Gamers of all ages remember the anxious noise of a timer counting down, the screams of players as they fall off a course into space, and the sign of blue, spikey impending doom racing towards first place. These are the sounds of Mario Kart.
For years, Mario Kart has been an outlet for all fans, a way to pit Mario and Nintendo characters against each other in one of the best Mario games out there aside from Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Sunshine. As such, fans took their love for that wonderful game to a whole other level and created some truly stunning fan art commemorating the game that made and broke plenty of friendships.
Bowsette In Mario Kart By Frocharocha
While it’s always fun to see fans go crazy with ideas, concepts, and art, there can be some times when it gets a little odd. Such is the nature of Boswette, the genderswapped version of Bowser, Mario’s most hated rival.
Of course, just because the concepts a little weird and slightly inappropriate, that doesn’t mean that the concept can’t be executed well. Truthfully, the idea of Bowsette joining Mario Kart, as suggested by artist Frocharocha, would be cool to see, especially seeing the character face off against Bowser or Princess Peach on their epic bike.
Mario Kart X Metroid Prime By Adamkopacz
Ever since Mario Kart took off, there’s always been a demand and search for new characters to add. Given how easily it was to incorporated the other Mario-verse characters, Nintendo started getting creative, looking to other properties.
For one reason or another, Samson from Metroid—a series that could finally see a new game in 2021—has yet to pop up in the game, something user artist Adamkopacz really wants to happen. With art that good looking, the question remains: why hasn’t Nintendo added Samson to their racing game yet?
Piranha Plant Joins Mario Kart By Mast3r-Rainb0w
As it was probably surmised, the world of Mario doesn’t have many consequential characters, meaning that Nintendo may have to dig deep in the future to find new characters to join the fun. There are the key ones, like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser, but then there are lesser-known ones, like the Piranha Plant.
Although Piranha Plant is a notable obstacle in the game, no one really saw it as an actual character until Super Smash Bros. Then, the possibilities, as Mast3r-Rainbow shows, became endless. As strange as it sounds, Petey Piranha did make an appearance as a playable racer in Double Dash, so this is far from far-fetched.
Waluigi By Pacman23
For one reason or another, some fans seem to have some fascination with Waluigi. Whether it be because of his iconic “WAH!,” his fashionable features, or just that he’s never been a playable character in Smash—something many fans yearn for as much as they crave Super Mario Galaxy 3—remains a true mystery.
Yet, Waluigi has been seen in Mario Kart time and time again, which has probably fueled the fires of fans wanting him in Smash. Despite this, Pacman23 creates an excellent tribute that captures the bizarre yet intriguing nature of Waluigi.
Double Dash By TyCony23
When the imagery of Mario pops into fans’ heads, they usually see a jovial plumber who never fails to save the Mushroom Kingdom. What they don’t see, however, is some buff, macho guy cruising by on the back of his brother’s cart, lobbing fireballs like some anime hero.
Thanks to artist TyCony23, though, this possibly-cursed imagery became a reality. From buff Mario and Luigi to terrifying Donkey and Diddy Kong, this amazing piece of art, although a bit of a fever dream, makes Mario Kart seem even more intense than it already is.
Mario Kart With Master Chief And Nathan Drake By Genzoman
Nintendo isn’t afraid to bring their other IPs along for the kart ride; characters like Link from The Legend of Zelda and the villager from Animal Crossing appeared in Mario Kart 9. However, introducing characters from outside of the Nintendo-verse could be difficult. There, rights and contracts can tie things up, and lots of characters likely won’t be able to join, although, like with Smash Bros., these expectations have been subverted.
Artist Genzoman is one fan hoping for an exception as they craft an epic image of Mario racing along with the likes of Nathan Drake and Master Chief. It’s a masterpiece beyond words and one Nintendo should try to make a reality.
Circuito Di Mario Kart By Josh Martinez
The last time Mario got a film, it didn’t go over so well—even though some people insist it wasn’t that bad. Since that unfortunate mess, fans and Hollywood has been trying to mend the hole leftover. Some do it with fan films, others with certain projects, and a select few go the route of posters.
Artist Josh Martinez is one such clever individual who created a stunning and captivating poster that embodies Mario Kart while also making it seem more realistic. If anything, moviegoers would probably settle for an adaptation based on this rather than the product they received.
Mario 500 By Rafai Hakeem
Believe it or not, it can be difficult to make a world full of plumbers saving a kingdom from a giant dragon thing seem realistic. However, several bright artists and fans have gone the extra length of doing so, bringing forth some truly realistic-looking pieces of art.
What would’ve been some simple spinning in the form of a car crash in the game is reimagined into a brutal, realistic crash by Rafai Hakeem. With the benefit of the cars appearing to be Indy 500 race cars, the realism factor is achieved.
Koopa Beach By Yoshiyaki
Sometimes, all that an artist needs to do to pay tribute to something is to simply recapture the beauty of said tribute. It doesn’t have to be big or flashy or anything over the top; all it needs to be is a simple idea and recreation of a popular location.
A somewhat famous Mario Kart destination, artist Yoshiyaki brings Koopa Beach to life in incredibly stunning detail, almost revamping the idea of the map. It even gives Yoshi first place, something all fans wish was a possibility.
Postapocalyptic Mario Kart By Fasslayer
Of course, beyond recreating famous locations, true artistic creativity comes from the artist combining two worlds into one. Artist Fasslayer delves deep into this idea for their take on the far-flung future of Mario, a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of Mario racers.
On its own, the idea is fascinating enough that it could work as a spinoff or mod. Combined with the concept of Mario Kart and the characters racing across a desolate wasteland, and the story possibilities become even more intriguing and just as endless.