Have you ever wanted to play “Mario Kart” but with your living room as the race track? It sounds like a fantasy, but with Nintendo’s new device, that dream is one step closer to reality. 

   On Thursday, Sept. 3, Nintendo held a press conference to announce new games and consoles. This conference was specifically themed around “Super Mario’s” thirty fifth anniversary, and among the many games announced, there was one item that seemed out of place. Nintendo was releasing a remote-controlled (RC), toy car, themed around the “Mario Kart” intellectual property. 

   Upon further inspection, this RC car can do more than just drive around. Using the software, which comes bundled with the car, you race around your physical room in a virtual game of “Mario Kart.” 

   Based on the trailer and marketing materials released to the public, we can gather that the cars utilize an augmented reality camera and image correction program, similar to the ones utilized by Snapchat for their filters. Through this technology, and much more, the game allows you to create a virtual track layout that both you and the computer-generated players can follow. 

   Also, according to the trailer, tracks can be virtually themed around classic settings from “Mario Kart” such as ice, jungle, rainbow road, etc. Through these themes, hazards can be placed, some examples include item boxes, piranha plants, and star boosts seen previously in Rainbow Road. 

   All of this fun comes at a cost however, the price of the starter kit featuring Mario himself is $99.99, and if you want a friend to play along, you need to have another system with a copy of the game and a second kart. 

   Now the question is, what do Nintendo fans at Tampa Prep think of the new experience? Gaming enthusiast and middle school Latin teacher, John Seary, when asked about the game’s high price tag said, “I feel that the price is a bit undesirable from a gamer’s perspective.”

     Moving away from an adults perspective, it’s important to gather the thoughts of the core demographic, kids. However, they too seem to have misgivings about the game. When asked if he would even use the product, freshman, Nick Herrera, who is very fond of Nintendo, said that he felt “like it’s a novelty item, it would probably sit in the closet, barely used.” 

   As always, do your research on a product before you buy it to make sure it’s worth the price tag. I will pass on this one, I feel that the entry price is too high for something that I’d probably use once. If you want to decide for yourself if this game is worth your time, you can find the pre-order link here:

“Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit” product link (amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Mario-Kart-Live-Circuit-Mario-Nintendo/dp/B08H9KGMWK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Mario+kart+live&qid=1599837148&sr=8