Fixing the Fake Item Box

[Greninja The Mario Karter]

With a new Mario Kart game coming to the Switch 2, I would like to fix a first place item that hasn't appeared in recent installments after Wii: the Fake Item Box. If I know anything about the Mario Kart community, the majority, myself included, considers the Fake Item Box to be a worse Banana that nobody falls for. This current version of the Fake Item Box simply will not do, so I aim to fix it with two simple solutions.

I have two solutions to fix the Fake Item Box, one of which is so major that it will make the Fake Item Box feel like a completely new item. First is the minor solution, which is to make the Fake Item Box more convincing. In the image below, comparing the current Fake Item Box to a real Item Box reveals that it's blatantly obvious it's fake.

Seriously, who would fall for this? This item is a joke, and it simply won't do. Here's how I would make it more convincing.

I would give the Fake Item Box the exact same color scheme as a real Item Box, with the only difference being an upside down question mark. This is similar to how it appears in Mario Kart 64, where it is far more convincing. The image below compares the new Fake Item Box to a real Item Box, where it is almost identical to the real deal.

Okay, so the Fake Item Box looks almost identical to a real Item Box now, so much so that players can barely tell which one is fake, but while it's a good start, this alone isn't enough to fix the item. Time for the major solution, which is to completely change its function.

As it currently stands, the Fake Item Box functions similarly to a Banana in that it can be placed anywhere on the track but doesn't provide defense. This clearly makes it a worse Banana, but the main problem with having it function like this is that having it function like this makes it obvious because of where the Item Boxes are. Item Boxes tend to be found in groups on specific parts of the track, but the Fake Item Box will be anywhere on the track, even if there are no Item Boxes nearby. Even if you place it near a real Item Box, the overlap will still make it obvious. This simply will not do, so here's my new function for the Fake Item Box to increase its effectiveness.

My solution is to rework the Fake Item Box so that it automatically targets the nearest item set and infects a random Item Box, replacing it with a fake. From a distance, it will have a regular question mark, only on approaching will the question mark turn upside down. Only one Fake Item Box can be in play at a time, as another Fake Item Box can't be pulled until the current one disappears, Once a player runs into a Fake Item Box, they will flip over and have their item stolen similar to a Boo, giving the stolen item to the user. This will provide no defense, but will no longer function as a worse Banana. Instead, this will fulfill its intended purpose of tricking players into thinking it's a real Item Box.

So there you have it. That's my idea for making the Fake Item Box a far better and far more unique item. I hope Nintendo implements my idea in a future Mario Kart installment in case they want to bring back the Fake Item Box.

 

[Greninja The Mario Karter]

Isn't my new version of the Fake Item Box actually convincing like in Mario Kart 64?

The Fake Item Box was created for the purpose of tricking players into thinking it's a real Item Box, something it does really well in Mario Kart 64. I've proposed this new version of the Fake Item Box so it can fulfill its intended purpose of tricking players into thinking it's a real Item Box, even the most skilled players. This would be one of the best items in the game if Nintendo were to implement it like this.

This new version of the Fake Item Box I have proposed is what I will call Fake Item Box 2.0. This new and improved version of the Fake Item Box is almost identical to a real Item Box and infects an Item Box and will return to normal after a certain amount of time has passed, but can disappear prematurely if a player runs into it. Also, the Fake Item Box 2.0 will perfectly sync its rotation will real Item Boxes to make it even more convincing.

 

[Sparks]

Nobody falls for it because the Fake Item Box has a completely different look from what's it's supposed to copy. Additionally, users tend to drop the item in spaces where no Item Boxes are present, making them stand out more. Recent games have had Item Boxes in unique spots so thankfully if the item were to return then it can be used more effectively.

I think inverting the question mark is the best fix for this. Players would have to really notice this change, thus making it better overall. Setting it down with a group of stationary Item Blocks is the best call, and it just may hit one of the opponents.

 

[Greninja The Mario Karter]

Nobody falls for it because the Fake Item Box has a completely different look from what's it's supposed to copy. Additionally, users tend to drop the item in spaces where no Item Boxes are present, making them stand out more. Recent games have had Item Boxes in unique spots so thankfully if the item were to return then it can be used more effectively.

I think inverting the question mark is the best fix for this. Players would have to really notice this change, thus making it better overall. Setting it down with a group of stationary Item Blocks is the best call, and it just may hit one of the opponents.

Making it almost identical to a real Item Box is a good start, but that alone isn't enough to fix the item completely. Like you said, because the Fake Item Box functions as a worse Banana, it tends to be placed in random locations on the track, usually nowhere near real Item Boxes. No one's falling for a lone Fake Item Box scattered in a random location on the track, no matter how authentic it looks, and even if you decide to place a Fake Item Box near a real Item Box, the overlap will still be a dead giveaway.

This is where my other fix comes into play: it's no longer a placeable item and starts off as an upside down question mark that hovers to the nearest item set until it infects a random Item Box. From a distance, it will have a regular question mark, only on approaching will the question mark turn upside down. Only one Fake Item Box can be in play at a time, as another Fake Item Box can't be pulled until the current one disappears. Once a player runs into a Fake Item Box, they will flip over and have their item stolen similar to a Boo, giving the stolen item to the user. This will provide no defense, but will fulfill its intended purpose of tricking players into thinking it's a real Item Box without having it function as a worse Banana.

