Mario Kart Home

Mario Kart Home Circuit
Mario Kart Home

Just make sure each player has their own Nintendo Switch system, The Mario Kart live: home circuit game and either the Mario Kart live: home circuit - Mario set or Mario Kart live: home circuit - Luigi set the magic of augmented of reality doesn't just mean you'll see your course and opponents come alive on screen. Turn your home into a Mario Kart course of your design. Place gates and customize courses. in the real world, then see them come to life with different in-game environments, like jungles and snowscapes, and obstacles like Piranha Plants.

Nintendo is once again blurring the line between toys and digital entertainment with Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a 'mixed reality' product that's part-RC car and part-video game. Developed jointly with Velan Studios, Home Circuit gives you the ability to create your own Mario Kart courses in real life. The key to this is a toy kart that you can drive around using your Switch. The kart features a camera that streams a video feed back to the system's screen, which the game then overlays with a HUD, item boxes, environmental hazards, and other Mario Kart trappings.

It's a genuinely impressive conceit, the same kind of technological sleight of hand that made the company's various Labo kits--which combine peripherals you fashion out of cardboard with the Switch hardware--seem so mystifying when they were unveiled. Given how unorthodox it is, it may also be initially hard to wrap your head around, but Nintendo gave us a much better understanding of how it all works and what you can actually do in Mario Kart Live during a recent preview presentation. Here's what we learned.

Compatibility

Mario Kart Live is compatible with both the standard Nintendo Switch and the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite. If you have the standard model, you can also play in TV mode with the system docked. The game supports the Switch Pro Controller as well.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit - Official Announcement Trailer

What's Included

The Mario Kart Live software will be released on the Switch eShop as a free digital download, but to use it, you'll need to pick up either a Mario kart set or a Luigi kart set, which retail for $100 USD apiece. Along with their respective toy karts, each package comes with four checkpoint gates, which you'll need to arrange around the room to construct your course, along with two (optional) arrow sign boards and a USB charging cable. You can charge the kart by connecting it to your Switch dock, and Nintendo estimates it takes approximately three to three-and-a-half hours to fully charge.

Setup

When you fire up the Mario Kart Live software on Switch, you'll be presented with a QR code on the screen. You'll need to scan this code with the camera on your kart to sync it to your system.

Once you've connected the kart, you'll be able to drive it around the room freely to get a feel for how it handles. The controls are similar to Mario Kart 8: The A button accelerates; B is used to brake and drive in reverse; and drifting is handled with the R or ZR buttons. You can also use items you've picked up during the race by pressing L or ZL. As in Mario Kart 8, there's an optional 'smart steering' mode as well for less experienced players; this mode will help keep the kart in the middle of the track.

Before you can create your own course, you'll first need to arrange the checkpoint gates around the room. You must use all four gates when setting a track up. After the gates are arranged, you'll need to drive the toy kart through all four gates in the correct order and return to gate 1 to establish the course. On the screen, Lakitu will coat your kart's tires with paint, and the trail you leave behind as you drive through the gates will determine the shape of the track.

Game Modes

There are three main gameplay modes in Mario Kart Live. The first, Grand Prix, is similar to what you'd find in a proper Mario Kart game. This mode features a handful of different cups, each of which consists of three five-lap races. The game will randomly mix up your course with a different environment theme and obstacle placements for each race. For instance, one race could set the entire course underwater, while another could take place during a raging sandstorm. In addition to changing up the look of the course, the theme will also affect how your kart handles; the aforementioned sandstorm, for example, will obscure your vision and constantly nudge your kart to the left.

As in a traditional Mario Kart game, there are four different speed classes as well. You'll start with 50cc and 100cc, but as you play through the Grand Prix, you'll also unlock 150cc and 200cc modes. (There's an unlockable mirror mode as well that flips the orientation of your course.) The speed class you choose will determine how fast your toy kart goes, so you'll need to consider how much physical space is around you when selecting a class, as the faster classes will require more room. Nintendo recommends choosing 50cc or 100cc if you built your course in a small bedroom, while your play space should be at least 10x12 feet for 150cc mode.

