Mario Kart creator defends blue shell

By Fred Dutton Published 9 March, 2011

3DS title to tweak infamous game-changer?

The man behind the Mario Kart franchise has stood up for the series' widely loathed blue shell power up.

Hideki Konno, who has been in charge of Nintendo's hugely successful racer since Super Mario Kart hit the SNES back in 1992, told Kotaku that the power up, which automatically knocks out whoever is leading, is vital for keeping races unpredictable.

"You know, with [Mario Kart] Wii, at least you can avoid it. The timing is tough, but at least you can avoid it," he joked, before explaining why the item was included.

"Fundamentally we're always playing while we're making adjustments [to the games]. We usually have some sort of theme to direct what we're looking at. With Mario Kart Wii, it was to create a race where, up until the finish line, you didn't know. We wanted to create a race where everyone was in it until the end.

Konno went on to explain how that was an ethos Nintendo had set out to implement in the N64 iteration, albeit with limited success.

"With Mario Kart 64, we wanted to have the same thing where everyone was in it until the end, but some of the processing problems occurred that didn't allow us to do that. And what I mean by that is once you're in a middle of a race you'll get that natural separation.

"What we were trying to do was push them back together with 64, having eight racers on the screen all the time, didn't work all that well. So, because the processing power didn't exist, we weren't able to create the racing environment we wanted."

"Going back to the blue shell, it sounds like maybe you have some issues with it," Konno told the interviewer, before hinting that his team might address gamers' complaints with the forthcoming 3DS entry into the franchise.

"I think in our next Mario Kart, we'll be looking at the balance and I think we'll come up with some answers and some solutions to make the game fresh and exciting as we move forward."

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (45) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • L0cky #1 1 year ago

    "With Mario Kart Wii, it was to create a race where, up until the finish line, you didn't know. We wanted to create a race where everyone was in it until the end."

    Which is what made me lose interest in Mario Kart after the SNES; you may as well play 'toss the coin' instead.

    They should at least have a mode option or something, which would also turn off the elastic AI in single player.

  • Mark1412 #2 1 year ago

    I dodged a blue shell in Double Dash once, elation doesn't even begin to describe how it felt.

  • trevd72 #3 1 year ago

    Blue Shell, the reason i don't play mario kart any more and why i wont buy it any more . i hate elastic band AI. i want to win with skill not chance.

  • Mister-Wario #4 1 year ago

    Yes, I basically agree with the comments below. The blue shell throws any skill in the game out the window and punishes those who are genuinely good for the shallow goal of inclusion. Anything you can't avoid doesn't necessarily break the game but it definitely weakens it.

  • INSOMANiAC #5 1 year ago

    Eurogamer - 90% Kotaku, 10% IGN

  • Deecast96 #6 1 year ago

    I dont get it guys, so does that mean that they are gonna have problems with the blue shell in the upcoming mario kart game?

    I actually like the blue shell, it gives players who are not that very good with the game a "chance" to at least catch up. I hope they dont take that away in mario kart 3DS. In my opinion, it wont be a True mario kart game without it :/

  • brod #7 1 year ago

    Blue shell doesn't bother me. If you're good enough you can recover from it, or in some iterations of the game avoid it.

  • JJrabbit #8 1 year ago

    Couldn't they just have an option to include it per race or not?

  • emailtj #9 1 year ago

    Nothing like punishing skill. Why bother even making the races 3 laps if you don't care about anything but the very end of the race?

    You could make each race like 15 seconds long and start everybody with a random item. Whoever gets the best item, wins. It would be look a slot machine. Infinite fun!

  • JeroenZM #10 1 year ago

    The thing with the blue shell is that it's usually the number last who receives that item, and gets to harass the player in 1st position with it. Most of the time this will be pretty useless to the guy throwing the shell, since he still won't be able to catch up with number 1. The fact that you can't dodge it makes it even worse.

  • udders #11 1 year ago

    Got stars in every race and cup, unlocked everything. Not a problem the blue shell really. Stop ya whining ppl. All part of the fun.

