The green shell bounces across the blue track in my controller. I press the A button just as it comes near, but the shell zips past me. I try again, pressing harder this time. The shell still eludes me, whizzing by my kart and hitting someone else instead. They spin around like a top, making a loud noise that makes me jump.

I switch to the left joystick, aiming for a different kart to hit. It misses, going under a green shell on the track. I try picking it up, but it falls right through my hand. Frustrated, I push harder, trying to grab any shells at all. My thumb gets tired from pressing the buttons so much.

I take off running, hoping to find a secret spot for power-ups. A blue shell floats past me again and again. Finally, I see a ramp. I jump onto it, but my kart stays on solid ground while the shell flies high into the air before falling back down. The screen shakes as the shell hits another karts’ side. Everyone laughs at the impact.

I decide to walk off-screen to find more shells, stepping carefully so I don’t bump my hand and drop them. When I return, the race has started without me. I join in late, hoping to get a shell now that there are fewer karts on the track. But it’s too fast for me to catch!