If your main problem with Mario Kart was that you couldn’t crash into your own legs, then Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, which lands on shop shelves in October, is the answer to your bizarre desires.

Combining a radio controlled kart decked out with an onboard camera and a Nintendo Switch game that controls it, it turns your own living room into an augmented reality race track.

The first step will be to design the course, placing the physical checkpoint gates around the room to create a route.

You could even name the corners: the table leg chicane, sofa curve, virage du sleeping grandparent, that sort of thing.

The game will then bring that layout to life on the screen of the Nintendo Switch, adding opponents, power-ups and visual effects.

And if you were worried this new Mario Kart doesn’t have the same potential to ruin friendships as the original series, you’ll be pleased to hear that up to three friends can bring their own karts and consoles over for some typically vindictive multiplayer.

Successfully landing a blow with a weapon power up will even cause their karts to slow down. The only thing missing is the option to fire a red shell at your disapproving cat…

STORY Mike Channell