Cats and Dogs Hate Nintendo's Latest Game
The launch of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit has translated into a flood of materials from the game. Most of them include the reactions of cats and dogs, which are unlikely to like Nintendo's new idea.
If you wanted to point out the most popular virtual go-kart racing game, the Mario Kart series would undoubtedly take first place. However, the latest installment of the series has some enemies. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit launched today on Switch, to the horror of... cats and dogs. The purchasers of the new game, which uses augmented reality technology, share their funny experiences, which very often include the experiences of their pets.
Mario Kart Live: The Home Circuit consists of a toy car and a handful of accessories used for marking tracks. The vehicle is driven via Nintendo Switch, with the device complementing the view from the camera mounted on the go-kart with virtual elements: not only the backgrounds of the available routes (both from the old installments and those developed for the game) but also obstacles, power-ups, etc. The toy reacts in an appropriate way to what is happening on the screen, for example by braking after a collision with objects in the game. The title includes three game modes: Grand Prix, time trial, and custom race.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit review scores:
- Press Start - 8.5/10
- Game Informer - 7.5/10
- GameSpot - 7/10
- Digital Trends - 3/5
Dogs and cats not appreciating the game are definitely an interesting "attraction", but is Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit worth buying for other reasons? If you judge by the few available ratings - yes. It's not a title to compete with the full-fledged installments of this beloved series, and some reviewers also mentioned the conflict between the game and their pets. The actual go-kart is not going too fast either, but it makes a much more dynamic impression on the screen. Most importantly, racing around our own house is a lot of fun, as is building new routes. There were also no major problems with having fun on different surfaces, although, of course, a carpet that is too dense can make it a bit harder to drive.
Of course, there are some limitations and none of the journalists believe that anyone will play Mario Kart Live:Home Circuit for weeks all the time. No one could test the multiplayer mode (requiring the purchase of a second car) either. Nevertheless, the title is a successful experiment by Nintendo, to which buyers will want to return from time to time. Some reviewers hope to find similar solutions in the next, ninth installment of the series. It's high time for this one, too - it's one of the few exclusive Nintendo franchises (next to Metroid and Donkey Kong) that hasn't lived to see a completely new game on Switch. The eighth installment is already over 7 years old (3, if we count from the launch of Deluxe) and we would like to see its successor at last.
