Two of the most iconic items in Mario Kart weren’t always a lock to return for Mario Kart World for Switch 2. Producer Kosuke Yabuki said in a new interview that Nintendo “re-reviewed all the elements” of Mario Kart, and that included considering cutting the green shell and banana items.
The developers ultimately decided against it, but Yabuki told GamesRadar that the team challenged itself to think about traditional Mario Kart elements and consider, “Does it still make sense to include this item in Mario Kart World?”
For the green shell specifically, Yabuki said the item has been synonymous with Mario Kart “for time in memoriam,” but Nintendo still wanted to make sure it still made sense for Mario Kart World.
“We asked ourselves here, ‘Is it sufficient when you can just throw it over the course?’ For example, the racers like Mario and such can ride over the guardrails. Should we not enable the shell to also slide over the rails?” he said. “So in considering the implementation of each and every item, we’ve reviewed its specification and assessed whether they should remain the same as before or we should amend and add a different element to it.”
The banana and green shell are multi-purpose items, as players can use them offensively or defensively, and are hallmarks of the series. They’re not the only returning items from past Mario Kart games, as the mushroom, star, red shell, lightning bolt, Bullet Bill, and Blue shell all make their return. Some of the new items for Mario Kart World include the hammer, mega mushroom, feather, and Kamek.
Check out GameSpot’s gallery below to see all the new and returning items for Mario Kart World.
Mario Kart World is a launch title for the Switch 2, arriving alongside the console on June 5. The game costs $80 on its own or can be grabbed via a $500 Switch 2 bundle if you can find one in stock.
