Here's How You Shouldn't Play With Your Real-Life Mario Kart

The first previews for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit are out, and IGN got a chance to check it out early and ask a few questions to Nintendo. As a toy/video game hybrid, there are a lot of questions on what Mario Kart Live can do, but one thing it can’t — or at least isn't recommended — is be driven outside. Firstly, Mario Kart Live is a new toy/video game hybrid where you build a race track in your living rooms and then drive a physical, remote-controlled kart through this track using your Nintendo Switch. A camera on the RC kart will transform your living room into a virtual Mario Kart track. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=39-mario-kart-live-home-circuit-gameplay-images&captions=true"] After a short, virtual demo where IGN saw the Mario Kart Live kart driven on different terrains like carpet and wooden floors, we asked what conditions the RC car can be driven in outside. To which Nintendo responded, “We do not recommend outside use.” Nintendo says that while the RC kart is durable enough to handle obstacles like table legs, the RC kart will not fare as well if hit from above by an object, nor does Nintendo recommend driving the kart off a ramp. “Overall though, the one thing you’d want to look out for is anything falling on top of the kart itself,” Nintendo says. “Anything running into a table leg or object should be okay,” but Nintendo flatly says “No ramps.” Nintendo doesn’t even recommend a flat tiled backyard area. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/mario-kart-live-home-circuit-official-trailer"] Nintendo is presumably just looking out for customers who put down a hefty $100 for Mario Kart Live. Outdoor driving opens the kart to a variety of dangers that aren’t present in controlled, indoor environments. But if Nintendo recommends not taking the kart outside, we’ll issue the same recommendation. Check out our full Mario Kart Live preview and our new screenshots in the gallery above. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.