Mario Kart Tour is having a strong first day, according to mobile market analyst Sensor Tower. Nintendo’s newest mobile game is the No. 1 free iPhone app in 58 markets, including the U.S. and Japan.
In the U.S., the free-to-play racing game is ranked No. 19 for iPhone app revenue. That is a much better first day performance than the last Nintendo mobile effort, the puzzle game Dr. Mario World, which was No. 503 in its debut.
A better start should be expect for a Mario Kart title. It is one of Nintendo’s most lucrative franchises. The last entry in the series for consoles, Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch, has sold over 17.89 million copies. It is the system’s best seller.
But Mario Kart Tour has not had Nintendo’s strongest mobile start. That honor still belongs to Fire Emblem: Heroes, which was the No. 17 top iPhone revenue app for its debut day back in February 2017.
Nintendo has put some aggressive monetization inside of Mario Kart Tour, including a $5 season pass. This comes as Apple and Google have launched subscription services that offer a library of mobile games with no ads or in-app purchases. Mario Kart Tour’s monetization could help the game make money, but it could also turn off players that are beginning to prefer to play on services like Apple Arcade.
Like all of Nintendo’s other mobile titles, Mario Kart Tour is not available in China.