How’s this for counter-programming? As Sony and Microsoft prepare for a war fought over teraflops and with superfast SSDs, Nintendo’s weapon of choice this Christmas is nothing more complex than a remote control car, neatly folded cardboard and a camera that’s probably been ripped straight from the Nokia that got you through your university years. It is Nintendo.
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit reviewDeveloper: Velan Studios/NintendoPublisher: NintendoPlatform: Played on SwitchAvailability: Out now on Switch
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit is indeed a brilliantly Nintendo thing, a piece of inspired lateral thinking built around a moment of pure delight. It’s also, as is Nintendo’s way, technically limited, frequently frustrating and a touch on the expensive side. As per so many other Nintendo experiences, that magic makes suffering through those shortcomings just about worthwhile.
In Mario Kart Live Home Circuit, that moment of delight is a Lilliputian tour of your living room, seen from the viewpoint of a small, speeding remote controlled car. Setting it up is surprisingly simple; just grab the 1.1GB download from the eShop, boot up the software and then scan a QR code on your Switch’s screen using the car’s camera and you’re good to go (maybe give the living room a good sweep too, and whatever you do don’t go underneath the sofa because my mop can’t reach there and I assure you it’s ).
Even after a dozen hours that magic hasn’t really dimmed, and lead developer Velan Studios builds out on it in some fascinating ways. You’ve four cardboard gates – easily folded away, in case you’re having flashbacks to having your house overrun by oversized Labo contraptions – which can be placed in order to construct a circuit. Drive the kart to the first gate, complete a lap of your new creation and there you have it: your very own Mario Kart Live track.