The Items
The gods of kart are a fickle bunch. Throughout Mario Kart history, the item set has been in constant flux and has seen perhaps the most change. Sometimes you can hold two items at a time by dragging one of them behind you like a shield. Some items, like the feather, have come and gone, while others, like the mushroom, have remained the same.
The item boxes, those semi-tangible blocks that bestow the driver who collides with it happy-fun-times weapons, have come a long way. Originally introduced as single-use golden panels on the track (Yeah, Mode 7!), item boxes are now floaty, transparent, and oh so magical. Watch out for fakes, though!
While the use of performance-enhancing mushrooms is clearly an ethical dilemma, the Mario Kart Racing Commission has shamefully turned a blind eye to mushroom abuse in the series. Faster racers make for a more exciting product, put fans in the seats, and drive lucrative broadcasting deals. Seriously, everyone 'shrooms in the kingdom--one veteran racer is a mushroom!
The banana, a classical instrument of tomfoolery, has been a series staple since the very beginning. Though they are often used to deflect deadly red and green shells, nothing says you care more than delivering a delicious, potassium-laden treat to your friends and foes! If you're wondering, the super sized banana featured in the Mario Kart: Double Dash shot is actually Donkey Kong's special weapon, which is three times more nutritious and grumpier.
How many Koopa Troopa's are forced out of their homes every year for our amusement we may never know, but science has conclusively proven that Mario Kart is 200 percent more fun with an assortment of green and red (but not blue--those are for jerks) shells smashing into its participants.
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