Go beyond Rainbow Road.

Considering the success Nintendo has had with the mobile versions of some of their key franchises, it was only a matter of time before Mario Kart made its way to iOS and Android devices. It’s now just a matter of a month, as Mario Kart Tour will get the green flag on September 25th.

Before the Nintendo purists cry foul (as usual), it’s worth noting that this is not simply a mobile rehash of easlier Mario Kart entries. As the press release states, Mario Kart Tour “… goes beyond Rainbow Road, with special city courses that let players race through courses inspired by actual locations like New York, Tokyo and Paris.”

In Mario Kart Tour, players can experience the endless racing fun of Mario Kart while collecting drivers, like Mario, as well as karts and gliders. Players can choose which drivers, karts and gliders to use in races across a variety of courses, including new takes on classic courses and special city courses. City courses, special in-game event courses inspired by real-world locations, will be available during specific time periods at launch and beyond. In addition to courses based on iconic locales, some Mario Kart characters will get variations that incorporate the local flavor of cities featured in the game.

Nintendo has pretty much nailed it with their mobile releases thus far, but I must admit I don’t like the vertical orientation presented in the gameplay trailer above. I get the whole one-thumb control thing, but racing games are always better in a horizontal presentation. If we’re not getting that, it’s safe to assume we’re not getting multiple control options, either.

Mario Kart Tour will be free-to-start, with optional in-game purchases. That should be fine, however, as Nintendo has been fair with the IAPs in their previous releases. I’ve dumped some money into Fire Emblem Heroes, but only because I felt the game (and the developers) deserved ti, not because there was an inherent need.

A Nintendo Account will be required to play Mario Kart Tour when the game is released for iOS and Android on September 25th. If you don’t already have an account you can set one up for free at accounts.nintendo.com. For more information, visit mariokarttour.com.