Nintendo Nearly Dropped Classic Mario Kart Items from Switch 2

Nintendo almost removed classic Mario Kart items like the banana peel and green shell from its upcoming Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, producer Kosuke Yabuki revealed that the development team reviewed every item from scratch while designing the new game.

“When we created this world from scratch, we re-reviewed all the elements… including the iconic banana skin,” said Yabuki. “We actually did go through the exercise of asking ourselves, ‘does it still make sense to include this item in Mario Kart World?’”

Even the green shell, a long-time staple of the series, was nearly cut. Developers questioned whether it still made sense when racers now have advanced movement options like riding over guardrails. They debated whether the shell should be able to do the same.

Fortunately for fans, both the banana and green shell survived the review and will be returning in Mario Kart World.

Their near-removal shows just how much Nintendo is rethinking Mario Kart for the next generation, even when it comes to its most recognizable features.