Special Item (Mario Kart series)
A Special Item is the name applied to certain item that is obtainable only to a specific character or group of characters. Unlike a standard item, most of these items can be obtained in any place during a race, and while a character holds a special item in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the second character cannot have another special item from Item Boxes.
History
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Special items make their debut in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Characters have special items exclusive to them. A certain special item is given to one of the two characters. Though some characters seem to have a personal power-up used only by them, some share the same function like the other's weapon. Petey Piranha and King Boo are the only characters who can receive any special item excluding Green Fireball and Birdo's Egg (due to the Mario Bros. and Yoshi and Birdo each having their own exclusive version of their special item while all other pairs have no difference in items). Additionally in Battle mode, all characters are able to use all the special items, but only Luigi can get a Green Fireball while only Birdo can get a Magenta Egg.
A Yoshi's Egg, Bowser's Shell, and Bob-omb also make a cameo as rainbow decorations in the background of Rainbow Road. Due to a mistake, the Heart decoration was misplaced out of the course where it cannot be seen in normal gameplay; however, it can be viewed through hacking.
Petey Piranha & King Boo
Any special item, excluding Green Fireballs and Birdo's Egg
1 - Special items would become a regular item in future Mario Kart titles.
2 - Special Items were already regular items prior to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Special items appear in Mario Kart Arcade GP. They are specific to certain characters with each character having six special items. All special items must be unlocked by winning races.
| Item | Character | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Star | Mario and Luigi | Status |
| Hammer | Mario and Luigi | Melee |
| Fireball | Mario and Luigi | Shoots forward or backward |
| Chain Chomp | Mario and Luigi | Lock-on shot |
| Block | Mario and Luigi | Drops backward |
| Special Coin | Mario and Luigi | Status |
| Star Mark Banana | Donkey Kong | Status |
| 10T Hammer | Donkey Kong | Melee |
| Barrel | Donkey Kong | Shoots forward or backward |
| Giant Banana | Donkey Kong | Drops backward |
| Conga | Donkey Kong | Other |
| Delicious Banana | Donkey Kong | Status |
| Shell Body | Bowser | Status |
| Flaming Tender | Bowser | Other |
| Bowser Shell | Bowser | Shoots forward or backward |
| Thwomp | Bowser | Drops backward |
| Bullet Bill | Bowser | Shoots backward |
| Meat | Bowser | Status |
| Wario Car | Wario | Status |
| Stretch Punch | Wario | Melee |
| Bob-omb | Wario | Drops backward |
| Snot Bomb | Wario | Shoots forward or backward |
| Fart Gas | Wario | Drops backward |
| Garlic | Wario | Status |
| Miracle Mushroom | Toad | Status |
| Mushroom Hammer | Toad | Status |
| Mushroom Powder | Toad | Drops backward |
| Poison Mushroom | Toad | Shoots forward or backward |
| Sick Mushroom | Toad | Shoots backward |
| Fine Mushroom | Toad | Status |
| Egg Body | Yoshi | Status |
| Whacking Fan | Yoshi | Melee |
| Mystery Egg | Yoshi | Drops backward |
| Rolling Egg | Yoshi | Shoots forward or backward |
| Tongue | Yoshi | Other |
| Melon | Yoshi | Status |
| Power Pill | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Status |
| Quack Hammer | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Melee |
| Rally-X | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Drops backward |
| Galaga Boss | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Shoots forward |
| Pooka | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Shoots forward or backward |
| Fairy | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Status |
| Princess's Drink | Peach | Status |
| Frying Pan | Peach | Melee |
| Piranha Plant | Peach | Drops backward |
| Peach's Bird | Peach | Shoots forward or backward |
| Heart | Peach | Other |
| Cake | Peach | Status |
| Monster Shield | Blinky | Status |
| Monster's Hammer | Blinky | Melee |
| Flare Ball | Blinky | Drops backward |
| Petit Monster | Blinky | Shoots forward or backward |
| Ghost Morph | Blinky | Status |
| Monster Pill | Blinky | Status |
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
Special items return in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. Mario Coins can be collected to unlock character-exclusive special items.
