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How is the Blue Shell anything but terrible game design?

N

Nazgul_Hunter

Member
I just had an online race where the 12th place person threw a blue shell. What good does that do to them?

How is the blue shell anything but a really poor catchup feature? It literally helps everyone else more than it helps the person that uses it.
 
It's kind of needed in MK8 because being in and holding 1st place can be extremely easy more often than not.
 
Kinda agree...horrible horrible item. At the very least it should take out everyone on it's way to the person in first.
 
The main issue is that if the 1st place gains any kind of lead, the group behind him would attack themselves much more than they'd be able to attack him, basically slowing down everyone but the first place. So, everyone else's items basically would just increase the first place's lead. The Blue Shell exists to stop that situation from happening.

Also, in Mario Kart 64, where it originated, and also in 7 and 8, the Blue Shell runs through the ground as an invincible shell, before flying to explode. So, it can hit people who aren't in first.
 
It's just a wildcard to make things interesting. The Mario Kart designers weren't going for a game perfectly balanced so the most skilled player would win every time. They wanted it to be fun for everyone.
 
In MK7 and MK8, the blue shell can hit other racers on its way to the front, so it actually can help the user at times.

But really, it's just a fun item that can shake things up for those at front of the pack. All part of the zaniness that is Mario Kart.
 
1, It hits other people along the way, not just the person in first. And 2, in MK8 you can deflect it with the speaker. It can be frustrating as hell though, of course.
 
On N64 on also can hold it on your back. If you succeed going thought the first place without using it, you can just troll the second player who launch useless red shells at you, having this invincible shield.
I remember doing this.
 
I was first once then someone throw a blue shell, after that a fat rosalina bumped me and ate the blue shell.

That scene alone justified the blue shell in my book.
 
Nazgul_Hunter said:
I just had an online race where the 12th place person threw a blue shell. What good does that do to them?

How is the blue shell anything but a really poor catchup feature? It literally helps everyone else more than it helps the person that uses it.
Click to expand...
People complain about rubber banding but not this. I don't understand. At least the former allows you to win by driving well.
 
Waluigilicious said:
That's pretty much what lightning does.
Click to expand...

The problem with lightning is that it strikes everyone, so there's only a marginal distance lost by first place to the rest of the pack.

The problem that the blue shell solves is that once first place has a solid lead, there's very little that other people can do since they're too busy attacking each other.
 
If Mario Kart wants to be a serious racing game, shouldn't they get rid of the blue shell? The most skilled driver should win, even if that makes it more boring.
 
In the first seconds you get to first place due to luck (yes at the beginning it is basically luck if you get hit, smashed, or else).

If you are at first place there is just no way to beat you without the blue shell. The drivers behind you would contunue to battle one another and your lead would only expand.

Thats why the blue shell is needed.
 
KePoW said:
If Mario Kart wants to be a serious racing game, shouldn't they get rid of the blue shell? The most skilled driver should win, even if that makes it more boring.
Click to expand...

It's not supposed to be a serious racing game. It is supposed to be fun.
 
OmahaG8 said:
It is the great equalizer
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Bingo. People laud From Software for a lot of it's intricately created bosses and sometimes cheap tactics in making the player learn from their mistakes, the same can be said for the blue shell.

Learn to dodge the blue shell and you will be unstoppable.

KePoW said:
If Mario Kart wants to be a serious racing game, shouldn't they get rid of the blue shell? The most skilled driver should win, even if that makes it more boring.
Click to expand...
Hopefull Mario kart is never serious. There's already plenty of those boring ass racers.
 
InsaneZero said:
The problem with lightning is that it strikes everyone, so there's only a marginal distance lost by first place to the rest of the pack.
Click to expand...

Lightening lasts much longer the higher your place which gives the person behind you a decent opportunity to run you over.
 
Hattori said:
I hate lightning more than the blue shell to be honest.
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Yeah, you can't even protect yourself with a superhorn from that shit. I hate it.

Blue shells just make things more interesting. It's great if you're in second place and the person in front of you doesn't make a mistake.
 
It's not meant to be a balanced game. It's fun to see first place taken away at the last second from someone.

