10 things we learned about Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Nintendo’s Combined Reality Racer

One of Nintendo’s more interesting upcoming games Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Developed by Whelan Studios, it is a title that follows Labo and likes Pokemon Go, Takes Nintendo’s hilarious experiences and tries to translate them into the real world. In this case, Home circuit Both the switch and the remote control racer will occupy your room.

A lot is going on, and I recently had the opportunity for a hand-off demo of the game, where I learned some interesting tips on how to experience it. Here’s what you need to know first Home circuitStarts October 16th.

What do you get in the box

The $ 99.99 package comes in two variants – Mario or Luigi – both offer the same basic experience. For that price you get an RC cart that has a brother; The four cardboard “gates” that serve as the main theme of your race course; Two arrow sign boards, which are optional course-building components; And a cable for cart charging.

You can download the game for free – but you need a cart to play

The game, meanwhile, will be available as a free download from Switch Eshop. However, even if someone with the switch can download it, the game will not actually play without the hardware. At the very beginning of the game’s setup, you will be given a QR code, which you will need to scan with the camera in the RC cart to continue. Without the cart, you cannot proceed beyond this point.

You can play with up to four people

Home circuit Supports multiplayer with up to four people, but requires a full set for everyone to participate. That means a switch, a copy of the game and a cart in the race. Once you get started, one person will act as the host and everyone will play their course. Although expensive it looks like a fun multiplayer experience. (There is no form of online multiplayer.)

How you can customize courses

One of the main appeals of Home circuit You can build your own courses around your home. And, in a true mixed reality spirit, you do it both ways. The main part of this is the gates, which you use to make the base of your track. There are no one-way courses in Home circuit. Instead, you use the gates to create the outlines of the track and the players complete them by driving laps through four. Then you can add physical obstacles – say, the legs of a table or the LEGO bricks on the track – that players should avoid.

There are also elements of the game that only show up on the switch screen. For example, gates can be customized with different features; You can drop objects like shells or mushrooms on them or speed up. Gates may be home to obstacles such as spinning firebars, thomps or chain champs, but signboards can be used to add extra decoration to a course with flashing lights and colors. Additionally, there are different themes that you can apply to the track, some of which can cause more virtual obstacles. Lava bubbles explode randomly on the lava theme track, while in the 8-bit theme the domes are patrolling backwards.

The best course models have these virtual features and real-world barriers.

You need coins to unlock features

One purpose here is to collect coins while racing: Coins are used to unlock key features. It includes some course customization options, as well as cosmetic updates for your racer. For example, you can use coins to turn Super Mario into builder Mario and drive him on construction materials. However, the changes only affect the screen version of the game and not the physical cart.

Moments in the game affect the IRL cart

One of the coolest things I ‘ve ever seen on screen was the RC cart. For example, when you use a mushroom for speed boost, you may see a small toy car speeding up the IRL. When you hit it with a red shell, the cart will stop completely. The best example I have seen is a course with sandstorms, where the steady wind is moving unrealistically as the RC car flies around.

Grand Prix mode is still there, but it works differently

The traditional single player Grand Prix mode returns Home circuit, But it works a little differently. You are in control of the basic layout of the course, but the game overcomes different themes and obstacles depending on what stage you are at. During my demo, I saw traditional themes like underwater and snow and there was also a rainbow road theme. This means that you will not see the same kind of wild, gravity-defying courses Mario Kart 8 Such a pleasure.

Battery life depends on speed

You need to recharge the karts, but it depends on how fast you plan on racing. Home circuit It has four speeds: 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and 200cc. Nintendo says if you play at 150cc, you should get 90 minutes of battery life. That number will increase if you play slow settings and decide to go all-out at 200cc.

It should work well on the carpet

The videos shown so far mainly depict RC karts running on clean hardwood floors. But Nintendo says the game should work well on carpets, but it slows down a bit, especially if your carpet is thick. It can be made for some interesting course designs depending on the layout in your living room.

You can play in handheld mode or on TV

Home circuit The base supports both Nintendo Switch and Portable-only Switch Lite. Both games work in portable mode, but you can also play them on a TV with a standard switch. For multiplayer matches, it can add an interesting spectator view as if you were watching a very short Nazker race.