| Item | Character | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Star | Any character | Status |
| Hammer | Mario and Luigi | Melee |
| Fireball | Mario and Luigi | Shoots forward or backward |
| Chain Chomp | Mario and Luigi | Lock-on shot |
| 10T Hammer | Donkey Kong | Melee |
| DK Barrel | Donkey Kong | Shoots forward or backward |
| Giant Banana | Donkey Kong | Drops backward |
| Shell Body | Bowser | Status |
| Flaming Tender | Bowser | Other |
| Bowser Shell | Bowser | Shoots forward or backward |
| Thwomp | Bowser | Drops backward |
| Wario Car | Wario | Status |
| Stretch Punch | Wario | Melee |
| Bob-omb | Wario | Drops backward |
| Snot Bomb | Wario | Shoots forward or backward |
| Mushroom Hammer | Toad | Status |
| Mushroom Powder | Toad | Drops backward |
| Poison Mushroom | Toad | Shoots forward or backward |
| Egg Body | Yoshi | Status |
| Whacking Fan | Yoshi | Melee |
| Rolling Egg | Yoshi | Shoots forward or backward |
| Tongue | Yoshi | Other |
| Rally-X | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Drops backward |
| Galaga Boss | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Shoots forward |
| Pooka | Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man | Shoots forward or backward |
| Frying Pan | Peach | Melee |
| Piranha Plant | Peach | Drops backward |
| Peach's Bird | Peach | Shoots forward or backward |
| Monster's Hammer | Blinky | Melee |
| Flare Ball | Blinky | Drops backward |
| Petit Monster | Blinky | Shoots forward or backward |
| Bagubagutchi | Mametchi | Drops backward |
| Chibi Syrup | Mametchi | Lock-on shot |
| Mame Block | Mametchi | Shoots forward or backward |
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Special items reappear in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. However, unlike previous entries, after a character is selected, it is randomly assigned to a special item during a race. Palette swaps of characters will enable the use of an exclusive item only available to that swap.
- MKAGPDX Power Ball.png
Palette swap exclusives
Red Yoshi
Egg Launcher
Hero Don-chan
Shield
Mario Kart Tour
Special Items reappear in Mario Kart Tour, now referred to as "special skills". Gold Mario can only use his special item, the Coin Box, in Coin Rush during the Valentine's Tour. As of version 2.6.0, if a Super driver reaches level 5 or a High-End driver reaches level 4, they unlock an improved version of their special item (with a "+" symbol added on its name). Starting with version 2.8.0, Normal drivers are also eligible for an improved special item at level 7.
| Image | Name | Debut tour | Driver skill description | Exclusive character(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Triple Bananas | London Tour | Three Bananas provide a worthy shield... Or ammo to lob at opponents! |    
|
| Triple Bananas+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Increases your chances of getting Triple Bananas. Plus, the bananas revolve faster! | ||
|
Giant Banana | New York Tour | This particularly stern-looking Giant Banana splits into three Bananas when hit. |    
|
| Giant Banana+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Boosts your chances to get a Giant Banana. And when you do, it splits into even more bananas! | ||
|
Triple Green Shells | New York Tour | Three Green Shells surround your kart. They'll fire off rapidly all at once! |     
|
| Triple Green Shells+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Increases your chances of getting Triple Green Shells. The shells will revolve faster. | ||
|
Bowser's Shell | New York Tour | Hurl this sharp shell in front of your kart to scatter opponents. |   
|
| Bowser's Shell+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Bowser's Shell is bigger and a little better at tracking opponents. | ||
|
Double Bob-ombs (new) | New York Tour | Gives you two Bob-ombs you can hurl at once. Engulf your opponents in a mighty blast! |       
|
| Double Bob-ombs+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Adds a Bob-omb so you can attack with 3 Bob-ombs. | ||
|
Triple Mushrooms | New York Tour | Gives you three Mushrooms to use in one go for a long-lasting boost. |        
|
| Triple Mushrooms+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Increases your chances of getting Triple Mushrooms and extends the dash time by a little. | ||
|
Fire Flower | New York Tour | Lets you throw three fireballs. Spin out your opponents while you burn up the track! |           
|
