For The Love Of Shells

So we were playing Mario Kart Wii the other night.

After a long and hard 2 laps, we were racing on the 3rd and final lap. Bowser was first, I was second, and Kelly was third.

The finishing line was in viewing distance. Bowser was speeding away in a guaranteed first place, and I was trying to catch up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kelly, somehow managing to speed past me to take 2nd place. Damn it. I'm sure she'd used a mushroom or something.

And right behind Kelly was a Red Shell . No doubt sent her way by one of the AI racers behind us. As she was zooming past me, I saw the Shell home in on her and BANG! she was toppled! I looked to my REAL right (where she was sat) and saw that look of OH-MY-GOD-I-CAN'T-BELIEVE-THAT-JUST-HAPPENED-AND-DON'T-YOU-DARE-LAUGH-OR-MENTION-IT-EVER. I was sensible enough to understand the look (I've seen it before, see, when we used to play Mario Kart on the DS. It's scary) so I just glanced back at the screen.

And there it was. There was my saviour, zooming right above my head, in all it's blue and white winged glory. There was the Blue Shell flying above us all with one target in mind - the number one racer. Poor old Bowser, he must have been INCHES away from crossing the line and getting pole position, and then KABOOOM!!! And up he flew in the air, tumbling and tumbling.

As he fell down, he would have seen me, playing as the all-encompassing Mario, wooshing underneath his kart and getting that pole position, fair and square. Or should I saw fair and round, just like the Shells.

The beauty of Mario Kart is just that. You can spend all 3 laps in number one, be hit by one Blue Shell and finish 10th. It is horribly unfair, induces swearing fits, and is more of a cause of marital disturbance than any other. Which is what makes it the addictive one-more-go game that it is. Brilliant.