In addition to Grand Prix, there are Custom Races. This mode gives you full control over how your course is customized; you'll be able to choose the environment theme, what type of checkpoint gates appear, and other aspects of the track. You can also remove the CPU opponents so that you can race another player head-to-head.

Finally, there's Time Trial mode. As in other Mario Kart games, the aim here is to clear your custom course as quickly as possible. After the first race, you'll compete against a CPU ghost of your best time.

Multiplayer

Up to four players can play Mario Kart Live together locally, but each person will need their own Switch console, toy kart, and the Mario Kart Live software installed on their system. The player who hosts the session will establish the course (either before the session begins or after the other players have joined).

In addition to being able to play Custom Races, all four players can take part in the Grand Prix mode together. The joining players will unlock whatever customization options appear during the Grand Prix races in their own game, and any coins they collect while playing will still go toward unlocking new costumes and vehicle parts (more on that below). Cockroach simulator crack.

Single-Player Progression

Although Mario Kart Live places a big emphasis on playing with others, every mode is playable solo as well. When playing Grand Prix solo, you'll race against CPU-controlled Koopalings. As you complete the different cups, you'll unlock various customization parts for your course, such as different checkpoint gates. Each of these has its own gimmick; one gate is guarded by Thwomps that may crush your kart, while another will have a Piranha Plant dangling down from the center that'll snap at you if you drive too closely.

The coins you collect during races will also go toward unlocking new costumes for your character, as well as different frames and horns for your kart. The first three customizations you'll unlock are the Builder outfit, the Big Scoop (which transforms your kart into a construction vehicle), and a construction horn, but all items beyond that will be random, so every player will unlock something different. Nintendo notes these customization options are entirely cosmetic and won't affect your kart's performance during a race.

Mario Kart Live launches on October 16. You can learn more about the game in our Mario Kart Live preorder guide.

Nintendo Switch News & Announcements

Remember the Tickle Me Elmo rush of 1996?

The toy, an interactive version of the Sesame Street character that laughed when you so much as touched it, was the biggest holiday prize of the year. Parents literally fought over the thing in stores, and Tickle Me Elmo became a source of horror stories and an odd sense of pride for people that got one for years to come.

If you're too young to remember that time, think about how tough it's been to snag an Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 or RTX 3080 graphics card this year. Console and PC gamers can relate to the weeks-long wait for even a smidge of hope of claiming their prize. Throw in a screaming kid, and you have Tickle Me Elmo -- and proof that no matter the simplicity, a great concept mixed with a big brand can make for the holiday commodity each season.

I say all of that to say this. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will be the Tickle Me Elmo of this holiday season, though the battles for ownership will likely play out online rather than in stores. Though the console wars and Nvidia card shortage are dominating the gaming conversation now, Mario Kart's ubiquity, fun-for-all ages style and relative affordability for parents and casual players will no doubt make Home Circuit the story of November and December. Think the Animal Crossing: New Horizons phenomenon, but with a mixed reality hook.

More: Madden NFL 21 adds Greek Freak and the Antetokounmpo brothers | NHL '94 Rewind brings back an all-time great sports video game | Microsoft purchases ZeniMax Media, Bethesda Softworks' parent company

Home Circuit is stunning in both its simplicity and its execution. It's Mario Kart, but in your house. You make the courses. You choose where item boxes, boosts and other elements of the course belong. And the customization plus the novelty of seeing the action play out in front of you is remarkably fun, both for kids and for people old enough to remember when Elmo was the talk of the holiday season.

I came into my test run of Home Circuit skeptical but walked away with nothing but nitpicky fixes. At $99.99, it is a bit pricier than the $30-something people spent for a giggling toy 24 years ago. But it's also markedly cheaper than the new console generation, and for parents and Mario Kart fans alike, a consolation prize that has that patented Nintendo magic behind it.

To get a sense of what this game can (and can't) do, my wife, my dogs and I put our Nintendo Switch, real-life racers and the track options to the test. We were left with my wife literally sweating as she raced Mario down a hallway, a terrified corgi and laughter that likely annoyed our neighbors. Here are some of the takeaways from our time with Home Circuit and the do's and don'ts for when you line up at the starting line.

