John Gulliver: on the brink of glory at Super Mario Kart World Cup glory
'Medals and trophies are just material things', SNES ace Sami Cetin
Friday, 25th August 2023 — By John Gulliver
Good luck, Sami Cetin!
THE Lionesses may be home after a brave battle in Australia – but don’t worry, a new World Cup is just about to start.
In a quaint town in northern France next week, the globe’s greatest players of the 1992 UK-released Super Nintendo (SNES) Super Mario Kart will compete for ultimate glory.
Most of them have been playing the same game, fairly relentlessly, for more than 30 years.
I caught up with the UK champion – and defending world champ, the south Londoner Sami Cetin – ahead of what promises to be a nail-biting encounter streamed over four days on YouTube.
“I have won several medals over the years and trophies, though those are just material things,” he told me.
“It is more about working hard and focusing on something, discipline and concentration, but having fun with a game that you enjoy competing in and being a champion, while respecting and also supporting your fellow competitors who are also taking part.”
And with a typical champion’s grace, he added: “The most important thing about the championships that we value more than the game are the friendships that we have made with so many great people from around the world.”
Mr Cetin recalled how his sister had bought him SMK for Christmas in 1992 and how at the start it was just a hobby.
Later he contacted a few players who had posted fast times on the internet, before setting up a website with the top “time trial” rankings from around the world.
It now boasts 1,250 players from 45 countries, from as far away as Mauritius and Taiwan.
Despite many people fearing the “Rainbow Road” track, which is easy to fall off, he believes “Bowser Castle 3” as the most challenging track, and one in which he holds the world record fastest time.
Good luck, Sami!