What's a Mario Kart game without items? Just a standard racer, really. So of course items return in Mario Kart World, and we're getting a lot of them, including some new ones.
Whether you're looking to find out if your favourite has returned, or checking out which items are brand new (or not), then we have a list of all items for Mario Kart World below, as well as what they do.
All Mario Kart World Items
Here's a list of all confirmed items in Mario Kart World so far. We expect we'll be updating this in the run-up to the game's release, and especially after the game comes out. Who knows what secrets Nintendo is keeping from us!
New Items
Mario Kart World is introducing a handful of new items. We've got two confirmed newcomers so far, so we'll run down what they are and what they do here.
| Item | Item name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
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Coin Shell | Leaves a trail of coins behind it before it explodes into 10 coins |
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Dash Food | Turns into food to give you a speed boost and potentially unlock new Character Costumes |
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Kamek | Summons enemies onto the race course and changes everyone directly into its path into an NPC or enemy, which can unlock new characters |
Returning Items
Of course, this is Mario Kart, so many old favourites are returning. Below is every single item that's making a return in Mario Kart World, as well as when it debuted and what it does.
| Item | Item Name | Debut Game | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
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Banana | Super Mario Kart | Any racer that hits this will briefly spin out. |
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Blooper | Mario Kart DS | Covers affected players' screens in ink for a short period of time. |
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Bob-omb | Mario Kart 64 | Explodes after a set amount of time or on impact with another kart. |
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Boo | Super Mario Kart |
Steals another player's item and turns you invisible. |
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Boomerang Flower | Mario Kart 8 | Throws a boomerang in the direction the player facers — it can go through multiple racers at once and returns up to four times. |
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Bullet Bill | Mario Kart DS | Temporarily you a huge speed boost and knock other racers (and obstacles) out of the way. |
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Coin | Super Mario Kart | Gives 3 coins and a small boost in speed |
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Feather | Super Mario Kart | Allows you to jump and get a speed boost |
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Fire Flower | Mario Kart 7 | Send fireballs in the direction your facing for a short period of time. |
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Green Shell | Super Mario Kart | Will spin opponents out if it hits them. It doesn't lock on, however. |
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Golden Mushroom | Mario Kart 64 |
Gives repeated speed boosts over a short period of time. |
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Hammer | Mario Kart Arcade GP | Throws a row of hammers diagonally in the direction you're facing, and can be used to block item boxes. |
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Ice Flower | Mario Kart Tour |
Like the Fire Flower, but throws ice balls, and briefly freezes anyone who is hit. |
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Lightning | Super Mario Kart | Shocks all opponents and shrinks them for a brief period of time. |
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Mega Mushroom | Mario Kart Wii |
Turns you into a mega-sized racer, meaning you can squish everyone for a limited time. |
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Mushroom | Super Mario Kart | Gives you a speed boost when you eat it. |
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Red Shell | Super Mario Kart | Like the Green Shell, but it locks on to the racer in front of you. |
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Spiny Shell (Blue Shell) | Mario Kart 64 | Homes in on the racer in the lead and stops them (and any close-by racers) dead in their tracks. |
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Super Horn | Mario Kart 8 | Used to destroy any obstacle and item around you, including a Blue Shell |
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Super Star (Starman) | Super Mario Kart |
The user becomes invincible for a period of time, and gets a speed boost |
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Triple Bananas | Mario Kart 64 | Surrounds the racer with three bananas, which can be dropped on the course to spin players out. |
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Triple Green Shells | Mario Kart 64 | Three shells surround the player and can be thrown at others. |
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Triple Mushrooms | Mario Kart 64 | Gives you three mushrooms, meaning three speed boosts! |
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Triple Red Shells | Mario Kart 64 | Just like with Green Shells, you'll be surrounded by three red ones — essentially, three homing missiles for racers ahead of you. |
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? Box (Coin Box) | Mario Kart Tour |
Hit this box multiple times for ten coins. |
Mario Kart World Items FAQs
With lots of little changes to Mario Kart World, let's answer some questions on items as we burn some rubber.
Can you drag items behind you?
You can! In Mario Kart, usually you have to hold down the Item button to drag your Shell, Banana, or Box behind. But in World, Green Shells, Red Shells, Bananas, and all other items are automatically dragged behind your character.
This is extremely useful because it means you don't need to hold down the shoulder buttons for ever when you're in first place. But it also adds a strategic element to it, as you can steal Mushrooms, Stars, and other items from players. Just be careful not to hit those Shells, though...
What is Auto-Use Item?
It's exactly what it sounds like. Instead of having to press a button on the controller to use items, this option allows players to leave the Item throwing to the game.
If you want some more details about the various assists in Mario Kart World, have a look at our guide on Controls and Assist Options.
What are Frantic Items?
In Vs. Mode, you can set your own rules for races, and one of the options is the ability to set items to 'Frantic'.
What that means is that high-powered items like Stars, Golden Mushrooms, and Blue Shells are more common. It's also a decent way to try and get Kamek to spawn more often.
Can you aim items?
You can, in any direction! it's pretty tricky to get down consistently, but if you practice, it means you can throw Bob-ombs, bananas, and just about anything in any direction.
For all the tips you need to become an item-throwing pro, check out our guide on How To Aim Items In Any Direction.