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====''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''====
====''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''====
Lightning is mostly the same in ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'', but shrunken racers now spin around and get pushed to the side if hit by a racer at regular size. The duration of Lightning is six seconds, shorter than in any other game of the ''Mario Kart'' series. [[Princess Peach]], [[Wario]], and [[Bowser]] are the only three CPUs that are able to obtain the item.{{ref needed}} The item is obtainable in 3rd place or lower, with the best chance of obtaining it being in 6th place or lower. The flashing effect of the Lightning was toned down in the {{iw|nwiki|Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program}} release.
Lightning is mostly the same in ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'', but shrunken racers now spin around and get pushed to the side if hit by a racer at regular size. The duration of Lightning is six seconds, shorter than in any other game of the ''Mario Kart'' series. [[Princess Peach]], [[Wario]], and [[Bowser]] are the only three CPUs who can obtain the item.{{ref needed}} The item is obtainable in 3rd place or lower, with the best chance of obtaining it being in 6th place or lower. The flashing effect of the Lightning was toned down in the {{iw|nwiki|Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program}} release.


====''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''====
====''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''====

Revision as of 18:09, December 2, 2024

This article is about the yellow lightning bolt. For other uses, see Lightning (disambiguation).
Lightning
Lightning in Mario Kart 8
First appearance Super Mario Kart (1992)
Latest appearance Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)

Lightning (also called Lightning Bolt,[1] Thunder Bolt,[2] Lightning Blast,[3] or Thunder in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020) is an attack item that can summon a powerful lightning bolt from the sky, usually shrinking opponents as a result. Lightning appears mainly in the Mario Kart series, but it also appears in other games of the Super Mario franchise.

History

Mario Kart series

Official LINE sticker for Mario Kart 8.
LINE sticker showing Bowser being struck by lightning

In the Mario Kart series, Lightning is a very powerful item that racers usually receive when they are in (or near) last place in a race. When used, Lightning will temporarily shrink all the other racers, making them slower and weaker, in addition to making them spin out and drop their items. It also temporarily makes the racers' voices high-pitched and sped up (with the exception of Mario Kart 7) until being back to normal or getting squashed. It is also the emblem for the Lightning Cup.

In Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, when Lightning is used, a sound like that of a tiny alarm is heard during its effect. In Super Mario Kart that sound is only heard when the Lightning is launched, and from Mario Kart DS onward, the music in the race is affected when the player is hit by it. Lightning's effect can be avoided if a racer has a Mega Mushroom, Star, Boo, or Bullet Bill item activated when the bolt strikes, or if they are flying through the air after being shot out of a cannon in all games prior to Mario Kart 7 or are frozen by an Ice Flower in Mario Kart Tour.

Super Mario Kart

In Super Mario Kart, any shrunken racers spin out if driven over. While shrunk, the character's weight is equal to other shrunken players. Lightning is about twice as long than it would be in following games of the Mario Kart series. It is the rarest item, having 3.1% chance of being obtained if the player is in 5th place or lower for most tracks[4] and 2nd or lower for Bowser Castle and Rainbow Road tracks.[4]

Mario Kart 64

Mario is affected by Lightning in Mario Kart 64
A Thunder Bolt striking Mario and Toad in Mario Kart 64

The Thunder Bolt returns in Mario Kart 64 and works like it did in Super Mario Kart. While shrunk, racers cannot use items in their Item Windows,[5] but they can use items they have deployed. However, if two shrunken racers run into each other, they will both crush each other. A racer can obtain a Thunder Bolt if they are anywhere from second to eighth place while CPUs only obtain it in 8th place. The flash from the Thunder Bolt has been toned down in Virtual Console releases.[6]

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Lightning is mostly the same in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, but shrunken racers now spin around and get pushed to the side if hit by a racer at regular size. The duration of Lightning is six seconds, shorter than in any other game of the Mario Kart series. Princess Peach, Wario, and Bowser are the only three CPUs who can obtain the item.[citation needed] The item is obtainable in 3rd place or lower, with the best chance of obtaining it being in 6th place or lower. The flashing effect of the Lightning was toned down in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program release.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Lightning can also scatter racers' items across the road when used. It does not affect racers who are either hit by an item or go out-of-bounds when the item is used. Also, unlike in Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, shrunken racers will not get squished or spun around if they ram into normal sized racers. However, tiny karts will be easy to push around. Lightning can be dropped on the road and remain there for a few seconds if the racer drives into certain obstacles, such as Freezies.

