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A Spiny Shell (トゲゾーこうら), also known as a Blue Shell (青こうら) referring to its blue colored nature, is an Item that debuted in the second Mario Kart title, Mario Kart 64. Though it has taken on many different forms and variations throughout the series, its main objective has always remained the same: to destroy the player in 1st place.

Due to their cruel nature, the Spiny Shell has become an infamous Item, feared by even most skilled kart-racers. So far, the Spiny Shell has been featured in every game since Mario Kart 64.

Usage[]

Mario Kart 64[]

Blue Shell (Mario Kart 64)

Artwork of the Spiny Shell from Mario Kart 64.

In its first appearance, the Spiny Shell is just a blue variant of the more common red Spiny Shell in previous Mario games. Any racer besides first to third place can obtain it, but it is by far the rarest Item in the game. Once obtained from an Item Box and fired, the spiky shell travels in a straight path for a few moments. And much like a Red Shell, if the Spiny Shell hits a wall, it is gone for good (although it has better corner-careening powers than the Red Shell). After this, the shell locks on to the first place racer, traveling in the middle of the road and bowling over any racers in its path. Any gaps in the track are not a problem for the Spiny Shell; they can simply glide right over them. Once the first place racer hears the siren sound, it is already too late... they are knocked over in a violent crash.

Additionally, this early variant has the option of being dragged behind a player's vehicle, much like a Banana or Green Shell. Utilizing the Spiny Shell in this way creates an almost impenetrable defense, as the shell can never be broken by racers or any Item besides a Starman.

When fired, the Spiny Shell travels in a straight path for a few moments. Much like a Red Shell, if the Spiny Shell hits a wall, it will be destroyed, so the player must be very careful with this item to avoid wasting it. After a few seconds, the Spiny Shell will then travel along the ground, following the track ahead of the driver who fired it. Any kart that the Spiny Shell hits will be sent into the air. Players can easily avoid this item by staying out of the way, as the Spiny Shell will only target the leading racer. As it travels, the Spiny Shell makes a distinct siren, possibly as a warning.

While the Spiny Shell normally travels along the track, it will take to the air if it needs to in order to continue the chase, going over jumps and gaps. On Banshee Boardwalk, a strange case of this happens when the Spiny Shell reaches the "WELCOME" sign and makes a corkscrew flight to get back on the track before entering the haunted house.

If the Spiny Shell strikes an invincible racer, it will be destroyed and the racer will be left unharmed. If the leader is invisible, the Spiny Shell will simply make another lap around the course and hit the driver afterwards. Unlike later installments, the Spiny Shell can be held behind the player and destroy any incoming item. It cannot be fired backwards.

There are sideways Item Boxes on certain tracks that let the player get a Spiny Shell each time, even if they are in first place, but there are only two of these. One of them is in Luigi Raceway, where, just after the player enters the second lap, a hot air balloon with Luigi's face will dip down onto the track with a single Item Box beneath the basket. The second one is in Koopa Troopa Beach, where, on the way back to the start, the player will see a large rock with a lone Item Box on top of it in front of a long, narrow ramp. But, be mindful that if you are the Leader of the race is using it, the Spiny Shell will go in front, then turn around straight to you without traversing the race course.

When these courses reappeared in Mario Kart 7, both of these sideways Item Boxes were absent. The one in Luigi Raceway is now a regular Item Box while the one in Koopa Troopa Beach was replaced with a Coin.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit[]

The Spiny Shell has the same function as in Mario Kart 64, though the shell is darker blue in color. Like before, it makes a distinct siren sound when traveling as a warning.

Another feature for this item is, just like the Red Shell, it can be dropped behind the player and will only activate when the leader passes by it.

Unlike Mario Kart 64, the Spiny Shell is a lot easier to avoid in this game. As such, if the player jumps over a wall or abyss, the Spiny Shell will either break or fall off the course.

Upon impact, the Spiny Shell makes the player stop and spin out where they were hit. This trait was used again for the POW Block in Mario Kart Wii and the Spiny Shell in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!![]

Mario Kart Double Dash!!

Mario is in for a rough time.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the Spiny Shell's appearance and function have changed drastically. It's a standard item that can be obtained by any driver in 4th place or lower.

Unlike the previous installments, the Spiny Shell now bears a pair of wings that allow it to fly instead of traveling along the ground, skipping over any obstacles that would have stopped it otherwise. The Spiny Shell makes a hissing noise when launched.

After being thrown, the Spiny Shell travels at high speeds to the leader, ignoring all of the other positions. When the leader is found, the Spiny Shell homes in on it, then charges straight into it after hovering. After doing so, the Spiny Shell explodes on impact and the leader is thrown into the air, making their kart backflip. In addition, the blast leaves the leader itemless. The blast itself is like a Bob-omb, but is blue and much bigger. This trait was kept for subsequent games.

