Nintendo has a knack for screwing up it’s mobile releases *ahem* Super Mario Run *ahem* with pay walls that simply don’t make sense but you would think that the company couldn’t possibly screw up  a game as popular and iconic as Mario Kart, right? I mean come on, it’s Mario Kart; It’s a sure thing! Well you’re wrong. Mario Kart Tour launched yesterday and while it looks great on the surface, there are some gaping issues with the game.

First off, there is no multiplayer at launch. WHAT? The game is practically known for it’s multiplayer mode! For now, players are stuck with racing against bots. To be fair, multiplayer mode should be coming soon but still, not a good start.

Next up, the game is setup just like any other gacha game. This essentially means that players will have to pay for gems to unlock better gear, in this case, racers, cars and what not. What even?! That’s not the Mario Kart we know! To make matters worse, the game has a paid subscription model that would require users to subscribe to a “Gold Pass” for USD 4.99 a month! That’s the same price as an Apple Arcade subscription, but for just one game. Apple Arcade gives you access to thousands for the same price.

This is exactly why mobile games are so bad. There is always some sort of pay wall or subscription mechanism that keeps you locked out of the best game content. In this case, you need a Gold Pass to unlock the best items and the 200cc racing mode.

Mario Kart Tour is supposed to be a major test of Nintendo’s mobile gaming ambitions but thus far it’s failed at almost every hurdle. Gameplay is fun but how fun can racing against bots be? To top it all off, the game experienced server overload at launch, leaving many players unable to play the game.

Nintendo need to reevaluate how they’re going to fit into the mobile market and they need to do it ASAP. The company has a library of exceptional games but judging from the path they’re on, they’re not going to get new fans on mobile platforms anytime soon.