Shell dash
- Not to be confused with Shell Toss.
The shell dash[1] is a move that Mario and Luigi can perform by entering a shell and sliding around in it; it can be used in New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D World. As the player dashes, they defeat enemies and bounce off walls. In the games' multiplayer modes, any other players hit by this move power down or lose a life, depending on their form.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 3 and its reissues, the Koopalings use a similar move upon being stomped: most of them jump while withdrawn into their shells; Lemmy instead stays on his magical ball. Notably, Roy and Ludwig jump twice and lower than the rest and shake the ground upon landing, stunning Mario if he is not in midair. While Mario can jump on them in this state, they only push him away.
Super Mario World[edit]
In Super Mario World and its reissue, Ludwig shell dashes upon getting stomped during his battle. He is the only Koopaling to do so.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
| It has been suggested that this section be merged into Shell Mario. Reason: Key move of Shell Mario, mechanical information would be more useful there (discuss) |
The shell dash is a move in New Super Mario Bros.. It can be performed only if the player is in their Shell form after collecting a Blue Shell. It can be performed by running for about two seconds or crouching on a slope. After doing so, Mario or Luigi ducks into his shell and dashes as fast as a moving Green Shell or Red Shell. Mario or Luigi can jump while using this move, as well as hit or break blocks (off which, alongside walls, they ricochet) and defeat enemies; it takes three shell dash hits to defeat most bosses. Unlike when kicking a Koopa Troopa's shell and hitting multiple enemies to earn increasing points and extra lives, Mario or Luigi earns only 200 points for every enemy defeated when using a shell dash.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Every time the Koopalings get stomped, they respond by performing the shell dash to ram Mario in New Super Mario Bros. Wii; as of this game, jumping on their shells now harms the player. Unless their room has no bottomless pits for them to potentially fall in, the Koopalings will slow down upon reaching a ledge; for example, Larry Koopa slows down close to the ledges of his arena in the World 1 Tower, but not in the World 1 Castle due to his arena in the latter having no bottomless pits. Iggy Koopa is the only exception in his castle fight, instead getting stuck headfirst into his chariot; however, he still performs the shell dash when fought in the World 5 tower.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
As in Wii, the Koopalings perform the shell dash when Mario damages them in New Super Mario Bros. 2, except Iggy, who once again gets stuck into his chariot headfirst. None of the Koopalings have bottomless pits in the arenas Mario faces them in, except for Morton Koopa who uses them to teleport back to the top, and Lemmy Koopa who tries to push Mario into them. As such, Lemmy is the only Koopaling who slows down to change direction rather than relying on a wall, although his conveyor belt floor means he does so almost instantaneously upon reaching the edge and moves more quickly in one direction and more slowly in the other, depending on the conveyor belt's direction.
New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]
The Koopalings retain their shell dash counter from the previous two games in response to getting stomped in New Super Mario Bros. U, and this time, Iggy performs the Shell Dash as well due to his fight not involving a chariot, and now goes through the pipes at the sides of his arena to catch Mario off-guard, slowing down before changing direction in the middle of the room. Roy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa have their fights stationed on their Airships' crow's nests, and therefore slow down near the edges. During the final phase of his battle, Bowser performs the shell dash upon getting stomped by his son's Junior Clown Car, though he jumps to allow Mario room to dodge the attack, since he is too tall to jump over normally, and Junior regains his Junior Clown Car and retreats with it, only returning when Bowser stops the shell dash.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
There is a similar move in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port. If the player crouches while holding a Green Shell, they duck into the shell and dash; they remain idle if standing still in the Wii U version, whereas the Nintendo Switch version requires using the touch cursor to do so. Unlike in New Super Mario Bros., one can earn increasing points and extra lives with this move. The player can exit the shell anytime; if they do so, they do a Spin Jump. However, the player's character automatically exits the shell after a while, becoming dazed and stunned for a few seconds. If a player touches the Goal Pole while using this move, they get an extra life.
In Bowser's Fury, Fury Bowser uses his own version of the shell dash, which involves him tucking into his shell and rolling at Mario from the side of his carapace, rather than have his shell lie flat on the ground. When he does so, he leaves behind a trail of goop, and if Giga Cat Mario claws his shell or long-jumps into it, he can be ground-pounded.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]
Roy and Ludwig can perform the shell dash during their boss fights in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and the latter also does this in a minigame just before his own fight. This must be jumped over.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]
During the boss fight against the Elite Trio in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Corporal Paraplonk can retreat into his shell to perform a shell dash at the Bros., who have to jump over his shell. Landing on Paraplonk's shell results in damage to Goomp and all of the Goombas in the background. Bowser also uses this move during his second battle in his supersized form, tucking into his shell and spinning to knock the supersized Luigi into the lava ocean around the arena, which Luigi counters with his hammer. Additionally, during his third fight as Dreamy Bowser, Bowser is able to summon Dreamy Paratroopas, which can attack by retreating into their shells and spin into their target, which also must be jumped over.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]
After his Koopa Troopa attack during his boss battle in his fortress on Wayaway Island in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, Bowser attacks with a shell dash. This must be countered with a hammer strike, and leads to an attack involving Spinies being launched at the Bros. if not blocked. Glohm Bowser also has an attack where he performs a shell dash around the Bros. before closing in to hit one of them. As with the original Bowser, this must be blocked with hammer strikes.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コウラダッシュ[?] Kōra Dasshu |
Shell Dash | |
| Italian | Tarta-scatto[2] | Turtle-dash |
References[edit]
- ^ 2006. New Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 24.
- ^ 2006. New Super Mario Bros. European manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 94.