@JaxonH
I've had it cost me a few races, but I will admit, usually when I lose it's not because of the Blue Shell alone. My main problem with it, more than anything else, is that from what I've seen when I play, it never really helps the person who uses it. If it was having some kind of effect on other racers besides just the person in first place, I wouldn't be bothered by it as much. At the end of the day, even in Mario Kart Wii, it's never ruined my enjoyment of the game, I just always thought there could be a better way to balance its effect.
My main problem with it, more than anything else, is that from what I've seen when I play, it never really helps the person who uses it. If it was having some kind of effect on other racers besides just the person in first place, I wouldn't be bothered by it as much.
It does though. The blue shell can hit drivers along the way to the kart in first place, so it can help you climb up the ranks by one or two places if you're falling behind (and it also makes them lose coins and/or items, reducing their menace on the road). It also helps those in say, 2nd-6th place, who can then quickly catch up and increase their position (as evidenced by the many times where I've come in 7th or so from 1st place after being hit by a blue shell so close to the finish line). Generally those in 1st and 2nd place have the greatest advantage as they're less likely to avoid the absolute chaos that affects those in mid-level ranks, who are more likely to receive more annoying and destructive items, such as piranha plants, orbiting red shells etc.
The blue shell was easier to avoid in say, MK7 because the bottom screen would show you which items the other drivers are holding, so you can slow down to let some other sucker surpass you so that you can avoid the impact of the blue shell. No such luck in MK8D. There have been occasions in MK8D where there have been 2-3 blue shells discharged in the space of a single race. There was one where I got hit twice in consecutive laps at approximately the same location. It's frustrating, but such is the nature of Mario Kart.
I think there's too much complaining about the Blue Shell. When you think about it the person in first is the only person who doesn't have to worry about items people ahead of them drop. If you're in first you don't have to worry about bombs, bananas or shells that people drop behind them. You're also usually out of range of most of the powerful items the back of the pack get like the star and bullet bill. Sure the lightning bolt hits you but it hits second about as much.
Compare that to the middle of the pack. If you're in 3rd-5th you have to worry about just about every item in the game. Someone from behind you can race past with a bullet bill or a start. You can get spun out by the lightning bolt or hit by a red shell. And you're less likely to hold on to items in general because you're trying to slow down the players infront of you. Players who can drop a bomb or shoot a green shell back as you try and slipstream.
If I was to rank what I think are the safest places in a Mario Kart game?
Safest: 8-12th
Next safest: 1st & 2nd
Chaos: 3rd-7th
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@ZurapiiYohane There is definitely little, if any, rubberbanding in this game compared to others. And it's generous, too; fall behind even just a little and they tend to slow way down (maybe it happens more when you get hit by items as opposed to falling off?). That said, they are still quick on the draw when it comes to hitting you with backwards facing items.
I really hope MK8 will have DLC rather than a brand new MK. If they do I really hope we get to see a BotW track. I could imagine it being one of those long courses split into three sections. Section 1- death mountain, section 2- korok forest (this would be like yoshi's 64 course with multiple routes). Section 3- hyrule field (this would contain numerous static guardians that shoot lasers).
The balance in this game is extraordinary. The blue shell is part of that.
This. Only real problem with blue shells is how much they are annoying if you're trying to 3 star a GP cup. Fortunately i was able to complete that task a couple days ago!
What I'd like to see is a "City Cup" composed entirely of traffic levels throughout the series. Ideally the one in DS, GCN Mushroom City, Wii Moonview Highway, plus one new traffic course.
I pretty much can't play this game online in the Worldwide setting when Japan comes online, lol. It becomes practically impossible to get any higher than 5th place.
@meleebrawler After playing 8 I am thirsty for that caliber of track remaster for Moonview Highway from Mario Kart Wii. I love Toad's Turnpike for the full size car dodging, but in actuality it is just a figure 8 highway in a canyon floating in the middle of a boundless void with a city skybox even after the remaster.
