Mario Kart

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Mario Kart is a series of Nintendo racing games that feature characters from the Mario Bros. video game franchise. Mario Kart differs from many other racing games in that it does not seek to accurately simulate real world cars, driving conditions, or physics, making Mario Kart particularly easy to learn.

The games are particularly popular as multiplayer games. Two-, four-, eight-, and even sixteen-way challenges are possible. The success of the game series led other companies to imitate the game with characters from their own franchises, as well as licensed characters from film and television.

Installments

"Mario Kart" is used to refer to any of the following video games released by Nintendo:

1. Super Mario Kart is the original Mario Kart game. It was released in 1992 for Super Famicom and Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
2. Mario Kart 64 was released in 1996 in Japan, and in 1997 in North America and Europe for Nintendo 64. It was the first 3D Mario Kart game, and allowed four players to race and battle on the same screen.
3. Mario Kart Super Circuit was released in 2001 for Game Boy Advance. It was the first portable version of Mario Kart and contained tracks from the original in addition to new ones. Up to four players could link up and play simultaneously.
4. [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]] was released in November 2003 for GameCube. This game strayed away from the classic Mario Kart formula by omitting the jump action and changing the traditional karts into themed vehicles, seating two characters. This game is LAN-enabled, such that sixteen players can play with each other over four GameCubes in the same LAN environment.
5. Mario Kart DS was released in November 2005 for Nintendo DS. It was also the first Mario Kart game to expand the single player experience by adding the Mission Run mode, and allowed players to play VS and Battle mode against bots rather than real-life opponents. Mario Kart DS is also the first game to use Nintendo's online gaming service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It also features an assortment of tracks from previous Mario Kart games.
6. Mario Kart Arcade GP was released in autumn of 2005 in Japan and North America. It is the first Mario Kart arcade game. It was developed by Namco and features Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky as some of the playable characters.

Gameplay

In Mario Kart, the characters from the Mario series of video games get together and race go-karts around a variety of tracks. Players can obtain random items by driving through (or over in Super Mario Kart) question mark blocks, which can be used for either defense, offense or by powering up the engine for a short amount of time (boost). Each Mario Kart game hosts several gameplay modes, which can be played in both singleplayer and multiplayer.

Time Trial

In Time Trial the goal is to achieve the fastest time in the selected track. Players are usually given three mushrooms (speed boosts) which they can use any time during the trial. (However, in MKDD, players only receive two, and in MKDS 1-3 mushrooms are given depending on the selected vehicle's Item stat). Once a record is set, the game saves a ghost, a replay of the set record, to compete against. In Mario Kart 64, [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]], and Mario Kart DS, the developers put in their own "Staff Ghosts" for the player to race against. They must be unlocked by achieving a certain time which differs on each track. In Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS, it is also possible to download a ghost from friends. In Mario Kart DS, 3 ghosts (the player's own, a friend's one and a staff's one) can be saved.

Grand Prix

In Grand Prix, eight characters compete against each other for a themed Cup. There are usually four Cups: The Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup and Special Cup.

• Mario Kart Super Circuit adds in a fifth cup, the Lightning Cup, between the Flower and Star Cups. It also includes an "extra" version of each cup that features all the tracks from Super Mario Kart.
• [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]] adds an All-Cup Tour with all sixteen tracks in the game.
• Mario Kart DS has two modes: Nitro and Retro. Nitro (all-new tracks) retains the four standard cups, whereas Retro (classic tracks) features the Shell Cup, Banana Cup, Leaf Cup, and Lightning Cup.

Cups usually consist of four unique tracks. The Special Cup traditionally ends with Rainbow Road. Super Mario Kart is the only game to date that has five instead four tracks a cup.

The player wins the cup by receiving the most points throughout the Cup. Points are allocated based on the position the player finishes in. First place nets the player 10 points, whereas the player receives no points for finishing eighth.

