Last year, Japan got the very first Nintendo VR game for arcades, Mario Kart GP VR. Just like the other Mario Kart arcade games, Bandai Namco developed this as well, but for their “VR Zone” arcades. Until earlier this month, there was no place to play it outside of Japan. Bandai Namco has opened a “VR Zone Portal” in the food court of Union Station in Washington D.C., a bit of an odd place for its US debut. After eating lunch at Chick Fil A mere feet away from the pop-up, I dove in.
After suiting up with the hand sensors and getting seated in the specially made Kart racing wheel, I was ready to go. Right of the bat, it was a magical experience. Sure, I own two different VR headsets at home, but being inside the mushroom kingdom and looking around was truly a dream come true. I was playing as Luigi, and the hand sensors perfectly matched my movements. Looking around and seeing Mario to my left with Yoshi and Peach ahead was a surreal experience. After Bowser and Wario boisterously made their way to the front of the track, Lakitu floated down with the signal lights and we were off!
To be honest, I felt a bit embarrassed playing this out in the open of the Union Station food court, as my giggles and wide grin were surly a bit silly with the Vive slapped on my face. Each station has a force feedback wheel and the actual base moves as your kart does in the game. There’s even a fan that blows the wind on you as you gain speed. My stomach turned as I went around tight corners and jumped off of ramps. It was scary how convincing it felt in the best way possible. Using my hands, I reached up and grabbed a shell from an item balloon and threw it at my competitors. There’s also a hammer that can be used to bonk other racers as you fly by. Both felt really awesome to use. Racing and weaving through chomping Piranha Plants was also a quite a trip. With all the sensory overload of the wind, the movement, and the full view of the Mushroom Kingdom around me, I truly forgot I was in a food court while I was playing.
Mario Kart GP VR was hands down the most incredible experience I’ve had in VR. Sure, it was short, and didn’t have the full depth of a real Mario Kart game, but none of that mattered. Just being in one of my favorite worlds since I was a little kid was more than enough. The full body movement and immersion had me shaking by the end, and beaming with excitement. We need more VR arcade experiences in the US that that take it to the next level, and I hope Bandai Namco dipping their toes in with this one location is a sign of good things to come. For now though, if you find yourself in the area, don’t let the $10 price for a 3-4 minute experience scare you away. It’s worth every penny.
