Editing Big shell

{{about|giant Koopa Shells|the clam shell item from Paper Mario: The Origami King|[[Big Shell (Paper Mario: The Origami King)]]|the accessory from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|[[List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear#Big Shell|List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear § Big Shell]]}}
{{redirect|Giant Shell|the accessory from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|[[List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear#Giant Shell|List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear § Giant Shell]]}}
{{item infobox
|image=[[File:NSMBU Screenshot Big Shell (Green).png|200x200px]]<br>Screenshot from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' ([[List of games by date#1988|1988]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|variant_of=[[Koopa Shell]]<br>[[Paratroopa Shell]]<br>[[Spiny Shell (red)|Spiny Shell]]<br>[[Swirlypod Shell]]{{derived}}
|comparable=[[Bowser's Shell]]
|related=[[Large shell]]<br>[[Lazy Shell]]
}} 
'''Big shells''',<ref>{{cite|quote=When in Elephant form, you can carry big shells.|author=loading-screen tip|title=''Super Mario Bros. Wonder'' by [[Nintendo EPD]]|format=North American Localization|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=20 Oct. 2023|accessdate=27 Nov. 2024}}</ref> originally known as '''Giant Shells''',<ref>{{cite|quote=Besides the items listed here, there are some other items such as Giant Shell and Multi-Shell shots included to help make life difficult for your opponents.|author=Nintendo|date=2005|title=''Super Mario Strikers Instruction Booklet''|location=Redmond|publisher=Nintendo of America|page=27}}</ref> are large projectiles in the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise. Usually larger variants of [[Koopa Shell]]s that come from [[stomp]]ed [[Big Koopa Troopa]]s, big shells typically destroy large swathes of terrain when launched. Unlike normal-sized shells, big shells do not ricochet off of struck blocks, instead plowing through them, making them useful for solving certain puzzles or clearing obstructions. In some titles, the shells are too large to be picked up on their own, only [[kick]]ed.

Giant Koopa Shells have occasionally appeared in other capacities, such as the [[large shell]] platforms in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' that can be physically entered or the houses that make up [[Koopa Village]] in ''[[Paper Mario]]''. While Big Koopa Troopas appear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', their shells do not become available upon defeat. There are also large shelled enemies whose shells do not become available when struck, as is the case with [[Heavy Para-Beetle]]s and [[Big Buzzy Beetle]]s.

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Bros. 3'' / ''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''====
Giant Shells are introduced in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', on the backs of [[Big Koopa Troopa|Green Gargantua Koopa Troopa]]s and [[Big Koopa Troopa|Red Giant Koopa Troopa]]s in [[Giant Land]]. Stomping on these Koopas makes them retreat into their shells, making them available for use. Unlike subsequent titles, [[Mario]] (or [[Luigi]]) can carry Giant Shells on their own volition regardless of their form. Though they can be green and red, Giant Shells function the same way regardless of their color, as with the normal-sized Koopa Shells in ''Super Mario Bros. 3.'' They are the only shells capable of breaking the [[Mega ? Block]]s also found in Giant Land.

In ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', Giant Shells also appear in the promotional [[e-Reader]] course [[Treacherous Halls]], where stomping on the Green Gargantua Koopa Troopa that walks along the [[Spike Trap|spike]]s sends its shell flying into [[Mega Goomba|Grand Goomba]]s.

====''New Super Mario. Bros. U'' / ''New Super Luigi U'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe''====
[[File:NSMBU 5-1 Coin 1.jpg|thumb|200px|A Giant Shell in Jungle of the Giants]]
In the original ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' campaign, Giant Shells are only available in [[Jungle of the Giants]], the first course of [[Soda Jungle]]. They are worn by Green and Red Big Koopa Troopas and become useable once they are stomped. Unlike ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', the player character is incapable of picking up Giant Shells. They can break through [[Hard Block]]s in this game, but rebound on impact, unlike the weaker [[Brick Block]]s. [[Ground Pound|Ground-pounding]] launched Giant Shells makes them stop. Giant Shells can be used to obtain multiple [[extra life|1-Up]]s if the player character is in their [[Flying Squirrel Mario|Flying Squirrel form]] by repeatedly launching it into a solid wall and stopping it on the return without touching the ground in between.<ref>{{cite|author=[[Nintendo|New Super Mario Bros. U Channel]]|date=25 Apr. 2013|title=New Super Mario Bros. U -- Big Air! Flying Squirrel 1-Up Rally in Jungle of the Giants (etc.)|url=youtu.be/kIbmhGwoqYk?si=Msn0nm2My_K9gf6e|publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

Jungle of the Giants contains narrow corridors blocked by stacks of Brick Blocks that can only be cleared by launched Giant Shells. Rows of [[Hidden Coin]]s turn visible as they travel, and the course's first [[Star Coin]] is only collectible once a Giant Shell has cleared away the bricks that block access. While Giant Shells technically appear in the Special challenge based on Jungle of the Giants called [[Be Gentle to Giants]], the player must not attack any enemies more than three times in order to clear it. In ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', Giant Shells only occur in the forest-themed [[Giant Swing-Along]], in which only the red Big Koopa Troopas appear. Launching Giant Shells is the only way the player character can break the [[Mega Block]]s in the course.