That said, having a countermeasure against it is good, but it's rare to get that damn horn.
 
It's to stop run-away leads. Items play a big role in MK, and if you can pull ahead enough the rest of the racers will kill themselves with shells/bombs/bananas while you remain untouched because of you are in the lead. The blue shell keeps you closer to the pack.

It's when it's a close race that the blue shell really sucks.
 
I've gotten a blue shell at a much lower place. I think it was 6 or 7 so it can still very much benefit them, especially since it hits other players on the way to the 1st player.

There's plenty of times MK can be unfair. Sometimes at the end of a race you'll be second but get three red shells and prevent the person from winning.
 
Dreavus said:
It's to stop run-away leads. Items play a big role in MK, and if you can pull ahead enough the rest of the racers will kill themselves with shells/bombs/bananas while you remain untouched because of you are in the lead. The blue shell keeps you closer to the pack.
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This !
 
there's several no items rooms in the tournament section in MK8 but those are almost empty. it means the majority enjoy getting rekt by the blue shell and similar crap.
 
NSider said:
It's not meant to be a balanced game. It's fun to see first place taken away at the last second from someone.

That said, having a countermeasure against it is good, but it's rare to get that damn horn.
Click to expand...
Are you kidding? Of course it is there for balance. 1st can get away easily especially if 2nd and 3rd are battling.
 
Nazgul_Hunter said:
I just had an online race where the 12th place person threw a blue shell. What good does that do to them?

How is the blue shell anything but a really poor catchup feature? It literally helps everyone else more than it helps the person that uses it.
Click to expand...

The blue shell will hit everyone in its path.

Theoretically, it could hit everyone in front of you, if you're in 12th. Though, the odds are high.

Its best to try and line it up with the people in front of you.
 
KePoW said:
If Mario Kart wants to be a serious racing game, shouldn't they get rid of the blue shell? The most skilled driver should win, even if that makes it more boring.
Click to expand...

It's a game that has donkeys and a dinosaur riding a go kart.

I think serious is the last thing on the checklist
 
I agree that you don't want a runaway leader and you need some way to bring the first place person down if they're too far ahead. My point is that givi blue shells to people so far away from first is a terrible way to do it
 
First place is inherently unbalanced in Mario Kart because the person in first place both A) doesn't have to deal with someone in front of them and B) the items 2nd place gets aren't very good. You are far more likely to be hit by a Red Shell when you're in 2nd or 3rd place than you are in 1st. The Blue Shell/Lightning combo is the only real threat someone in first place has if they manage to pull away from the pack.

Mario Kart 8 did some to negate 1st place's lead by preventing item stacking and weakening the Triple Banana's shielding ability, but negated some of that with the Super Horn to quell the people who bitch about the Blue Shell. The Lightning destroying items automatically is the one check the Super Horn has.
 
People in the back of the crowd have to deal with all kinds of hectic items being thrown around. The person up in front doesn't have to deal with that. If it weren't for the blue shell, the game would actually become unfair. The blue shell is not only good game design, it's essential game design.
 
It's annoying in MK7 online because it shows up literally in every race, on the last fucking lap. The best way to win in MK7 is to stay in second. And it when it hits you, you EXPLODE and tumble and if you're on a narrow track, you're falling off.

It doesn't even bug me in MK8. It shows up once every two or three races and and when it hits it doesn't stop you as long as it does in 7 or send you tumbling. Also, you can actually pick up super horns in first place! (When you're not getting coins.)

In MKDS and Wii I was always so far ahead I could get hit by two of them and still place first so they were whatevs there.
 
Wazzy said:
I've gotten a blue shell at a much lower place. I think it was 6 or 7 so it can still very much benefit them, especially since it hits other players on the way to the 1st player.

There's plenty of times MK can be unfair. Sometimes at the end of a race you'll be second but get three red shells and prevent the person from winning.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this too. I got a blue shell in 3rd or 4th one time (not even on frantic) and it helped me get first. Saying the blue shell is horribly balanced because it doesn't help the person in 12th place that much is like saying the mushroom is a terrible item because it won't help you if you're in 12th lol.
 
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