Editing Fake Item Box

{{item infobox
|image=[[File:MKW Fake Item Box Artwork.png|250px]]<br>Artwork from ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' ([[List of games by date#1996|1996]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: Bedrock Edition]]'' ([[List of games by date#2018|2018]])
}}
The '''Fake Item Box''' is an item introduced in ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', where it is known as simply the '''Fake Item'''.<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|page=13|date=1997|language=en|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref><ref>{{cite|language=en|date=2003|title=''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'' instruction booklet|page=17|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> Fake Item Boxes are hazards that flip vehicles over when driven into, though they imitate the appearance of an [[Item Box]], potentially tricking racers into driving into them. Fake Item Boxes are generally obtained by racers near the front of the race, and can be held behind a [[kart]], though they cannot block incoming [[Green Shell]]s or [[Red Shell]]s.

==History==
===''Mario Kart'' series===
====''Mario Kart 64''====
[[File:FakeItemBoxMK64 icon.png|frame|left]]
Fake Items are items in ''Mario Kart 64''. They can be obtained only by a player in first or second place, though CPUs can also obtain them in 3rd to 6th place. They appear identical to regular Item Boxes with a key difference: the question mark inside is upside-down (a ¿ instead of a ?). Karts that collide with one are blasted into the air. Like Bananas, they can be used to block incoming shells, though unlike Bananas, they cannot be tossed forward. If placed in midair, a Fake Item floats; this is the only game where Fake Items are unaffected by gravity.

Pre-release screenshots of ''Mario Kart 64'' depict the Fake Item with a bomb inside of it instead of an upside-down "?". They were also originally named the "Bogus Box".<ref>{{cite|url=tcrf.net/Prerelease:Mario_Kart_64#Early_Fake_Item_Box|title=''Mario Kart 64''|publisher=The Cutting Room Floor|language=en|accessdate=August 13, 2024}}</ref>

====''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''====
Fake Items are items in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''. They retain their ¿ symbol and are now colored red, making them easier to distinguish from real Item Boxes. However, the color is slightly obscured when viewed from a distance; they will only appear solid red as the player approaches. Racers hit by a Fake Item will emit red electricity while tumbling. They can be destroyed by running into them with a [[Super Star]] or picked up with [[Heart (item)|Hearts]], while other obstacles pass through them, including all shells, eggs, [[Fireball]]s, and [[Chain Chomp]]s. Fake Items can no longer block shells and are now affected by gravity, but can now be tossed forward.

====''Mario Kart DS''====
[[File:MKDS Fake Item Box Screenshot.png|thumb|Screenshot from ''Mario Kart DS'']]
Fake Item Boxes, now known by their current name, are items in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''. They have a new set of differences from a real Item Box: they lack a "¿" entirely, they do not spin around, and they show up as red on the bottom screen's map. Their overall behavior is much the same as the previous game, though they do not bounce when thrown. Additionally, they get knocked/faded away if a racer collides with them instead of exploding as all other iterations do. They can be obtained if the player is anywhere from 1st to 3rd place, with CPU drivers also being able to obtain them in 4th and 5th place. In Balloon Battle, they can be obtained if the player has two or more balloons. Fake Item Boxes are obstacles to avoid in Missions 4-6 and 7-8.

====''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2''====
Fake Item Boxes appear in ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]'' under the name '''Jack-in-the-boxes'''.<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=RobertoLPDX|date=June 28, 2015|url=youtu.be/D14ZwD1uxgA?t=3283|timestamp=54:43|title=Let's Play: Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (Longplay)|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=July 25, 2019}}</ref> They look similar to the Fake Item Boxes of other games, but have a different effect when touched: Instead of flipping the kart out, it unleashes a toy jack-in-the-box clown to temporarily cover the screen while the speed of the kart decreases.

====''Mario Kart Wii''====
Fake Item Boxes are items in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''. They maintain their design from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'', but with a style change to match the new style of the real ones, as well as being larger than in the previous games. They can be obtained from 1st to 5th place, with computer-controlled racers also being able to obtain it in 6th and 7th place. The highest chance of obtaining this item is in 1st place, with a 7 out of 40 (17.5%) chance of obtaining it in said position. While they still have a ¿ sign inside, like in ''Double Dash!!'', they can hide their red color at a distance - only on approaching do they turn red. They are also bigger than real Item Boxes. Fake Item Boxes become blue instead if they belong to the blue team in team play. Much like in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'', Fake Item Boxes can be destroyed only by colliding into them. In {{classic-link|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}, if a lightweight racer places a Fake Item Box close to the edge of the track near the ramp and a heavyweight rams them into it using a [[Mushroom]], they will get sent flying onto a small island. This is best demonstrated in Vs. Mode using two human players.

====''Mario Kart Arcade GP DX''====
Fake Item Boxes are items in ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]''. They have the same purpose as the Jack-in-the-boxes in ''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2''.

===''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''===
Fake Item Boxes are items in the [[Wii]] version of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''. They appear in [[Dream Alpine (Individual)|Dream Alpine]], [[Dream Ski Cross (Individual)|Dream Ski Cross]], [[Dream Snowboard Cross (Individual)|Dream Snowboard Cross]], [[Dream Short Track]] and [[Dream Bobsleigh]], where Fake Item Boxes can be placed behind the player and make anyone who hits them fall over and lose speed.

===''Minecraft''===
In the Super Mario Mash-up for ''[[Minecraft]]'', Fake Item Boxes replace End Crystals, with their texture being based on their design in ''Mario Kart Wii''.

===Unused appearances===
====''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''====
While not in the final game, the Fake Item was [[List of Mario Kart: Super Circuit pre-release and unused content|going to appear]] in ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', but was taken out. It shares the same function as the [[Banana]].

