Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge rang with cheering and the tunes of Mario Kart yesterday afternoon in the spirit of the Kite and Key Society’s “Kart for the Kure.”
Participants hovered around six different T.V. stations, warming up their skills to compete in a 2 v. 2 Mario Kart tournament benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Students practiced on each of the three game platforms — Nintendo 64, GameCube and Wii — but the tournament itself was played exclusively on N64.
“Mario Kart is one of the iconic video games that defined the childhood of our generation,” explained Kite and Key External Vice President David Kaltman, a College junior. Kaltman, dressed as Mario in a moustache and overalls, explained that his Princess Peach fell ill right before the event and could not make it.
Seven two-person teams headed off in four-race matches, eyes set on the grand prizes. The two teams that placed in the finals were awarded a free Kaplan course, a one-night stay at the Sheraton with four tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo, a Marathon Grill gift certificate and a gift certificate to both the Naked Chocolate Cafe and Club Saturn.
Gift certificates to Jimmy John’s, Chipotle and Strikes Bowling were also raffled off during breaks between rounds.
“I hope I win,” said participant and College sophomore Jayson Weingarten. His first match ended in his favor in a grueling round of “Rainbow Road” — known to all gamers as the longest, most difficult course where, as Weingarten put it, “the most stuff can happen.”
But bragging rights ultimately went to Wharton junior Jake Guterman and Wharton sophomore Andrew Dunn, champions of the evening.
And despite the fact that the tournament was played on such a primaeval game system, event coordinators expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the event.
“I view the event as a great success,” said Kite and Key President and Wharton and Engineering senior Brandon Hedvat. “It seemed as though all of the participants had fun playing Mario Kart.”
Hedvat also expressed confidence that next semester, the group will continue to sponsor similarly entertaining and successful events.
Opportunity and Access Coordinator and College senior Maanasi Samant added that it was in no way difficult to find N64 consoles around campus — “almost everyone knew someone with an N64,” she said.
