Mario Kart Tour Now Lets You Switch Between Steering And Drifting Mid-Race

Mario Kart Tour has been a huge success for Nintendo’s mobile division, and has enjoyed the best launch of any of their games designed for phones, despite being criticized for aggressive monetization systems. The game’s simple touch controls have displeased some fans, as the game has not, up until this point, let you switch between standard steering and drifting in the middle of a race – you can only have one or the other, chosen before the race starts. Traditionally, success in Mario Kart has depended on perfectly timed drifts, but Tour’s all-or-nothing approach has made for a less satisfying experience.

The latest update, though, which is now live, allows you to toggle between drifting and steering with a quick tap. The game’s official Twitter has released a short video showing the new control scheme in action. Running a finger along most of the screen will have you steering the kart normally, while running it across the ‘drift’ button at the bottom will send you into the series’ iconic powerslide.

This new control scheme is much closer to what fans are used to from the other eight games in the series.

Mario Kart Tour has seasonal events, including a recent Halloween event that brought Waluigi to the game. The game will receive a multiplayer beta test in December, although it will only be accessible to players with a Gold Pass subscription. We think that the game could steer the future of the Mario Kart franchise on consoles, too.