If other racers get caught in the explosion, they, along with the leader, will get thrown up and left itemless. If they are caught within the blast radius, they will simply spin out.

While the Spiny Shell goes after the leader in every race, it then targets subsequent leaders until all the other racers have finished. For example, when the player in first has finished, the Spiny Shell will go after the player in 2nd place, and so on. Another rule is that once a player has a Spiny Shell, the other racers cannot get a Red or Green Shell until it has been used, which was also kept for later games.

There are many ways for the player to avoid the Spiny Shell. They can use a perfectly-timed Mushroom, a Starman, or a Mini-Turbo when drifting, which will cause the Spiny Shell to go around the player and crash into a wall, destroying it.

Mario Kart DS[]

MKDS Dry Bones and Blue Shell on RR

Dry Bones is in for a rough patching on Rainbow Road...

In Mario Kart DS, the Spiny Shell has not changed since its redesign in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. However, this time around, racers between 4th and 6th place can obtain this, while 7th place can get this in single-player VS Races and 8th place for local multiplayer VS Races.

When fired, the Spiny Shell flies over the road heading to the leader. Upon approaching, the Spiny Shell will fly over their target and drop down immediately, exploding on impact and throwing the driver into the air, making them drop their items (and destroying Bullet Bills).

As with Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, players can avoid the Spiny Shell using a Star, a Bullet Bill, or a Boo. Getting hit by a course obstacle, a Banana, or a Fake Item Box will also nullify the effects. Karts with high handling, such as the Dry Bomber, can easily avoid the Spiny Shell by performing a timed hop just after releasing the Mini-Turbo.

Mario Kart Wii[]

Bowser Art - Mario Kart Wii

Bowser Holding a Spiny Shell

The Spiny Shell appears for the fifth time in Mario Kart Wii. It has the same function as its appearances in Double Dash!! and DS, and can be obtained if the driver is anywhere from 4th to 8th place (the middle ranked positions), with CPU drivers also being able to obtain it in 9th place. Its rarity is on par with the POW Block, which is supposedly the rarest item in the game. Even if the racer is in first place and they drop out, the Spiny Shell will simply make a U-turn and strike the driver.

The player can avoid the Spiny Shell in this game with a Star, a Mega Mushroom, a Bullet Bill, or a well-timed Mushroom. They can also avoid this by getting hit by riding a Cannon, riding the Launch Star on Rainbow Road, or taking the wide ramp in N64 DK's Jungle Parkway. It is also possible to drop a Banana at a very precise time during a drop, making the Spiny Shell ram into it which results in the target going free. Perfectly-timed tricks can also make the player avoid the Spiny Shell.

If the player drops out of 1st place while the Spiny Shell chases them, it will still attack that player if the dropout happens a few seconds before the attack.

In Team Races, the Spiny Shell goes after the leading member of the opposing team, completely ignoring the leader on that member's team. For example, if a Red Team member fired the Spiny Shell, it will go after the Blue Team member in 3rd if the two racers in front of them are on the Red Team. If you fire a Spiny Shell while ahead of all the members of the opposing team, the Spiny Shell will make a U-Turn and then target and hit the leading player of the opposition. For the first time, the Spiny Shell appears in the Battle Mode, going after the player who has the highest score at that time in the opposing team. Bullet Bills will be destroyed rather than dropped, and the blast can destroy nearby Items on the ground.

Additionally, the Spiny Shell is signaled by a unique siren sound before it reaches the player it is targeting.

Unlike the racing modes, the Spiny Shell is very rare in Battle mode and only appears when there is a large score difference between both teams.

Mario Kart 7[]

Donkey Kong - Mario Kart 7 Artwork

The Spiny Shell is even more deadly without wings...

The Spiny Shell appears for the sixth time in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart 7.

Unlike its previous iterations, it is now wingless like its appearance in Mario Kart 64. However, this incarnation has small hexagons on the carapace in a manner to the winged design.

Like its previous appearances, the Spiny Shell explodes on impact when it hits the leading racer, but it also hits players in the way since it travels along the ground in its original appearance. Being rare with the Lightning, players obtain the Spiny Shell in 5th to 8th place while CPU drivers can only get it from 5th to 7th.

The Spiny Shell's explosion is weaker than in Mario Kart Wii and dissipates quickly. This time around, it knocks players to the side, with the potential of them falling off the course which makes it slightly more dangerous than before, much like when the player gets hit by a Star or Bullet Bill. In addition, Barrel Cannons or similar objects no longer grant the racer immunity from the Spiny Shell's attack.

As with being hit by all other items, the Spiny Shell makes the leader drop three coins, but they hold on to their items, except those being dragged behind at the time of the explosion (which are destroyed).

