Colby Nealsimons has been playing “Mario Kart” since he was 7 years old. The Mario Kart Madness last Saturday, however, had Nealsimons, struggling for control over his virtual kart.
The weekend event was organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).
According to Skyler Twombly, CAB’s homecoming committee member, the event was a test phase to get an idea about students’ interests. An avid “Mario Kart” player, Twombly came up with the idea in hopes of getting people who were interested in video games rather than outdoor activities together. Twombly, however, didn’t get to test his skills at the event.
“I was too busy making sure everybody was able to play and win prizes. Plus, since I’ve played this game a lot, I think I would’ve had an unfair advantage,” said Twombly, an atmospheric science junior.
“Mario Kart” is a multi-player game that allows players to race virtual karts against each other or the computer. The event featured a four-screen projector for the video game. Students were able to test their skills on the latest version of Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch and play for prizes.
“It’s a lot harder than playing on a regular sized screen with just a computer. My game style did change a bit due to the controller size. I’ve never played with the switch before. I played with people I didn’t know before,” said Nealsimons, a psychology freshman.
He was also surprised to see the number of “Mario Kart” players on campus.
Aside from the avid players, there was also a good presence of students who had come to support their friends.
Amy Richard, a biology junior, who isn’t a huge fan of Mario Kart came to watch her friends, who are huge fans of the game, play. Richard did play one round of “Mario Kart” and described it as “frightening,” because of the huge screen and others watching her play.
“I think events like this foster camaraderie between the students. We all come out, and we cheer for the people who we think are the best. Studying is important but every so often, you’ve got to get out of the library and hang out with people your own age,” Richard said.
The event is the first of the many weekend events that CAB plans to organize this year, according to CAB president, Sarthak Neupane. “We’re going to branch out and make more weekend events. That way, students who stay on campus during the weekends have something to do,” Neupane said.
Winners went home with prizes like the Nintendo Switch and headphones.