In a year, Nintendo would show Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in person. The company would invite select members of the press to a rented event space and let us experience the game firsthand, as happened with Labo and Ring Fit Adventures. It's 2020, however, and that's not how we do things.
Watching someone else play an RC game on teleconferencing software isn't ideal. But it is nothing if not extremely of the moment. And most importantly, it's probably a testament to what Nintendo does built here that it translates so well with a less than ideal setup. Sure, I won't feel comfortable offering a proper review until I've played the game on my Switch, but I can confidently say that Mario Kart Live is an impressive demo.
Like the recently released Mario Lego sets, this is the kind of toy that makes me jealous of kids today. Also, frankly, it baffles me that I no longer have room at home to draw a track. I heard it was a buyers' market, so maybe I'll go buy a house. Either way, getting Mario in a real-world RC car is one of those easy ideas and the execution looks great.
The game also finds Nintendo embracing augmented reality in a really compelling and clever way. We've seen a bit of the company's AR, particularly in the form of Pokémon GO - which, to be fair, was more of a common Niantic and, as many will happily point out, not quite AR. And like that title, Nintendo worked closely with a third party. In this case, it's the New York state-based Velan Studios, which were started by brothers Guha and Karthik Bala who also founded Vicarious Visions, an Albany-based game developer now owned by Activision.
"It started as an experiment by a small team of Velan," the startup said today in a blog post. "Like many prototypes, the main goal was to 'find the fun'. We built an RC car by putting together drone parts, cameras and sensors to create a unique third-driving experience as seen in person. It gave us the thrill of speed and allowed us to see the world from a completely different perspective. "
Running Mario Kart Live is a perfect synergy as it leverages the Switch to really bring the whole thing to life, in a similar way to what the company has already done with Labo and Ring Fit. Of course, much or most of the real magic here comes courtesy of the pilot. Currently limited to Mario and Luigi (no word yet on additional characters), the cars come with both an FPV camera on Switch and all the necessary sensors.
Nintendo declined to answer specific questions about onboard sensors and other hardware, but depth sensing is assumed to play a big role here. There is no calibration out of the box. You can basically start it up and start driving. Once you've actually opened and set up the three gates to create the circular path, however, this will require some guidance to generate the terrain layout. Nintendo employed clever graphics for this, with Lakitu dropping a bucket of paint onto which the character drives and follows with his wheels.
The game also employs intelligent physics, with gameplay affecting speed and steering. There is a range of maximum speeds, from 50 to 200cc. An AR-free demo shows how game elements affect the kart's actual speed. Other elements, such as the occasional sudden sandstorm, cause the kart to slide sideways. The game will also react, for example, if you crash it into a table leg, sending coins flying just like it would in a Mario Kart game.
On that note, the company tells me the karts are quite sturdy, with a bumper that is essentially designed to bump into things. This shouldn't cause any damage, given the top speeds here. Although the company notes that if, say, a heavy book falls on the kart after it is pushed off a shelf, it could eventually be a problem. Nintendo says there will be a way to repair the karts, but hasn't offered warranty specs.
Races can be played with up to four, although a kart is required to play. In fact, the actual game will be free to download from the Nintendo store, but it's essentially useless without a kart. Until it's set up, the only thing you'll be able to access is a trailer for the game. At the moment, the opponents in the game are only the Koopalings.
Like the karts themselves, however, it seems likely - or even certain - that the company will introduce additional characters along the way. Perhaps we can look for expansions along the lines of what the company did with Smash Bros. Also, like Mario Maker, you can customize both your character and car for the in-game AR FPV overlays (although these won't be visible to other players. ).
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit arrives on October 16, priced at $ 100 per kart. You will need a Switch or a Switch Lite to play.
