Japan's Insane Real-Life Version of Mario Kart Is Coming to Australia

Zoom around a racetrack dressed as Mario, Luigi or Yoshi — but don't go throwing bananas or shells at your opponents.
Sarah Ward
February 05, 2018

Speedsters of Australia, it's time to don your best red cap, slide into a pair of overalls and jump behind the wheel. If you want to take part in Mushroom Racing, the outfit isn't optional — if that's not your style, you could pick a green hat or a dinosaur costume instead.

Not content with zipping through the streets of Tokyo and causing quite a stir, a real-life version of Mario Kart is headed to Australia. At yet-to-be-disclosed dates and sites in Sydney and Melbourne, participants will dress up as their favourite character, get cosy in a go-kart, race till their heart's content and collect stars to win prizes.

While Tokyo's MariCar lets racers zoom along the city's actual roadways — yes, really — we find it hard to believe that's what'll happen here. And, we're certain that throwing shells or bananas at your opponents won't be allowed either. Sure, that's all well and fun when you're mashing buttons and trying not to fall off the Rainbow Road while you're playing one of Nintendo's many console versions (or counting down the days until the first Mario Kart smartphone game is released), but it's definitely not cool in real life.

If you're keen, you can sign up to receive further information when it comes to hand. Organisers are calling it "the rally of a lifetime", and while that's definitely overstating the significance of driving around pretending you're Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Wario or whichever other character you like, you know you're eager to give the novelty a go. And, let's face it, it's not quite as ridiculous as human bowling.

Mushroom Racing is coing to Sydney and Melbourne in 2018. Tickets will be limited — register on the Mushroom Racing website for further updates.

Published on February 05, 2018 by Sarah Ward
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