X

'Mario Kart: Fury Road' is the Mad Max mashup that needed to happen most

Whether you're teaming up with Bowser or running from postapocalyptic psycho guitarists, the worlds of Mario and Mad Max blend easier than you might guess.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
See full bio
Eric Mack

koopa.jpg
Not quite as fast as this speeding bullet... Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

Back in the 1990s, before everything was a first-person shooter, we played endless hours of Mario Kart to pass the time in the suburbs. And now that everyone is talking about "Mad Max: Fury Road," which is basically a neverending steampunk go-kart race blown up (often literally) on the big screen, it seems only fitting that someone should create "Mario Kart: Fury Road."

Frankly, I'm a little upset that aspiring filmmaker Kirk Sundberg thought of it first, but kudos to the gentleman nonetheless.

Mainly, this is just a great excuse for dubbing a bunch of classic Nintendo sound effects over the nonstop kamikaze train that is the apparent plot of "Fury Road." In fact, the action in George Miller's Mad Max reboot is so fast-paced that you really need to frame-by-frame this parody trailer to catch all the Easter eggs. There are gonzo bikers catching 8-bit coins in midair that I didn't even notice when I watched it through the first few times.

Clearly, this is one to be savored in order to fully appreciate it, as any Mario Kart fan no doubt will.

Also, this silly video may have stumbled on a nugget of future crossover casting genius. When the Mario Kart movie finally gets made, I actually would like to see Charlize Theron as Princess Peach. I can think of no one better.