Graham

The "weird clock" is just...a clock. It's in military time, and it's local to your machine.

How about Otapro, Otacon's alter ego.

Okay, that's corny, but it still qualifies.

I like Coconut Mall, but Koopa Cape is definitely my favorite so far. The underwater segment is just cool.

@Overlord - We're talking playable, here, and Blooper still makes sense in that respect, since he's done that at least once...bit too lazy to check on that one.

@Brento - I know we're trying to keep thoughtful comments to a minimum.

More seriously, though, that was just off the top of my head...not much time spent there.

Non-Mario characters in a Nintendo-developed Mario Kart just isn't likely...Pac-Man and others were in Arcade GP because Namco made that, and Diddy Kong is certainly within the Mario universe.

So, to create an actually feasible list of characters that haven't appeared in a Mario Kart game to date:

1. Lakitu - Sure, he operates the stoplight and saves you from water and freefalls, but doesn't he seem like a cool last unlockable?

2. Blooper - He has made a few extra Mario appearances lately, so it's reasonable to see him in a future Kart.

3. Hammer Bro - Also a Mario Sports alum, HB would have a different feel than Koopa Troopa.

4. Dixie Kong - As worthy of being in the game as Diddy, and it seems like Nintendo likes to keep the roster relatively gender-balanced.

5. Goombario or Bombette - Goomba and Bob-Ombs seem to be getting passed over because they're already in the game in small amounts. Using one or both of these Paper Mario characters would give them a unique personality to include.

6. Baby Wario - he seems like a strange omission from the Wii roster, as all the other babies (plus a strange one) are represented.

7. Geno - All the calls for him to be in SSBB shouldn't go unnoticed. He's a Mario character, so throw him in a kart!

8. E. Gadd - His inclusion could lead to some interestingly-styled karts.

9. Magikoopa/Kamek - This addition seems more likely with the inclusion of bikes, as a Magikoopa rides a broom much in the same fashion.

It would also be nice to see reappearances by characters from previous versions (DK Jr, Paratroopa, Shy Guy, Petey Piranha, ROB).

Hate to break it to you, Kyle, but the original NFL Head Coach released at an MSRP of $39.99, not $19.99.

Dear DS Fanboy,

See how I'm the only one in the post or any of the comments to correctly spell a cappella so far? I think that my amazing music term spelling ability would have come in handy, don't you? Oh well...I'm sure whoever you're working on adding to the Fanboy staff will have a comprehensive knowledge of these things, right?

Sincerely,
Graham

Seriously...definitely not a cappella. Also not miraculously impressive, or...really impressive at all. Somewhat amusing, I guess. I guess I just expect a bit more, because my friends and I sit around sometimes and improvise random game songs. One friend of mine happens to know the NES' channel output, so he's pretty accurate with incidental sound.

I should record that sometime.

Right...I guess they're not really in the same category as the rest of us, but I was trying to think what actual "regions" would be, and Seattle is the obvious Northwest location. Personally, I'm from NC, and nothing happens here, which is fine, but you think they could at least bring it within driving distance (DC or Atlanta).

I'm not sure how they decided on these "regions" for this. Why not cover some other areas of the country? There are a lot of areas that just aren't ever covered in these things. Why not Seattle? Denver? Dallas or San Antonio? Chicago? Atlanta? Miami? D.C./Baltimore? Raleigh/Charlotte? Nothing ever happens outside of NY, CA and MA.