Nintendo appears to be on the right track as it celebrates its triumph on the console market. Nevertheless, its support for mobile games continues onward.
The company has already ported over a few of its popular franchises with Super Mario Run, Miitomo, Pokemon Go, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Fire Emblem Heroes. The company made a surprise announcement that it intends to bring Mario Kart Tour next year. Details regarding the mobile version of the popular Nintendo racing game are quite scarce as of the moment, however.
Planned Ahead Of Time
Back in 2015, the Japanese gaming firm made an official announcement that it was about to make its presence felt in the mobile gaming market. At the time, the Wii U was still locked in a struggle to gain market share from Sony and Microsoft.
The company outlined its plans to release around two to three mobile games within a year, which appears to be the case with its recent releases.
Development Status
It is currently unknown how long Nintendo is into the development of Mario Kart Tour. Gameplay and release date information is vague, but there is a definite chance that it will be a title classified under the racing genre like its predecessors.
The company made the announcement via Twitter and only notes that the game is currently being worked on and that it is set to launch sometime next year.
The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
Based on an older report from Mobile Title In The Works, a new Legend of Zelda mobile game might be underway alongside Mario Kart Tour. Given the success and acclaim of critics The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received when it launched, many expect that Nintendo will rely on the franchise's popularity for its next mobile phone entry.
Likewise, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and even its Wii U counterpart sold millions of copies. Therefore, it is only practical for the company to bank on its moneymaking series of games.
Shigeru Miyamoto Jumps In Nintendo did not just stop with the announcement of Mario Kart Tour. In fact, the company confirmed that Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's game designer and producer, will co-produce an animated Mario movie together with Chris Meledandri, head of Illumination Entertainment.
The film is reportedly being co-financed by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment will also handle the worldwide distribution of the movie. Moreover, there are supposedly talks regarding a theme park tie-in involved with the deal made by the two companies.
Nintendo and Illumination are partnering on a movie starring Mario, co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri! pic.twitter.com/wVRPLIzcGJ — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
Just like previous Nintendo mobile games, sources speculate that Mario Kart Tour will come out first for iOS devices. An Android port will follow shortly similar to Super Mario Run.
