I never played with Scalextric as a kid, so I'm making up for it with this Mario Kart set

Luigi and Mario slot cars on a racetrack — (Image credit: Future/Benjamin Abbott)

I feel like I've missed out on some grand childhood right of passage, because I never played with – or had – Scalextric. But now I've realized there's a Mario Kart version, so it may finally be time to make up for that oversight this MAR10 Day.

I stumbled upon the set when I was wandering the London Toy Fair at the beginning of this year, and it's everything I'd want from a slot car racer. Sure, it has the usual circuit setup with controls that pit two players against one another in a battle of precision. However, here you're racing as the intrepid plumber and co in pitch-perfect recreations of the Mario Kart vehicles. Plus, things get a little more trippy with loop-the-loops. Bizarre race courses with goofy challenges? Say no more, I'm in. Sounds like a formula for the best toys to me, to say nothing of the best Mario merch.

Carrerra Go Mario Kart set | ~~$59.42~~ $54.01 at Amazon
There are plenty of Carerra Mario Kart racer sets available (including the grand loop-the-loop course I mentioned earlier, seen at Amazon), but this is the cheapest option available right now. It gets you a basic course with an added jump ramp, Mario, and Luigi, so should be more than enough to get the ball/karts rolling. (As a note, I'm struggling to find the closest equivalent in the UK, so have linked the loop-the-loop alternative below.)

UK price: £81.20 at Amazon

Now that I have a toddler, I've also got the perfect excuse to build them the sort of mad toy haven I always dreamed of as a kid. Scalextric tracks running through multiple rooms? Done. Family-wide racing tournaments? You betcha.