Mario Kart

 R: Explain, for your grandparents, who don't play video games...what is Mario Kart?

Owen: Well, Mario Kart is GREAT kind of game on the Wii, which is like a screen filled of games you can play. And you drive a car or a motorcycle or a lot of other things, and it's really fun.

R: What makes it so fun?

Owen: I really think it's fun because you're driving this kart, and it's like you're trying to get as much points as you can to win a cup, and it's really fun for another reason but I can't figure it out. Maybe it's a spirit.

R: What makes Mario Kart more fun than racing hot wheels cars around in your room?

Owen: Well you actually are racing, but you're doing it on the screen, not on the floor, and you don't have to hear wheels scratching and you don't have to heart plastic scratching sometimes.

R: What makes it more fun than other video games you've played?

Owen: I don't know.

R: How much do you love Mario Kart?

Owen: VERY MUCH!

R: If I offered you no dinner, but an extra hour of Mario Kart, which would you take?

Owen: Mario Kart.

R: If I said you could play an extra round of Mario Kart for all of the money in your bank account, would you do it?

Owen: Well...it depends on what I have.

R: You have $73

Owen: I meant if I already buyed enough things for me to give all my other money to you.

R: What is your favorite part of the races?

Owen: Well, my favorite part of the races is actually probably bonking off other racers' cars.

R: What makes that so much fun?

Owen: I don't know.

R: Who do you like to play as, and which race courses do you like?

Owen: Well my top three favorites are Luigi Circuit, Mushroom Gorge, and Peach Gardens.

R: I thought you didn't like mushrooms. You won't eat anything that has mushrooms in it.

Owen: You forgot that I said "SCREEN."

R: Why do you like Peach Gardens?

Owen: Well there are these big, black things that I think that are supposed to represent dogs, that I think most people think they are supposed to represent dogs, but I call them chompers.

R: And why do you like chompers?

Owen: Well, they're active. And they can be really fun to dodge.

R: Do you think that playing Mario Kart will make you a better driver when you are old enough to drive a car?

Owen: Maybe. 

R: Why?

Owen: Well, come to think of it, driving is a car is almost like driving a Mario Kart car, too.

R: How do you drive a Mario Kart car. Keep in mind, your grandparents have probably never played a Wii. They might not even know what it is.

Owen: Well, um...ugvhgh, Dad...mmm...it's like, it's like...<Dad!> hm hm! It's like you're driving a car, except the circle is a small rectangle and your gas pedal is a button on the steering wheel.

R: What about stop signs, turn signals, right of way, changing lanes, etc.?

Owen: Nope, nope, nope, nope.

R: There are no stop signs in Mario Kart?

Owen: You have signs. And I mean, like track signs. Not like sign signs. 

R: Are there obstacles or dangers in the road that you need to be aware of?

Owen: Did you remember the chompers? Well, and when you play this let me give you advice. Follow the track. Oh, and you should probably play the Mushroom Cup first.

R: Felix, do you enjoy playing Mario Kart?

Felix: Mm-hmm!!

R: Why do you like it?

Felix: Because there's so much fun when it's like driving a real car! And there's NOT much buttons on it.

R: Are you good at it?

Felix: I am good at it. But I always don't finish.

R: What are your favorite things about Mario Kart?

Felix: That it's really, really fun, and that you get to steer the kart in person and there's a chair, but not a chair at the table. <giggles>

R: Which character are you?

Felix: Baby Peach! And also a lot of guys. I also be Bowser. Sometimes, or Koopa Troopa.

R: Grandma and Grandpa probably don't know who Bowser or Koopa Troopa are...can you explain who they are? 

Felix: Bowser and Koopa Troopa are not really friends. Bowser is like a dragon, but he's a character in Mario Kart who has spikes on his back but can only roar. Koopa Troopa, she's a turtle and well, she's pretty small with a weird bike called a bullet bike.

R: What is hard about Mario Kart?

Felix: That there's lots of dangerous stuff, like guns and chompers. But, I really like the good thing is that it's very easy. Actually, sometimes it hard. Because you have to stay on the track. If you go into the grass, you'll go...so that's not on the track. And sometimes they do two paths, and you can go somewhere

R: What does Big George think of Mario Kart?

Felix: Big George...well, he can't really play Mario Kart. But he still thinks it's impressive, and fun. He would say.

R: In your own words, as if explaining to Grandma and Grandpa, who maybe don't know about Mario Kart, why do you like it?

James: Well, it's one of the few video games that I'm good at now. And I think it's kind of fun steering a car around some tracks.

R: Would it be as much fun if you played it by yourself without your brothers?

James: It might be nice. But chances are that may not happen anytime soon. Owen thinks we should all take turns getting a turn at playing full screen. But I don't agree with that.

R: Can you explain what full screen is to those who may not know?

James: You get a choice in Mario Kart about playing one to four players. We usually play three players. 

R: How likely do you think it is that you guys will get to keep playing Mario Kart now that we are getting healthy again and have to do our regular amount of school and work?

James: I just hope that we can get some nights off, because I've grown in playing all of this, and fortunately summer is coming up and that will make it more of a chance to play Mario Kart because hopefully we'll have some school off and Mommy and Daddy will be on break on jobs.

R: Don't you want to keep on doing school for as long as possible through the summer?

James: No.

R: Don't you love learning?

James: That depends on what it is.

R: Practicing declensions is probably your favorite thing to learn?

James: No.

R: Your favorite school right now is...?

James: Perhaps dictation. Or...something else.