Hate the fricken' BLUE SHELL!!!

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[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]Yeah, come to think of it, that blue shell is awfully cheap.  I mean, it always seems to hit the frontrunner without fail.  You'd at least think it would have a chance of nailing somebody else on the way.  I'm sure it's just Nintendo's way of keeping races closer and more exciting, but I don't like it.
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Critic, in your review of Mario Kart 64 you criticize it for the blue shell, but you don't seem to mention it as a fault in the Gamecube game. I find this odd because in the 64 game the blue shell can hit other players on the way, it doesn't slow down the first place racer as badly, and it is incredibly rare. I see the blue shell maybe once every five races in Mario Kart 64, compared to about 3 times every one race in Mario Kart: Double Dash. It's a much worse item in Double Dash, but like I said slow down so it hits people behind you if you're in first.

 

Was there a blue shell in Mario Kart DS? If there was I don't remember it being as much of a problem.

[Leo Ames]

It's all done to help keep the races close. The last place player is even more likely to be getting red shells to hinder 2nd-3rd. It's for a long range weapon to kill a large lead the leader might possibly get. Its not like last place is just getting items to hurt the leader, they're even more likely to damage those in between themselves and the leader with red shells, stars, etc.

 

I think it was a stupid idea as well, but I see the reasoning behind it.

 

"You'd at least think it would have a chance of nailing somebody else on the way."

 

It does, at least in Mario Kart 64. Been hit by many a blue shell on its way to the leader before. The technique of losing the lead before the blue shell arrives works good in that game since it doesn't explode like I think it does in Double Dash, so you'll be able to continue with the lead as the loser is spinning. The DS game has blue shells as well, but you can't hold large enough multiplayer matches online for them to appear I believe, and it seems fairly rare in single player. Not sure I've ever recieved one, but I've seen the AI use them.

[voor]

Didn't used to the blue shell rolled on the ground and it everybody in its path? 

 

Anyway, in multiplayer, I almost always hang out in 2nd place until the last lap.  Besides if you do get in first, you better try to get as big as a lead as possible, cuz you know that the blue shell is always (usually at least once a race) a possiblity.

 

I recently got the DS version, and love the squid effect.

[Leo Ames]

It hits people in its path if they come into contact with the shell as its heading for the leader, but it only actively tracks the leader.

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[QUOTE=voor]

 I recently got the DS version, and love the squid effect.

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That's why the blue shell didn't bother me. I remember now that I was hit with blue shells in the DS Mario Kart, but there was something to cancel them out. The ink didn't affect my performance at all, but it made the computers swerve back and forth, letting me regain the lead. Basically, if there were 3 inks in a round and three blue shells it completely cancels out.

 

I guess if Nintendo had the ink in every Mario Kart game the blue shells wouldn't be as annoying (on single player anyway), or they could just cut the middleman and GET RID OF THE STUPID BLUE SHELLS!