I love Mushroom City in Double Dash, but it's just a lot of wide streets and not too much going on aesthetically (though it is legitimately epic context that its cityscape is the skybox of Rainbow Road GCN). The same goes for Mushroom Bridge GCN, which is — well it's pretty great let's be honest — but it doesn't have that nighttime city road vibe to it. However, Double Dash did get the cars right. The mushroom and bomb car are both really smart ideas, the later of which was brought back in Moonview Highway.
Moonview Highway itself is great because it encompasses a journey. Racers drive from the forested highway across a bridge into the red-lit city streets, across a lot of boost pads, through a tunnel, and through a toll gate out onto the secluded highway. It's nearly everything I want from a Mario Kart track, and a remaster or new track hitting upon the same concepts could make it amazing.
In terms of additions, it just needs to feel denser. Obviously and current gen version could have the same nerve-wracking vehicle density of MK8 Toad's Turnpike. Then the traffic could thin out as you head out into the country like it sometimes does in Toad's Turnpike. Another way to heighten this feel it to make the course a little more intricate than a vague rectangle. Some alternate routes, short cuts, and skyscraper-bordered streets like Mushroom City could do a lot to make it feel denser. And of course, mushroom and bomb cars from several of the Double Dash courses would provide very interactive obstacles along with the glider ramp cars from Toad's Turnpike in Mario Kart 8.
That's about the extent of my thoughts, I hope you're picking up what I'm putting down if you've read this far.
@Haru17 If we get more MKWii tracks, I'd want DK's Snowboard Cross or Dry Dry Ruins the most out of the new tracks. The latter being that if you're going to go all out with the Paper Mario 64 theme then at least get Dry Dry Ruins and some more MKSC tracks!
@KirbyTheVampire Haha! In my most recent online session, I found myself in a mostly Japanese lobby - managed to finish either 3rd or 4th in all 7 races - pretty pleased with that...but, when I looked at my 'recently played' stats, a Japanese girl beat me 7-0! Top 3 finish in every race! Unbelievable skills!
@Haru17 What's neat about Mushroom City is the various branching paths (even if some of them are dead ends) and well-hidden shortcuts like the thin dirt strip at the end. And don't forget the Wiggler bus (even if it is Sunshine based).
@Grumblevolcano Snowboard Cross just wouldn't be the same without half-pipe jumps. I also feel like they've covered most of Super Circuit's unique themes, the only tracks left from that game I'd like to see are Sunset Wilds, maybe Lakeside Park (though Grumble Volcano is fairly similar), and particularly it's version of Rainbow Road to see what crazy jumps could be pulled off with 8's engine.
@meleebrawler I'd want Boo Lake/Broken Pier, Cheep Cheep Island, Sunset Wilds, Snow Land, Yoshi Desert, Lakeside Park and Bowser Castle 4 from Super Circuit. I could see Nintendo delving back into retro repeats like Sky Garden though as they did the same thing for SMK (Rainbow Road) and MKDD (Baby Park and Yoshi Circuit).
@Grumblevolcano Broken Pier could be interesting with it's Boo hazards, they could steal your items. Snow Land and Yoshi Desert are a bit too generic for my tastes, and Cheep Cheep Island is a bit too similar to Cheep Cheep Beach DS that we have currently.
@meleebrawler Right, the bus! It's even in the track thumbnail too. You have no idea how happy it makes me that Mario Kart keeps carrying the Sunshine continuity. If only another popular Mario series kept involving Super Mario Sunshine characters instead of just defaulting to the generic 2010s version of Mario 3 that doesn't have nearly as much to offer in terms of character...
@Haru17 Regarding MK8 tracks, there's GCN Dry Dry Desert. As for the whole series there's also Wii Dry Dry Ruins and a lot of Super Circuit tracks (Intelligent Systems worked on Super Circuit).
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