There's A Real-Life 'Mario Kart' Game In Montreal With Shells & Bananas To Throw At Players

Have you ever wished you could playMario Kart in real life? Combat d'Archers in Montreal has a Mario Kart game that gives new meaning to the phrase, "pick your player" because this time, you'll actually get to race as that player.

The quick karts even allow you to drift and do 360-degree spins. Plus, Combat d'Archers provides each player with up to two Mario Kart-inspired items (a foam shell, banana or star) that they can use during the game to "attack" other players and defend themselves during the race — all while music inspired by the game plays in the background.

Olivier Ulysse, who owns Combat d'Archers, told MTL Blog how the game works.

"When you come in, you pick your character. So there's a bunch of different helmets and every helmet has a different Mario Kart character," Ulysse said. "Each kart also has the same logo on it so you kind of match your helmet to your kart."

Ulysse said there are around 20 Mario Kart characters to choose from, including ones from the most recent version of the game.

Once you've selected your character, Ulysse said there's a tutorial, since "these are not like normal karts, they're called 'crazy carts.'" In addition to allowing you to drift, do 360s, and go backwards, he said they also allow for "close combat" and "really good control."

The karts can reach speeds of about 22 km/h.

"Players can really go head-to-head, like almost hit each other, and throw bananas or throw shells at each other and then at the last minute just avoid each other and keep going," he said.

After players are taught how to drift and do 360s for around 10 minutes, Ulysse said it's time to enter race mode.

The first race along the track doesn't incorporate any items. But during the second race, you can slow down your opponents by throwing shells, placing bananas and blocking attacks with the star. When you get hit by a shell, you have to come to a complete stop or do a 360.

Toward the end of the session, Ulysse said they remove the track barriers, turning it into an open arena for the battle portion of the game.

"It's one of the game modes in Mario Kart where each player has a certain amount of lives, and you have a timer and you want to score as many points as possible by hitting players with shells, or by blocking attacks. If you grab a star, you block an attack. And also, if you walk into a banana, you lose the point as well," he said.

A 40-minute session, with 30 minutes of karting, costs $25. There's also a $250 birthday or event package for up to 10 players, including the use of a party room for one hour after your session.

Are you more of a Luigi, Bowser, Toad, or Princess Peach? There's one way to find out.