| Fire Flower+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Adds another fireball, allowing you to throw four total. | ||
|
Boomerang Flower | New York Tour | Whirls around and around your kart to strike nearby opponents. |       
|
| Boomerang Flower+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Adds another Boomerang, allowing you to throw two total! | ||
|
Ice Flower (new) | Ice Tour | Lets you throw three ice balls. Freeze your opponents solid! |      
|
| Ice Flower+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Adds another iceball, allowing you to throw four total! | ||
|
Heart | New York Tour | This Heart is overflowing with kindness! It will protect you from opponents' attacks. |        
|
| Heart+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | You get 1 additional Heart! The additional Heart runs out quickly so make it count! | ||
|
Yoshi's Egg | New York Tour | Chases down opponents. But what's inside?! You'll find out when it breaks! |    
|
| Yoshi's Egg+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Yoshi's Egg is bigger and it releases an additional item. | ||
|
Birdo's Egg | Holiday Tour | Chases down opponents. But what's inside?! You'll find out when it breaks! |   
|
| Birdo's Egg+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Birdo's Egg is bigger and it releases an additional item. | ||
|
Bubble (new) | New York Tour | Kick back and relax as this bubble floats you around. But beware the sudden pop! |    
|
| Bubble+ | Snow Tour | Increases the Bubble's movement speed. | ||
|
Banana Barrels (new) | New York Tour | These barrels automatically launch Bananas. Turn the course into a sea of Bananas! |  
|
| Banana Barrels+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | The barrels will sometimes fire Giant Bananas. | ||
|
Mushroom Cannon (new) | New York Tour | Rapidly fires Mushrooms onto the course. Grab as many as you can to dash ahead! |      
|
| Mushroom Cannon+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Fires a larger payload of Mushrooms in three directions. | ||
|
Lucky Seven | New York Tour | Surround your kart with seven items. Tap once to use them all! |           
|
| Lucky Seven+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | 3 coins are added to the items that appear. | ||
|
Coin Box (new) | Tokyo Tour | Spits out coins with reckless abandon. It's a very generous item! |              (Coin Rush Mode)
|
| Coin Box+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | This will sometimes spit out red coins. | ||
|
Dash Ring (new) | Tokyo Tour | Pass through this for a burst of speed. Your opponents can use it, too, so make it count! |         
|
| Dash Ring+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Gives you two more rings for five total, increasing your total boost potential. | ||
|
Bob-omb Cannon (new) | 2019 Halloween Tour | This launcher automatically launches a volley of Bob-ombs. Handle with care! |          
|
| Bob-omb Cannon+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Adds another Bob-omb Cannon, allowing you to fire even more Bob-ombs. | ||
|
Hammer (new) | Hammer Bro Tour | Throws multiple Hammers in an arc aimed at karts in front of yours. |     
|
| Hammer+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | You'll get two extra hammers to throw, widening the strike zone. | ||
|
Giga Bob-omb (new) | Pirate Tour | This giant Bob-omb's blast radius is second to none. Kick things off with a bang! |  
|
| Giga Bob-omb+ | 1st Anniversary Tour | Giga Bob-omb is bigger and its blast radius is a bit wider! | ||
|
Super Bell (new) | Cat Tour | Ring the bell to strike your surroundings. The sound wave will protect you while it's ringing! |  
|
| Super Bell+ | The bell rings an additional time, and it lasts longer. | |||
|
Super Leaf | Autumn Tour | Swing the fluffy tail to knock over nearby opponents! |  
|
| Super Leaf+ | Spin the tail to increase movement speed. |
Gallery
Mario using the Fire Flower
Yoshi using the Yoshi's Egg against Koopa Troopa
Daisy using the Heart
Donkey Kong using the Giant Banana against Dry Bones
Rosalina using the Dash Ring
Mario (Hakama) using the Coin Box
King Boo (Luigi's Mansion) using the Bob-omb Cannon
Ice Mario using the Ice Flower
Mega Hammer Bro using the Hammer against Mario
Gold Koopa (Freerunning) using the Coin Box
Fire Bro using the Fire Flower and Ice Bro using the Ice Flower
Dixie Kong using the Triple Bananas
Black Shy Guy using the Bob-omb Cannon
Gold Koopa (Freerunning) using the Coin Box
Rosalina (Swimwear) using the Coin Box
King Bob-omb (Gold) using the Coin Box
