List of Mario Kart Tour pre-release and unused content

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This is a list of pre-release and unused content for Mario Kart Tour.

Closed beta[edit]

A portion of the character select screen

On April 23, 2019, Nintendo opened applications for participating in a closed beta test of Mario Kart Tour to Android users in North America and Japan, which began on May 22, 2019 and ended on June 4, 2019.^[1] The following lists the features included in the beta version of the game.^[2] Several of the characters, karts, and gliders listed were not made available in the final game at launch.

General[edit]

The drivers, karts, and gliders inventory screens originally displayed in rows of three, and locked items still had their special skill and starting base points value visible in the beta. In the final game, however, the inventory screens display in rows of four, and locked items no longer had visible special skills or starting base points values.
Rubies were originally emeralds.
An element seen in other free-to-play games that was included in the closed beta was a stamina bar consisting of five hearts total. One heart would be consumed every time a player raced, and once the stamina was depleted, players would not be able to play until it recharged. Players would replenish hearts when they leveled up, if they waited out the timer, or if they purchased hearts with emeralds. This element was removed in the final game at launch, with players instead being able to play indefinitely.
Originally, events in each cup were unlocked one at a time in a linear order after completing the first event, with challenges being unlocked last. In the final game, all events are unlocked when a cup is unlocked.
Originally, there was no way to speed up the unlocking process for the cups restricted by timers.^[3] In the final game, this can be done using quick tickets.
The classes "Common", "Rare", and "Super Rare" in the beta were renamed to "Normal", "Super", and "High-End" respectively in the final game.
Emeralds were classed as "Rare" items in the beta, while rubies are classed as "Normal" items in the final game.
Karts and gliders only had colored frames around their card while retaining the same color scheme as "Common" items in the background in the beta, while in the final game, the card backgrounds change color based on whether they are "Super" or "High-End".
The names of the four bonus challenges "Rocket Start!", "Race through the rings", "Don't crash", and "Beat Up Goombas" in the beta were changed to "Ready, Set, Rocket Start", "Ring Race", "Steer Clear of Obstacles", and "Goomba Takedown" respectively in the final game.
The Daily Selects Shop had only six items, as opposed to nine.
Players could receive Metal Mario, the B Dasher, and the Gold Glider in the final tour gift, which was the first spotlight pipe.
Combo bonuses were not implemented. As a result, the beta did not have constant sound effects that played when the combo is increased, unlike in the final game.
Higher tier karts originally increased speed, while higher tier gliders only increased item luck.
The items on the character selection screen were Mushrooms. In the final game, they are Green Shells instead.
The maximum level for each driver, kart, and glider was 10, while in the final game, it was decreased to 6 (later increased to 7 in the Snow Tour and again to 8 in the 2022 Mii Tour).
Music and sound effects were different from the final game.
- The menu music had a different arrangement.^[4]
- The sound that played when navigating through the cups and challenge cards was ripped from Mario Kart Wii.
- The jingle when acquiring a Normal item or a Grand Star was different. In the final game, this jingle is instead used in the ranked cup results when the player places 4th or lower.
- The countdown sound effect was taken from Mario Kart DS (this was also the sound effect used in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7). In the final game, the sound effect is instead taken from Mario Kart 8.
The text signifying the last lap originally read "FINAL LAP!"; in the final version, it instead reads "2/2" ("3/3" for 3DS Rainbow Road and GCN Baby Park T, and "5/5" for every other GCN Baby Park variant).
The rearview button was placed in the top right corner of the screen, below the options button.
In the Coin Rush menu, the description read "Speed through a course containing over 400 Coins! Gold Mario can really rake them in."; in the final version, it instead reads "Over 300 coins are waiting for you on this course! Gold Mario will draw them in as he gets near."
Completing a bonus challenge originally rewarded three Grand Stars immediately, and reaching certain requirements granted bonus coins.
Tour gifts were immediately claimed upon reaching the required number of Grand Stars.
In the beta, each challenge from the Tour Challenges set gave out three to five Grand Stars when completed. In the final version, each challenge from the Tour Challenges set only gives out one or two Grand Stars when completed.
Shortcut ramps were reflected on the minimap in all courses that had them. In the final game, these were all removed.

Drivers[edit]

Most of the drivers retain their special items in the final game; however, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Baby Rosalina, and Lemmy's special items are replaced by the Bubble, Morton's special item is replaced by the Giant Banana, Larry's special item is replaced by the Boomerang Flower, King Boo's special item is replaced by the Lucky 7, and Ludwig's and Rosalina's special items are replaced by the Dash Ring. Additionally, in the beta, both Rosalina and King Boo were classified as High-End drivers, whereas in the final version, they are classified as Super drivers instead. The Triple Bananas, which were Larry and Lemmy's special item, went unused until the London Tour, where they were properly introduced as Waluigi (Bus Driver)'s special item. Additionally, Daisy's artwork used in the beta is taken directly from Mario Kart 7, whereas in the final version, she uses new artwork that resembles her artwork from said game, but with darker hair and different shading.

Common[edit]

Rare[edit]

Super Rare[edit]

Karts[edit]

Most of the karts retain their rarities in the final; however, in the beta, the Soda Jet, Super Blooper, and Bolt Buggy were all classified as Normal karts, and the Blue Seven was classified as a High-End kart, whereas in the final, they are all classified as Super karts. The Koopa Dasher had a sprite used in the beta with Pipe Frame tires equipped instead of the tires the Turbo Yoshi had. The Gold Standard was a selectable kart to race with in the beta, whereas in the final game, it was exclusive to the Coin Rush mode until the 2022 Mario vs. Luigi Tour.