During the holiday season of 1997 my local Blockbuster Video had replaced Super Mario 64 in the promotional kiosk with Mario Kart 64. As some of you may be aware, MK64 is my favorite game on the N64 having spent literally hundreds if not thousands of hours playing it with friends. I was in Blockbuster browsing around Christmas time because N64 games were still rather pricey back then so I tended to rent before committing to a purchase.
There was a hardcore gamer looking guy of about 19 years old playing Mario Kart 64 and I could tell he had some skills because he was pulling off mini-turbos around just about every corner. He must have noticed me watching him because he arrogantly mentioned that MK64 was also a multiplayer game and would I like to race against him. I hesitated for just a brief moment but instinct got the better of me and before I knew it I had controller number 2 clutched tightly in my hands, and I was counter-picking Wario to his choice of Donkey Kong. I guess in the heady moments leading up to our race I reckoned he'd try to bump me off the track if I picked a lighter yet more forgiving character like Toad or Yoshi. I let him pick the track and engine size for our versus bout and he showed absolutely no mercy by picking Royal Raceway and 150cc so immediately I knew this guy meant business.
We both got the turbo at the start of the race which seemed to take my opponent by surprise and I felt him hesitate ever so slightly as we approached the first turn. He compounded his error further by not getting a full mini-turbo which allowed me to pull ahead as we made our way down to the edge of the lake which rests tranquilly at the center of the track. As luck would have it, I had picked up a single banana as my item and I opted to gamble by dropping it at the bend rather than dragging it behind me. My gambit paid off as I heard DK squeal in distress as he spun out of control and in to the lake. Within ten seconds of the start of the race my opponent standing next to me was already grumbling under his breath. He was far too skilled and hardened a warrior to admit defeat so early as he knew that Mario Kart 64 offers up a wicked level of handicap advantage to those who fall behind, and sure enough his next trip through an item box rewarded him with a deadly red shell. By this point I had also been granted a practical implement, given the fact that I was in first place, in the form of a green shell and this time I wisely chose to drag it behind me for defense. Yeah, this guy was quite the tactician as he showed the patience to wait until I was on the other side of the ramp and in the S-turn before launching his homing shell but to no avail as it harmlessly hit the green shell I had in tow.
By this point a small crowd had gathered behind us to take in the spectacle. I never dared look back at them as I knew a victory would take every ounce of concentration I could muster but I was aware of the spectators at a near subconscious level. Besides, they occasionally made their presence known by their guttural gasps whenever they sensed a possible lead change.
Royal Raceway is a very long track and we did jockey for position several times as the slightest error on either of our behalves would cost us the lead. It became apparent that the winner of this race wasn't going to be the person with the better driving ability but the challenger with the sharper mind and an edge in luck. Much luck was needed too as versus also ramps up the excitement by placing yellow bombs on the track which can be, and often are, game-changers if one errantly collides with them.
On that day chance was on my side as I was able to lay down a suppressing field of bananas near the end of the track. In fact, there were so many bananas strewn about that we both started to slide on them as we headed down the homestretch. My victory was assured only because I was able to pull myself out of the slide by a deft tap of the brake and regain just enough control to stay on the course. As I did - the half dozen or so people watching erupted in to a roar with some of them even stepping forward to pat me on the back.
Yeah... that was a moment that I'll never forget and part of the reason why the N64 will always hold a special place in my heart.
