Big shell
- This article is about giant Koopa Shells. For the clam shell item from Paper Mario: The Origami King, see Big Shell (Paper Mario: The Origami King). For the accessory from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, see List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear § Big Shell.
- "Giant Shell" redirects here. For the accessory from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, see List of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story gear § Giant Shell.
| Big shell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.png) Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros. U | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) | ||
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) | ||
| Variant of | Koopa Shell Spiny Shell Swirlypod Shell[derived] | ||
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Big shells,[1] originally known as Giant Shells,[2] are large projectiles in the Super Mario series and the Mario Strikers series. Usually larger variants of Koopa Shells that come from stomped Big Koopa Troopas, 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 kicked.
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-Beetles and Big Buzzy Beetles.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Giant Shells are introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, on the backs of Green Gargantua Koopa Troopas and Red Giant Koopa Troopas 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 ? Blocks 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 spikes sends its shell flying into Big Goombas.
New Super Mario. Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
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 Blocks in this game, but rebound on impact, unlike the weaker Brick Blocks. Ground-pounding launched Giant Shells makes them stop. Giant Shells can be used to obtain multiple 1-Ups if the player character is in their Flying Squirrel form by repeatedly launching it into a solid wall and stopping it on the return without touching the ground in between.[3]
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 Coins 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 Blocks in the course.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
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 Blocks without rebounding. Mario cannot pick-up Giant Shells in any form, even in the Super Mario Bros. 3 style.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
While Big Koopa Troopas are absent from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, big shells appear as part of Hefty Swirlypods, 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 blocks. Player characters can only pick up big shells if they are in their Elephant forms, 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, 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.
Mario Strikers series[edit]
Giant Shells are some of the items in the Mario Strikers series, along with their smaller counterparts. 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 smaller ones, 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 Shells 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 Shells in the games.
- Red Giant Shells that function like the green ones but home-in on opponents, just like the smaller Red Shells in the games and the 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 Shells.
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 大きな殻[4] Ōkina Kara |
Big Shell |
References[edit]
- ^ "When in Elephant form, you can carry big shells." – loading-screen tip (20 Oct. 2023). Super Mario Bros. Wonder by Nintendo EPD (North American Localization). Nintendo of America. Retrieved 27 Nov. 2024.
- ^ "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." – Nintendo (2005). Super Mario Strikers Instruction Booklet. Redmond: Nintendo of America. Page 27.
- ^ New Super Mario Bros. U Channel (25 Apr. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U -- Big Air! Flying Squirrel 1-Up Rally in Jungle of the Giants (etc.). YouTube.
- ^ loading-screen tip (20 Oct. 2023). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ ワンダー』 by Nintendo EPD (Japanese Localization). Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Retrieved 27 Nov. 2024.
