Skip to main content

Star Kart is a universe where Star Wars and Mario Kart had a beautiful baby

The latest video from YouTube production studio Dark Pixel gives a tantalizing glimpse at an alternate universe in which Nintendo’s mascot characters pilot a fleet of ships from the Star Wars film series, resulting in a Mario Kart mashup that turns fanboy dreams into reality.

Dark Pixel’s production puts Mario behind the controls of an X-Wing fighter, with Toad serving as the R2-D2 to Mario’s Luke Skywalker. The mashup only gets wilder from there, as a group of familiar competitors set out on a race that exceeds the already ridiculous standards set by the Mario Kart series’ twisting tracks.

Recommended Videos

Other racers and craft featured in Star Kart include Luigi at the helm of a Y-Wing, Yoshi in an A-wing interceptor, and Bowser and Bowser Jr. each controlling TIE Series starfighters. The video’s attention to detail extends to heroic characters piloting rebel vehicles, while Bowser and his son control fighters normally reserved for the Empire elite.

Shy Guy also makes an understated cameo as the pilot behind Boba Fett’s Slave I ship, matching the bounty hunter’s reticent nature with a limited amount of voiced dialog. Once again, the attention to detail is quite remarkable.

The video does more than pay tribute to specific characters and vehicles, however. Shortly after the race starts, competitors equip themselves with an arsenal of weaponry plucked from the Mario Kart universe. Among other things, it’s interesting to see that Mario Kart’s infamous banana peels have just as dramatic an effect on Imperial craft as they do on terrestrial go-karts.

Nintendo’s Mario Kart series has remained a favorite among gamers over the last two decades, with the most recent series entry, Mario Kart 8, arriving for the Wii U in 2014. Mario Kart 8 in particular introduced a number of elements from other Nintendo properties, including tracks based on the publisher’s F-Zero, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda universes.

Mario Kart 8 also added The Legend of Zelda’s Link as a playable character, along with Animal Crossing’s Villager and Isabelle. In addition, a sizable amount of downloadable content premiered in the wake of the game’s release, adding oddball vehicles like Mercedes-Benz GLA, 1957 SL 300 Roadster, and 1934 W25 Silver Arrow.

Mario Kart 8 showed that Nintendo is willing to explore outside the series’ established conventions in order to court crossover appeal, so the race featured in Star Kart may not be as far-fetched a possibility as it initially seems. C’mon Nintendo, get Disney on the phone. Let’s make this happen for real.

Danny Cowan
Former Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
How to get the Baby Yoda dashboard decoration in Star Wars: Squadrons
how to get the baby yoda dashboard decoration in star wars squadrons

One of the most beloved Star Wars characters right now is Baby Yoda (aka Grogu) from The Mandalorian TV series. He's so beloved that EA Motive has implemented a Baby Yoda (or as the game calls it, the "Mysterious Creature") dashboard decoration into Star Wars: Squadrons. Given the character's popularity, many will likely want to use the new decoration, but newcomers might not be entirely clear on how to do so.

Luckily, we've got all the details on how to get the Baby Yoda dashboard decoration in Star Wars: Squadrons. The best part is that it's free and can be acquired as long as you're connected to the internet.

Read more
Star Wars: Squadrons essential tips and tricks
star wars squadrons release date trailer gameplay news fighters

Star Wars: Squadrons is a surprisingly complicated space-combat simulator that owes its core mechanics to the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games of the 1990s. It may look like Battlefront II's Starfighter Assault mode, but you can't just fly around and trust in the Force. You need to hone your pilot skills across the four classes of ships, then master mechanics like resource management and drifting before you'll be ready for multiplayer.

Our first and most important advice to you is to play through the campaign and tutorials first before you dive into the multiplayer modes. The solo modes give you a crash course in controls and strategies against unthinking A.I. opponents, teaching you key skills before you go up against other players.

Read more
Star Wars: Squadrons: Everything we know about the upcoming game
star wars squadrons release date trailer gameplay news destroyer

Star Wars: Squadrons, which puts players into the cockpit of a Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire ship, will make up for the lack of films when the game hits consoles in October. The game expands the dogfighting gameplay from Battlefront II's space battles by emphasizing on building an authentic first-person experience based on the ships' differences. Here's everything we know so far about Star Wars: Squadrons.
How can I play Star Wars: Squadrons?

Star Wars: Squadrons releases on October 2 at $40 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC and supports cross-play.

Read more