Beginning Scope of delivery Preparation Racing practice Multiplayer Battery life Limitations Price Conclusion Comments by Philipp // 17. 10. 2020 15: 36 Clock

Nintendo is daring an exciting experiment with the AR-based Mario Kart for the Switch. TechStage tests the remote-controlled karts with live image transmission in practice.

The Nintendo Switch (test report) was able to convince in the tests both in the standard version and in the Switch Lite (test report). When looking at the sometimes strange accessories for the Switch (advice) it becomes clear that Nintendo is trying new and unusual things with the Switch. The mixture of software and real racetrack is not entirely new, Anki Overdrive (test report) takes a similar approach, but the implementation with live images and AR is new.

Scope of delivery & design The packaging for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is about as big as that the console. The game is currently available in two versions: once with a red kart and Mario as the driver, once with a green speedster and Luigi as the handlebars. Inside each package there are two packages. One is well padded and contains the controllable kart and the corresponding USB-C charging cable. In the other there are four cardboard gates and two signposts that can be set up. Otherwise a quick guide is included.

The software is not included on a storage medium and must first be removed from the Nintendo E- Shop can be downloaded – at a price of around 100 Euro that is at least questionable.

The two karts available are from Mario or controlled by Luigi. The small racing car in the classic Mario Kart design is scarce 20 cm long, 11 cm wide and 10 cm high. At first glance, it could also be a very pretty decorative item. The technology is only discovered at second glance. There is a small camera in the roll bar above Mario or Luigi’s head and a button and a small sliding door can be seen on the right side of the kart. Behind it is the USB-C port for charging the permanently integrated battery.

The karts are extremely chic, very well processed and leave behind after the first two days a sufficiently robust impression. The vehicles put away one or the other frontal crash against table or chair legs without any problems and without leaving any permanent marks. However, they are only suitable for indoor use. This works surprisingly well even with moderate lighting.

Preparation After unpacking the download and installation of Mario Kart Live follow : Home Circuit. The next step is to charge the kart and set up the first racetrack. To do this, the four cardboard gates are first opened and set up in the desired, completely freely configurable, route design. You only have to pay attention to the correct sequence of numbers. The gates can be weighed down with books, for example, to prevent them from being moved in the event of a crash. The design of the route is surprisingly a lot of fun! The youngsters in particular show creative commitment in setting up track barriers, obstacles and the grandstand.

Mario on the Race track in the nursery. After the batteries have been charged, the first practical test begins. Pairing the Nintendo Switch and the home circuit speedster works without any problems thanks to the QR code. To do this, the code shown in the game is simply scanned with the kart’s camera. The live image from the Mario Kart can then be seen on the display. Instead of the real vehicle, however, we see an animated kart with Mario (or Luigi) waving. Now a short driving tutorial and a photo for the virtual race card follow To race, the software first has to get to know the racetrack it has built itself. To do this, we place the kart in front of gate number one and press the X button. Now the desired route is driven through the gates. When you get back to the first gate, the game saves the course you have just completed.

Racing practice Our first impression of the karts: They are slow. That’s also true – at least when you compare them to classic RC cars. Thanks to the AR overlays in the display, the whole thing is gaining momentum. Not only that opponents are displayed – virtual lane boundaries, turbo stripes, bananas lying around, whirling turtle shells or sandstorms also ensure a lot of action during the race. It can quickly become too much on short, confusing and delivered routes. With all the action on the switch monitor, there is hardly anything to be seen of the actual course.

The virtual objects, such as the cloud, can of course only be seen on the switch. The hectic rush of the driver is very amusing for the spectators with regard to the kart driving comfortably around the corners. Even at the wheel you quickly forget reality and concentrate fully on the fast-paced racing. A real Mario Kart feeling sets in very quickly when you are stopped by a banana or blown to the side by a sand vortex. When colliding with real objects, such as the table leg, the racing driver loses virtual coins and slows down a bit.

Anyone who clears the enemy out of the way with the cannonball extra quickly notices that the software intervenes and steers properly. The so-called smart control can at least partially be deactivated under the options. Switching off completely does not seem to work – the kart still brakes slightly before sharp bends.

The display of the virtual racing elements works pleasantly well. Only the displayed route boundaries seem to have a certain life of their own. Otherwise, the combination of the virtual Mario world and reality works very well. The two directional signs are recognized by the camera from a distance of several meters and replaced by brightly lit arrows on the display. The four gates are also pretty, for example with castle battlements, decorated and animated. The typical Mario Kart sound reinforces the racing feeling even more.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (18 Pictures) So come the game.

After the first successful race laps, there are rewards in the form of different character designs or new horn sounds. The routes can also be gradually made more challenging with more different modifications (sandstorms, icicles, etc.).

After the first few laps, your fingers itchy and the track is being rebuilt several times. The design is largely individual, but we found out a few things during the first attempts. The racing courses shouldn’t be too small and winding, because without long straights and enough space to run out, the race can quickly become confusing. A simple oval and a simple circular course become boring after a short time. As is often the case: the mix has to be right.

Multiplayer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit can be used alone or locally with up to four other players. The prerequisite for this are four consoles plus four karts – quite expensive. There is no online mode.

So far we have not been able to test the multiplayer modes due to a missing second console. We will promptly submit a field report via an update.

Battery life and range Nintendo gives a battery life of 90 minutes when using the fast 150 – ccm class. In practice, with a few breaks in the race and modifications to the track design, we were able to gamble for over two and a half hours without any problems. Full charging via USB-C takes a good three and a half hours. The range is 4.5 to 5 meters. That sounds very little, but it is sufficient for indoor use.

The camera does a decent job even in poor lighting. Restrictions and technical requirements Playing on the TV is easily possible with the docking station and the switch – but only with the standard version. TV mode does not work with the Switch Lite. The switch’s share function has been blocked for the game by the manufacturer.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit supports a maximum of four goals at the same time – we hope that as further expansion stages are possible in the future. All four gates are always required for a functioning race track. Only the enclosed goals can be used for playing. Each gate has special markings that tell the camera where the kart is currently on the race track and then trigger certain actions in the game.

Price The game is currently available in two versions. But we can well imagine that other characters besides Mario and Luigi will also be offered in the future.

Conclusion The experiment of a Mario Kart game for living rooms or children’s rooms has definitely been successful. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a successful mix of remote-controlled car and video game and is really fun in single-player mode. In the next few weeks we will test whether the multiplayer modes can keep up. If you have enough space and enough budget available, Home Circuit is an extraordinary and completely new racing game in