Grand Prix comes in four difficulty settings; 50cc, 100cc, 150cc. Mirror mode is identical to 150cc; however, all tracks are reversed horizontally (left turns become right turns and vice-versa).

Missions

This single player mode is only present in Mario Kart DS, and includes several levels, each of which contain nine challenges (one of which is a boss battle). These challenges range from collecting X amount of coins, to driving through X amount of gates, to destroying X amount of enemies and so-on. The player is given a grade upon completing a mission, with E being the lowest and *** being the highest. There is only one mission level to start with, but by beating each mission level's boss players can reach level 6, and, by achiving a rank of at least one star in all missions, level 7.

VS

In VS mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a race. The one who crosses the finish line first wins. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. In Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA), players can race against CPU opponents for the first time.

Battle

In Battle Mode, every player is assigned a set of balloons that can be popped. The aim of battle mode is to pop the other players' baloons by attacking them with items. Once all balloons are popped, the player loses. Since [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]], there have been a wider variety of Battle rules, as follows:

• Balloon Battle is the classic Mario Kart Battle rule. Each character carries balloons from his/her tailgate, and loses one when he/she spins out, flips over, falls off the stage, or, in some cases, is rammed by a heavier character or a character using a Mushroom or Star. The last person left wins.
• Shine Thief, so far only included in [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!|Double Dash!!]], is a mode where a Shine Sprite appears in a central part of the stage. The game proceeds like keep-away, where, once a kart touches the Shine, the owners pick it up and a timer starts. If they are hit, they lose the Shine and it falls to the field, allowing other players to pick it up. The kart holding the Shine when the timer runs out wins.
• Bob-omb Blast, a mode available only in Double Dash!! Instead of getting Mushrooms, Shells, and other items when touching an item box, players get Bob-ombs which can be thrown forwards or dropped behind with the intent of catching an opponent in the blast. Characters can carry five bob-ombs at a time for a total of ten per kart. When players blow up one of the opposing karts, they gain a star. When players are blown up, they lose a star. Whoever reaches three or four stars first (depends on number of players) wins.
• Shine Runners premiered in Mario Kart DS. Similar to Shine Thief, the game involves players running around the arena looking for Shine Sprites, although there are multiple Shines at a time. Instead of each Shine having a timer, however, the overall timer counts down several times over the course of the game. When it reaches zero, those in last place (having the least amount of Shines) are removed from the game. This continues until only one player is left standing. If all remaining players have the same amount of shines, the clock starts again with no racers eliminated.

Some items don't appear in Battle Mode because of unfairness or impossibility. This includes Spiny Shells, Bullet Bills, Chain Chomps, Thunderbolts (exception: Shine Runners), and triple red shells (before Balloon Battles had more than 3 balloons.) Mushrooms were also out before the stealing of balloons was introduced in Double Dash!!. Mario Kart DS is the only game where players can battle against CPU opponents.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

This mode was introduced in Mario Kart DS. Abbreviated as WFC, this mode allows players to use Nintendo's online gaming service to match up against other players elsewhere in the world, nationally, or with comparable skill levels. NWFC Mode also includes a "friends roster" which allows a player to play with a group of people he or she knows. Wi-Fi gameplay follows the same scoring as multiplayer VS matches, except with a limit of four players instead of eight.

Drivers

The drivers and which games they appear in.

Note that Mario Kart 64 and Super Circuit share the same drivers. Also, because Double Dash!! featured two drivers on each kart, more characters were introduced to give existing karts a second player, it has the largest cast in the Mario Kart series and many one-offs so far.

