A Fake Item Box, also known as simply a Fake Item, is an item from the Mario Kart series. They first appear in Mario Kart 64. At first, it might look like an Item Box. That is, with the only real difference being the orientation of their question mark and coloration (depending on the game). Instead of facing right side up, the question mark within them points upside down. Fake Item Boxes have the same effect when they get smashed. Anyone who drives into a Fake Item Box spins out (or gets flipped over), then the Fake Item Box wears off.
History
Fake Item Boxes first appear in Mario Kart 64, where they are merely called "Fake Items." Here, Fake Items are rainbow-colored just like their real counterparts, making them harder to notice. A Fake Item can block items. If a racer drives into a Fake Item Box, they spin out.
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Fake Items have a second upside down question mark and flash red. They can no longer block items. Their bio also states them to be more effective when their user puts them in an unexpected area, such as after or on top of an actual Item Box, and refers to them simply as Fake Items. Their explosions also cause targets to flip and get covered by aesthetic red lightning.
In Mario Kart DS the Fake Items have been renamed as Fake Item Boxes. Fake Item Boxes are rainbow colored like in Mario Kart 64, although their Touch Screen icon is depicted red. For this game, Fake Item Boxes are also known as cubes because they do not have the question mark and do not spin, reducing their deceptive capabilities. Two Mission Mode missions involve the player's character having to break open Item Boxes while avoiding their fake counterparts, which are featured as obstacles.
Fake Item Boxes also return in Mario Kart Wii, having a similar appearance as in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Unlike Mario Kart DS, these bounce when they hit the ground. Also, in Balloon Battle or Coin Runners, Fake Item Boxes are different for which team their wielder is on; Blue Team's Fake Item Boxes are blue, but their question mark and darker color is what sets them apart from actual Item Boxes.
Gallery
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To view Fake Item Box's image gallery, click here.
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Nomenclature
In Japanese, Fake Item Boxes are called "Nise Aitemu Bokkusu," with "Nise" (written にせ) meaning "false," "phony," or "fake." (The "Item Box" part of the name was transliterated.) In Chinese, they are merely known as "Fake Items." (Jiǎ Dàojù, written 假道具). Their French name is Fausse Boiste à Objets (Fausse means "false" or "phony" in French, while the real item box is called an "object box" (Boiste à Objets); in the manual, the translation for the Fake Item has been changed to Fausse Boiste à Bonus due to the actual item box being called a "bonus box" (Boiste à Bonus).). German calls them "Swindle Boxes" (Schwindel-Box, with Schwindel referring to the act of swindling someone). Their Italian name is Oggetto Finto (literally "fake object") in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the manual for Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii; in Mario Kart DS itself and the microsite for the game, they are called Falso Oggetto (literally "false/phony object") instead. In the Korean dub, their name is Gajja Aitembakseu (Gajja, written 가짜, literally means "counterfeit," which makes the translation literally "item box counterfeit" or "bootlegged item box.") Spanish calls them "Surprise Blocks" (Bloque Sorpresa).
Trivia
- This item is similar to the Fake Smash Ball from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since they impersonate a beneficial item but have a malign effect. (Fake Smash Balls mimic real Smash Balls while Fake Items mimic real Item Boxes.)
