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Nintendo nerds battle for glory at the ‘Mariolympics’

Nintendo nerds battle for glory at the ‘Mariolympics’
Photo by Stefano Giovannini

It was in the fall last year, when Park Sloper Rob Blatt was struck by a vision of grand spectacle — a monthly tournament of borough-wide proportions, where liquor would be drunk, heckles would be yelled, and the greatest video game players from Kings County would battle for beer tickets.

He would call it — the “Mariolympics.”

“Mariolympics was mostly Rob’s idea,” said Steve Heisler, a comedian and co-host of the event, which kicks off at Union Hall on Jan. 26. “He had this grand vision of people playing video games on a giant screen, drinking beer, and yelling at each other.”

At the tournament, revelers will take their turn at vintage Mario-centric Nintendo games, competing for high scores, glory, and the greatest prize of all — free beer.

Meanwhile, Blatt, with a background in professional wrestling and an enthusiasm for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, brings a knack for competitive-video-game commentating to bear.

“I’m a pro wrestler, so in terms of speaking quickly and freely, that helps,” explained Blatt, who also hosts the bar’s monthly “Wrestling Mania” night.

Heisler makes his living as a comedian and humor writer, complementing Blatt’s in-depth analysis with witty observations regarding the lunacy of classic video game tropes — such as inexplicably floating platforms.

“In Mario, programers spent years making weird, floaty platform things,” Heisler said. “It’s just a block! What’s the point of any of this? How could anybody find meaning in a floating block?”

All this, to the uninitiated, may sound like the makings of sophomoric diversion, comprising a lewd combination of vice and pablum — namely, beer and children’s video games — all wrapped in the moniker of a clever, sporting pun.

But the organizers said that playing amidst the racket of a cheering crowd, and seeing your high score displayed in stunning 16-bit on Union Hall’s massive projector screen, elevates the experience to something much bigger and more glorious.

“It’s different when you play at home, as opposed to at a bar,” said Blatt. “The whole goal really is that we don’t very often get to walk into somewhere and fulfill that fantasy of playing on a big screen, while two guys commentate.”

Compete for beer and glory in the “Mariolympics” at Union Hall [702 Union St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 638–4400, www.unionhallny.com] Jan. 26 at 7 pm. Free.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.