Driver	Super Mario Kart	64 & Super Circuit	''Double Dash	''	DS	Arcade GP
Mario
Luigi
Princess Peach
Toad			1
Yoshi
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong
Wario
Baby Mario
Baby Luigi
Birdo
Bowser Jr.
Diddy Kong
King Boo			1
Petey Piranha			1
Princess Daisy				1
Waluigi				1
Paratroopa
Toadette			1
Dry Bones				1
R.O.B.				1
Shy Guy				2
Pac-Man3
Ms. Pac-Man3
Blinky3
Notes: Unlockable character. Shy Guy cannot be unlocked in the main game. This is the character players without the Mario Kart DS game card use when downloading from another user's DS to play multiplayer matches. Namco-exclusive character.

Recurring tracks

There are several types of tracks that are long-running favorites and have been featured in many of the Mario Kart games.

Circuits

Every Mario Kart to date has included several "circuit" courses, one of which is serves as the starting course for the Mushroom Cup. Circuit courses are built to resemble actual raceways, with paved track, loose gravel or sand sides, and (in the 3D games) grandstands with onlookers, as well as signs and billboards scattered throughout the course advertising various imaginary racing products. These tracks range widely in difficulty, from simple turns to complex hairpins and banked curves. A particularly memorable circuit track is the Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, which is designed in the shape of a large Yoshi (and resembles one if seen from the air).

In the English version of Mario Kart 64, Circuits are referred to as "raceways".

Examples include:

• Mario Circuit 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Super Mario Kart)
• Luigi Raceway, Mario Raceway, and Royal Raceway (Mario Kart 64)
• Peach Circuit, Mario Circuit, and Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Luigi Circuit, Mario Circuit, and Yoshi Circuit (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Figure-8 Circuit and Mario Circuit (Mario Kart DS)

Beaches

All Mario Kart games have included a beach level of sorts, such as Shy Guy Beach (MKSC) and Cheep Cheep Beach (MKDS). They feature sand (which usually does not slow the kart), sometimes crabs (racers spin out if they hit them) and tides that allow shortcuts when low, but heavily impair speed when high. Beaches normally come early in a game (Mushroom Cup). Both Koopa Beaches from Super Mario Kart are among the more challenging tracks.

Examples include:

• Koopa Beach 1 and 2 (Super Mario Kart)
• Koopa Troopa Beach (Mario Kart 64)
• Shy Guy Beach and Cheep Cheep Island (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Peach Beach (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Mario Track (Mario Kart Arcade GP)
• Cheep Cheep Beach (Mario Kart DS)

Public roads

In all 3D Mario Kart games, there have been tracks that include other traffic to avoid. Mario Kart 64 had Toad's Turnpike (Kinopio Highway in Japan), which had huge vehicles that went the same direction as karts. (In the Mirror Mode, they come toward the karts). Double Dash!! had Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City. They featured different kinds of cars, such as Mushroom trucks, the Wiggler vehicle, and Bob-omb cars. Mario Kart DS has both Mushroom Bridge (from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, although Bob-omb cars and Wigglers are not present, most likely because this would slow the game down,) and Shroom Ridge, in which vehicles travel on the left-hand side of the road, much like the road system in England (in Mirror Mode they go on the right-hand side), set on road which winds around a mountain.

Examples include:

• Toad's Turnpike (Mario Kart 64)
• Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Wario Track (Mario Kart Arcade GP)
• Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)

Deserts

There has been a desert track in each Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64, but in Super Mario Kart, Choco Island courses are the only courses that come close to being deserts. Deserts usually feature quicksand and long stretches of bumpy terrain. In Mario Kart 64, there was Kalimari Desert (Kara Kara Desert in Japan), in which a train crossed the track in two places, and Yoshi Valley, a dry maze in which no one knew their position until finishing. For Super Circuit, Yoshi Desert made an appearance (the Sphinxes had Yoshi heads), and Double Dash!! had a sandstorm that made any object fly into the air plus an area with quicksand. The desert in Mario Kart DS included the Angry Sun, who rained fire down on the track, and a Super Mario Bros. 3 desert level-like theme.

