6 Worst Items in Mario Kart World

The success of the Mario Kart series is due to several factors, and Mario Kart World effectively leverages all of them. Brightly-hued circuits, a growing cast of characters, finely-tuned controls, and, most notably, the unpredictable power-ups. In Mario Kart World, skill plays a significant role, but these power-ups can significantly alter the outcome of a race. Potent power-ups can catapult players into first place or push them back to the last position. Unfortunately, some power-ups are less than impressive. These either have limited use, are not well-balanced, or are simply lackluster. Receiving one of these power-ups can leave players dismayed, especially when they see other players receiving beneficial ones.

1. In my gaming experience with Mario Kart World, there are six specific items that seem out of place and could use a revision or perhaps even removal from the game. These problematic items often hinder rather than help in winning races. Receiving these items from an item box feels more like a setback compared to not getting any item at all. Here’s my take on the least desirable items found in Mario Kart World:

1. Banana Peel – I find that the slippery banana peels on the track make it harder for me to maintain control over my kart, rather than providing a fun obstacle for other players.
2. Bob-omb – While the explosive nature of these items can be exciting when used against opponents, they often end up blowing up my own kart unexpectedly, causing me to lose precious seconds in the race.
3. Poison Mushroom – In many cases, consuming a poison mushroom results in slowing down instead of speeding up, which makes it challenging for me to catch up with other players on the track.
4. Thunder Cloud – The unpredictable nature of this item often leads to more negative effects than positive ones, as I’m usually hit by lightning when least expected, causing me to lose valuable momentum.
5. Spiny Shell – Although it can be useful for defending against opponents or catching up with the pack, its tendency to home in on nearby karts makes it a double-edged sword that often targets me instead of my competitors.
6. Bullet Bill – While I understand the appeal of this fast-moving projectile for some players, the fact that it moves in a straight line means that it’s easy to dodge or anticipate, making it less effective in actual gameplay situations.

6) Super Star

Upon initial observation, the Super Star appears to be an outstanding choice. Its temporary invulnerability, increased speed, and capacity to push rivals aside upon collision might lead you to believe it’s perfect. But there’s a significant drawback that hinders this item: its limited duration and speed.

In the game Mario Kart World, the time duration for the Super Star power-up feels unnecessarily brief. It’s shorter than in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and that was already a concern due to its brevity. Furthermore, the speed it offers pales in comparison to Mushrooms or Bullet Bills. As a result, players frequently exhaust the Super Star without experiencing any substantial impact on the race outcome. Given that this item is intended to make the player feel invincible, Mario Kart World seems to have fallen short in delivering an impressive Super Star experience.

5) Kamek

It’s indisputable that the Kamek item in Mario Kart World is one of the least beneficial, and arguably unnecessary. Its primary function seems to be unlocking hidden characters. Beyond converting players into the chosen character, it offers no hindrance to opponents or advantage for the user. To make matters worse, Kamek is no longer a playable character due to this mechanism.

It’s puzzling why Nintendo chose to exclude Kamek from the game and introduce a seemingly unnecessary item instead. They could have opted for more engaging options such as hidden locations or quests that reveal secret characters. Instead, players find themselves merely observing Kamek soaring without any interactive use of its illusory powers. If Nintendo intended to transform Kamek into an item, they could have picked a different approach, one that would have been more appealing.

4) Feather

In the realm of Mario Kart World, The Feather reappears with a fresh twist. Now, it lets players hurdle over hindrances and assaults, but what’s more interesting is its new function – it can also be used to navigate unique sections of the track. However, one might wonder why this ability is linked to an item, considering that bunny hopping and charge jumping are already part of the gameplay mechanics. Couldn’t it be possible for players to utilize this mechanic to explore special parts of the course directly?

Reworded: Removing the Feather’s unique feature reveals its simplicity, as an object can be held behind you in your kart to block incoming attacks just as effectively – if not more so, because timing a jump isn’t necessary. If Nintendo were to reintroduce the Feather, it would have been more beneficial to enhance its power rather than allowing it to only jump on specific areas.

3) Blooper

In Mario Kart DS, the Blooper character was introduced as a race disruptor, spraying ink on opponents’ screens to obstruct their vision. However, it turned out to be more of an annoyance than a substantial challenge, with limited effectiveness throughout all subsequent versions.

The ink scarcely poses a problem since most players have the track layouts committed to memory. Consequently, hiding part of the screen offers little advantage because many players don’t heavily rely on visuals. Worse yet, the ink can be easily removed by using a boost and vanishes within a few seconds. In comparison to other items such as the Lightning Bolt or Battle Shell, the Blooper feels like an unnecessary use of an item slot.

2) Question Block

Instead of eliminating it entirely, Nintendo opted to enhance one of the less effective items in Mario Kart – the Question Block – making it more valuable. Unlike the Coin, players can now collect multiple Question Blocks at once. However, they could already gather coins naturally by navigating the course. Assigning an additional item slot for collecting Coins seems unnecessary, given the possible uses of other items in the game.

In the Mario world, instead of doling out Coins for speed boosts, it might have been more fitting for Question Blocks to provide a different kind of reward or effect. For instance, they could have triggered a random power-up or thrown an item causing unpredictable effects on the track. However, Nintendo opted to reward racers with additional Coins when players in front of them collect them instead.

1) Coin

Collecting coins in Mario Kart World doesn’t offer much advantage compared to other items, especially with the presence of Question Blocks. Since you can find coins naturally during the race, there’s no need for them to be included in item boxes. It seems this issue wasn’t addressed in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; instead, Nintendo chose to maintain it.

While some may contend that amassing coins serves a purpose in acquiring new karts and potentially boosting the chances of getting them, it essentially proves to be unnecessary. In Free Roam, an abundance of accessible coins is readily available, with up to 20 being collectible just by participating in races. By immersing yourself in the gameplay and driving, you can eventually unlock everything without utilizing an item slot unnecessarily.

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2025-09-01 20:17