【1982 Archives】

Mario Kartfans982 Archives rejoice. You'll soon be able to race, drift, and most importantly, smash your friends with red shells — all in virtual reality.

New footage of a VR version of Nintendo's racer, Mario Kart GP VR, popped up in a promo video showing off games coming to the VR Zone Shinjuku arcade in Tokyo. The gamewas developed in partnership with Bandai Namco and looks almost too good to be true. It's an immersive first-person experience, and instead of pressing a button to launch shells and banana peels, you'll actually have the chance to physically throw the projectiles yourself.

The experience is powered by an HTC Vive headset and two wrist controllers, along with a connected kart platform for steering that appears to give the rider haptic feedback for realistic drifting and power boosts.

Check out the footage below — the Kartaction starts at the 30 second mark.

There's more than just a flashy hype video, too. Japan Timesreporter Kazuki Nagata had a chance to take a beta version of the game for a spin during a demo session at Bandai Namco's HQ during a press event. The video capturing the experience looks incredible.

Mario Kart GP VR will be Nintendo's first foray into this generation of VR — RIP, Virtual Boy — but just because the game will be featured in arcades doesn't mean it will eventually come to home consoles. There are no details available about wider releases, and unless the Switch winds up with VR support, expansion outside the arcade remains unlikely. Nintendo's reps have not yet responded to a request for comment.

The VR experience isn't exactly the real world experience we've all dreamed about, but until Nintendo rolls out a Mario Kart ride at its upcoming theme park, it's as close as we're gonna get.

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