Blue shell

Blue shell
Mario Kart element
A spiny shell (commonly called a blue shell) as it appears in Mario Kart 8
PublisherNintendo
First appearanceMario Kart 64 (1996)
GenreKart racing game

The Spiny Shell,[1][2][3] colloquially known as the blue shell,[4][5] is a power-up item in the Mario Kart video game series. Originating in Mario Kart 64 (1996) and featured in every main entry of the series since then, the Spiny Shell, when used, aims directly at the racer in first place, stopping them on impact. The Spiny Shell acts as a "catch-up" mechanic, with racers ranked towards the bottom having a better chance of it spawning when driving into item boxes, giving them a better chance at diminishing the lead of the racer in top position.[6][7][8] In addition to the Mario Kart series, the blue shell appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series from 2001's Melee onwards (it has been directly featured as a power-up item from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U onwards), and in Mario Hoops 3-on-3.[9][10] A character based on the item appears in the 2023 film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, voiced by Scott Menville.[11]

Initially, the blue shell was impossible to stop or dodge once fired, until Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) and subsequent games allowed ways for the targeted racer to do so, albeit only with combinations of precise timing and specific items. As it is likely to spawn at least once during a race, the power-up item has earned a reputation of frequently destroying a player's lead, or suddenly ruining their chances of winning.[12] Because of this, the blue shell has largely come to be seen as one of the best and most famous, yet also one of the most frustrating items in video game history.

  1. ^ "Mario Kart 64 Operation Card" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-11-28. Spiny shells will chase the Kart in the lead. Along the way, if there are other Karts in its path, they will suffer the consequences.
  2. ^ Mario Kart 7 (PDF) (game manual). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Mario Kart DS instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gamasutra was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Update History". Nintendo Customer Support. Nintendo. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Elias, George Skaff; Garfield, Richard; Gutschera, K. Robert (2012-08-24). Characteristics of Games. MIT Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-0262017138. Retrieved 2014-11-28. There are countless of examples of deliberately added catch-up features in games. The shells in Mario Kart fire forward, so the person in the lead can't make use of them, but people who are behind can fire on those ahead of them. And the Spiny Shell specifically homes in on the person in first place.
  7. ^ Totilo, Stephen (March 9, 2011). "The Maker Of Mario Kart Justifies The Blue Shell". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Analysis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Le Jacq, Yannick (January 21, 2015). "Smash Bros. Makes Mario Kart's Most Notorious Items A Lot More Fun". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (PDF) (game manual). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  11. ^ Jones, Rendy (April 9, 2023). "A Guide to The Nintendo Easter Eggs in 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie'". Inverse. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. ^ Despain, Wendy (2012-12-18). "Feedback Loops". 100 Principles of Game Design. New Riders. ISBN 978-0133362749. Retrieved 2014-11-28. In Mario Kart, the blue shell targets only the leader of the race. Being in first means that player is likely to be hit with the shell, which may cause them to fall out first.