  • dirtysteve #12 1 year ago

    I was actually surprised how long the blue shell endured. For a game with a reputation as high profile as this, I though there would be smarter options to give lower placed drivers a chance, Wipeout seems to manage it more fairly.

  • Collymilad #13 1 year ago

    "With Mario Kart Wii, it was to create a race where, up until the finish line, you didn't know. We wanted to create a race where everyone was in it until the end. "

    And there's the problem. Basically the blue shell is there to keep people who are shit happy. If someone is good, they should win.

  • Stop-gap #14 1 year ago

    Couldn't you just have rubber-banding kick in only for those trailing the pack and only until they catch the back of the pack? That way there's no "lol, race assassination" button and the leader's racing skill isn't devalued because the rubber-banding only gets the stragglers to the back of the actual racing. Any one know what shortage of processing power he's talking about? I can't imagine that suggestion is particularly taxing.

  • Deoden #15 1 year ago

    I don't understand why Nintendo simply haven't borrowed the Item Switch option from Smash Bros and let the players decide what power ups they want in the race. Worked a treat there, and Smash Bros is just as much a party game as Mario Kart.

  • SavageEvil #16 1 year ago

    Lol, this is funny. Someone here crying about having skills reduced to nothing because of the blue shell. You have got to be kidding me, it's Mario Kart for crying out loud. I hate the way they changed the Blue Shell in the recent games, I preferred the invincible shell from MK64, that one you could use to take out opponents directly in it's line of fire and it's course on its way to the first player. Same people complaining are they same ones using the Blue Shell to get back into the race after getting blasted off the road on Rainbow Road. The new blue shell is pathetic, it flies through the air and there is no real way to avoid it and the resulting explosion.

  • JayScott #17 1 year ago

    I have no problem with it being in the game. I still manage to win most of the time in single player, and it allows my non-gaming friends a chance to be a little more competitive in multiplayer. Plus it has helped me develop an entirely new vocabulary full of delightful swear words.

  • Lusterpurge #18 1 year ago

    You guys complaining about punishing skill must be pretty bad yourselves. Any real player knows to stay just behind the first player until the very end when you boost ahead.

  • jellyBelly #19 1 year ago

    If they really want to keep it in as a device to level the playing field they should at least make it 10 times less frequent.

  • Shinetop #20 1 year ago

    I'm fine with the blue shell. If you want to race on skill, play a serious racing game. If you want a fun racing game that's easy to play with people of all skill levels, that stays exciting until the very end, you play Mario Kart. And that requires the blue shells and other powerups that get more useful the further behind you are.

    I'd rather that they remove snaking. If you don't nail that skill and you see an opponent take off snaking, you've already lost. It goes against the whole "everyone is in it until the end" thing that Hideki Konno says the series is all about.

  • Rack #21 1 year ago

    There's no defending the Blue Shell it's just a cretinous idea, while some element of luck preventing the game being too predictable is fine an overt punishment to one player near the back of the pack and the one at the front adds absolutely nothing.

  • lambtron #22 1 year ago

    Mario Kart SNES is one of the best games ever made. Easy to play, tough to master (as it should be).

    Every MK since has been a pale imitation IMO, with inferior tracks and mechanics (and the sense of speed seems less too).

  • Eighthours #23 1 year ago

    The blue shell should be blockable or avoidable with skill. Then there would be few complaints. It's the fact you can't do anything about it that's unfair. It's completely unbalanced.

  • photoboy #24 1 year ago

    I didn't know you could dodge the blue shell in MK Wii, I mostly perfected dodging it in MK DS but that required use of the jump, which was removed from MK Wii. I gave up on MK Wii pretty quickly as it was nowhere near as good as MK DS, which IMHO is the best in the series (followed closely by SMK on the SNES).

    The thing that has annoyed me about most recent MK games (aside from MK DS) is the way you can be in the lead for all three laps and then take a red shell/blue shell up the arse on the final bend and then lose or come in 2nd/3rd. Seems a bit unfair to have worked your way to the front only to have it stolen at the last moment. If they could fix that I would be much more excited about the series.
    Edited by photoboy at 10/03/11 @ 08:53

  • udders #25 1 year ago

    When a blue shell is coming all u have to do is slow down and take others out with u. Simple. Or like someone said stay in second til near the end .