 

[Ray Trace]

Your suggestion to improve the Fake Item Box has already been done by at least two Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS. Mario Kart 64 is identical to the regular one with just the ¿ symbol. In Mario Kart DS, it doesn't have a ? symbol at all, what you're supposed to do is use the bottom screen to see a red box, they had Mission Mode challenges all around avoiding these and grabbing the real one. I think the reason they changed it to a bright red was because in Mario Kart 64, they're very hard to tell apart especially in a cluster, perhaps a bit too hard, so I think that's why they made it a bit more noticeable. I do think now it's way too easy to pick them apart, but you can still hide them in an item box cluster in Double Dash and Wii pretty well and mess up oncoming racers that way. Being able to go through items also works both ways: players cannot destroy the box with an item other than using the Star to clear the path, so if it's especially narrow, they're forced to drive through it. Fake Item Boxes in Double Dash are also deadly against Chain Chomp users, because Chain Chomps cannot destroy them, exposing the user to possibly get hit by them.

And you're just wrong that it's a worse Banana. Yeah defensively it is because it can't block shells, but offensively, the item grinds you to a screeching halt as if you got hit by a shell, making it suck to get hit by one as opposed to slipping on a banana. It's especially devastating to run into one of these in Mario Kart 64 too, it causes you to fly into the air as if you got hit by a Red Shell. Oh also, in Mario Kart 64, it can block items too! You just can't throw them forward.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

I like the idea of fake item boxes that look identical from real ones from a distance but the closer you go, the more apparent it's fake. I thought those red ones were supposed to work that way, but I think it was still pretty obvious from a distance.

 

[Pizza Master]

I'd say it should be fully identical to a normal Item Box. (even on the map) I mean a random box out in the open that looks identical is more convincing than one that has an upside down question mark out in the open. Then you could also place it among real item boxes to fool other players. Though, it'd be better for the item to just not return cuz even with changes it's still too obvious.

 

[Greninja The Mario Karter]

Your suggestion to improve the Fake Item Box has already been done by at least two Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS. Mario Kart 64 is identical to the regular one with just the ¿ symbol. In Mario Kart DS, it doesn't have a ? symbol at all, what you're supposed to do is use the bottom screen to see a red box, they had Mission Mode challenges all around avoiding these and grabbing the real one. I think the reason they changed it to a bright red was because in Mario Kart 64, they're very hard to tell apart especially in a cluster, perhaps a bit too hard, so I think that's why they made it a bit more noticeable. I do think now it's way too easy to pick them apart, but you can still hide them in an item box cluster in Double Dash and Wii pretty well and mess up oncoming racers that way. Being able to go through items also works both ways: players cannot destroy the box with an item other than using the Star to clear the path, so if it's especially narrow, they're forced to drive through it. Fake Item Boxes in Double Dash are also deadly against Chain Chomp users, because Chain Chomps cannot destroy them, exposing the user to possibly get hit by them.

And you're just wrong that it's a worse Banana. Yeah defensively it is because it can't block shells, but offensively, the item grinds you to a screeching halt as if you got hit by a shell, making it suck to get hit by one as opposed to slipping on a banana. It's especially devastating to run into one of these in Mario Kart 64 too, it causes you to fly into the air as if you got hit by a Red Shell. Oh also, in Mario Kart 64, it can block items too! You just can't throw them forward.

One of my solutions is done in 64 and DS. In DS, the Fake Item Box also doesn't rotate, making it rather dead obvious. I was trying to make it look like it does in Mario Kart 64 (same color scheme as a real Item Box, but upside down question mark). The Fake Item Box in Mario Kart 64 is far better than in all of its later appearances because it's actually convincing (you can barely tell it isn't the real thing in 64), can be used defensively, and launches players into the air similar to a Cataquack or Bob-omb. Of my thirteen tiers (Z, Y, X, S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I), I would place the N64 variant of the Fake Item Box in A tier and the current variant seen in GCN, DS, and Wii in E tier.

However, my other solution for fixing the Fake Item Box hasn't been tried. With its current function, the Fake Item Box tends to be placed in random locations on the track, usually nowhere near real Item Boxes. No one's falling for a lone Fake Item Box scattered in a random location on the track, no matter how authentic it looks, and even if you decide to place a Fake Item Box near a real Item Box, the overlap will still be a dead giveaway.

For the second solution, I would propose that the Fake Item Box is no longer a placeable item but instead starts as a question mark that floats to the nearest item set, at which point it infects a real Item Box and turns it into a really convincing fake. From a distance, it will have a regular question mark and look exactly like a real Item Box, only on approaching will the question mark turn upside down. Only one Fake Item Box can be in play at a time, as another Fake Item Box can't be pulled until the current one disappears, Once a player runs into a Fake Item Box, they will flip over and have their item stolen similar to a Boo, giving the stolen item to the user.

 

[Greninja The Mario Karter]

I like the idea of fake item boxes that look identical from real ones from a distance but the closer you go, the more apparent it's fake. I thought those red ones were supposed to work that way, but I think it was still pretty obvious from a distance.

That's why I would change it so that it has a regular question mark from a distance, only on approaching does it turn upside down. However, it would be the exact same color as a real Item Box to make it more convincing.