Examples include:

• Choco Island 1 and 2 (Super Mario Kart)
• Kalimari Desert and Yoshi Valley (Mario Kart 64)
• Yoshi Desert (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Dry Dry Desert (Mario Kart Double Dash)
• Desert Hills (Mario Kart DS)

Jungles

All games from Mario Kart 64 onwards featured at least one jungle type track, with Donut Plains courses being the closest for Super Mario Kart. Mario Kart 64 had DK's Jungle Parkway (Donkey Jungle Park in Japan), set atop a waterfall with a steamboat patrolling the river. Mario Kart Super Circuit had both Riverside Park and Lakeside Park, the latter featuring volcanoes which shot out lava balls that spun players out when hit. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had both DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle. DK Mountain's centrepiece was a gigantic DK Barrel which shot players to the top of the mountain. They would then have to drive down the mountain, avoiding massive boulders and traversing a swaying bridge over a fast flowing river. Dino Dino Jungle, as the name suggests, had several dinosaurs stomping and flying around the course. Mario Kart DS had Yoshi Falls, set in a large valley and circling a lake.

Examples include:

• Donut Plains 1, 2, and 3 (Super Mario Kart)
• D.K.'s Jungle Parkway (Mario Kart 64)
• Riverside Park and Lakeside Park (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• DK Mountain and Dino Dino Jungle (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Donkey Kong Track (Mario Kart Arcade GP)
• Yoshi Falls (Mario Kart DS)

Haunted tracks

Every Mario Kart game besides Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has had a haunted course. Usually the haunted tracks are boardwalks or piers. Super Mario Kart had three Ghost Valleys, Mario Kart 64 had Banshee Boardwalk (Hyuudoro Lake in Japan), Mario Kart Super Circuit had both Boo Lake, and Broken Pier, and Mario Kart DS had Luigi's Mansion (it also had Banshee Boardwalk but it was from Mario Kart 64). This track went through and around Luigi's haunted mansion from the 2001 Gamecube title Luigi's Mansion. These tracks are either at the beginning of the game (Mushroom or Flower Cup) or at the end of the game (Special Cup). While Mario Kart: Double Dash!! had no haunted courses, it did contain a haunted battle level, Luigi's Mansion, also based on the game of the same name.

Examples include:

• Ghost Valley 1, 2, and 3 (Super Mario Kart)
• Banshee Boardwalk (Mario Kart 64)
• Boo Lake and Broken Pier (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Luigi's Mansion (Mario Kart DS)

Stadiums

In three of the games (MK64, MKDD, and MKDS), there has been a stadium track, which takes place in a dirt arena surrounded by grandstands, similar to a Supercross track. Typically associated with Wario and Waluigi, they contain many jumps, bumps, turns, and (more recently) fire and oil. Stadiums are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty, although the stadium in Mario Kart DS is among the most challanging tracks. The Wario Stadium track in Mario Kart 64 is notorious for a shortcut that can reduce the time a single lap takes to two seconds.

With the introduction of Waluigi in the Mario Kart series, there has always been two stadiums in the game. The alternate stadiums, instead of being dirt tracks, are mostly made of metal, with a definitive superstructure. The two metal cage tracks are Wario Colosseum (which comes after Waluigi Stadium in MKDD) and Waluigi Pinball (which comes before Wario Stadium MKDS).

Examples include:

• Wario Stadium (Mario Kart 64)
• Waluigi Stadium and Wario Colosseum (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Wario Stadium and Waluigi Pinball (Mario Kart DS)

Bowser Castles

Bowser Castles are particularly well known for unforgiving and straight 90-degree turns, lava pits, and Thwomps. Super Mario Kart features three Bowser Castle tracks, while Super Circuit has four; the rest only have one (Mario Kart DS has two but one is taken from Super Circuit). They are usually the penultimate tracks of the game, with the only track afterwards being Rainbow Road. Due to their stiff turns and obstacles, they are considered to be technically demanding. The name has also been spelled as Bowser's Castle; this name appears in Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS.

