When used, the Question Block turns into a red block with a smiley face and cannot be used for the rest of the race. Courses such as Ghost Valley 1 and Koopa Beach 1 have Question Blocks set in different locations. Every course in the game has a set of twelve Question Blocks, but two courses have 10 in one set and fifteen in another.
While Item Boxes didn't originate in Super Mario Kart, there were instead blocks called Question Blocks that gave the driver an item when they run over it. They can be thrown out in front of the Kart and even dragged behind it, and they work exactly like regular Item Boxes. In Balloon Battle or Shine Runners for Mario Kart DS, once a player is eliminated, they can still drive around, and they get Item Boxes themselves as Items. Racers in middle places will receive Items that are in the middle, such as a Mega Mushroom or a Spiny Shell. The Item is randomly determined, but players who are generally in lower places will receive more useful Items, such as a Star or Bullet Bill, and players who are in higher places will get Items that do not help as much as those, such as a Green Shell or a Banana. Item Boxes give an Item to any player who runs into them.
