Late night sleepovers gathered around a GameCube, trash talking, laughing, and cheering: these are the memories that myself and many others have with Nintendo’s beloved game series Mario Kart. This racing game has caused friends and families from all over the world to gather around a TV and speed to the finish line, so it came as a pleasant surprise when this game was announced on mobile devices.

Mario Kart Tour brings everything most people enjoy from the classic series: bright colors, fast karts, and a full cast of both classic and new racers.

Mario Kart Tour is similar to your average mobile gaming app, but surprisingly, it is a free download. This design comes at a possible cost in the long run. The in-game currency allows players to get new racers, karts, and gliders (jumping assets). The disappointing micro-transactions are a way to get these collectables at a faster rate, and the feature is new compared to past Mario Karts, where simply playtime alone would unlock desired customization, not the use of real-life money.

Each racer, kart, and glider collects experience with each race and will rank up after a certain amount of play. The three options also gives players an advantage on certain tracks. Each track will offer increased item slots for racers such as Peach, Bowser, or Mario.

The game brings back many aspects of gameplay from past Mario Karts entries, such as Mario Kart Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. However, this new game changes the way you drive quite a bit from the console version.

In the mobile app, the player will always be moving forward; the only way to control your racer is with tapping and holding the screen to drift around tight corners. The former game allows the player to steer, brake, and change up their speed. This choice is probably due to the mobile porting of this game, yet it removes a sense of actual control and challenge that is found in console versions. This mobile app is as if the player is controlling a bullet, and it’s up to them to drift it to the finish line.

Mario Kart games have used the drifting mechanic for years, but with this game, it is the only tool at the players disposal to control the kart. This new drifting mechanic will make or break your racing. A wrong drift at the improper time, and you can go from first place to eighth place in an instant.

The game showcases new racers and maps that are original to this Mario Kart app, with players being able to race around New Donk City from Mario Odyssey and many more Nintendo Switch-themed maps that aren’t on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Nostalgia will definitely bring in a lot of older players to this title, but the free cost of the initial app download will sure bring in younger players, as well. According to a recent Forbes article released last month, the title has already brought in 20 million downloads in its launch day, breaking the record that Pokemon GO made in 2016.

This mobile racing game is the perfect escape from boredom that comes with bus rides, lulls before class, or dreaded stays in waiting rooms. Mario Kart Tour lacks the full depth of a console Mario Kart, yet at a zero dollar cost and no mobile advertisements, the game is a fun getaway for all ages.