  • Evolution #26 1 year ago

    I feel like there are people who take Mario Kart way more seriously than I do...

  • Toothball #27 1 year ago

    I've had passing beef with the blue shell, although as I've not played any Mario Kart for a few years the displeasure has subsided somewhat. I don't plan to get this for the 3DS not because of the blue shell, but because I feel like I've played enough Mario Kart over the years. They change the cars and tracks a bit, but the game is mostly the same each time. Have fun with it though.

  • gav082 #28 1 year ago

    If your good enough you'll get blue shelled in the second lap and still recover enough to come first at the end of the 3rd lap

  • meanmrmustard #29 1 year ago

    The blue shell problem is why I have moved over to the criminally overlooked gem that is modnation racers. In that game when you've powered up your weapon to max there is a homing move to take out the leader of the race but if you are in the lead and have saved up enough boost you can convert it into a shield that blocks the attack. That plus user generated stuff makes it my personal choice over any mariokart of this decade.

    But yeah if they have to insist on the blue shell then it should be toggle-able.

  • CallousB #30 1 year ago

    I have more of an issue with snaking than the blue shell.

    Mario Kart DS ended up a chore online as it ended up as snake or don't bother playing...and I find constant snaking amazingly boring (and it doesn't do your thumb much good either). Mario Kart Wii online was far more fun thanks to snaking being gimped.

    On a side note....bring back speed-up coins.

  • SlackMaster #31 1 year ago

    Although I do enjoy Mario Kart there are two things that negate being good at racing and they are the blue shell and the unrandomness of the pickups.

    The blue shell is just plain shit and extremely cheap and even if you get well out in front and doesn't remove you from the lead is just plain tedious. The random pickups are not good as you only get powerful pickups if you're at the back or bananas if you're at the front. I was them to be fu*king random Nintendo.
    Edited by SlackMaster at 10/03/11 @ 10:16

  • woodyrulesok #32 1 year ago

    Love the blue shell.
    Me and my friends mainly play double dash or MKwii.
    It's so much fun, we are all pretty even racers, it's normally carnage.

    "Arhhhh, who got the bluey!?"

  • sega #33 1 year ago

    Can anyone tell me how to actually dodge the blue shell in Mario Kart Wii? It's something I have never managed to do and didn't think it was possible - if I can find out how it'll come in handy for multiplayer as that blue shell gets me every time (usually an inch before the finish line!).

  • gamingdave #34 1 year ago

    It isn't that bad. Mario Kart is still a game where the better player wins the majority of the time, and its never really stopped me winning the cups in single player. I did prefer the original version though on the ground, as it benefited the user more, and punished the leader less.

    As others have said though, having a weapons picker, would be a good idea. It works well for Smash Bros, Bomberman, and Worms which are similar styles of party game.

  • homerramone #35 1 year ago

    For me - the lack of such an equivalent in BLUR kinda spolied it a bit. Cos if you play online now, theres almost ALWAYS one persona that wins almost every single race.
    Im preprared to accept that some folks are very good at the game, but what I dont get is why is almost aways just one person with a 30 second lead on everyone else...

  • patootik #36 1 year ago

    I can see how the blue shell could be a problem in a one off race but over 4 races I will ALWAYS have more points accumulated that my mum or anyone else who is worse than me at Mario Kart.

    The last 4 major Mario Kart games have been like this, this IS Mario Kart. Super Mario Kart must have been nearly 20 years ago now, are people still bitter about the changes in the 64 version?

    Anyway my fave will alway be Mario Kart 64, but I have owned every version since and enjoyed them all to varying degrees. It's a fun party game, and can be very competitive when playing with players of similar skill levels.

    I also play a lot of Gran Turismo, I know the difference, I dont need either game to change. Anyone who blames the blue shell for losing races over and over and over is just a sore loser. The more skilled player will win the majority of the time regardless of items, and thats a fact.

