Nintendo is expanding its presence in the smartphone market by launching a mobile version of its popular Mario Kart racing game.
The Japanese games giant revealed on its Twitter account that the app, called Mario Kart Tour, will be released sometime in the next fiscal year, which kicks off in April.
Little is known about the arcade game. Nintendo has only released an image of the racer’s logo as yet, says Polygon.
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Mario Kart Tour will be the fifth Nintendo game to make its way onto smartphones - joining Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Miito - since the company entered the mobile market at the end of 2016, the website says.
Nintendo has also revealed, in a call to investors, that it will release its highly anticipated online service in September, reports Ars Technica.
The service, which will cost $20 (£14) a year, will allow users to play games against other players online, as well as download classic titles with added online play.
In further exciting news for gaming fans, Nintendo has announced it is producing a new film featuring characters from the Super Mario series, reports the BBC News website.
Nintendo is partnering with Illumination Entertainment, the production company behind the Despicable Me series, to make the animated movie. The game’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, is a co-producer, according to a tweet from Nintendo.
No launch date for the film has been announced, but commentators are predicting it will appear in 2020, the BBC adds.
