An incredible new fan animation shows what a Mario Kart game in the style of Paper Mario would look like. The Mario Kart series features characters from all over the Mushroom Kingdom, but it has yet to feature characters that use the aesthetic of the Paper Mario games.

The Paper Mario games are a series of RPGs that transform the cast of the Super Mario Bros. series into pieces of paper, as they explore worlds made from arts and crafts materials. The visuals of the Paper Mario games are usually gorgeous, but they’re so far removed from the regular series that there are rarely crossovers between the two. There isn’t even a Paper Mario character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, even though the Nintendo Switch received the highly-acclaimed Paper Mario: The Origami King. The Super Smash Bros. series is no stranger to flat characters, as it’s had Mr. Game & Watch since the day of Melee, yet Paper Mario has always been ignored.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

The cast of Paper Mario has also been absent from the Mario Kart series. A new video on the Banana Pictures YouTube channel shows what a Mario Kart game in the style of Paper Mario would look like. The video is intended as a fan work and the creator starts the video by assuring everyone that the project is meant as a concept demonstration, and that it won’t turn into an actual game. Nintendo’s history of shutting down fan projects explains why such a disclaimer is necessary.

The Paper Mario Kart Parody uses character sprites from the Paper Mario games for the drivers, while the karts themselves are 3D objects that resemble cardboard. In fact, the entire game world is made of cardboard and paper, keeping with the style of the series, as well as other Nintendo games, like Yoshi’s Crafted World. The character select screen features Mario, Luigi, Bowser,  Shy Guy, a Toad, a Koopa Troopa, Yoshi, and two locked slots. The level in the video shows Mario racing around grasslands, with no other karts on the track. There are item boxes and the hang glider mechanic from the current Mario Kart games on show in the concept video.

Nintendo fans are wondering when a new Mario Kart game will be released, considering that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling racing game in US history. Nintendo likely isn’t a rush to make a new game in the Mario Kart series, but an entry in the style of Paper Mario would be a welcome change of pace, especially if it’s a side game that is released while Mario Kart 9 is in development.

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Source: Banana Pictures/YouTube

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Scott Baird
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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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