xkcd - Fucking Blue Shells

[creaothceann]

Fucking Blue Shells



Alt text: "You can evade blue shells in Double Dash, but it is deep magic."

[Joe Camacho]

I don't play DD thanks to those damned shells.

[SquareHead]

I don't play DD thanks to those damned shells.

Thats what makes them fun.

[Joe Camacho]

I don't play DD thanks to those damned shells.

Thats what makes them fun.

No. It's not fun to use my kart driving SKILLZ during most of the laps, then lose first place thanks to a bunch of blue shells.

Everyone hates this.

We play battle instead.

[blackmyst]

If blue shells bother you so much then you're probably taking the game way too seriously.

Besides, isn't there like a multiplayer time trial mode or no-items mode or something? Idunno, it's been too long since I played any MK.

[Joe Camacho]

If blue shells bother you so much then you're probably taking the game way too seriously.

Besides, isn't there like a multiplayer time trial mode or no-items mode or something? Idunno, it's been too long since I played any MK.

Nop, there is no item switch or anything. But what I have come to realize is that in DD they increased the possibilities of getting Blue Shells. Like, you could get them in 64, but you would usually get a Lighting Bolt, but if you are in first place in DD, with 3 other players, expect to be BS'd to death.

And it's not that I take the game too seriously, we literally fight for 2nd place, which is tiresome.

Edit.- That's why we choose to play battle instead, at least it ends faster and we get to hit each other, sadly, the levels suck compared to the 64 ones.

[snkcube]

I know that Nintendo balanced it out on MKDS. You don't really get that many blue shells when playing with four people.

[Deathlike2]

Blue shells == hax

Doesn't the Starman make you invulnerable to them anyways... (note, I have not played Mario Kart further than Mario Kart 64, so I plead ignorance to any changes that have occured since then.)

[indignation]

we literally fight for 2nd place

The reminds me of when my brother and I used to play Super Mario Kart. We got to the point where we would fix who would be in top 4 by holding back the people who were naturally going to be there. We had realized that the ranks were decided by which characters you picked, initially, but that if you knocked people out the their places by the end of the race, that they would stay there. :/

Here's an faq I just found on GameFAQs of stuff we used to do: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/file/588738/33512

[snkcube]

Blue shells == hax

Doesn't the Starman make you invulnerable to them anyways... (note, I have not played Mario Kart further than Mario Kart 64, so I plead ignorance to any changes that have occured since then.)

The Starman should make you invulnerable, but the chance of actually getting one while in first place is quite slim.

[Deathlike2]

Blue shells == hax

Doesn't the Starman make you invulnerable to them anyways... (note, I have not played Mario Kart further than Mario Kart 64, so I plead ignorance to any changes that have occured since then.)

The Starman should make you invulnerable, but the chance of actually getting one while in first place is quite slim.

Can't you avoid it somewhat by jumping? I don't recall shells having the ability to jump.. they can track you down to death, but that's about it.

[casualsax3]

You can avoid them in the DS version.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQL9qd6evIQ

[Joe Camacho]

Blue shells == hax

Doesn't the Starman make you invulnerable to them anyways... (note, I have not played Mario Kart further than Mario Kart 64, so I plead ignorance to any changes that have occured since then.)

The Starman should make you invulnerable, but the chance of actually getting one while in first place is quite slim.

Can't you avoid it somewhat by jumping? I don't recall shells having the ability to jump.. they can track you down to death, but that's about it.

Jump? Well, in DD you can't jump with a button. Unless you are talking about ramps, then I don't know if they can, don't they fly in DD?

[snkcube]

Blue shells == hax

Doesn't the Starman make you invulnerable to them anyways... (note, I have not played Mario Kart further than Mario Kart 64, so I plead ignorance to any changes that have occured since then.)

The Starman should make you invulnerable, but the chance of actually getting one while in first place is quite slim.