Do: Clear the room

The first thing we did with our kart was see just how far it could go in every cardinal direction. The result: About 45 feet of leeway before the connection to your Switch cuts out. That's a ton of real estate, and to make the most of it, you'll want to unlock the kart's higher speed options, which should be familiar to fans of the Mario Kart series. Sid meiers civilization v: complete for mac.

Home Circuit's hardware has 50cc, 100cc, 150cc and 200cc options. The latter two are unlocked by completing races in the game's Grand Prix mode, where you compete against virtual opponents to get circuit trophies, just like in your typical Mario Kart title. It takes five first, second or third place Grand Prix results to unlock 150cc and 10 to get 200cc, which is a very good call by Nintendo -- the kart actually does go faster, much faster, in real life at each of these intervals. The speed and turn radius take some getting used to, and in this version of Mario Kart, there can be real-life consequences for missing a cut, including but not limited to your dog getting smacked in the face. (No animals were hurt in the creation of this content, I promise).

Make space for your track, but don't be afraid of using things like coffee tables or other furniture as obstacles. In our testing, we found that even brick walls don't cut the Switch signal, even at around 30-40 feet. At 150cc, a Nintendo representative recommended a 10x12 meter space for a track, or about 32x40 feet of space. It isn't required, but it'll make your life easier and allow for some creativity for those faster-paced races.

Mario Kart Home Circuit

Don't: Go outside the lines

An important warning: The four gates used to make your course are the only thing that matter when it comes to the race. The track you create outside of that is a recommendation, not a rule. There's an honor system here: Racers need to follow the track of their own volition and not create their own Rainbow Road-style shortcuts.

There are ways to restrict movement, obviously, like using obstacles to create lanes, but make sure they're not too flimsy if you really don't trust your craftier friends to stay on-track.

Mario Kart Home

Do: Jumps and ramps (responsibly)

That same Nintendo representative did not recommend going vertical with the kart at all, which is totally understandable. The hardware, while durable, relies on a front-facing camera that stands above your racer's head through an attachment to the back of the kart. It is made of plastic. It is breakable.

But forget about that. Warnings be damned, we wanted to see Mario fly, and there are probably plenty of people out there planning some ridiculous courses for their karts as I type. After unlocking all the speed options and getting an understanding of what we were working with, we set up some cardboard ramps and tried our luck.

I regret to inform my fellow daredevils that the ramp options are pretty limited when it comes to this kart. You can yeet yourself using a few degrees of incline on less than a foot of height at 200cc, but it's not all that impressive. You can, however, build ramps for your kart to ascend with little trouble at that speed and 150cc, then plateau onto a second story and set up a fall or a ramp for the kart to go down on the other end.

Don't bother with the lower speeds for any of this; though the game does a great job of making it look like you're speeding down the raceway even when at 50cc and 100cc, but the immersion is ruined when the kart hits a 1-degree cardboard ramp and can't make the ascent.

There is definitely someone out there with an understanding of physics who will find a way to make this thing leap several feet into the air. That person is not me. For a layman, making a ramp that can make your kart defy gravity is a tall task.

Don't: Trust your children

This one's a warning for parents purchasing Home Circuit, courtesy of my sibling-having wife.

The gates you use to create the course are made of cardboard. While sturdier than expected, the cardboard is, of course, breakable. Children are prone to breaking things when they're mad. It's very easy to see a world where one kid gets upset with another and decides to burn it all down, ruining the fun for everybody, yourself included. Make sure you do the responsible thing and supervise.

Do: Customize before cutting loose

The journey to unlocking 200cc will also earn you several options for course creation, including gate effects and weather options that can affect your race. Rain leads to speed-boosting mushrooms growing on the course. A magical gate turns the camera and controls around, forcing you to adjust your approach.

Part of the fun of the Grand Prix is experiencing all these different effects while competing against virtual foes, and the same goes for racing against real-life opponents if you commit to adjusting your custom creations. Take some time to really think through what could throw off your fellow racers or create some chaos. I found it helpful to write down some ideas or combinations that I loved from the other series, and you might, too.

Throw in some real-life obstacles, and you've got a course that even Nintendo designers would envy.