Fake Item Box
| Fake Item Box | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Mario Kart Wii | |
| First appearance | Mario Kart 64 (1996) |
| Latest appearance | Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (2018) |
The Fake Item Box is an item introduced in Mario Kart 64, where it is known as simply the Fake Item.[1][2] 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 Shells or Red Shells.
History
Mario Kart series
Mario Kart 64
Fake Items are items in Mario Kart 64. They can be obtained only by a player in first or second place, though computer players 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 "?".[3]
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 Hearts, while other obstacles pass through them, including all shells, eggs, Fireballs, and Chain Chomps. Fake Items can no longer block shells.
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 computer players 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.[4] 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 players 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 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. They appear in Dream Alpine, Dream Ski Cross, 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 going to appear in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, but was taken out. It shares the same function as the Banana.
Profiles
Mario Kart Wii
- 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
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64
Sprites
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (unused)
Models
Screenshots
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | にせアイテムボックス[?] Nise Aitemu Bokkusu |
Fake Item Box | |
| びっくりばこ[?] Bikkuri-bako |
Surprise Box | Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 | |
| Chinese | 假道具[5] Jiǎ Dàojù |
Fake Item | |
| 假道具箱[?] Jiǎ Dàojù Xiāng |
Fake Item Box | ||
| Dutch | Nep-blok[6] | Fake block | |
| French | Fausse boîte à objets Fausse boîte à bonus[7] |
Fake item | Mario Kart 64 |
| German | Schwindel-Box[?] | Cheat Box | |
| Italian | Oggetto Finto[?] | Fake Item | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
| Falso Oggetto[8] (Mario Kart 64) / Falso oggetto | False item | Mario Kart DS | |
| Oggetto finto[?] | Fake item | Mario Kart DS's instruction booklet[page number needed] and Mario Kart Wii | |
| Korean | 가짜 아이템박스[?] Gajja Aitembakseu |
Fake Item Boxbox Fake bonus box |
|
| Spanish | Bloque Sorpresa[?] | Surprise Block | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Objeto falso[9] | Fake object | Mario Kart 64 |
Trivia
- 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 unused leftovers for the Fake Item Box and Mega Mushroom in the files of Mario Kart 7.
- There also exist some unused leftovers for the Fake Item Box, Lucky Seven, and Super Leaf in the files of Mario Kart 8.
References
- ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 13.
- ^ 2003. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 17.
- ^ Mario Kart 64. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ RobertoLPDX (June 28, 2015). Let's Play: Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (Longplay) (54:43). YouTube (English). Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ 马力欧卡丁车. iQue (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (Dutch).[page number needed]
- ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (French).[page number needed]
- ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (Italian).[page number needed]
- ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (European Spanish).[page number needed]
