As mentioned previously, this year Korea has gotten into a Nintendo craze, with everything from Nintendo-themed schooling (see link above), accessories and clothing becoming a daily addition to many Korean lives. And now they have a brand new half-hour TV show to add to the list: Run & Run Mario Kart DS!

The point of the show is pretty simple. A team of contestants are first interviewed, then must race each other in Mario Kart DS and try to win.

The televised Guitar Hero match was just a glimpse into the diversity of video game shows I'm watching in Korea. (Yes, there are more than the Starcraft league.) Champ, a station that usually broadcasts cartoons like YuYu Hakusho, has a program called Run & Run Mario Kart DS. The half an hour long show interviews six young contestants and then shows them racing wirelessly. This is the first I’ve heard about a competitive Mario Kart league in Korea, but it’s clear some players are taking Mario Kart DS very seriously.

Run & Run Mario Kart DS is also an indicator of how popular the Nintendo DS is in Korea. The system has been around for barely a year and Mario Kart DS came out on April 5, 2007. In this relatively short amount of time the DS blossomed enough for a production company to green light a television show centered competitive Mario Kart racing.

Miss Razz via siliconera.com »