The upcoming release ofAnimal Crossing: Pocket Camp Completeis amazing news for fans of the game. Rarely are mobile titles granted the courtesy of preservation with a full, comprehensive version to last beyond service closure. Yet,Pocket Camp Completeis achieving just that. Knowing this, players will be left to wonder whether Nintendo will provide the same treatment for some of its other mobile games. Moreover, Nintendo might want to consider this option for one specific game that could soon end up in the same predicament.
It’s fair to say thatthe future ofMario Kart Touris uncertain. While the game’s servers are still going strong, Nintendo stopped adding new content to the app back in October 2023. Without any upcoming content to appeal to new or current players,Mario Kart Tourcould be on its way out, similar toPocket Camp. With that in mind, Nintendo should consider developing a full version ofMario Kart Tour, asPocket Camp Completeprovides a fantastic frameworkfor how the real-time experience of a mobile game can be preserved.
Pocket Camp Complete Preserves The Mobile Experience
New Players Won’t Miss Out Despite Being Offline
Pocket Camp Completedemonstrates the treatmentMario Kart Tourshould receive as the new app aims to preserve the fullPocket Campexperience for players.Pocket Camp Complete’s initial announcement certainly assured players old and new with the promise of maintaining all the various outfits, furniture and items that were added during the app’s seven-year run.It’s a huge sigh of relief for returning players afraid of their years of progress being upended by the service closure, while new players can start their journey, safe in the knowledge that they won’t miss out on the game’s offerings.
As great as this is, the largest appeal toPocket Camp Complete’s releaseis its preservation of the app’s real-time experiences. The meat ofPocket Camp, similar to many other live-service mobile games, comes in the constantly changing events that introduce a slew of new content, including items that are themed around said event.Pocket Camp Completelooks to keep this in its offline version, with a mix of old and new events occurring at roughly the same pace as before, complete with a rotating item selection for each event, replicating a system that initially seemed reliant on a live service.
The preservation of real-time seasonal events is one of the best parts ofPocket Camp Complete. The recycling of old events proves a huge benefit for returning players, giving them the opportunity to obtain furniture or accessories they previously missed out on, making the prospect of completion more feasible than before. Meanwhile, new players aren’t stuck with a truncated version ofPocket Camp, receiving the same years-long experience as everyone else. Make no mistake, this new offline versionpreserves thePocket Campexperiencein all its glory.
Mario Kart Tour Deserves The Same Treatment As Pocket Camp
The Game Also Relies On Continuously Changing Events
Pocket Camp Completeserves as a perfect framework for preserving live-service mobile games, making it an ideal path forMario Kart Tourto go down. Similar toPocket Camp,Mario Kart Tour’s largest appeal comes with its real-time eventsin the form of Tours. Occurring every few weeks, each Tour switches up the available courses, with each new tour introduced (prior to the end of additional content in October 2023) including a slew of new unlockable characters, karts, and gliders.
A complete version ofMario Kart Tourcould simply make all courses and unlockables available from the get-go for players to delve into. However, doing so would be disregarding the game’s biggest strength, which stems from the excitement a player has in anticipation of the new set of tracks, which also helps to add a sense of variety to the game. IfMario Kart Tourdoes decide to go down the same road asPocket Camp Complete,the same effort should be made to preserve the real-time experience of each Touras much as possible.
A complete version ofMario Kart Tour, similar toPocket Camp Complete, would also remove practices that can make mobile games less approachable.BothMario Kart TourandPocket Campwere heavily reliant on microtransactions, subscription services, and loot boxes, which can be a deterrent for players, as these games seemingly adopted a pay-to-win system. The introduction of a complete version that requires only a single purchase would reassure players that they can enjoy these experiences with a more natural progression, and not be disadvantaged because of other microtransactions.
Mario Kart Tour May Have To Lose Multiplayer
An Offline Version Comes With Some Caveats
Pocket Camp Completeshows how accommodations can be made to combat the barriers that come from service closure. However, there’s one area inMario Kart Tourthat may suffer from a move to offline, that being multiplayer. This would arguably be a larger sacrifice than withPocket Camp’s multiplayer function. WhereasAnimal Crossinggameplay is well-suited for a single-player experience, as players build their own miniature world to escape in,Mario Kart’s competitive spirit goes hand-in-hand with a multiplayer experience.
Adjusting multiplayer for an offline experience is not impossible, withPocket Camp Completeusing Camper Cards to compensate for the lack of online communication.Mario Kart Tourcould take a similar approach, with players exchanging profiles in a similar way and racing against a ghost version of their friend, as an example. Even then,it pales in comparison to the thrill of actually racing against that person in real time, making multiplayer the biggest caveat to making a full, complete offline experience ofMario Kart Tour.
When it first launched,Mario Kart Tourdidn’t feature actual multiplayer, instead giving bots other players' usernames. The game was updated to include real multiplayer in 2020.
Despite this one obstacle blocking its path, Nintendo should not be deterred from givingMario Kart Tourthe same treatment asPocket Camp. Finalized, complete versions of these games are important in order to preserve these experiences and allow players to always head back to these beloved titles. IfAnimal Crossing:Pocket Camp Completeproves anything, it’s that these mobile games can, and should, be preserved.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
2017’s Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a free-to-play mobile version of the beloved series that allows players to create their own recreation sites and put together a camp with their chosen neighbors and designs.
