Mario Kart World's Item Roster Has One Glaring Omission

Out of all the new characters, karts, and more being introduced in Mario Kart World, there seems to be one particular power-up missing from the item roster that would have been perfect for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title. Just as past Mario Kart games sought out new items to add to their line-ups, such as Mario Kart 8 adding Super Mario 3D Land's Boomerang Flower, Mario Kart World is no exception; it debuts the Coin Shell, Kamek, and Dash Food. However, Mario Kart World may have missed a trick with one item that could have benefited the game in more ways than one.

In addition to returning to the tradition of side-scrolling gameplay after over a decade, Super Mario Bros. Wonder gained significant attention for its distinctive power-ups. Beyond the Elephant Fruit, Bubble Flower, and Badges, SMB Wonder's titular Wonder Flower and its transformative effects helped give the game its own identity. However, despite only being released in 2023 to critical acclaim, Mario Kart World appears to have snubbed SMB Wonder and the Wonder Flower and instead reduced one of its former characters to a mere item.

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By Martin Wood

Mario Kart World Could Have Capitalized On Super Mario Bros. Wonder

After the Super Mario series excelled with multiple 3D games on the Nintendo Switch, such as Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, the reveal and release of a game like SMB Wonder was a welcome change of pace. But with the console nearing the end of its lifespan and rumors of its upcoming successor on the horizon, it seems that SMB Wonder was to be one of the last new Super Mario games for the Switch itself. Given its success and the potential for SMB Wonder to receive a Switch 2 Edition, the least Nintendo could have done was capitalize on the game in Mario Kart World.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Could Have Spared Mario Kart World's Kamek

Besides the ongoing controversy surrounding Mario Kart World's price, one of its newest items is also causing contention as it appears to be based on the former playable character Kamek. Sharing the same name as the character, gameplay showcasing Mario Kart World's Kamek suggests the item will cause various random effects, such as conjuring a mass of enemies and transforming players. This could suggest that, despite the game's expanded roster of possible racers, Mario Kart World has removed Kamek as a character to make way for this new item.

However, this might not have been necessary, because Nintendo could have looked back to SMB Wonder and introduced its signature Wonder Flower as a near-identical Mario Kart World item instead. While potentially fulfilling the same transformative effects as the Kamek item, adding the Wonder Flower to Mario Kart World would have let Kamek return as a playable character and continue to build on SMB Wonder's success. Moreover, establishing the Wonder Flower as part of the broader Super Mario world could have opened the door to other characters, items, and more to appear in Mario Kart World.

Mario Kart World Missed Out On Super Mario Bros. Wonder's Characters, Locations, and More

Since Mario Kart World is adding niche new characters like Piantas and Conkdors, it seems odd that Nintendo overlooked SMB Wonder specifically. While SMB Wonder is currently the only game to feature the likes of Prince Florian, Poplins, and the Flower Kingdom, by using the Wonder Flower in place of Kamek, Mario Kart World could have expanded its roster of characters and courses even further. However, similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass, this oversight may ultimately be intentional if Nintendo has plans for Mario Kart World DLC.