Mario Kart Producer Clarifies: Cows Don't Eat Beef

Over the past three decades, Cow has quietly roamed the fields of Moo Moo Farm and Moo Moo Meadows. But now, this once-background bovine has emerged as one of the most beloved characters in *Mario Kart World*, capturing the hearts of fans and developers alike. During an exclusive roundtable interview with *Mario Kart World* Producer Kosuke Yabuki, we had the chance to dive into Cow’s unexpected rise to stardom.

“Thank you for that question about Cow,” Yabuki said with a smile—an opening line that instantly became one of our favorite moments in developer interviews. “The decision to include Cow was something we considered carefully, knowing it would bring joy to many players. We believed people would be happy, but honestly, the public response has exceeded all expectations. It was a wonderful surprise—thank you.”

Yabuki’s astonishment mirrors what Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen shared in a previous conversation, where he admitted internal expectations for Cow were “perhaps not as big as the cow has become.” Her journey from background scenery to playable character is even more fascinating when you look at her origin story.

As revealed in a recent installment of Nintendo’s Ask the Developer series, it was a lighthearted sketch by one of the team members—Cow behind the wheel of a truck—that sparked the idea to make her a full-fledged racer. The concept resonated so strongly with the development team that it led to a cascade of new ideas. I asked Yabuki how the inclusion of Cow influenced the creation of what they now call “NPC Drivers,” which later expanded to include Snowman, Penguin, Swooper, and other unique characters.

“Adding Cow really opened the floodgates for us,” Yabuki explained. “Once you have a character like that in the mix, it makes you think—why stop there? That’s when the designers got excited. Once they realized these kinds of characters were on the table, the ideas started pouring in: Penguin came next, then Pokey, and others followed quickly. Honestly, after approving Cow’s design, I remember being flooded with ten new character proposals the very next day. It’s actually hard for me to recall which character came right after Cow because everything happened so fast.”

Of course, there's also a curious side to Cow’s inclusion—especially when it comes to the game’s new Dash Food mechanic. During a preview event, IGN’s Brian Altano noticed something unusual: Cow was eating steak kabobs and hamburgers, items traditionally associated with beef. Naturally, we had to ask Yabuki for clarification.

Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World. pic.twitter.com/qN5PZ9IIM4
— IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025

“Sorry, that’s top secret,” Yabuki replied with a chuckle. “I can’t say.”

While Cow’s dietary choices remain a mystery, so does the possibility of Diddy Kong appearing in *Mario Kart World* with his newly redesigned look. When asked, Yabuki simply stated, “I’m afraid I can't say anything at this time.”

But rest assured, many of *Mario Kart World*’s remaining secrets will soon be uncovered. With just two days left until the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its flagship title, fans are on the edge of their seats. For more details, check out our final hands-on preview of *Mario Kart World*, where we praised the racing mechanics but remained cautious about the Free Roam mode. Also, don’t miss our preview of the $10 launch game, *Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour*.