Monday, April 07, 2008

Mario Kart


Boxing Day 1992.
I'll never forget that day. It was when I bought Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo. This game became one of the most popular franchises on the Nintendo systems.
Two of my friends and myself met up early that morning to go into town to buy Super NES games with our Christmas money. Both of them had intentions to purchase Super Mario Kart but I didn't feel any inclination to buy it.
At first.
We walked into town and noticed one thing. Everywhere was closed! To show how much this country has changed, I am not so sure we will be met with such a ghost town in the year 2008.
We ended up leaving town and gambling on the Comet on the outskirts of the City Centre. Luckily for us, it was open.
They both picked up the boxes for the game they wanted and - as usual - I was in more than two minds what to buy.
I was an impulsive buyer back then, too. When I had the cash I wanted to spend it there and then but just couldn't decide what to buy. I eventually landed on the strip of thought Chris and Michael had been on at the start of the day and I picked up my copy of the game.
It was the best decision I made that day. It was a game that didn't lose its appeal as time went on. Sure, I haven't played that version of it in a long, long time but - as an owner of a Super Nintendo for years afterwards - that game was never far from the console.
As I type this, I am laughing. I just remembered something that happened to me a few days after buying the game.
I was doing a paper-round at the time and Chris and myself would go on each others rounds for company. After we finished his round, we went back to his house for a race on Mario Kart. I picked the mushroom character, Toad and he picked his. I don't remember who won but I do recall we had to finish off my round so we didn't stay long.
We left the house and headed towards the start of my route and I began feeling dizzy. My vision became blurred and all I could see was Toad moving left and right before me. It was one of the weirdest experiences ever. I ended up having to go back to his house and his Mother sent him to finish off my round while I had a lay down.
There was mass concern over Nintendo games causing epileptic fits at the time and it looked highly likely that I was going to be one of the statistics. I even threw up in my friend's bedroom before I got the chance of running to the toilet.
I was fine the next day and never faced anything like it again.
Mario Kart was later released on other Nintendo formats. I bought it for my Sister's Gameboy Advance in Christmas 2001 but I still prefer the SNES version.
It's hard to top the original isn't it? Only time will tell.

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