Worlds

Unlike most Mario Kart 8 tracks, Excitebike Arena doesn’t originate from the Mario universe at all. Instead, it’s a tribute to Nintendo’s classic NES motocross game Excitebike, which was released in 1984.

Welcome to Lake Lamode, a submerged sanctuary of fashion inhabited by mermaid-like beings called Lochladies. It is a relatively small kingdom, but the clothing motif is evident throughout.

Yoshi Circuit is literally shaped like the lovable green dinosaur himself. From a bird’s-eye view, the circuit traces his body – head, arms, tail, and all. In fact, it’s the only course in the Mario Kart series to be shaped after a playable character.

Melmetal is a Pokémon that has seemingly reappeared in the world after 3,000 years. It is created when one strong Meltan absorbs the rest of the group it lives with in order to evolve.

The J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar 1979 was the final calendar in the series to include new, previously unpublished images made by Tolkien himself. It included four further illustrations that Tolkien originally made for The Hobbit, but it also ventured beyond the Middle-earth legendarium and included examples of emblematic dragons, trees, and…

Meltan is a curious Mythical Pokémon that seems to show an interest in all things. It has a soft body made from liquid metal – gallium – that gives it a very fluid shape. Its tail looks like a power cord or a plastic-coated copper wire with an exposed end.