Power-Up #18: Fake Item Box (Mario Kart 64)

From the turtle shells to the lightning bolt, Mario Kart 64 is a game with a lot of great weapons. Unfortunately, it also has a few clunkers. In today's episode of the 29 Questionable Power-Ups of Christmas, we take a look at the Mario Kart power-up nobody falls for. Watch this video to learn more about what's wrong with the fake item box!



Purpose: In theory, Mario Kart's fake item box makes a lot of sense. It's really no different from dropping a banana peel or bomb, it's just one more thing for your opponents to hit on their way to first place. Well, there are a few differences. For one thing, the banana peels aren't giant rotating boxes with flashing lights. Hitting the box also sends players flying straight up in the air, as opposed to simply spinning out with the banana peel.

Legacy: The fake item box has found its way into a number of Mario Kart games since its inception, but not all of them. Outside of Mario Kart 64, players can also use this pointless item in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. No word yet on whether racers will be annoyed by the upside-down question mark in the upcoming Mario Kart sequel for the Wii U.

In Real Life: It doesn't matter if there's an item inside or not, throwing a giant box out your car window is a great way to get a ticket. Cops don't take kindly to people littering on the streets, especially if we're talking about a giant box that could potentially cause an accident.