SXSW: "Mario Kart" in Real Life Tries to Hold us Back in Austin

Mario Karting Reimagined powerslides into downtown Austin.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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After spending nearly two decades honing our Mario Kart skills on more than half a dozen a Nintendo consoles, you'd think that we'd be better at this.

Complex News is in Austin for SXSW and we had to get down with this.

Granted, Mario Karting Reimagined was a huge draw for the SXSW Interactive Component, and they had to take the proper precautions, but we really, really wanted to drive much faster. In a partnership between Pennzoil and Nintendo, a sparse concrete track was built in an attempt to replicate the seminal Nintendo franchise, Super Mario Kart. The results were a brief, but ultimately enjoyable experience in Austin, Texas. 

Each kart is equipped with RFID chips and a GoPro. As you race around the track, there are massive stickers glued to the asphalt. Each sticker represent a power-up from either a Mario Kart title, or a fictional power-up courtesy of Pennzoil. As you drive over them they either boost or decrease your kart's performance.

Even though we were artificially slowed down on more than one occasion for 'agressive acceleration', which last time we checked was the whole point. Admittedly, it would've been nice to throw actual turtle shells at our rivals, but that's a minor oversight we're willing to overlook.

Check the video to see how it went down.

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