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Dataminer uncovers that Spiny – a character seemingly with no way to operate a car – was meant to be playable in Mario Kart World
A dataminer has found evidence in Mario Kart World’s code that Spiny, the small turtle-like enemy with a spiked shell, was intended to be a playable driver. The discovery adds a curious detail to the game’s character roster, though it is unclear how the character would have driven.
Bluesky user Benial found Spiny’s internal name, “Togezo”, listed alongside other characters. No model or animations have been uncovered, and Spiny has been a Mario series enemy since 1985. Mario Kart World launched with the Nintendo Switch 2 and has since received updates including battle mode and team races.
In short
- Spiny was listed in the game code as a possible driver.
- No model or animations have been found.
- The character has appeared in Mario games since 1985.
Explained simply
Mario Kart is Nintendo’s racing series, featuring characters and creatures from the Mario games. Spiny, also known as a Spiny Shell, is a small turtle-like enemy with a spiked shell that has appeared in the series since 1985.
Mario Kart World is a racing game for the Nintendo Switch 2, with a roster of playable drivers and updates that have added modes such as battle mode and team races. A dataminer is someone who examines a game’s files for clues about its contents; finding a character’s name in those files can suggest it was considered for the game, but does not show how it would have looked or played.
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