Blue Spiny Shell

Blue Spiny Shells, also known simply as Blue Shells and Spiny Shells, are explosive homing items in the Mario Kart series. They are known to be explosive Koopa Troopa shells similar to Spiny Shells. Their special maneuver is to chase the leading player via flying to him, and then flying right into them. Some games gave the Blue Spiny Shell wings, so they could fly directly to the player in lead, but others left it wingless so it stayed grounded, making it a danger among the other racers as well.
Starting from Mario Kart Wii, they can be evaded with a Mushroom boost, and in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, they can even be avoided with a mini turbo boost from a power slide: the player needs to be quick and must be good at timing. A Super Horn is also the only thing that can destroy it.
==History==
The Blue Spiny Shell debuted in Mario Kart 64, in which it did not have wings, and chased the leading player on ground, making them able to hit everyone in their path. When they hit a victim, they will continue their path, until reaching the racer in lead. This wingless Spiny Shell returns as of Mario Kart 7.
From Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to Mario Kart Wii, the Blue Spiny Shell gained wings, and will fly directly to the player. These games also introduced the blue explosion they emitted, which stayed with the wingless version of Mario Kart 7.
In Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, it was a blue version of an actual Spiny Shell. Starting from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, it is a Blue Shell with spikes that occasionally has wings.
== Game Appearances ==
=== Super Smash Bros. series ===
==== Super Smash Bros. Collide ====
The Blue Spiny Shell will be an item in SSBC.
===Koopa Kart series===
The Blue Spiny Shell not only appears as an item in the Koopa Kart series starting from Koopa Kart 64, it also appears as the icon for the Blue Spiny Shell Cup, the Koopa Kart equivalent to the Lightning Cup.
=== Mario Kart series ===
==== Mario Kart: Revenge of Snaking ====
The Blue Spiny Shell returns in Mario Kart: Revenge of Snaking, with a backwards variant known as the White Spiny Shell making its debut in this game.
==== Mario Kart Twinsanity ====
While the Blue Spiny Shell doesn't appear in Mario Kart Twinsanity, its more powerful variant, the Spiny Bombshell, makes its Mario Kart debut in this game.
===Koopa Kart series===
====Koopa Kart 64====
The Blue Spiny Shell makes its Koopa Kart series debut in Koopa Kart 64, where it can be obtained from 4th to 8th place, though it is the second rarest item in the game behind the Lightning, and only human players can obtain this item. Once fired, it will travel across the ground, hitting other players in its path on its way to the leader. Once it hits the leader, it will send them flying. It will be destroyed if it hits a wall.
The Blue Spiny Shell can be held behind the kart, though it can only be thrown forward.
====Koopa Kart Advance====
The Blue Spiny Shell returns in Koopa Kart Advance, serving the same role as in Koopa Kart 64, though the shell has a darker blue color. It is easier to avoid, as it will fall into bottomless pits. Like in the previous game, it is obtainable from 4th to 8th place.
====Koopa Kart: Double Trouble!!====
In Koopa Kart: Double Trouble!!, the Blue Spiny Shell has a pair of wings that allows the item to fly instead of traveling on the ground. Once it finds its target, the shell hovers behind the vehicle and charges into it. This is the first game where the Blue Spiny Shell explodes on impact, tossing the player into the air like it did in the previous installments. This time, however, it will leave the player itemless. Just like the previous two installments, it is available to players from 4th to 8th place.
====Koopa Kart DS====
The Blue Spiny Shell retains its Koopa Kart: Double Trouble!! function in Koopa Kart DS. It flies while following the road to reach the leader, only then does it circle above the racer and dive onto them. It will then explode on impact, sending the vehicle flying upward and destroying any items in its possession. The explosion can be avoided using invincibility items like a Star, Bullet Bill, or Boo, the skillful use of a Mini-Turbo, or by hitting a Banana or Fake Item Box at the correct timing. The range for this item ranges from 4th to 8th place.
