Mario Kart World has more ways to dodge a blue shell than you realize

Doing well in Mario Kart World is the same as putting a target on your back when it comes to blue shells. For some, the combination of a high skill ceiling, tough NPCs, and prevalence of the spiny item has proven irksome, but it doesn’t have to be this way. You have more tools in your arsenal to deal with the blue shell than might be immediately apparent.

As detailed by Austin John Plays, there are at least 14 different ways to dodge or counter a blue shell, which he goes over in a great YouTube video where commenters are also sharing some of their favorite strategies. There’s a ton of strategic info in here that people might not realize, like: Did you know that the blue shell has a timer, and if it can’t hit you during that period of time, it’ll despawn?

The first tactic, which will be familiar to anyone who played Mario Kart 8, is of course the Super Horn. The horn can not only destroy items with ease, it’s also something that the game might actually spawn for you in an item block even if you’re in first place.

There are also new ways to fight the blue shell that are unique to Mario Kart World, like making use of the Rewind button. The shell can’t hit you if you’re not even there! Granted, this method is only useful in single-player, not online races.

Some methods are obvious: You can preemptively slow down to get into second or third place, ensuring that a different driver has to deal with it. There are also galaxy brain options, like racing until you find the blue shell and then going in first. Mario Kart World will not spawn another blue shell if you’re already carrying it, though we know that you can, in fact, hit yourself with it in that scenario. You could also simply let the blue shell hit you if you’re running around with a Dash Food item, as using snacks immediately after impact will help you regain your position quickly.

Then there’s the old-school method, which is using a mushroom. The timing can be tricky to learn at first, but if you boost around when the blue shell stops spinning above you, you’ll avoid the shell entirely.

None of these will be helpful if you’re the unlucky schmuck who gets hit by the blue shell inches away from the finish line, but that’s Mario Kart for you.