wraggster
March 9th, 2014, 08:29
http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/aa5f9f684a222dd811e4bbec1736bda8/wiiumariokart8scrn01e3.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/)Our friends at Engadget report (http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/08/mario-kart-sxsw/) that Pennzoil and Nintendo have partnered up for what the 8-year old inside us could only describe as "the coolest commercial ever, next to those Stretch Armstrong guys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch_Armstrong)." The two companies have brought the Mario Kart franchise into the real world with modified karts on a specially-designed track at the SXSW festival.
Icons representing familiar in-game weapons like the banana peel and red shell (as well as a Pennzoil icon) are spread throughout a 1,000-foot long track, and grant bonuses when activated. The Pennzoil icon, for example, will speed up a driver's kart. The karts are representative of Mario, Luigi, Peach and Bowser who - hey, imagine that! - will be appearing in Mario Kart 8 (http://www.joystiq.com/game/mario-kart-8), due this May.
This might seem like a strange partnership, but hey, it's not the first time Nintendo has spread to the real world to cross-promote (http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/22/mario-licensed-golf-bag-is-certainly-a-golf-bag-with-mario-on-it/) products. Besides, the Big N couldn't have found a more appropriate partner - Pennzoil is owned by Shell. Shell. Get it? Cuz it's Mario Kart.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/
Icons representing familiar in-game weapons like the banana peel and red shell (as well as a Pennzoil icon) are spread throughout a 1,000-foot long track, and grant bonuses when activated. The Pennzoil icon, for example, will speed up a driver's kart. The karts are representative of Mario, Luigi, Peach and Bowser who - hey, imagine that! - will be appearing in Mario Kart 8 (http://www.joystiq.com/game/mario-kart-8), due this May.
This might seem like a strange partnership, but hey, it's not the first time Nintendo has spread to the real world to cross-promote (http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/22/mario-licensed-golf-bag-is-certainly-a-golf-bag-with-mario-on-it/) products. Besides, the Big N couldn't have found a more appropriate partner - Pennzoil is owned by Shell. Shell. Get it? Cuz it's Mario Kart.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/