Unlike Mario Kart Wii, the player in 1st can avoid the Spiny Shell by dropping out before the item is launched or falling off the course. However, the item is harder to dodge with a Mushroom, as the Spiny Shell explodes ahead of the targeted racer.

For the first time, the Spiny Shell can no longer travel further than a set distance. If it has traveled for more than 40 seconds without hitting the targeted racer, the shell disappears.

It also has a new sound effect when launched, instead of the hissing noises from previous installments. The "incoming item" warning sound from Mario Kart Wii now only plays when the Spiny Shell or Bullet Bill is launched, the sound is also slower

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX[]

Unlike Mario Kart Arcade GP and its sequel, the Spiny Shell appears as an item in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, serving the same function as its appearance in the mainline Mario Kart games. Once the leader is hit, they flip forward twice.

Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[]

SpinyShellMK8

The Spiny Shell in Mario Kart 8.

The Spiny Shell returns in Mario Kart 8 and its Nintendo Switch port. While retaining its Mario Kart 7 design, the Spiny Shell has a brighter, royal blue color. Unlike its previous appearance, the Spiny Shell flies once more, but much closer to the ground, travels along a fixed line in the middle of the road (it will divert to the tighter line if the middle of the road is obstructed by obstacles like the spinners on the hairpin of Cheese Land) and will flip over any racer in its path. Once it is close enough to the leader, it takes off and goes for the leader in the shortest possible distance, disregarding off roads, walls and any racers in the way (it will still flip them over if collided). When it's above the leader, it spins around them twice before striking down on them, causing an explosion that destroys their trailed/triple items and leaves the leader stranded for a few seconds.

Like the previous games, the Spiny Shell can be avoided with a well-timed Mushroom, getting hit with another item, outrunning it (which is possible on 200cc in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), or using the Super Horn, an item introduced in this game that can destroy any Spiny Shell in their path.

As with Mario Kart 7, the Spiny Shell cannot travel farther than a set distance. If done so, the shell will simply disappear. As such, on N64 Yoshi Valley, the Spiny Shell can take a different path and can easily miss the player's path (unless the player is substantially ahead). It will continue on its path and will not go another lap to hit the leading player.

The Spiny Shell is not as powerful in this game as it was in previous installments. When hit, the player flips once in the spot they were last hit instead of twice. In the air, the player spins around twice, interrupting their flight. This is similar to its Mario Kart: Super Circuit appearance.

Due to the new distance-based item system, it is possible for any place other than 1st to get the Spiny Shell. The player must be within 5500 to 13000 distance units from the frontrunner. Its rarity is tied with the Super Horn, the Blooper, and the Crazy Eight. It is also possible to outrun a blue shell in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

A model of the Spiny Shell is included with the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition bundle as well as the game's disc.

Mario Kart Tour[]

In Mario Kart Tour, the Spiny Shell maintains its appearance from Mario Kart 8, and behaves similarly to its predecessors. Similarly is used to define this because in Mario Kart 8 (and its Deluxe version), you could outrun it on 200cc, but in Mario Kart Tour, the Spiny Shell will always be faster than the driver in first place.

There are new ways to dodge the Spiny Shell in Mario Kart Tour, which includes invincibility frames, the newly added Frenzy Mode, and surprisingly, dropping out of first place. Unlike the other games, where dropping out of first while the Spiny Shell is locked onto you renders useless, if you time it just right, the Spiny Shell will glide its way to the new lead driver instead, blowing them and their dragged items up in the process.

Additionally, the Spiny Shell can be dragged, just like it could in Mario Kart 64 and Super Circuit, but it is not completely invincible. Getting the shell hit by drivers will cause it to take damage. It will explode behind the carrier if a third driver hits it or if it collides with another item; even a simple Banana can destroy a dragged Spiny Shell.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[]

The Spiny Shell reappears in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and returns to its winged form introduced in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, as well as functioning in the same way as it did in the game. The Spiny Shell, however, does not have wings while the player is holding it. The blast radius is also bigger.

Protection[]

Mario Kart 64: The Spiny Shell cannot be dodged in this game, but can get destroyed if it hits a wall. Boos and Stars can prevent first place racer from taking damage.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game. Spiny Shells can be dodged if performing a mini-turbo skillfully.

Mario Kart DS: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game. Like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the Spiny Shell can be dodged if performing a mini-turbo skillfully.

Mario Kart Wii: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game. It can be dodged by using a Mushroom.

Mario Kart 7: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game. It can be dodged by using a Mushroom or a well timed Bob-Omb.

Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game. It can be dodged by using a Mushroom or a Super Horn.

Mario Kart Tour: Watch this video to see how to dodge a Spiny Shell in this game.

