SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 — Those expecting Mario Kart Tour to make its March 2019 date can chalk this up to a false start, after Nintendo announces a new mid-year launch for the mobile adaptation of a console favourite.

A delay to Mario Kart Tour is perhaps not as surprising as it might have been: Nintendo has revealed precious little about the mobile title since a January 2018 reveal.

Due on Android and iOS, it’s Nintendo’s sixth mobile game following atypical social network Miitomo (March 2016), auto runner Super Mario Run (December 2016), strategy adventure Fire Emblem Heroes (February 2017), community sim Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (October 2017) and action-oriented role-playing adventure Dragalia Lost (September 2018).

As Fire Emblem Heroes is thought to remain Nintendo’s most financially successful mobile release, free-to-play with optional time-saving payments, Mario Kart Tour could follow the same model.

A Summer 2019 date for Mario Kart Tour correlates to a June, July, or August release.

The delay was implemented "in order to improve quality of the application and expand the content offerings after launch.” — AFP-Relaxnews