  • ukuleleimport #37 1 year ago

    He must have not played the latest mario kart, trying to get full stars in 150cc. That part of the game really sucks, because when you are playing alone, needing to finish each course just about flawlessly, unpredictability is really not what you are looking for...

    Also, Nintendo, if you are reading this: Send that guy over to the Smash Bros dev team, tell them to show him how easy it is to let to player decide which items to include in his or her game.

  • TonyHarrison #38 1 year ago

    @sega "Can anyone tell me how to actually dodge the blue shell in Mario Kart Wii?"

    I've done it once (in what... three years is it?). You need a turbo mushroom, and you need to unleash it at the moment the blue shell goes to hit you.

  • JeroenZM #39 1 year ago

    If I'm playing online and it's apparent from the first few seconds that my opponent doesn't snake, I won't snake either. But snaking gave the Mario Kart games tremendous replay value, because you had to constantly reconsider your routes and there were a lot of ways to shave off seconds from your time. An online match with 4 snakers was some of the best fun I had. People also forget that snaking was somewhat a failsafe device against some of the more aggravating items. Ever since they removed it from Mario Kart Wii I haven't played it that much because there's only so much distance you can keep between yourself and those cheating relentless ai opponents (especially in the later cups). Still managed to 'star' every grand prix but I won't be able to get significantly faster times without snaking. It's not like it broke the game or something, they even mention it in the manual.

  • Shinetop #40 1 year ago

    If I'm playing online and it's apparent from the first few seconds that my opponent doesn't snake, I won't snake either.

    That makes it fun to play against you, but that still makes it pointless to play against the 99% of other snakers who'll snake regardless.

    But snaking gave the Mario Kart games tremendous replay value, because you had to constantly reconsider your routes and there were a lot of ways to shave off seconds from your time.

    That's possible without snaking too.

    An online match with 4 snakers was some of the best fun I had. People also forget that snaking was somewhat a failsafe device against some of the more aggravating items. Ever since they removed it from Mario Kart Wii I haven't played it that much because there's only so much distance you can keep between yourself and those cheating relentless ai opponents (especially in the later cups). Still managed to 'star' every grand prix but I won't be able to get significantly faster times without snaking.

    In that case I'd prefer they fix the aggrevating ai opponents instead of giving players a kludge like snaking.

    It's not like it broke the game or something, they even mention it in the manual.

    It irreparably broke multiplayer on the DS. If you didn't snake, there was no point bothering with online play. That's pretty broken.
    Edited by Shinetop at 10/03/11 @ 13:33

  • Toothball #41 1 year ago

    @INSOMANiAC

    Kotaku borrow stories from Eurogamer by the way. For example, the PEGI versus We Dare article made it onto Kotaku not long after. It's just about whoever find the story first. News is news wherever you care to read it.

  • romelpotter #42 1 year ago

    For me, SNES Super Mario Kart was about having a laugh with my mates, not mega serious F1 style sim racing. Blue Shells were a brilliant way of pissing off your racing buddy. Winner gets the plaudits, looser goes to the fridge and gets the beers in!

    If your looking for serious skill based racing, why are you even playing Mario Kart?


    Edit, typo's
    Edited by romelpotter at 10/03/11 @ 14:50

  • Bander #43 1 year ago

    "What we were trying to do was push them back together with 64, having eight racers on the screen all the time, didn't work all that well. So, because the processing power didn't exist, we weren't able to create the racing environment we wanted."

    Didn't Mario Kart 64 use sprites, when Daytona USA on Saturn was able to shift 40 polygon cars at once with far less processing power and set a great example on how to keep races close between players?
    Edited by Bander at 10/03/11 @ 15:51

  • patootik #44 1 year ago

    @romelpotter

    You just summed up this entire debate in my opinion. Good post.

  • Phishfood #45 1 year ago

    If I was doing some online racing then yeah I'd be all competitive and hate the blue shell, but if its just me with my friends online/split screen then we just want some fun.