Examples include:

• Bowser Castle 1, 2, and 3 (Super Mario Kart)
• Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart 64)
• Bowser Castle 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• Bowser Track (Mario Kart Arcade GP)
• Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart DS)

Snow tracks

All Mario Kart games to date have included at least one snow-themed track, such as Frappe Snowland (MK64),Sherbet Land (MKDD), and DK Pass (MKDS). Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart DS have two snow tracks (one of which is from Mario Kart 64 in Mario Kart DS), the rest have one. They are normally around the middle of the game in regards to difficulty. They feature snow-elemental-based obstacles, such as exploding snowmen, penguins, and ice skating Shy Guys.

Examples include:

• Vanilla Lake 1 and 2 (Super Mario Kart)
• Frappe Snowland and Sherbet Land (Mario Kart 64)
• Snow Land (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
• Sherbet Land (Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
• DK Pass (Mario Kart DS)

Rainbow Road

Rainbow Road is the final track in the last cup (Special Cup) in every Mario Kart game to date. As the name implies, the track is rainbow-coloured and the course is suspended in space. It is well known for being one of the most surreal and toughest tracks to master, since most of the Rainbow Road tracks have no rails to prevent the player from falling off the edges of the track during a turn.

• In Super Mario Kart: The original Rainbow Road is constructed from rainbow-colored tiles, with no rail at all, and all turns are at 90 degrees. Several flashing Thwomps (named 'electric Thwomps' by many) appear throughout the course, although when this track later appeared in Mario Kart Super Circuit, the Thwomps were removed.
• In Mario Kart 64: The second Rainbow Road is the longest course in the series, at three laps of two minutes each. It features rails throughout the length of the course, roving Chomps, a large drop right after the starting line, and neon-light images of various characters in the distance. A version of this Rainbow Road also appears in F-Zero X, where it is described as a "Psychedelic Experience" (and many of its rails are removed).
• In Mario Kart Super Circuit: This Rainbow Road is set in space, with Bowser's Castle (from Paper Mario) floating in the background. It features rails at the starting/finish line only; all other edges of the course are lined with jump ramps.
• In [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]: The fourth Rainbow Road is set high above a city at night, and includes both sections with and without rails. Much of the course is downhill, after which it features jumps, and a pipe that shoots racers to the highest point in the course. It also contains floating sculptures of various items, and in competitive play, Stars occasionally fall onto the track where a player can pick them up. It has the most pearlized colours of all Rainbow Roads (because of the GameCube's processing power), and its background music is based on the N64 Rainbow Road's music.
• In Mario Kart DS: This Rainbow Road features loop-de-loop and corkscrew sequences -- a first for the Mario Kart series -- and includes rails along a few turns of the course only. Its rainbow-colored striping runs along the length of the track, rather than from side to side (as in previous Rainbow Roads).
• In Mario Kart Arcade GP, there are two Rainbow Road themed tracks, (Rainbow Coaster for instance, gives a very rollercoaster like experience much like the DS Rainbow Road. It also features a teleporter mid-stage). However the difficulty level of these courses are much lower than the other rainbow roads, even with sections without walls.

Items

The main selling point of Mario Kart is the item system. In certain parts of the course, players can drive through an "item box" and receive a random item. There is an equalizer aspect: karts in worse positions get better (and rarer) items. There are four categories of items: hazards (left on the track as an obstacle), projectiles (items fired as obstacles), boosts (gives the kart more speed), and special (does not fit in to any of the three categories). There are a few items in a category of their own. Hazards and projectiles can be trailed behind the kart by holding the item button, this serves as defense against opponent attacks.

Note: Items from [[Mario Kart: Arcade GP]] will not be mentioned here, as there are too many.

