Nintendo Shuts Down Unofficial MARIO KART Races In Tokyo

Photo: MariCar | Facebook

The MariCar attraction in Tokyo, Japan previously allowed local residents and tourists the opportunity to embark on a real-life Mario Kart race around the city. The attraction even went as far as to drop “weapons” on one another, which did not please Nintendo at all.

Nintendo then filed a lawsuit claiming that MariCar’s attraction was damaging to its Mario Kart franchise. Now, Kotaku reported that the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of Nintendo, and ordered MariCar to stop using Nintendo-themed costumes in its attraction and now has to pay ten million yen ($89,000) in damages.

Of course, Nintendo has every right to protect its intellectual property that MariCar used to earn profits without Nintendo’s consent. It’s a shame though that people won’t be able to see these Mario Kart races in Tokyo anymore. I was fortunate enough to witness a race earlier this year during my visit to Tokyo, and let’s just say that it was the highlight of my trip, being a Nintendo fan.

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