Here is a concise summary of the text:
The author reminisces about their childhood experience with Mario Kart, specifically with **Mario Kart: Super Circuit** on the Gameboy Advance SP, which they played with their brother using a temperamental link cable. As they grew older, the author transitioned to playing **Mario Kart Wii**, where they discovered a community of "cool" hackers who added a new layer of fun to the game. When Nintendo shut down Wii's multiplayer services, the author adapted by taking their Wii to social gatherings to share Mario Kart experiences with others. The piece concludes with the author reflecting on how Mario Kart has profoundly impacted their life, teaching them valuable lessons and creating lasting memories, ultimately shaping them into the person they are today.
Here are the extracted key facts, each with a number and in short sentences, excluding opinions:
1. The author received a Gameboy Advance SP (GBA SP) as a Christmas gift, along with a GBA link cable and a copy of Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
2. The author's brother also received an identical gift, with his GBA SP being red, while the author's was blue.
3. Mario Kart: Super Circuit was the third installment in the Mario Kart series.
4. The author spent countless hours playing Mario Kart: Super Circuit with their brother using the GBA link cable.
5. The author eventually stopped playing with their brother, who became busy with other activities, including using AOL Instant Messenger.
6. The author then focused on beating their personal best time on the Rainbow Road track in Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
7. The author achieved a record time of 45 seconds on Rainbow Road, with a lap time of 15 seconds.
8. The author discovered YouTube and searched for world record runs of the same track for comparison.
9. The author still attempts to beat their old record on Rainbow Road years later.
10. The Gameboy Advance (GBA) was a portable console that held a charge for hours.
11. Mario Kart Wii was released, and the author played it, experiencing the game's online multiplayer mode.
12. Nintendo shut down their multiplayer services for the Wii and DS on May 20th, 2014, affecting Mario Kart Wii's multiplayer.
13. The author began taking their Wii to various events to play Mario Kart with groups of people after the multiplayer shutdown.
14. The author values the experiences and memories made with Mario Kart over the games themselves.