Tanooki Suit Mario is the real villain of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

After careful research, Allegra Frank, Simone de Rochefort and I have come to one simple truth: All people love to play Mario Kart. That love is interrupted by blood-thirsty AI in a raccoon costume trying to snatch first place in the final seconds of every single track.

But for some reason, Tanooki Suit Mario is after Allegra. He has his furry, little claws in her and won’t let go, even as she’s inches away from victory. Is she cursed? Who can say.

Also on this week’s Polygon Show, we talk about Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ frustratingly tiny text, and what would happen if our current favorite dating sim/strategy game was set on... the Titanic? Also, there’s lots of appreciation for Super Mario Maker 2, a game that’s fun even if you’re bad at Mario.

The Polygon Show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and everywhere else podcasts are found. If you like what you hear, let us know! We also very much appreciate the rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts — seriously, every little bit helps!

This week’s episode is hosted by Simone de Rochefort, Chelsea Stark, and Allegra Frank. It is produced by Jelani Carter and Ross Miller.