Shell Toss

Mario performing a Shell Toss with a series of demonstrations

The Shell Toss is a move used in many platform games of the Super Mario franchise. The term "shell toss" can be used to describe any attack wherein an ally or foe uses its shell to attack by launching it forward. To use the Shell Toss, one must grab or carry a shell and toss it. Koopa Shells are the most common type of shell, although Buzzy Shells and upside-down Spiny Shells are also common.

History

Super Mario series

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad can first use the Shell Toss in Super Mario Bros. 2. The Red Shells can be obtained in grass and thrown at will. The shells speed across the ground, knocking over any enemies, though they break upon hitting walls. Super Mario Advance lets shells rebound off walls, allowing Mario and friends to reuse them.

In most games since Super Mario Bros. 3, the Shell Toss can be used to hit or break blocks from the side and gain the items contained within them and even gain access to other areas. In some games, such as Super Mario World and Super Paper Mario, enemies may also throw shells at the player. In most later 2D Mario games, starting with Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, shells can even be used to collect coins or other items.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door move
Shell Toss
Mastered by	Kooper and Koops
Rank	Base Rank
Effect	Kooper or Koops hits an enemy with his shell, dealing damage.
Target	Single frontmost grounded enemy
Attack Power	2 Base Rank 3 Super Rank 5 Ultra Rank

In the Paper Mario series, various Koopas and Buzzy Beetles, including Mario's party members Kooper and Koops, use Shell Toss by going inside their shells and launching themselves at enemies in battle. This attack can hit only the frontmost enemy on the ground, but it does not take contact damage from things such as fire and electrification. For Kooper and Koops at normal rank, the attack does one damage without the Action Command and two with it; this changes to two or three damage at Super Rank and three or five at Ultra Rank. The Action Command for Shell Toss differs slightly depending on which Koopa is using it, but both involve releasing at the right time. Also, Koops's version includes Stylish moves.

Kooper and Koops can also be launched by Mario out of battle, which can be used to grab faraway items, activate switches, or do a First Strike on an enemy. A First Strike with Kooper always fails the Action Command, while a First Strike with Koops always succeeds.

In the Nintendo Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Koopley mentions wanting to teach Shell Toss to Koops, only to learn that Koops already knows it. This differs from the original game, where Koopley wants to teach Koops Power Shell instead.

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Shell Toss, referred to as Shell Shot, is a move that can be used by Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Spinies, and Spike Tops.

Gallery

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  Kooper using Shell Toss in Paper Mario.

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  Demonstration of field move

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  Grabbing the Happy Heart badge

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  Menu

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  Koops using Shell Toss in the Nintendo Switch remake

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	コウラアタック[?] Kōra Atakku	Shell Attack
Chinese (simplified)	龟壳[?] Guīké	Turtle Shell
	龟壳攻击[?] Guīké Gōngjí	Turtle Shell Attack	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake
Chinese (traditional)	龜殼攻擊[?] Guīké Gōngjí	Turtle Shell Attack	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake
Dutch	Schildschot[?]	Shell Shot	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake
French	Lance Carap[?]	Shell Launch
German	Panzerstoß[?]	Shell Bump
Italian	Tartattacco[?]	Turtley Attack	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
	Attacco guscio[?]	Shell attack	Paper Mario: The Origami King
Korean	등껍질어택[?] Deungkkeopjil Eotaek	Shell Attack
Spanish	Lanzaconcha[?]	Seashell Launcher
	Lanzacaparazón[?]	Shell Launcher	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake