The red-shelled Lakitu returns as an unlockable playable character in Mario Kart 8. His American bio implies he's the Lakitu race referee, which is incorrect, as he has a red shell, and the two can be seen simultaneously when the latter picks him up. Lakitu's racing symbol is also the Lakitu's Cloud.
When racing, Lakitu doesn't have his cloud with him, but the Cloud 9 kart resembles one, and is therefore Lakitu's signature kart. Lakitu is one of the unlockable characters, and the player needs to win the 150cc Lightning Cup to unlock him. He is a featherweight character, with acceleration and off-road being his best stats. Lakitu is a playable character in the Mario Kart game Mario Kart 7.
Note that Lakitu's artwork is a palette swap of the New Super Mario Bros.
