Mario Kart World Items: What Each One Does

The mode you're in decides which items you can actually grab. Race, Battle and Free Roam each use their own default item lists, and several race items stay out of the Battle modes by default.

Coin

Adds coins and gives a small speed boost.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Green Shell

Travels straight and knocks over the first kart it hits.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Triple Green Shells

Three Green Shells orbit your kart to block incoming attacks.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Red Shell

Homes in on the nearest kart ahead and knocks it over.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Triple Red Shells

Three Red Shells orbit your kart to block incoming attacks.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Spiny Shell

Targets the racer in first and knocks over karts in its path.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Banana

Spins out a racer who hits it and can block an incoming item.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Triple Bananas

Three Bananas orbit your kart to block incoming attacks.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Dash Mushroom

Gives a short speed boost. In Balloon Battle, hitting a rival can steal their balloon; in Coin Runners, a hit can steal coins.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool); Free Roam (Item Boxes)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Triple Dash Mushrooms

Gives three separate speed boosts.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Free Roam (Item Boxes); Time Trials: starting item, no Item Boxes or Dash Food

Pickup

Item Boxes; Time Trials starting item

Golden Dash Mushroom

Gives repeated speed boosts for a limited time.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Free Roam (Item Boxes)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Mega Mushroom

Enlarges the driver and vehicle, gives a speed boost, and lets them flatten rivals.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Feather

Jumps high to dodge attacks or reach higher routes. In Balloon Battle, hitting a rival can steal their balloon; in Coin Runners, a hit can steal coins.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool); Free Roam (Item Boxes)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Fire Flower

Lets you throw up to eight fireballs for a short time; hits spin racers out.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Ice Flower

Lets you throw ice balls for a short time; hits make racers lose control and spin.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Boomerang Flower

Throws a boomerang forward or backward up to three times; it returns between throws.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Super Star

Grants temporary invincibility from terrain and items plus a speed boost. In Balloon Battle, hitting a rival can steal their balloon; in Coin Runners, a hit can steal coins.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool); Free Roam (Item Boxes)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Super Horn

Sends out a shockwave that hits nearby racers and destroys obstacles, including a Spiny Shell.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Lightning

Hits opponents ahead, making them drop items, shrink, and drive slowly while a storm appears briefly.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Hammer

Throws bursts of five hammers that arc and stay on the track briefly; a hit spins a racer out.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Blooper

Sprays ink on racers ahead, reducing visibility and traction.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Bob-omb

Explodes after being thrown or dropped and knocks over karts in its blast radius.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool); Bob-omb Blast (only item)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Bullet Bill

Turns the driver into a fast, invincible Bullet Bill that drives itself along the track.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Boo

Steals an item from a racer ahead and makes the driver briefly invisible and able to pass hazards.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules); Balloon Battle (default item pool); Coin Runners (default item pool)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Coin Shell

Travels along the track, drops coins, and then explodes.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

? Block

Repeatedly hitting it produces coins and gives a slight speed boost.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Kamek

Summons Kamek, who calls enemies or NPCs ahead and temporarily transforms racers in the spell's path.

Modes

Grand Prix; Knockout Tour; VS Race (default item rules)

Pickup

Item Boxes

Dash Food

Gives a speed boost whose length and strength depend on the food; it may change the driver's outfit and unlock it for later selection.

Modes

Grand Prix (course pickup); Knockout Tour (course pickup); VS Race (course pickup); Free Roam (food pickup); Balloon Battle (Custom Items only); Coin Runners (Custom Items only)

Pickup

Golden food bags at Yoshi's drive-throughs and food trucks

Race modes follow the default item rules

Grand Prix, Knockout Tour and VS Race all use the same default race item rules, so a race item can turn up in any of the three.

Battle modes have smaller default pools

Balloon Battle and Coin Runners each use their own default pool, which is shorter than the race list. Lightning, Mega Mushroom and Bullet Bill stay out of both by default. Dash Food isn't in either default pool, but Custom Items can add it.

Bob-omb Blast goes further. Every pickup in that mode is a Bob-omb.

Free Roam and Time Trials have their own rules

Free Roam item boxes hold a smaller set: Dash Mushroom, Triple Dash Mushrooms, Golden Dash Mushroom, Feather and Super Star. All of them also show up in the default race rules, so Free Roam doesn't add anything new to the race list.

Time Trials starts you with Triple Dash Mushrooms, and there are no item boxes or Dash Food in that mode.

Where to Find Dash Food

Dash Food comes from golden food bags at Yoshi's drive-throughs and food trucks, and you can pick it up on race courses and in Free Roam. Item Boxes don't give it.

FAQ