====Koopa Kart Wii====
The Blue Spiny Shell retains its function from Koopa Kart: Double Trouble!! and Koopa Kart DS in Koopa Kart Wii. The explosion can be avoided using invincibility items like a Star, Bullet Bill, Boo, or Mega Mushroom, getting shot out of a cannon, or dropping a Banana at a very precise time during a drop after the jump. The third method causes the Banana to collide with the Blue Spiny Shell and spare the target. Starting from this game, the player can use a well-timed Mushroom to escape the explosion. Due to the addition of 16 player racing per track, it can be obtained from 5th to 11th place.
====Koopa Kart 7====
The Blue Spiny Shell makes its next appearance in Koopa Kart 7. It starts off wingless and travels on the ground when thrown, allowing it to hit other players. Once it passes the second place racer, it will grow wings and fly to the racer in 1st. The shell is also larger than in previous installments, giving it a bigger hitbox. As the game goes back to 12 player racing, it is obtainable from 4th to 8th place.
The Blue Spiny Shell can be avoided by dropping out of 1st place at the right moment, falling off the course, using invincibility items like a Star, Bullet Bill, or Super Mega Mushroom, getting shot out of a cannon, hitting items like a Banana or Fake Item Box at the correct timing, or boosting with a Mushroom. Players who are behind the leader can avoid the shell by swerving out of its path.
The Blue Spiny Shell cannot travel further than a set distance, as it will disappear if it exceeds the distance.
====Koopa Kart 8====
The Blue Spiny Shell retains its properties from the previous game in Koopa Kart 8, though it has a brighter, royal blue color. It retains its wings from the moment it is thrown, though it flies much lower to the ground and can hit other players, similar to the previous game. Like in Koopa Kart Wii, it can be obtained from 5th to 11th place.
The Blue Spiny Shell can be avoided in the same ways as in Koopa Kart 7, though the player can now outrun the shell while in 1st place.
Like in Koopa Kart 7, the Blue Spiny Shell can only travel a certain distance before it disappears.
=== Koopa Kart Tour ===
The Blue Spiny Shell returns in Koopa Kart Tour as Blue Spiny Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa's Special Item, serving the same purpose as in Koopa Kart 7 and Koopa Kart 8. As usual, it is obtainable from 4th to 8th place. It can now be destroyed with the newly-introduced Super Horn.
==Trivia==
*In RedYoshi's Universal Conquest, King Cloud's Lakitu Cloud can spit out Blue Spinies Shells, something regular Lakitu Clouds can't do.
*In Super Mario Ruby Quest, A Spiny Blue Winged Shell is a wearable item, enabling Mario to throw Spiny Blue Wingless Shells at enemies, and hover lightly. When he ducks, if an enemy bumps into his shell, the enemy will die.
==Gallery==
===Wingless===
MK7-Blue-Shell.png|Mario Kart 7
SpinyShellMK8.png|Mario Kart 8
BlueSpinyShellMKC.png|Mario Kart Connect
N64 Blue Spiny Shell - Mario Kart Wii.png
MK7 Blue Spiny Shell Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png
N64BlueShellNSMB.png
N64 Blue Shell.png|Koopa Kart 64 and Koopa Kart Advance
N64 Blue Shell - Mario Kart Double Dash.png
Blue shell by toasted912-db9zz8y.png
3DSBlueSpinyShellMK8.png
Fm item kame blue.png
WinglessBlueSpinyShell_-_MarioPartyStarRush.png
===Winged===
Blue Shell - Mario Kart Double Dash.png|Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, Koopa Kart: Double Trouble!!, and Koopa Kart DS
Spiny Shell - Mario Kart Wii.png|Mario Kart Wii and Koopa Kart Wii
BlueSpinyShellKK.png|Koopa Kart 7
Blue Spiny Shell Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png
BlueSpinyShell - MarioPartyStarRush.png
Winged blue shell by toasted912-db9zz8y.png
WiiBlueSpinyShellMK8.png
Blue Spiny Shell - Mario Kart DS.png
Fm item kame wing.png
BlueSpinyShellMKS.png|Koopa Kart 8 and Koopa Kart Tour
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