Trivia![]

  • It is more commonly known as a blue shell.
  • In Mario Kart Wii, the Spiny Shell is a pseudo-timed item, as it cannot be pulled for the first 27.5 seconds of a race. Only after the first 27.5 seconds of a race can the player potentially pull back-to-back Spiny Shells.
  • In Mario Kart 7, the Spiny Shell was originally going to have wings again (just like its 3 predecessors) as shown in the item roulette from the demos of E3 2010 and E3 2011. However, in the final version of the game, it was replaced with its wingless form.
  • In the video game Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, the Spiny Shell is mentioned by Phantom when the latter sings his song Phantom of the Bwahpera ("You're first and doing so well, but here comes the Spiny Shell!") A fossil of the Spiny Shell appears in the Ancient Gardens after the player completes the level. Beep-O jokingly states that once Mario and the others restore it, they will spend the rest of their lives running from it.
  • In Mario Kart Tour, if used in first place (which is difficult at times), or in a frenzy, the Spiny Shell will not target the driver and will act similarly to a Green Shell, heading forward in a straight line, but exploding on contact with a wall or another item.
  • Although this item is called the Spiny Shell or the Blue Shell, it is not to be confused with the red variant that Spinies wear or the Blue Shell that blue Koopa Troopas wear.
  • In "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," it's revealed that the Koopa General is the one to wear the infamous spiny shell (or blue shell as he calls it in the movie), although he targets Mario and Donkey Kong who were in 2nd place instead of Peach and Toad who were in first.
  • This item is the most hated item by fans. That is mostly because it could cost you the race if you are hit by it. This is especially not what you want other players to get if you are in first nearing the end of the race, cause it to be infamous.
  • If you are foolish enough and fire it while you are in first, it will still hit you even though it was you who shot it.

Probabilities of obtaining the Item[]

Mario Kart 64[]

Rank
1st 0%
2nd 0%
3rd 0%
4th 5%
5th 5%
6th 10%
7th 10%
8th 15%

Mario Kart DS[]

Rank
1st 0%
2nd 0%
3rd 0%
4th 5%
5th 10%
6th 7.5%
7th 0%
8th 0%

Mario Kart Wii[]

Rank
1st 0%
2nd 0%
3rd 0%
4th 2.5%
5th 5%
6th 7.5%
7th 5%
8th 2.5%
9th 0%
10th 0%
11th 0%
12th 0%

Mario Kart 7[]

Rank
1st 0%
2nd 0%
3rd 0%
4th 0%
5th 5%
6th 10%
7th 10%
8th 5%

Mario Kart 8[]

Distance (units)
400 0%
1000 0%
2000 0%
3300 0%
5500 2.5%
8000 2.5%
13000 2.5%
26000 0%
999998 0%
999999 0%

Gallery[]

To see the Spiny Shell image gallery, click here.

Mario Kart 64 items
BananaBanana Bunch* • Green ShellTriple Green Shell* • Red ShellTriple Red Shell* • Spiny Shell* • Fake Item Box* • MushroomTriple Mushroom* • Golden Mushroom* • LightningStarmanBoo
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit items
BananaGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellMushroomTriple MushroomLightningStarmanBoo
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! items
Regular Items BananaGreen ShellRed ShellSpiny ShellFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomsLightningStarman
Special Items FireballHeart* • Yoshi EggBirdo's Egg* • Chain Chomp* • Golden MushroomTriple Green ShellsTriple Red ShellsGiant Banana* • Bowser Shell* • Bob-omb*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart DS items
BananaTriple Bananas* • Green ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet Bill* • Blooper* • LightningStarmanBoo
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart Wii items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombFake Item BoxMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanMega Mushroom* • Thunder Cloud* • POW Block*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart 7 items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanFire Flower* • Super Leaf* • Lucky Seven*
* - New to the series.
Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe) items
BananaTriple BananasGreen ShellTriple Green ShellRed ShellTriple Red ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomTriple MushroomGolden MushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarmanFire FlowerBoomerang FlowerPotted Piranha PlantSuper HornCrazy 8CoinFeather*/** • Boo*
* - Exclusive to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. • ** - Only available in Battle Mode.
Mario Kart Tour items
Regular Items BananaGreen ShellRed ShellSpiny ShellBob-ombMushroomBullet BillBlooperLightningStarman** • Mega MushroomSuper HornCoinFeather***
Special Items Boomerang FlowerBubble* • Triple Green ShellsDouble Bob-ombs* • Dash Ring* • Giant BananaHeartFire FlowerYoshi's EggTriple MushroomsIce Flower* • Giga Bob-omb* • Bowser ShellBanana Barrel* • Lucky SevenBob-omb Cannon* • Birdo's EggHammer* • Mushroom Cannon* • Triple BananasCoin Box* • Super Bell* • Super LeafCapsule*
* - New to the series. • ** - Exclusive as an Item in some Challenges and in Multiplayer.*** - Only available in Battle Mode.
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