Episode 35 – On Karts

What was it that Freud said about dreams? Something about wish fulfillment? I don’t remember either, but what I do remember is that Mario Kart haunted my dreams last night. It has gotten into my head and wont leave.

Command and Conquer Generals used to be this way too… back in 2002. I would dream about mining my resources so fast and building Patriot Missiles… and life was good. But that was then. This… this Mario Kart situation has taken over my life. I don’t even have anymore to unlock and yet I find myself wanting more.

It has even transplanted itself into other games. I played some Need for Speed Most Wanted yesterday. A game I beat in a kind of co-op fashion with my roommate last year, on his 360 and his Gamer Tag. Well, I decided it was time for another play through… anyway, I found myself racing and not only wanting to drop banana peals but actively looking for boxes. After completing the first race I actually thought to my self, “Man, I didn’t get any boxes that whole race.”

It took me a little while to actually make the switch in my mind to go from Mario Kart to racing game. If I had jumped into a racing simulator (Forza, Gran Turismo) I think my head would have exploded.

It kind of reminded me of my Double Dash days. My Game Cube has been at my parent’s house in the suburbs for about a year now. I wasn’t playing it and my younger sister loves her some Double Dash. So it landed there. Anyway I remember after a long session of Double Dash I had to run to the grocery store. I got into the car and pulled out of the driveway onto our street. I got halfway down the block and had to stop. Because if I made it to the corner I was going to try and make the little Mazda MX-6 slide around and try for some blue sparks. Mario Kart then actual driving is not a good combination. I’m surprised Nintendo hasn’t posted a disclaimer for that yet.

Anyway, there are few games that can get me obsessed to the point of me dreaming about them. Obviously Mario Kart DS is one of them. Command and Conquer Generals as well. I’m trying to think if Ocarina of Time did it for me when I played it (for the first time) in 2003… but I don’t think it did. Those might be the only two games that have had such a great impact on me… though I’m hoping to dream of a twilight princess soon.