At launch, Nintendo's Mario Kart for mobile devices (iOS, Android) had a major missing piece: multiplayer. Now Mario Kart Tour has kicked off the second round of its beta test for head-to-head racing, and this time it doesn't require that players purchase a $5 Gold Pass subscription for access.

Being able to race your friends instead of just AI and the clock might make its touch-based controls and various free-to-play wrinkles a bit easier to stomach, but you won't know until you try. You can race random competitors, or turn on your location to race your friends -- if they're nearby.

If you've unlocked at least one cup within the game, then all you'll need to do is click the menu button and switch to multiplayer to race against live competition. The only thing to note for now is that multiplayer saves won't transfer over to the proper release once the beta ends at midnight ET next Tuesday, January 28th.