibitively high and not getting top honors on a race despite winning first place just because you don’t have the right racer or kart feels unfair."
Unknown Jon Cartwright, GameXplain Disliked "If you're someone who doesn't own a Nintendo console and just want a quick Mario Kart fix, I guess this is it. It comes with a lot of roadblocks, and it isn't anywhere near as fun to control as the console games. And for me it just made me want to play Mario Kart 8 again. I disliked Mario Kart Tour. It looks like a quality Mario Kart game, but it isn't particularly fun to play, and the aggressive monetization is so prominent that it intrudes on the experience. The last new Mario Kart game may have been five years ago with Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, but this isn't even worth a pit stop to me. Mario Kart is better than this."
Aggregators
Compiler Template:Nowrap
Metacritic iOS: 58

Awards and acknowledgements

Mario Kart Tour was nominated for the "User's Choice Game of 2019" from Google Play, losing to Call of Duty: Mobile.[42] The game won the "Racing Game of the Year" award at the 23rd annual D.I.C.E Awards.[43]

Mobile app store description

Race around the world!

■ Challenge players worldwide in multiplayer!
You can race against up to seven other players, whether they're registered as in-game friends, nearby, or scattered around the world.
Multiplayer races can be customized with a variety of rules, such as individual or team races, kart speed, and number of item slots. You can play however you want!

■ Mario Kart takes a world tour!
Mario and friends go global in this new Mario Kart as they race around courses inspired by real-world cities in addition to classic Mario Kart courses! These destinations will be featured in tours that rotate every two weeks! In addition to courses based on iconic locales, some of your favorite Mario Kart characters will get variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game!

■ Endless Mario Kart fun at your fingertips!
The Mario Kart series known and loved by many is ready to take the world by storm – one smart device at a time! With just one finger, you can steer and drift with ease and sling devastating items as you go for the gold in cups filled with new and classic Mario Kart courses.

■ Nab 1st place with items and Frenzy mode!
In Mario Kart Tour you have access to an arsenal of powerful items that can mix things up on the racetrack! Turn up the heat by activating the new Frenzy mode, which gives an unlimited supply of a certain item and makes you invincible! Make the most of the ensuing chaos, as Frenzy mode only lasts a short time!

■ Collect drivers, karts, badges, and more!
Earn Grand Stars by racing or fire off the featured pipe to receive more drivers, karts, and gliders! You can also proudly display badges, earned by completing certain challenges, next to your in-game name!

■ Bonus challenge courses put a twist on traditional races!
In certain races, 1st place isn't always the goal. With names like "Vs. Mega Bowser" and "Goomba Takedown," these bonus challenge courses demand a different approach to gameplay and strategy!

■ Race to increase your online rank!
Boost with the best of 'em! Your high scores will determine how you compare to other players all over the world. Keep practicing and trying out different combinations of drivers, karts, and gliders to increase your score and rise to the top!

Note: A Nintendo Account is required to play Mario Kart Tour.
* Free-to-start; optional in-game purchases available. Persistent Internet, compatible smartphone, and Nintendo Account required. Data charges may apply.
* For information about our ads, please see the "How we use your information" section of the Nintendo Privacy Policy.
* May include advertising.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Mario Kart Tour pre-release and unused content

The beta version of the game saw multiple changes in the final game. Among them, the stamina element was removed, and the timers restricting access to certain cups can be sped up using quick tickets. Additionally, rubies were originally emeralds.

Several of the game's drivers, karts, gliders, and courses had data strings and other files relating to them present in the game's data before they were released, though some of these correspond to content that was never released. The game's data also contains unused versions of some of the course icons that depict the courses less accurately.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart Tour.

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Kart Tour media.

References to other games

References in other games

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese マリオカート ツアー[?]
Mario Kāto Tsuā
Mario Kart Tour
Chinese (simplified) 马力欧卡丁车 巡回赛[44]
Mǎlì'ōu Kǎdīngchē Xúnhuí Sài
Mario Kart Tour
Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐賽車 巡迴賽[45]
Mǎlì'ōu Sàichē Xúnhuí Sài
Mario Racing Tour
Korean 마리오 카트 투어[?]
Malio Kateu Tueo
Mario Kart Tour

