The red Nintendo Switch hums softly as it warms up on the kitchen table. A blue icon appears, blinking impatiently for me to press the button and start. I slide my thumb over the touch screen, a race course flickering into view. It’s Circuit Street, with its bright yellow lines and green grass rolling past the edges of the screen. I pick up Mario and press Start.

The track lights up as I zoom around the first corner. The screen vibrates slightly with each speed boost and turn. Luigi is just ahead, his green car cutting through the grass. I nudge him to take the lead. The camera shifts to a top-down view, showing our cars flying over the course. A Goomba jumps out of a gopher hole, slowing me down just as I’m about to pass that tree.

I speed up, pulling ahead again. The screen blinks at me with a checkered flag animation as I cross the finish line. My score: 167 points. Luigi’s: 152. I grin, watching the replay loop through my victory lap once more before hitting the Home button. The Switch turns off and cools down in the quiet of the room.