The NES Series:

F-1 Race

A loud hum filled the air as a series of small, one-man vehicles sped around a large track surrounded by endless grassy plains on all sides. Near the starting line, a small row of bleachers sat before a pit where a number of workers in mechanic's uniforms stood waiting for their charges to pull in for maintenance. Among them, Olimar and Villager stood leaning against a stack of tires.

"Our boy's doing pretty well out there, eh, Olimar?" Villager said.

"I guess," Olimar said. "It feels like he's way behind to me. Every time he passes someone, five more show up in front of him. I mean, who's even in the lead in this race?"

Villager shrugged. "We're in the early days of racing games. They didn't really have a fully developed competitive racing system going on yet. It was mostly just about making the turns and avoiding the other drivers."

"So, no multiplayer, then?"

"Oh, no, it supported up to four players. It could get pretty competitive then, but we're currently watching a single-player race, so most of the other racers act more like obstacles than actual competition."

Olimar nodded. "I see. So how did we get involved in this again?"

"Well, we still have a lot of debts to pay off, and since somebody got us fired from our sailing job, we had to find employment elsewhere."

"Yeah, somebody," Olimar chuckled. "Stupid Popeye."

"I was referring to you."

"Whatever you say. So, are we getting a Smash Five candidate out of this or what?"

Villager studied the screen above them for a moment as the first-player racer passed a group of opponents and turned a corner. "Um, I don't imagine so. I mean, we do have the driver, but he doesn't really leave his car in-game, and I'm pretty sure even gamers familiar with the game don't really know what he looks like."

"So that's a pass?"

"Probably."

Olimar reached into his coveralls pocket and pulled out a small notebook, scribbling something down. He capped the pen and stuffed it and the notebook back in the pocket.

"So, what does he look like?"

Villager pointed as a car pulled into the pit. "See for yourself," he said. "We're up."

Villager grabbed the gas pump and went straight to the car's tank, while Olimar leaned over the hood to get a good look at the driver's face. "Huh," he said, "interesting."