‘Player Select’ scrawls across the screen in bold, blocky letters. Underneath, eight boxes appear, each containing a different character: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, D.K., Wario and Bowser.

Sound familiar yet?

Every so often, the Japanese Culture Club, better known as the Anime Club, holds a tournament of some sort. On Mar. 19, it was Mario Kart 64.

Competitors played the game on the classic Nintendo console, the Nintendo 64, which came after the Super Nintendo Entertainment System—SNES—but before the Nintendo Gamecube. The television rested atop a black, mobile cart, and four plastic chairs were placed in front, beckoning competitors.

“The main goal was to have fun,” said junior Matt Lewis, vice president of the Anime club.

Four players battled it out, fighting to become the champion while throwing havoc-wreaking items at other players—bananas, green shells, red shells, and the ever hated blue shell that seeks out the player in first place.

There were shouts of victory, groans of dismay, and a few choice words yelled here and there as the players raced to the finish line.

Lewis ended up beating out all his opponents, earning himself a spot on the top of the charts as King of Mario Kart 64 and the winner of the tournament.

“I spent Saturday night practicing, and I kept losing to a bunch of computers. I thought I was going to lose because I figured everyone else would be better,” Lewis said.

Any gamers who missed out on the tournament need not worry – there will be more where this one came from.

According to president and senior Katie Ledford, “We’ll probably have another one around May.”