Nintendo Uncovers the Truth About Mario’s Mushroom-Eating Habit

Alright, let’s dive into this Mario chaos. So, here we are, knee-deep in the world of racing plumbers and mushroom munching—wait, do they actually munch ’em? That’s the million-coin question facing the Mario Kart World crew. Picture this: the developers scratching their heads during late-night sessions—is Mario chomping down on those mushrooms or just, like, absorbing their magic by osmosis or something? Real Matrix vibes, if you ask me.

Shintaro Jikumaru, who’s clocked 20 years at Nintendo (that’s legendary status, right?), was just as baffled. Even after all those Mario games, the question said, “Hey, you still don’t really know, do you?” And honestly, who would be the magic mushroom maestro if not Takashi Tezuka, the guy who helped birth Super Mario Bros.? He’s the Yoda of Mario lore. Anyway, Jikumaru and producer Kosuke Yabuki went on this mini-quest—like Mario himself, minus the Goombas—and hit up Tezuka for answers.

Now, get this: Jikumaru had this wild idea to add food to the game’s madness; yeah, hamburgers! Imagine Mario hitting up Mickey D’s mid-race. Hilarious. So they started thinking—what if eating makes you switch outfits or transforms you into someone else? Kind of absurd, if you ponder for a sec.

In this chat-turned-debate, Yabuki’s like, “So, guys, does he eat the mushrooms?” and everyone cracks up. Full-on existential stuff for Mario aficionados. Tezuka goes, “Yep, he does,” casually solving this age-old puzzle—sort of.

True, fans might point out the Mario & Luigi games showing them munching power-ups, while flicks like The Super Mario Bros. Movie nod at Mario’s mushroom appetite. Yet, in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, no eating is visible—just power-ups turbocharging karts like magic speed sauce. Confusing much?

But hey, does it really matter if the little dude eats or just touches these items? Maybe. Maybe not. More mysteries linger, ready to pester Tezuka if I ever get to grill him. He’s gotta love that, right?