Study Confirms 'Mario Kart' Really Does Make You A Better Driver

For their study, researchers from New York University Shanghai and University of Hong Kong had 80 students and faculty from the University of Hong Kong participate in several experiments involving different video games. Action-based video games, for example, force the gamer to respond to visual cues. Think driving-centric games, like "Mario Kart," or first-person shooter games, such as "Unreal Tournament." Non-action games, on the other hand, include those like "Sims 2" and "Roller Coaster Tycoon," where the gamer is responsible for directing the action. In one experiment, subjects with no action-based video game experience were asked to played "Mario Kart" or a first-person shooter game.