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Nintendo has had a lot of success with their many gaming mascots and franchises, but the Mario Kart series is nearly 30 years old and it’s turned into one of Nintendo’s most reliable properties. Racing games have faced their share of setbacks through the different gaming generations, but Nintendo’s playful take on the genre with the Mario Kart series has always garnered impressive results.
Nintendo isn’t afraid to establish new franchises and intellectual properties for modern gamers, but Mario Kart has become a large celebration of Nintendo’s past and the continual evolution of Mario’s universe. The roster in Mario Kart games continues to balloon and there are now dozens of possible racers to explore. However, some of Mario Kart’s racers are particularly special because it’s the only time gamers get the chance to control these unique Nintendo characters.
10 Lakitu Graduates From Mario Kart Referee To A Genuine Racer
The treatment of Super Mario’s Lakitu in the Nintendo 64 era of games is especially interesting. The high-flying enemy serves the role of cameraman in Super Mario 64 and for the majority of the Mario Kart titles he helps pull players from out of bounds and helps kick off the races. Lakitu actually gets to officially join in the fun with Mario Kart 7, which brings him down to Earth as a playable character, which carries over into the subsequent title, too. Lakitu may ultimately not feel that different from a Koopa, but it’s a big moment for the character.
9 Baby Rosalina Represents A Growing Problem In The World Of Mario Kart
Baby Mario has been a part of the Super Mario world ever since the Super Nintendo’s Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, but the Baby premise has only become more rampant. The Mario & Luigi series makes great strides in this area, but the Gamecube’s Double-Dash!! brings Babies into Mario Kart and there’s no turning back. Some Baby characters make sense, but Baby Rosalina is just going overboard. She first appears in Mario Kart 8 and she’s a character that just doesn’t canonically fit with the rest of Super Mario, even if it’s nice to have more female representation.
8 Pauline Has Grown From Obscure Relic To A Major Player In Mario’s Future
Mario’s history with rescuing princesses isn’t as simple as Nintendo wants players to believe. Princess Peach gets the most attention, but before that there was Princess Daisy, but an even more niche figure is Pauline from the original Donkey Kong series.
Pauline has only recently returned to the spotlight in the Nintendo Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey. Mario Kart Tour allows players the opportunity to play as this classic character. Admittedly, Pauline does appear in Mario Tennis Aces, but as a later DLC update and not an original character on the roster.
7 King Bob-Omb Makes The Tricky Transition From Boss To Racer
Bowser is Mario’s most iconic enemy, but King Bob-Omb is a boss that still receives a lot of recognition because of his memorable role as the first boss fight in Super Mario 64. King Bob-Omd is far from a complex individual, but he reflects the enormous version of regular enemies trope that’s become popular in the series. Regular Bob-Ombs have been playable in the past, but Mario Kart Tour introduces this regal, explosive power to the player. His presence might mean that more Super Mario 64 bosses are on their way in future Mario Kart releases.
6 Super Mario Galaxy’s Honey Queen Turns Into An Unexpected Mario Kart Ally
Super Mario Galaxy is a major turning point for the franchise and it’s one of the most polished combinations of the Wii’s motion controls with precision platforming. Mario ventures to many unique galaxies and the Honeyhive Galaxy is ruled over by the Honey Queen. Mario’s new Bee ability is a welcome addition to his arsenal, yet it’s still a surprise that this more ancillary character becomes playable for the first time in Mario Kart 7. Not many gamers may have been asking for Honey Queen inclusion, but it advances the trend of who’s able to properly qualify as a racer.
5 Wiggler Fits His Twisty Body Into A Kart And Buckles In For Adventure
The earliest Mario Kart games have limited rosters and so it’s only the biggest Super Mario characters that make the cut. As the series goes on there are now plenty of vacant positions that have the series reach out to not just the supporting characters, but even beyond that to run-of-the-mill Super Mario enemies.
Mario Kart 7 is the first time that Wiggler becomes playable, which is certainly an odd experience. Wiggler is typically a temperamental nuisance for Mario to jump on, yet he handles surprisingly well.
4 King Boo Is A Former Royal Pain That Gets In On The Racing Action
Mario is well versed when it comes to the poltergeist obstacles of Boos, but King Boo is a specter of a different color that’s become more of a threat to Mario’s brother in the Luigi’s Mansion series. King Boo has become quite prominent and he’s turned into a popular Mario Kart addition ever since the Gamecube’s Mario Kart: Double-Dash!!. King Boo’s intimidating design fits in well to the series and he’s an entertaining racer. Alternatively, King Boo does make an appearance in Mario’s baseball outings, but he’s essentially a duplicate of regular Boo and doesn’t feel like a distinct character.
3 Monty Mole Is Proof That Niche Enemies Can Make Great Racers
There are literally hundreds of unique enemies that have appeared throughout various Super Mario games and it’s truly impressive how many unassuming individuals have found their way into Mario Kart titles. Monty Mole is usually a part of the background of Mario’s spin-off sports efforts, like to highlight penalties in Mario Golf. The Mario Kart series gives Monty Mole a respectable upgrade and allows a personality to develop. Monty Mole is actually playable in Super Mario Baseball, but not in the second title, which is significant. Mario Kart doesn’t erase Monty Mole’s presence.
2 Funky Kong Trades In His Surfboard For Kart Racing And Never Looks Back
The Mario Kart series has gone on for long enough that it’s started to dip its toe into Nintendo franchises beyond Super Mario, such as The Legend of Zelda’s Link or Splatoon’s Inklings. The Donkey Kong Country series has been an important part of Nintendo’s history and the Mario Kart games have provided new homes for many beloved members of the Kong family. However, Mario Kart Wii is significant for the fact that it gives audiences their first taste of a playable Funky Kong. This stylish and helpful character from the Donkey Kong Country series finally receives a fitting spotlight.
1 The Seven Koopalings Are The Perfect Mario Kart Wild Cards
The Koopalings have been an entertaining set of villains ever since Super Mario Bros. 3, but Mario Kart 8 and beyond truly embrace the seven chaotic characters as individual racers. This means that the Koopalings take up a huge fraction of Mario Kart’s roster, yet it’s exciting to finally get to control these crazy agents of chaos. It’s worth pointing out that the Koopalings are technically available in Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U, albeit as extra skins for Bowser Jr. The Koopalings function as extensions of Bowser Jr. there while Mario Kart treats them as individuals.
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