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s entry about Mario Kart Tour. The directors and producer all work for Nintendo Co., Ltd..
  2. ^ Erika Abe’s post on her work for Mario Kart Tour.
  3. ^ Yoshiki Tate/(ishi's post on his work for Mario Kart Tour
  4. ^ PRODUCTS | Bandai Namco Studios Inc.
  5. ^ Operating results of DeNA for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2019. According to the corresponding Questions and Answers section, DeNA received a share of the revenue of the game, pointing at them being one of the development teams involved.
  6. ^ Nine Months Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2018 (2018). Nintendo. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Romano, Sal (April 24, 2019). Mario Kart Tour Android closed beta test set for May 22 to June 4. Gematsu. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  8. ^ Gerken, T. (April 26, 2019). "Video game loot boxes declared illegal under Belgium gambling laws". BBC News. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  9. ^ @mariokarttourEN (October 31, 2019). Multiplayer beta test announcement. Twitter. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  10. ^ @mariokarttourEN (January 21, 2020). Second multiplayer beta test announcement. Twitter. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  11. ^ @mariokarttourEN (March 2, 2020). Multiplayer mode announcement. Twitter. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  12. ^ @mariokarttourEN (September 1, 2022) Battle Mode announcement. Twitter. Retrieved September 15, 2022
  13. ^ A human readable transcription of the main content of the RaceScoreParam container.
  14. ^ How does the Team Game rule work in multiplayer? faq.mariokarttour.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022. (Archived December 31, 2022, 15:41:10 UTC via archive.today)
  15. ^ mariokarttourEN (November 14, 2019). #MarioKartTour has grown significantly since launch…and it's not over yet! We're upping the variety with some nail-biting, high-flying Trick courses. Get your gliders ready and buckle in! Twitter. Retrieved December 12, 2020. (Archived November 14, 2019, 00:08:00 UTC via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine.)
  16. ^ mariokarttourEN (April 17, 2020). The Yoshi Tour is ending soon. But don't worry, there's another terrific tour on the way. Starting Apr. 21, 11 PM PT, the Trick Tour kicks off in #MarioKartTour! Hope you're ready to rack up some points, because every course included will be the Trick variant! Twitter. Retrieved December 12, 2020. (Archived April 18, 2020, 15:34:08 UTC via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine.)
  17. ^ June 15, 2022. Zoom across Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin in the Metropolitan Tour. nintendo.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023. (Archived July 9, 2023, 02:24:07 UTC via Wayback Machine.) "Take to the streets and take in the sights with new variants Berlin Byways, Amsterdam Drift 2, and their R and T variants [...]"
  18. ^ December 28, 2022. Happy New Year’s Tour! nintendo.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023. (Archived July 8, 2023, 16:10:33 UTC via Wayback Machine.) "For this event, the cups are filled to the brim with R/T variants, including six newly added ones: 3DS Piranha Plant Slide R/T, GBA Bowser's Castle 3 R/T, GBA Cheep-Cheep Island R/T, GBA Sky Garden R/T, GCN Baby Park R/T, and Wii Koopa Cape R/T."
  19. ^ April 19, 2023. Enjoy kart-racing antics through antiquity with all-new course, Athens Dash, in the Spring Tour. nintendo.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023. (Archived July 13, 2023, 12:23:18 UTC via Wayback Machine.) "Tour a crop of Europe’s cultural capitals, including brand-new course Athens Dash and new course variants Paris Promenade B and Berlin Byways R/T."
  20. ^ A number of internal text strings in Mario Kart Tour (ArrowMobyi, ArrowSignMobyi, FlowerRingMobyi, HeyhoMobyi, RoadAppearMobyi, and RoadPartsMobyi) refer to map objects that are seen in the Yoshi's Island course; they are referred to as belonging to Mobyi, indicating that the course has the Mob platform code, used for courses originating from Mario Kart Tour.
  21. ^ Hydra. (March 8, 2022). Mario Kart Tour Server. Discord. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  22. ^ kaidragon77. (September 27, 2019). Mario Kart Tour - Dry Bowser Gameplay. YouTube. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  23. ^ A human readable transcription of the main content of the KartParamVehicleMove container.
  24. ^ A human-readable transcription of the main content of the ItemSlotTable container.
  25. ^ A human-readable transcription of the main content of the ItemSlotTableP2P container.
  26. ^ HalfHydra (March 5, 2022). Ring Race with Combo Counter. YouTube. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  27. ^ Ryuk3112 (December 2, 2019). Demo iPhones have a demo version of Mario Kart Tour. Reddit. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  28. ^ Post about the drivers of the New Year's 2021 Tour from the official English Mario Kart Tour Twitter account
  29. ^ LeastGeneral9415 (November 6, 2022). weird multi-player glitch. Reddit (/r/MarioKartTour). Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  30. ^ Machkovech, Sam (May 22, 2019). Mario Kart Tour beta hands-on: Microtransactions land like a nasty blue shell. Ars Technica. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  31. ^ Gach, Ethan (May 22, 2019). Mario Kart Tour Is Pretty Good When It’s Not Nickel And Diming You. Kotaku. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  32. ^ Asarch, Steven (May 23, 2019) Mario Kart Tour’ Beta Potential Bogged Down By Microtransactions. Newsweek. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  33. ^ Webster, Andrew (September 26, 2019). Mario Kart Tour is too cynical to be fun. The Verge. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  34. ^ Scullion, Chris (September 26, 2019). Mario Kart Tour Review. Nintendo Life. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  35. ^ McWhertor, Micheal (September 27, 2019). Mario Kart Tour review: Mario Kart just doesn’t feel right on a phone. Polygon. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  36. ^ Andriessen, CJ (September 29, 2019). Review: Mario Kart Tour. Destructoid. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  37. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (October 1, 2019). Mario Kart Tour Review. IGN. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  38. ^ GameXplain (October 2, 2019). Mario Kart Tour REVIEW - Free to Play but Money Has Never Been More Intrusive. YouTube. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  39. ^ Mario Kart Tour (iOS). Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  40. ^ Mario Kart Tour. Google Play. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  41. ^ Mario Kart Tour. App Store. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  42. ^ Users’ Choice Game of 2019. Google Play. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  43. ^ Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (February 14, 2020). Congratulations to @mariokarttourEN for winning Racing Game of the Year! #DICEAwards. Twitter. Retrieved April 2,2020.
  44. ^ mariokarttour.com (simplified Chinese). Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  45. ^ mariokarttour.com (traditional Chinese). Retrieved September 2, 2019.

External links