Take a break from the most recent wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC to check out some retro Mario Kart action at the Super Mario Kart Championships.
Super Mario Kart was released in Japan in 1992 and its 30th anniversary is only days away. The original Mario Kart game was originally released on the Super Famicom. 10 years later, the Super Mario Kart Championships were started up to celebrate the iconic racing game, meaning that it’s now the 20th anniversary of this early esport.
Here is how to check out this special anniversary event for Super Mario Kart.
The Super Mario Kart Championships are an annual competition for the top Super Mario Kart players in the world to compete for world records and the championship title.
The event is not officially endorsed by Nintendo, but that hasn’t stopped the community from supporting the competition, similar to grassroots Super Smash Bros. 64 and Melee tournaments.
This year some of the game’s biggest competitors have showed up to compete. This includes previous champion Jonathan Toole-Charignon, traveling to the Alphen Aan Den Rijn’s Esports Game Arena in the Netherlands all the way from the United States, as well as UK record breaker Sami Cetin.
They will be competing in a variety of classic challenges, from time trials to battle modes and a Grand Prix finale. All of the events will be tracked on a leaderboard.
The Super Mario Kart Championships have already started, but the best is yet to come. The action is being streamed on Twitch with four separate channels. The SMKChampionships Twitch channel is also streaming the competition.
Here is the Super Mario Kart Championships schedule:
Tuesday August 23, 2pm CEST — Time Trial
Wednesday August 24, 10:30am CEST — Battle Mode
Thursday August 25, 10:30am CEST — Match Race
Friday August 26, 10:30am CEST — Grand Prix 150cc
Saturday August 27, 12pm CEST — Closing Ceremony
The most exciting event will be the Grand Prix 150cc on Friday, August 26. All of the top racers will be competing in the race, making it the most intense. Learn more on the Championships’ official website.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
