7 Characters That Should Be In Mario Kart World

During the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo revealed Mario Kart World, the next iteration in the beloved kart racing franchise. During the announcement, a glimpse of some of the game’s playable characters was shown. Most of the Mario characters fans know and love from the series seem to be returning, including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Peach, and Donkey Kong.

However, some very unexpected surprises got many eager gamers excited.Although they may not have been notable in their respective games, some of the most hyped new characters in Mario Kart World are background friends or enemies that have appeared throughout Mario’s various adventures. Arguably, the most notable addition that has been turning heads is Moo-Moo, the cute smiling cow from the Mario Kart 64 track Moo Moo Farm, and later in the Mario Kart Wii‘s track Moo Moo Meadows.



It seems the hatches are open for just about any Mario character throughout the franchise’s storied history to return in the upcoming racer.There are already so many confirmed characters for Mario Kart World. However, there is still a slew of characters that would feel right at home in this upcoming highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 game.

Here are seven that should make the cut:Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong Country – SNES)This is probably one of the more glaring absences from the Mario Kart World reveal during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Donkey Kong’s nephew has appeared in Nintendo’s kart racing series in the past, including Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. He’s also had his own racing game with Diddy Kong Racing.

Diddy Kong is just an obvious pairing for Mario Kart World. The character is a fan favorite with a history of racing. It just makes sense.

King Watinga (Mario Paint – SNES)King Watinga was originally in the minigame Gnat Attack featured in the Super Nintendo classic Mario Paint. For those unaware, the minigame tasked players to swat at gnats using the SNES’s mouse peripheral. The main boss of this minigame is the large robotic bug, King Watinga.

This is a bit of a weird pull. However, the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse functionality has Nintendo fans yearning for Mario Paint on the upcoming platform. If the day comes when the pixelated creation suite is on the Nintendo Switch 2, it would be cool to have a character from Mario Paint on what seems poised to be the platform’s biggest game.

Mips (Super Mario 64 – Nintendo 64)Nintendo 64 players may not know them by name, but they are absolutely familiar with Mips. This yellow rascal is the bunny found in the basement of Princess Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64 that Mario can catch to get a Power Star. It’s a small, memorable moment in the game that is certainly ingrained in anyone’s brain if they played the influential 3D platformer.

Mips fits the vibe of characters like Moo-Moo or Pianta. It’s just one of those characters that plays a very small role, but players remember.Funky Kong (Donkey Kong Country – SNES)Mario Kart World features some interesting new mechanics that really change how players can traverse a track.

Two that may have caught players’ eyes are the grinding and wall-riding mechanics. Karts aren’t really known for absolutely shredding the gnar, but skateboards are. And there is one Nintendo character that definitely knows how to shred: Funky Kong.

Imagine Funky Kong using a motorized skateboard instead of a kart to race around Mario Kart World‘s new tracks. It would be pretty sick. Nintendo’s coolest monkey also has a history with the Mario Kart franchise, making him another solid pull for the upcoming game.

Mouser (Super Mario Bros. 2 – NES)Like Birdo, Mouser is a recurring boss in the Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario Bros. 2.

Although more notable than a Goomba, they fit in the same category as some of these new additions. He’s also just a cool-looking character. Who wouldn’t want to play as an angsty mouse with sunglasses?Il Piantissimo (Super Mario Sunshine – GameCube)Super Mario Sunshine is typically deemed the worst of the Mario 3D platformers.

Despite that arguable claim, the GameCube release introduced one of the raddest characters the Mario franchise has ever seen: Il Piantissimo.In Super Mario Sunshine, Il Piantissimo is a human who dresses up as a Pianta, the colorful citizens of Isle Delfino. Throughout the game, Mario can compete in a footrace with the cocky character to gain Shine Sprites, similar to Koopa the Quick in Super Mario 64.

At the end, a picture is shown of Il Piantissimo looking at the magic paintbrush that was previously used by Bowser Jr. So, what happened to the Isle Delfino’s fastest resident?Well, hopefully, they became a world-renowned kart driver because Il Piantissimo would be a great addition to Mario Kart World‘s roster. The character hasn’t really been featured in anything but Super Mario Sunshine.

Maybe it’s Il Piantissimo’s time to finally be crowned the fastest racer in the world.Fox McCloud (Star Fox – SNES)Mario Kart 8 did something unprecedented when it inevitably received DLC. It introduced characters and tracks from Nintendo franchises outside of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Characters like Isabelle from Animal Crossing and Link from The Legend of Zelda were playable in the hit Nintendo Switch game. It even featured a level from its other racing series, F-Zero. At some point, Mario Kart World will probably feature guest characters as well, and who better to kick that off than Star Fox‘s Fox McCloud.

The Star Fox franchise has been noticeably absent for the past 9 years, since Nintendo launched Star Fox Zero for the Wii U. Sure, some of its characters were featured in the Nintendo Switch fighter Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but that isn’t enough to satiate the thirst Star Fox fans crave.

Honestly, shoving Fox McCloud into Mario Kart World probably won’t fully satisfy fans looking for a new Star Fox entry either. But it would put a small bandage on the huge wound for players looking for a new entry in the space shooter for nearly a decade. It would be pretty awesome to see an Arwing-style kart too, so here’s to hoping that Nintendo actually utilizes one of its coolest franchises in Mario Kart World.

Which characters would you like to see in Nintendo Switch 2’s launch game Mario Kart World? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.The post 7 Characters That Should Be In Mario Kart World appeared first on ComicBook.com.

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