Anyone who’s played Mario Kart knows that you don’t just “play” Mario Kart. You play Mario Kart. I’ve seen people shatter Wii Remotes because the final lap of Rainbow Road is so intense. My buddy once threw his GameCube controller in frustration, only to launch the actual GameCube off the table on which it was situated. My point is, Mario Kart isn’t for the faint of heart. That’s especially true in Japan, where Mario Kart will be coming to virtual reality in select arcades.
Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (rolls right off the tongue) inserts you directly into the Mushroom Kingdom alongside your favorite dinosaurs, turtles, and oddly shaped mustachioed humans as you hurtle down a raceway at breakneck speeds. Express your anger at Waluigi with a Koopa shell in the most physical way possible! In addition to Peach’s Castle, the trailer showcases one of Bowser’s airships, a desert track, some kind of cavern, and a mountainous course, each filled with various enemies from Mario canon. Such vibrant and colorful worlds would work great in VR, and the sense of exhilaration that comes from playing Mario Kart would be amplified even more by the fact that Bowser’s roaring right in your face.
I have to say, though, does this not look terrifying? That piranha plant at the end of the trailer would haunt my dreams for years. Plus, seeing this in VRÂ would not make me any less afraid.
What do you think? Do you want to take a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below, and for more Mario Kart check out our ranking of the game’s best songs.
Image: Nintendo
