Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Reviews
At its core, there’s a solid Mario Kart game here, and I hope the environmental and gate effects are brought over to the main series for the proper ninth installment, as I think those additions could add something to the franchise.
We can't deliver our final verdict on Mario Kart Live until we've fully explored its multiplayer potential with a second RC car, but what we can say at this stage is that this is a startlingly authentic "mixed reality" recreation of Nintendo's most popular racing series which encourages you to be inventive with your course designs and does an excellent job of combining your real world surroundings with the fantasy environments of the Mushroom Kingdom. The tech side of things is undeniably impressive and it's impossible to not raise a smile the first time you play; the question is how long that magic will last, especially if your home limits your track designs and you've only got the budget to cover the cost of a single car.
It’s an expensive gadget that becomes boring quickly, but I appreciate the risk Nintendo takes. Mari Kart Live is far from perfect, but in a few years… Maybe we’re witnessing the birth of a new type of toy? As many innovations before, there are problems in the beginning.
Review in Polish | Read full review
It’s interesting and innovative for sure, but what it brings in terms of magic and child-like wonderment, it loses something in the repetitive nature of each course being in the same space of your house over and over. While kids may be stoked to let their imagination run wild with Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, I think most adults will enjoy the novelty for a few races, show their friends and family, but ultimately go back to the more feature-packed Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The question is, beyond the real-world factors of space to play, how much are you willing to pay for that Nintendo Magic?
After a couple different track designs and laps, we’d had our fun with the tech, but I’d imagine children wouldn’t tire (pun intended) of Mario Kart Live Home Circuit‘s novelty quite as quickly. It’s largely targeted for that demographic, we’d say, a creative and novel way to spend time in whatever level of lockdown you’re currently engaged in.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit provides a fresh and unique gaming experience, which feels hard to come by these days. The kart is cleverly designed and well put together, responding to every precise movement. Whilst the core gameplay might get a little repetitive, the technology has a bright future, and it's guaranteed to provide fun for the whole family.
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit is fun, fun and more fun! Again, there's so much fun to be found in this game plus lot of track creating. However the game feels like you're racing in a virtual Mario Kart title but in the real-world and if you're looking for a game with some escapism to draw you in, Mario Kart Live Home is indeed that game.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit feels like a technology and toy that can work in the right conditions.
There may be just as many, though, that open up the box and begin setting up the game only to find that their home just isn't a great fit or they don't have others around to enjoy it with. Without question, its novelty is charming and it makes a stellar first impression, but the experience can start to seem shallow the more and more laps you make around the track. If you have a good amount of space and flexibility where you can play, Mario Kart Live is a neat and well-functioning toy, but diehard Kart fans are likely to be left in the dust not long after the race begins.
While the tech used for Mario Kart Live is undeniably impressive, most people will get more out of the £100 required to play it by getting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a few years of Switch Online instead. The way tracks are created in game limits the designs you can create, and you’re out of luck if your house has a limited amount of useable space, or flooring that isn’t completely flat. Still, there’s fun to be had for at least a few hours before the novelty wears off, and it’s hard not to enjoy seeing Mario speed around track you have made. There’s potential, just not enough for this to be worth it for most Mario Kart fans (though cats certainly seem to love it).
Very well made proof of concept that Mario Kart can be fun to play in AR.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is immersive, addictive and refreshingly fun - a fresh way to interact with the living space; blending a traditional toy with that intense Mario Kart action! Throw in those familiar items, themes and chirpy music and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a recipe for an afternoon of Augmented Reality racing. Home Circuit does certainly have room to grow and questions around replay value - whether through more affordable additional RC cars, extra accessories, and additional extras in the game.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit does nearly everything it can to offer a commendably fun-filled AR racing experience. Although it has its inherent limitations, it's definitely a novel concept with a lot of promise, especially if you want to create your own real-life courses.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is the most unique take on the series that since Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on GameCube. It's a blast to play, and it feels reminiscent of games like Wii Sports, where players will immediately want to show it off to family and friends. It's also a game that will really benefit those that have a lot of creativity and space. Home Circuit can still be enjoyed without a large setup, but players that want to really push the Kart and its software to its limits will want to give themselves plenty of room to do so. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit doesn't offer quite the same depth as options like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it doesn't really have to. Players will get out of the game what they put into it, and it will be exciting to see the tracks people come up with when the game has been out a bit longer. Nintendo's latest offering is just another example of the company's penchant for offering experiences that gamers of all ages can bond over.
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit is magical, but not flawless. While being a bit pricey, the quality of the tech behind these karts can't be denied. It is a joy to race on your own courses, although finishing is always easy thanks to some small technical hiccups.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
You'll be fully immersed so it's easy to forget that there's an actual kart driving around your room. The price of this game is not exactly low, especially if you'd like to race with more players. Despite some real world limitations or relatively low variety of game modes, this is still a very entertaining concept that will cheer up any RC car enthusiast. Just keep in mind this is not a typical game but a toy using AR. Whether Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will keep you entertained for a long time is up to you.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Mario Kart Live - Home Circuit is a new version of the classic racing game. The AR features are refreshing and a lot of fun. Bringing the aspect of the race track into the living room was a clever move by Nintendo. With the right size there are no limits to your fantasy. The co-op mode is unfortunately not possible online. You are limited here to the local version. Why Nintendo considered this step, I did not understand. I imagine it to be especially funny to play with players all over the world in their living rooms.
Review in German | Read full review
At its best, Mario Kart Live Home Circuit can be a truly novel and unique experience for young and old gamers to enjoy together. The way the augmented reality aspects help bring the real-world elements to life is incredible; and it stands as a brilliant ‘first generation’ product that will, no doubt, get better with time. Despite one or two caveats; the overall experience is decent and paints a bright future for what Nintendo might have in store for gamers going forward!
The game is ideally suited to enthrall the younger generation, but older gamers are not immune to the charm of the idea either. Mario Kart: Home Circuit is a really fun affair that allows Nintendo to play the creative muscles again. Self-made courses, multiplayer functions and, last but not least, the portability of the Switch enable the game to become a toolset with which a creative mind can have a lot of fun.
Review in German | Read full review