MOVE OVER, MARIO. THIS COW IS NINTENDO'S HAPPY NEW STAR

Think of the name Nintendo, and familiar names and faces likely come to mind. There's Mario and Luigi, the mustachioed brothers in overalls who fight Bowser, the turtle-like villain with a habit of kidnapping Princess Peach. And then there's Donkey Kong, Wario and Toad, among others.

- RYLEE KIRK

These characters have been racing one another in iterations of the Mario Kart game series since 1992, with no real storyline other than who can come in first place. But from the moment the first trailers for the Switch 2 console and the Mario Kart World game were released in April, fans were abuzz that a new favourite had entered the race — a cow.

Fascination with Cow, as the character is known, only grew after the console and game went on sale last month. She has become Mario Kart World's breakout star, validated by her leading role in popular videos on Instagram and TikTok.

One Instagram reel, featuring the cow rocking back and forth on a go-kart to the beat of Mooo! by Doja Cat, has been viewed 1.9 million times. Another has her showboating on a motorcycle to La Vaca (The Cow), the 2000 merengue hit by Mala Fe.

Both videos are the creation of Jorge Martinez of McAllen, Texas, who said he was excited about the cow from the moment he first saw the trailer for the game.