"There are only two types of music: good and bad." This famous quote has been attributed to many musicians throughout time, but it holds true for most forms of art and entertainment. Though I can identify a good or bad game regardless of genre, I must admit that racing games seem to need an extra boost in comparison to most other gameplay types. I've nothing against the genre, but in order to succeed I feel that there must be more going on than "go from start to finish in the least amount of time possible." This is what makes a series like Mario Kart all the more amazing: it takes a fairly by-the-numbers genre and transforms it into the best multiplayer experience around, yet more proof that Shigeru Miyamoto is the modern-day King Midas.
The balance of this game comes off as a strange hybrid of capitalism and socialism: there's random distribution of elements which usually propels those in lower places quickly upwards, yet if a group of experts play against each other for long enough, the most practiced and skilled man will likely win. Either way, the series consistently delivers a multiplayer experience that reminds us that while many games are solitary adventures, like digging into a good novel, some of the best experiences to be had involve friends and family. This is a true reminder that despite what some may say, the games themselves are not isolators or social restrainers: it's how we choose to use them that affects our social lives.
