boy ๐ i ๐ wonder ๐ if ๐ there's ๐ an ๐ entry ๐ on ๐ the ๐ 3DS ๐ that ๐ keeps ๐ the ๐ original ๐ gameplay ๐ in ๐ tact ๐
The Laughing Cow has stopped laughing on its packaging for the first time since 1921, with select packages now featuring a serious-faced mascot and the cryptic message "We need to talk"
The brand has given no explanation yet, simply saying she will explain "when she's ready"
However you slice it, the Mythic rarity might be the most inflated not just when it comes to brawlers, but to skins as well.
What could be the cause of that?
The Mario Kart Tour Archive
#8: The Final Anniversary
#MarioKartTour
September 25, 2026, marks the 7th and final active anniversary of Mario Kart Tour. Here are some statistics of everything the game included and achieved.
Counting every character variant and Mii Racing Suit separately, there are 267 playable characters in the game, the largest number of playable characters in any Super Mario game. There are 14 original characters who made their playable debuts in Mario Kart Tour: Pauline, Peachette, Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, Ice Bro, Monty Mole, Dixie Kong, Captain Toad, Nabbit, King Bob-omb, Kamek, Chargin' Chuck, and Poochy. Multiple characters also made their return after a long absence in the series: Donkey Kong Jr. (only in his SNES form) is playable for the first time since Super Mario Kart, Petey Piranha is playable for the first time since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Diddy Kong, Birdo, and Funky Kong are playable for the first time since Mario Kart Wii. Excluding crossovers, only two playable characters did not return from previous Mario Kart games: Paratroopa from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Honey Queen from Mario Kart 7.
There are 340 karts in Mario Kart Tour, the most of any Mario Kart game. Several karts return from previous games in the series, alongside plenty of new karts and variants of existing ones. Some of the returning karts include the Turbo Yoshi from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Poltergust 4000 from Mario Kart DS, Tiny Titan from Mario Kart Wii, Bumble V from Mario Kart 7, and Badwagon from Mario Kart 8. Some examples of new karts include the Yellow Taxi, Jingle Bells, Combo Cruiser, Dolphin Drifter, Jukebox Buggy, and Blooper Shuttle. Variants include many new colors and designs for new and returning karts, with some colors or designs even returning from previous games.
There are 238 gliders in Mario Kart Tour, the most of any Mario Kart game, just like the karts. As previously stated with the karts, many gliders return from previous games, such as the Swooper from Mario Kart 7 and Wario Wing from Mario Kart 8. There are plenty of brand new gliders too, such as the Full Flight, Starchute, Super Mario Kart Glider, Great Sail, Piranha Plant Balloons, and Yoshi's Cookies. A majority of the gliders in the game are variants, mostly changing the color or design of new and returning gliders.
Including special items and mode-exclusive items, there are 38 items featured in Mario Kart Tour. Of these items, there are 12 new items in the series: Double Bob-ombs, Hammer, Ice Flower, Bubble, Banana Barrels, Mushroom Cannon, Coin Box (or ? Block), Dash Ring, Bob-omb Cannon, Giga Bob-omb, Super Bell, and Capsule. Several items also return in this game after a long absence in the series: the Bowser's Shell, Yoshi Egg/Birdo Egg, Giant Banana, and Heart from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the Mega Mushroom from Mario Kart Wii, and the Lucky Seven and Super Leaf from Mario Kart 7. The Feather, just like in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is an item exclusive to Battle Mode. The Super Star only appears in online races or challenges, since singleplayer races give the player the item's ability when you get a Frenzy.
Mario Kart Tour features a total of 103 unique courses, or 136 if counting reroutes. When adding every R, T, R/T, and B variant and retro battle course, the total number of courses is 546, a record high number for the Mario Kart series. Almost every course has an R, T, and R/T variant, with the exception of 3DS Rock Rock Mountain, which lacks an R/T variant, and GBA Bowser's Castle 4, which lacks a T and R/T variant. Of these new courses, there are 44 courses based on cities, including reroutes; however, there are 14 total cities represented: New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney, Singapore, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Athens, Rome, and Madrid. There are 9 courses that are original and not based on a real location, across 7 themes. Those courses are Merry Mountain, Ninja Hideaway, Sky-High Sundae, Piranha Plant Cove, Yoshi's Island, Piranha Plant Pipeline, and Squeaky Clean Sprint. Each new course appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe through the Booster Course Pass DLC, with the exception of Piranha Plant Pipeline, which is the only new course from Mario Kart Tour to not return in another game, not counting the two new battle courses. Sky-High Sundae has returned the most so far, appearing not only in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as mentioned but also in Mario Kart World. 5 of the total number of courses are battle courses.
In Battle Mode, balloons are able to be customized with different designs or shapes. In total, Mario Kart Tour features 53 balloons to choose from.
The total number of tours featured in Mario Kart Tour is 105. This number is counting original tours and not counting all the tours that repeat through the loop. The first tour was the "New York Tour", which started on September 25, 2019, and the last tour was the 2023 "Anniversary Tour", which started on September 20, 2023. This tour is also the last tour of the entire game before it shuts down.
All in all, Mario Kart Tour is the most content-rich game in the Mario Kart series, even beating out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World. With the game shutting down, much of this content will be inaccessible, particularly characters, costumes, and karts. According to an email from Nintendo Smart Device Support in response to a fan, an offline version is not in the works. However, it was suggested to transfer the content of Mario Kart Tour to another game (most likely being Mario Kart World), and the Nintendo Smart Device Support email responded that they will share the suggestion with the relevant team. So one day, despite the game shutting down, we may get to see its content (characters, costumes, and karts) return.
Happy 7th Anniversary, Mario Kart Tour. You will be missed. You have so many fans who will always adore you.