Can't you avoid it somewhat by jumping? I don't recall shells having the ability to jump.. they can track you down to death, but that's about it.

Jump? Well, in DD you can't jump with a button. Unless you are talking about ramps, then I don't know if they can, don't they fly in DD?

From DD and up, blue shells start flying. It might be the same for the upcoming Wii version.

[SquareHead]

I thought in DD and DS, you could avoid blue shells only by tossing a bomb at just the right time, or having a star. I have never been able to test either. Murphy's law keeps rearing its ugly head.

[megamanzer0]

my strategy is to slow down and let the second player pass me

[Mark57Raider]

well blue shells are quite annoying when you're in first place on some lucky punk uses one on you when you're in first. Quite annoying especially in mario kart ds.

[snkcube]

my strategy is to slow down and let the second player pass me

That strategy fails when the second player avoids you.

[PHoNyMiKe]

search youtube, there's videos on how to avoid them on the ds. blue balls on the other hand can be equally difficult to avoid.

[Panzer88]

I'd rather have items be random and fair instead of losers getting the goods, but usually if you're good enough at the game you can beat people no matter how much they spam you,.

personally I'd like it if you drove right by a person at the right time that you could get the shell to hit them.

Mario Kart needs to get more serious but no doubt it will get less, who is making it now, is it the same devision as always?

still, not playing a game because of one item is pathetic sportsmanship, suck it up, and beat the system, just like a cheap fighter in an unbalanced fighting game, if you can beat them even when they are practically cheating that's ultimate satisfaction.

Mario Kart has a long tradition of cheating, the bots in the first game would cut across courses like driving on water, etc. that's BS for sure, MK:DD does have it's good points, I'm just pissed at their CRAPPY battle stages, they're friggin TINY.

I miss the old battle stages, hopefully they will put a compilation of stages like the DS version. What would be really cool is if the game allowed infinite items to remain on the course until someone hits them now that the system would allow it. I'm tired of green shells and banana peels disappearing.

[PHoNyMiKe]

quit your bitchin, in all honesty, every mario kart game I've ever played, I rank first every fricken time. seriously, even with the comp cheating by dropping banannas repeatedly and shit. the GC one was a joke, the DS was even easier. I even whiped out the n64 one on the wii, first place every time. I'm not even 'the world's greatest mario kart fag' I think the game is too easy. now fzero 64, I'll be lucky to get within the top 4. not to mention demio's myspace top 8, good luck getting that shit.

[Panzer88]

I agree, but I doubt they are complaining about the mario kart bots (oh God I hope not) mario kart is more about the player vs. player competition, in this sense whenever you fall back in the race you get tons of crap to rain down on your buddy in 1st place. All the same I still say if you are significantly better than them it won't make a difference in the long run.

oh and phonymike, if you want real competition mario kart style go play MK DS online, there are some pretty skilled people out there.

[PHoNyMiKe]

I don't even own mario kart ds. I was just playing it on a ds flash card I got for a buddy of mine. so I currently have no access to mario kart ds

[SquareHead]

The people complaining about the blue shells were probably the same people who would have complained about the little slots game on 4 player FZero X for the 64.

[whicker]

My opinion:

There's real racing simulations where the best driver, provided he doesn't mess up, will win. The driver gets out front early and stays in front for the remainder of the race... not necessarily fun at all except for the player in the lead.

Then there's the fun racing game, where the game has "balance", meaning the lead driver has a good chance of something happening to him, allowing the other players to catch up. Or it could be something simple like less boost. Or it could be something to block the lead player. This type of gameplay will not be fun for the player that views that winning is everything, and doesn't understand to back the fuck down once and a while and let the other players lead sometimes.

Spamming items? Not fair for the lead player? That's the point! You do realize, in a 4-player game, that instead of the leader having all the fun, it's the other 3 players behind that are having the fun seeing the first player squirm and whine?


Gameplay is essentially the contrast between 'smear the queer' (oddball) and running laps around the house.