Items in all games

• Banana: hazard. It is placed on the track. The next kart to hit it will get the slip. Bananas also block shells (excluding Spiny Shells), and can be thrown forwards.
• Green Shell: projectile. It bounces around the track until one of three things happen: it hits a kart, it hits an obstacle, or its wall-hit limit expires. By default, shot forwards. Can be shot backwards, but in some games this results in less speed.
• Red Shell: projectile. It homes in on the next kart ahead of the user. Homing programming has ranged over the years from crude (point-and-attack) to sophisticated (follow track to target, if miss then come in from side). If they can be fired backwards, they lose the homing ability, with the exception of Mario Kart Super Circuit, in which if they are fired backwards, they will sit in one spot until a Kart passes by, and will give chase.) Red Shells also differ in that they will shatter if they hit a wall, instead of bouncing off.
• Mushroom: boost. One-time use for a simple boost. Useful for shortcuts.
• Star: special. Only given to those from around fifth to last place. It gives a constant speed burst as well as invincibility; hitting anything will destroy it or knock it away (including opponents). Does not protect from falling off the course. Can be picked up in Mario Kart Double Dash's 'Rainbow Road' track.
• Thunderbolt: special. Only given to those close to or in last place. When used, all others on the track are shrunk and are reduced to half speed. When the user runs over a shrunken opponent, he or she is either knocked away or flattened (depending on game). The shrinking lasts around ten seconds and does not affect invincible or off-the-track karts, including karts in the air above the track (eg. after a ramp), as well as karts in the process of boosting. In Mario Kart DS, the shrunken drivers return to normal size at different times (in reverse order of their positions when the thunderbolt was used).

Items in most games

• Fake Item Box: hazard. Introduced in Mario Kart 64, this looks almost identical to a real item box, but punishes whoever takes the bait. Although the differences between it and a real box vary between the games, one difference is usually an upside-down or missing question mark. In Mario Kart DS, fake item boxes do not rotate as regular ones do, and appear red in color on the Touch Screen map.
• Triple Shells: projectile. Three Green or Red Shells to use at separate times. In most games, they circle the kart for protection once brought out. Any kart that touches the circling shells will crash as if hit by the shell normally.
• Boo: special. Makes the user invisible (and consequently invincible) for a limited time. Boo also tries to steal an item from an opponent. In Mario Kart DS, using Boo while off-road does not result in speed loss with any character. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, it also slows down the racer in first place.
• Triple Mushroom: boost. Three Mushrooms to use at any time, but their effects do not combine if used all at once.
• Golden Mushroom: boost. Gives infinite Mushroom boosts for a limited time.
• Spiny Shell (also called a 'Blue Shell'): projectile. There are two versions of the Spiny Shell, but they both have the same purpose: to seek out the kart in first place and attack him or her (even if they are the one who threw it). In Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Super Circuit, the Spiny Shell travels along the ground, along the track and knocking aside anyone that may be in the way. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, the Spiny Shell is an airborne projectile which flies above the track at incredible speeds and, once it gets to the leader, crashes down and explodes. Because the latter Spiny Shell is airborne, it cannot harm other racers than the leader, although the large explosion it creates upon impact with the leader may cause nearby racers to also be thrown up into the air or spun out by its explosion. It is almost impossible for the racer in the lead to evade a Spiny Shell other than by using a Star or Boo.

Items in one or two games

• Feather: boost. Found only in Super Mario Kart, gives the user a huge jump. Fans want this item to make a return.
• Multiple Bananas: hazards. Exactly what it sounds like: multiple bananas. In Mario Kart 64, it is called "Banana Bunch" and contains five, while in Mario Kart DS it is called "Triple Bananas" and contains three.
• Blooper: special. Only in Mario Kart DS, this item spurts ink all over the top screen of everyone in front of the user. Effects are temporary and can be nullified by getting a boost (excluding mini-turbos). On the "Grand Prix" mode, it slows down your opponents and makes them zigzag.
• Chain Chomp/Bullet Bill: special. Two similar (and rare) items; the Chain Chomp from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and the Bullet Bill from Mario Kart DS. When used, the user is put on autopilot for a short amount of time while the item's manifestation plows through anything in the way. Here the similarities end: the Chain Chomp keeps going after it detaches from the kart, while the Bullet Bill makes the user invincible.
• Bob-omb: special. A bomb that blows up after a certain time or when hit by something. Only appears in [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]] and Mario Kart DS.