====''Super Mario Maker'' / ''Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS'' / ''Super Mario Maker 2''====
In ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'', if a Koopa Troopa is given a [[Super Mushroom]], it will turn into a Big Koopa Troopa that retreats into its shell when stomped. Unlike ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', launched Giant Shells break through [[Hard Block]]s without rebounding. Mario cannot pick-up Giant Shells in any form, even in the ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' style.

====''Super Mario Bros. Wonder''====
{{multiple image
|align=left
|width=100
|footer=A Hefty Swirlypod (left) and its big shell (right).
|image1=SMBWScreenshotUnknownSnailEnemy.png
|alt1=Hefty Swirlypod
|image2=SMBW Screenshot Big Shell.png
|alt2=Big shell
}}
While Big Koopa Troopas are absent from ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]'', big shells appear as part of [[Hefty Swirlypod]]s, functioning as they did in the ''Super Mario Maker'' titles. Stomping Hefty Swirlypods ejects them from the shells, which can then be kicked to break terrain and [[Hard Block]]s. Player characters can only pick up big shells if they are in their [[Elephant Mario|Elephant form]]s, and big shells themselves mostly appear in courses that also feature the [[Elephant Fruit]] power-up. Characters in their Elephant form can handle big shells like they would smaller ones, being able to drop them, [[Shell Toss|toss]] them, and kick them upwards.

Big shells first appear in [[Swamp Pipe Crawl]], where they can be used to clear hard blocks, some of which block access to a [[Warp Pipe]] leading to a background area holding a [[10-flower coin]]. Big shells subsequently appear in [[The Anglefish Trial: Ready, Aim, Fly!]] in a similar capacity, where one must be used to unobstruct a pipe and tossed upwards to collect a 10-flower coin.
{{br}}

===''Mario Strikers'' series===
[[File:Super Mario Strikers Giant Blue Shell.png|thumb|200px|A blue Giant Shell on the field in ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'']]
Giant Shells are some of the items in the ''[[Mario Strikers (series)|Mario Strikers]]'' series, along with their [[Koopa Shell|smaller counterpart]]s. They are larger iterations of the normal-sized Koopa Shell items in the games and exhibit the same traits on a larger scale. For example, the blue-colored Giant Shells work like the [[Blue Shell|smaller one]]s, freezing opponents on impact. However, unlike them, the giant ones do not stop when they make contact with opponents and this allows them to impact multiple opponents instead of just one. This trait is similar to the [[Bowser's Shell]]s from ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''  Another difference is that Giant Shells only come individually, whereas the normal shells typically appear in groups of three. In addition to the blue-colored Giant Shells, there are three other ones, namely:
#Green Giant Shells that squish and stun opponents for a brief period of time. After hitting a player, it still bounces around the stage until it wears out. They are the counterparts to [[Green Shell]]s in the games.
#Red Giant Shells that function like the green ones but home-in on opponents, just like the smaller [[Red Shell]]s in the games and the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series.
#The blue Giant Shells previously described that freeze opponents.
#Spiny Giant Shells covered in spikes. These shells function like the green ones, but are more durable. They can explode very suddenly, knocking out more players than they would otherwise. They are the larger counterparts of the normal [[Spiny Shell (red)|Spiny Shell]]s.

===''Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition''===
In ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]'', opposing [[Big Koopa Paratroopa|Big Green Koopa Paratroopa]]s occasionally use their '''Big Shells''' to nullify Fire and Dark attribute damage for three turns. When the Big Koopa Paratroopas are teammate, their Big Shells change any Fire and Wood Orbs on the player's Orb field into Water Orbs.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Giant Green Shell SMB3 sprite.png|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
Giant Red Shell SMB3 sprite.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3''
Giant Green Shell SMAS SMB3 sprite.png|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' (''Super Mario Bros. 3'')
Giant Red Shell SMAS SMB3 sprite.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (''Super Mario Bros. 3'')
SMAS SMB3 World 4-6 Screenshot.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (''Super Mario Bros. 3'')
Super Mario Strikers Giant Spiny Shell.png|''[[Super Mario Strikers]]''
SMBW The Anglefish Trial Ready, Aim, Fly! third 10-flower coin.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{Foreign names
|Jpn=大きな殻
|JpnR=Ōkina Kara
|JpnM=Big Shell
|JpnC=<ref>{{cite|author=loading-screen tip|title=『[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder|スーパーマリオブラザーズ ワンダー]]』 by Nintendo EPD|format=Japanese Localization|publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd.|language=ja|date=20 Oct. 2023|accessdate=27 Nov. 2024}}</ref>
}}

==References==
<references/>

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[[Category:Shells]]
[[Category:Projectiles]]
[[Category:Mario Strikers Charged items]]
[[Category:New Super Luigi U objects]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. U objects]]
[[Category:Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]
[[Category:Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3 items]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Wonder items]]
[[Category:Super Mario Maker objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Maker 2 objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Strikers items]]