MARIO KART LIVE: HOME CIRCUIT

LEAD UI ARTIST - Nintendo Switch (2020-2021)

Mario Kart Live presents a unique spin on a beloved Nintendo franchise. Our team conceived the AR technology at the heart of the game, and demonstrated it to Nintendo, who immediately saw possibilities. Our goal was now set: bring the full Mario Kart experience into the real world, without sacrificing any of the charm or distinctiveness Nintendo has perfected over 25+ years.

For the UI, we kept as much of the franchise shape language as possible, but stripped the presentation down to flatter fills and simplified detail so that the menus felt like an overlay atop a common (mixed) reality.

We knew we'd want a Mushroom Kingdom location to act as home base before sending Mario off on a mixed reality adventure.

This is my final concept illustration for that garage base, located in the center of Mario Kart Stadium.

In the garage, you select your kart, driver costume, and horn from a 3-part dial. Additional karts, costumes and horns can be unlocked through gameplay.

In addition to designing this screen, I also handled all icon repaints for these dials.

When preparing to race, the player also selects the speed of their kart's engine. Higher speeds are unlocked through gameplay.

After choosing their race speed, players choose which 3-race Cup to play. Each race in the cup has a unique detail or mechanic, and players earn trophies for each speed they can complete the Cup.

Collecting coins earns the unlock of additional items. When achieved, the presentation is a bold animated popup that highlights the item.

The v2.0 update adds local relay racing, using multiple controllers and a single Switch system.

In this interface, based on Kart Select, there are discrete dials for each player. Selections are common to all, so it becomes a first-come first-served race to claim your driver.

A page from the game's Help system, showing a grid of different gate types. Highlighting an icon on the left presents a larger picture and more information on the right.

This video shows a player's first 60 minutes playing Mario Kart Live, including pairing their kart, racing, and unlocking items.

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