Items restricted to certain characters

In Super Mario Kart, character-restricted items were used because of technical limits: computer players could not get and use items the way human players can. Instead, each computer player was given a special item that it could use at any time. Although Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong Junior, and Koopa Troopa used standard items (Starman, Banana, and Shell respectively), the others got special items.

• Shrinking Mushroom: hazard. Used by Peach and Toad. When touched, the kart shrinks as if it were shot by a Thunderbolt.
• Fireball: hazard. Used by Bowser. It travels back and forth across the track setting players on fire if they touch it.
• Yoshi Egg: hazard, used by Yoshi. Although karts still have a little speed after hitting a normal item, the Egg makes them stop dead.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, all characters had an item exclusive to them and their partner. (Exception: King Boo and Petey Piranha, who could use any of the other characters' special items instead). Items mentioned elsewhere will only be mentioned again here.

• Fireballs: projectile. Used by Mario and Luigi. Five fireballs, shot in an expanding pattern. Aiming is hard but a big surprise when thrown backwards. Mario has red fireballs while Luigi has green.
• Hearts: special. Used by Peach and Daisy. When used, hearts surround the kart. The next two items to hit the kart will be picked up and subsequently used. Falling off the course or getting hit with a Thunderbolt will get rid of the shield, while some items cannot be caught.
• Yoshi/Birdo Egg: projectile. Used by Yoshi and Birdo. Exactly like a Red Shell, but when it hits something or its timer runs out, it spills three items onto the track. This can include Bananas, Green Shells, Mushrooms, and (more rarely) a Star or Bob-Omb.
• Giant Banana: hazard. Used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. A very big banana that can only be destroyed by a kart, a Bowser Shell, or an Egg. When destroyed, it produces three normal bananas.
• Bowser Shell: projectile/hazard, used by Bowser and Bowser Jr. An enormous shell that acts like a Green Shell with a shorter timer. Only a Giant Banana can re-route it.
• The Bob-omb can only be used by Wario and Waluigi.
• Triple Shells can only be used by Koopa and Paratroopa. The color of the Koopa who obtains it does not affect the color of the shells, and unlike in previous games, the shells don't circle the kart to create a shield.
• The Golden Mushroom It gives you infinite mushrooms for a little time. Can only by used by Toad and Toadette. Also appears in MKDS and MK64.
• The Chain Chomp It sets in automatic pilot for a little time. Can only be used by Baby Mario and Baby Luigi.

Similar games

Due to its success and originality, the Mario Kart series is viewed as having invented the "kart racing" genre of video games; many later racing games have featured similar gameplay mechanics mixing racing skill with random items. Games in this genre include: Wacky Wheels (PC), Street Racer (various), Xtreme Racing (Amiga), Mega Man Battle and Chase (PSone), Chocobo Racing (PSone), Crash Team Racing (PSone), Diddy Kong Racing (N64, NDS), Bomberman Kart (PS2), Konami Krazy Racers (GBA), Crash Nitro Kart (various), DK Bongo Blast (GCN), [[Jak X: Combat Racing|Jak X]] (PS2), Crash Tag Team Racing (various), and Pac-Man World Rally (various).

External links

• [Official Mario Kart Web Site]
• [Mario Kart DS official UK Microsite]
• [Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection site]
• [Mario Kart Central]
• [Mario Kart World Record Page]
• [Mario Kart Super Circuit times] – Site of the 35-second video (11-second laps) of the MKSC Rainbow Road

 

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