Bell argued that Mario Kart’s rubber-band system is a powerful metaphor for the kind of targeted relief governments need to use to create a more equitable world. “In any room of professionals or decision-makers, anywhere in the world, someone or their kid plays Mario Kart,” he told Motherboard in an email. “That makes it potentially powerful, because the same people who might launch the next social or environmental program are people who can relate to Mario Kart.”

>"We hate the blue shells, but they create a critical solvent that makes 'Mario Kart' an equitable game for all. Environmental movements must learn from the blue shell."