==Profiles==
===''Mario Kart DS''===
*'''Instruction manual bio:''' ''"Looks just like an item box, but when you run into it, it knocks you over."''

===''Mario Kart Wii''===
*'''Instruction manual bio:''' ''"Though they look like regular Item Boxes, if a vehicle hits one, the vehicle will flip over."''
[[File:MKW Fake Item Box Trading Card.jpg|thumb|80px]]
*'''Trading card bio:''' ''"Deception. That's what the Fake Item Box is all about. It looks remarkably like a real Item Box except that the question mark inside of it is upside down. Many a racer has found out the hard way about the treachery of the Fake Item Box and those who drop them. But like the saying goes, it's always better to give than to receive. Words to live by when playing Mario Kart Wii, for sure."''
**'''Game Tip!:''' ''"Carefully drop a Fake Item Box within a cluster of other Item Boxes or directly behind a real Item Box so your rivals will run into it and crash."''

==Gallery==
===Artwork===
<gallery>
MK64Item-FakeItemBox.png|''[[Mario Kart 64]]''
MK64 Fake Item Box art.jpg|''Mario Kart 64''
MK64 Item group 1 art.jpg|''Mario Kart 64''
MKDD Fake Item Box.png|''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''
MKDS Fake Item Box Artwork.png|''[[Mario Kart DS]]''
MKW Fake Item Box Artwork.png|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
MKAGPDX Fake Item Box.png|''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]''
</gallery>

===Sprites===
<gallery>
FakeBoxMKSC.png|''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'' (unused)
FakeItemIcon-MKDD.png|''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''
MKDSFakeItemBox.png|''[[Mario Kart DS]]''
MKW Fake Item Box Sprite.png|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
M&S2010 Fake Item Box Sprite.png|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''
</gallery>

===Models===
<gallery>
FakeItemBoxMarioKartWiiModel.png|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
</gallery>

===Screenshots===
<gallery>
MKDS Fake Item Box Sprite.png|''[[Mario Kart DS]]''
Minecraft Mario Mash-Up End Crystal.jpg|''[[Minecraft]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=にせアイテムボックス
|JapR=Nise Aitemu Bokkusu
|JapM=Fake Item Box
|Jap2=びっくりばこ
|Jap2N=''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2''
|Jap2R=Bikkuri-bako
|Jap2M=Surprise Box
|Chi=假道具<ref>{{cite|url=www.ique.com/games/52011.htm|title=马力欧卡丁车|language=zh-hans|publisher=iQue|accessdate=February 20, 2020}}</ref>
|ChiR=Jiǎ Dàojù
|ChiM=Fake Item
|Chi2=假道具箱
|Chi2R=Jiǎ Dàojù Xiāng
|Chi2M=Fake Item Box
|Dut=Nep-blok<ref>{{cite||language=nl|date=1997|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet}}{{page needed}}</ref>
|DutM=Fake block
|Fre=Fausse boîte à objets<br>Fausse boîte à bonus<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|date=1997|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|language=fr}}{{page needed}}</ref>
|FreN=''Mario Kart 64''
|FreM=Fake item
|Ger=Schwindel-Box
|GerM=Cheat Box
|Ita=Oggetto Finto
|ItaN=''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''
|ItaM=Fake Item
|Ita2=Falso Oggetto<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|language=it|date=1997}}{{page needed}}</ref> <small>(''Mario Kart 64'')</small> / Falso oggetto
|Ita2N=''Mario Kart DS''
|Ita2M=False item
|Ita3=Oggetto finto
|Ita3N=''Mario Kart DS''{{'}}s instruction booklet{{page needed}} and ''Mario Kart Wii''
|Ita3M=Fake item
|Kor=가짜 아이템박스
|KorR=Gajja Aitembakseu
|KorM=Fake Item Boxbox<br>Fake bonus box
|Por=
|PorM=
|Rus=
|RusR=
|RusM=
|Spa=Bloque Sorpresa
|SpaM=Surprise Block
|SpaE=Objeto falso<ref>{{cite|title=''Mario Kart 64'' instruction booklet|language=es-es|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|date=1997}}{{page needed}}</ref>
|SpaEN=''Mario Kart 64''
|SpaEM=Fake object
|Swe=
|SweM=
}}

==Trivia==
[[File:MKWii - Blue Fake Item Box glitch.png|thumb|A glitch involving the appearance of blue Fake Item Boxes in a solo race in ''Mario Kart Wii''.]]
*In ''Mario Kart Wii'', if the player selects a team race or battle mode first and chooses the blue team, then exits and plays Grand Prix or solo Vs. mode, the Fake Item Boxes will be blue instead of red.
*The instruction booklets for ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'' and ''Mario Kart DS'' erroneously state that Fake Item Boxes can be used to block incoming shells, when they cannot in games following ''Mario Kart 64''.
*There exist some [[List of Mario Kart 7 pre-release and unused content|unused leftovers]] for the Fake Item Box and [[Mega Mushroom]] in the files of ''[[Mario Kart 7]]''.
**There also exist some [[List of Mario Kart 8 pre-release and unused content|unused leftovers]] for the Fake Item Box, [[Lucky Seven]], and [[Super Leaf]] in the files of ''[[Mario Kart 8]]''.

==References==
<references/>

{{MK64}}
{{MKDD}}
{{MKDS}}
{{MKAGP2}}
{{MKW}}
{{M&SATOWG}}
{{MKAGPDX}}
[[Category:Hazardous objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 64 items]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 items]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Arcade GP DX items]]
[[Category:Mario Kart: Double Dash!! items]]
[[Category:Mario Kart DS items]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii items]]
[[it:Oggetto Finto]]
[[de:Schwindel-Box]]