Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Reviews
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).
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
If Mario Kart Live Home Circuit plays well and feels fresh it also has some awkward limitations. First, the connection between the kart and your Switch is too short. Then, if you live in a small flat, it's complicated. Finally, if you plan to play with other people, you have to buy another complete set, as there are no individual karts for sale.
Review in French | Read full review
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.
Nintendo's augmented reality kart racer – which involves a miniature kart – works better as a creative toy than a traditional racing game
The package you get for $149.95 AUD RRP doesn’t include enough to sustain the amount of gameplay we expect from a game that expensive.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a magical, transformative experience under ideal conditions that works way better than you’d think. When you stray from those conditions even a little, though, it deteriorates rapidly.
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.
Very well made proof of concept that Mario Kart can be fun to play in AR.
Review in Slovak | 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?
My time with Home Circuit was fun, and I’m sure I’ll set up a new course sometime in the future when I’m feeling particularly inspired. I just wish there were two karts in the box so I could play with a friend, and I wish the range was double what it is so I could build bigger and better courses. I’m not so sure I feel like I got a $99 value out of what I played so far.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a unique experience that is really impressive at first glance. I enjoyed putting the courses together and exploring the variety of Grand Prix’s, but after a while, the experience does lose its charm much faster than normal Mario Kart experiences. I think this is in part due to the fact that there really is only so many ways I can set up four gates in my living room, the game gets stale because my ideas get stale. Some of the in-game obstacles that impact your RC cars steering, like the Chain-Chomp power-up and the high winds, often caused me to crash into living room objects or knock the gates out of place. This was incredibly annoying and really ruins the experience more than a badly timed Blue Shell. Moreover, the cost to play multiplayer is way too steep, keeping this ultimately a single-player experience for most families. While there is a nice amount of variety in courses, there really isn’t much to do after you master the 200cc difficulty – assuming you haven’t lost interest long before then.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is heavily dependent on the amount of free floor space you have available. If you have a large home, space to drive under the sofas, no extra rugs or thick carpets, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will be an amazing experience to share with the children. If you live somewhere fairly cramped or have a lot of clutter that's going to get in the way, then you will find this very difficult to enjoy indeed. Great for the kids at Christmas, as long as you have the space.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a gleefully successful experiment for Nintendo and Velan Studios...though some minor elements hold it back from exceeding expectations.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is Nintendo at its toyetic peak, with a magical AR effect that nonetheless requires some elbow grease to find the fun.
A wonderfully inventive attempt to bring Mario Kart into the real world, whose mere premise is enough to amuse and delight, despite some unavoidable practical limitations.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit's course creation and in-game tracks are a blast held back by some key limitations.
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
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!
If you can manage to find one, it should make for a fun gift for this holiday season. Even with some shortcomings, this is yet another innovative experience from the minds at Nintendo. With nearly endless options on courses and a cool use of technology, I look forward to seeing what some players come up with. As a game it might be somewhat lacking, but as a toy, this is surely going to be a hit.