Mario Marathon recap

So I finally got into a schedule that seemed to work.  I could have new blog posts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Yet here it is, Thursday night and there have yet to be any updates.  You can blame that on the topic of the last update.  I ended up spending about 15 hours on Sunday and 6 hours on Monday hanging out with the Mario Marathon guys, bringing them food and interacting with the people watching.

I had to miss last year’s marathon because of my sister’s wedding, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this year.  I took Friday off because I felt like it, so I spent a good portion of the day watching the online feed.  And then a good portion of Saturday.  I can’t explain it, it was just strangely addicting.  By the time Sunday rolled around, I was ready to be helpful.

As it turns out, due to some well-timed publicity, Sunday was the busiest day of the marathon.  As the designated “tweeter reader” (later re-named “twit face”), I was responsible for watching the Twitter feed and interacting with the people who posted.  It was a really weird experience for me.  I mean, here I am sitting in my buddy’s living room watching him play video games while I screw off on the Internet, and people are just going nuts every time I mention their name.  Weird.

The marathon was successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams though.  Because they raised so much money, the guys who were actually playing the games had to 100% Super Mario Sunshine, a task that took them over a day on its own.  Finally, after over 96 hours of gaming, the marathon came to a close.  Along the way, thousands of people worldwide tuned in, and over 1,000 people contributed to raise over $29,000 for Child’s Play Charity.

There were some great moments along the way, too.   One was when someone asked if any of us were romantically involved.  Brian went down the row of guys sitting and said “Married.  Married.  Married.  Married.  And married.  So no, there’s no romance.”  Of course, we all started laughing.  Our wives who were standing in the next room didn’t find it quite so funny.

In a more touching moment, John (a.k.a. “couch guy”) shared the very first ultrasound picture of his baby with the world.  The Internet was very happy for John and Cheryl, as were all of us there.

My friend Sundeep stopped by with some members of his band CircAfrique.  They played some music for the viewers and Sundeep enterained everyone with his own unique brand of humor.  (He was so popular that the Internets are clamoring for him to do his own show.  And oh yeah, they want me on it too.)

And of course, there was the dancing.  After the $27,000 mark was reached, John, Brian, and I did a very special dance for the viewers.  Very early Tuesday morning, the donation count reached $28,000 and John did an unforgettable solo dance.

So I’d just like to thank everyone who made this possible — specially those people who watched and donated.  You guys did a terrific thing, and you should be very proud of yourselves.

–mac guy

8 thoughts on “Mario Marathon recap

  1. Cool to see that the Mario Dance is on YouTube! I really wish I could have contributed more, but I found out about the Marathon much too late, and I had already spent all of my money on a new laptop. I’m already saving up for next year, though!!

  2. Dodge, no worries. All donations were greatly appreciated, no matter the amount. Thanks for watching and donating!

  3. That was one or the most amazing things that i saw in the year and was a totally success!!

  4. We all had a great time, and it was all for a good cause, it was win-win across everything. Nobody could seem to read twitter as fast as you, everyone else complained about it for a while heh. I remember at one point you sounded like a horse race announcer, you were on fire. Overall I think what really made it so good was all the things we got to share with you guys. In the end we really got to see a piece of your lives, your friends, family. I think that was one of the most compelling aspects.

    The way John hinted at that “very important doctors appointment” made me think he really didn’t want to tell the audience at first, which I thought was fine. But once he put up that ultrasound against the cam I felt like I was right there in that living room with you guys, sharing the experience.

    It was more than a show, it was a group event, and everyone who clicked the link was invited. Everyone involved wasn’t just watching the show, we really felt a part of it, which I felt made it so compelling.

    Stay tuned while I write a 10 page essay on the pssychological dynamics of the Mario Marathon, haha.

  5. Kyle_Mack, I think you’re right. The fact that Brian treated it like he was inviting everyone into his house really helped people feel like they were an important part of the event (and they were). Maybe next year, he’ll turn the wall into plexiglass and let everyone stand in the back yard and watch. No. Probably not.

  6. Hey, Mac Guy! I’m the one who started the first sing along and told you guys about Sheldon from Big Bang Theory tweeting about the marathon.

    I just wanted to say that I was truly addicted and found this marathon made for the best weekend alone in my basement of my life. I felt like I was there with you guys and couldn’t leave you for an instant.

    Truly an inspiration to us all, I believe I speak for the entire gaming community when I say Thank You.

  7. Flannel_Man I’m glad it was a good experience for you. Just wait until you get out of the basement, there’s a whole world out there. 🙂

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