Mario Kart DS

Lightning wears off a lot more quickly for lower ranked players in Mario Kart DS, since it wears off almost immediately for the lowest ranked racer hit, while lasting up to eight seconds for the racer in first place. The item can still affect racers who are hit by an item at the same time the Lightning is used. Unlike previous games, the background music becomes distorted rather than not playing at all. Lightning can be obtained if the racer is in 6th place or lower in Grand Prix, though CPUs and players in VS race can receive it only in 8th place. Lightning is also in Shine Runners of Battle Mode, where using it causes every opponent to drop a Shine Sprite, excluding those without any.

Mario Kart Wii

Bowser is affected by Lightning in Mario Kart Wii
Lightning shrinking several racers at once, as seen in Mario Kart Wii

The effect of Lightning in Mario Kart Wii is the same as in the previous game, wearing off quicker for racers in lower positions. If the racers are under the effects of a Mega Mushroom, they will shrink back to normal size immediately and will not spin out or lose their items. In Battle Mode, unlike other items, Lightning does not take away a balloon or coins. This item can be obtained if the racer is in 9th place or lower, with CPUs only being able to obtain it in 12th place. The best chance of getting this item is in 12th place, with a 22.5 percent (9 out of 40) chance of getting it in said position. There is also the Thunder Cloud, which gives the recipient a speed boost prior to striking them with lightning. It is one of six items wherein only one can be in play at a time (the other five being the Thunder Cloud, Spiny Shell, Bullet Bill, POW Block, and Blooper), is one of four items with a cooldown timer for the first few seconds of a race (the other three being the Spiny Shell, POW Block, and Blooper), and is one of three items with a cooldown timer between uses (the other two being the POW Block and Blooper). Lightning is unobtainable for the first thirty seconds of a race, and once a Lightning is used, thirty seconds must elapse before another Lightning is obtainable.

Mario Kart 7

In Mario Kart 7, the length of a Lightning's effects is identically shorter for racers in lower positions and longer for those in higher positions. In addition to the music being altered, an extra beat that plays in 1st place goes out of sync with the music for a few seconds after the attack. The racer is still shrunk if hit by an item. Any racers that are shrunk will also be squished if run over by normal sized racers, an effect returning from Mario Kart 64. Unlike in prior games, when a driver is shot out of a cannon, the shrinking effect will still happen and the driver will fall off while gliding in midair. Additionally, up to three racers can hold a Lightning Bolt at a time, potentially unleashing two or three lightning attacks at once. This item can be obtained if the racer is in 7th or 8th place in Grand Prix, with CPUs and players in VS race only being able to obtain it in 8th place. Unlike previous installments, the character using this item celebrates their opponents getting successfully shrunk.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Green Shy Guy is affected by Lightning
Green Shy Guy shrunk by Lightning in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the effect of this item is very similar to its effect in Mario Kart 7. In these games however, when a character is shrunken, the loss of speed makes it more difficult for the racer to perform tricks and to drift. Unlike previous games of the Mario Kart series, when a racer is hit with Lightning, they will lose the item they are holding even if they are under the effects of a Star (in the original version only). Like Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart 7, when a racer is shrunken by Lightning, and another one with the normal size drives on them, they will be squished. Up to three racers can hold Lightning at the same time. Lightning will also strike all course elements that react to thrown items, such as Piranha Plants or the crystal switches on Hyrule Circuit. As of version 2.2.0 of Deluxe, Lightning no longer causes drivers' gliders to close.

Mario Kart Tour

Lightning returns in Mario Kart Tour, with its effect being similar in previous games. Unlike in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, when a racer is hit with a Lightning while gliding, the glider does not retract. During a Lightning Frenzy, one racer will get struck each time the item is used. When non-Frenzy Lightning is used, interactable objects around the course react to it as they do when hit with an offensive item, but do not give points.

Normally, the player will lose all of their items when hit by Lightning, though if the player is using a Coin Box, Bob-omb Cannon, Mushroom Cannon or Banana Barrels when hit, the item will still be retained.

The following gliders increase the chance of getting Lightning and points for hitting racers with one.

Special skill Gliders
Lightning from Mario Kart Tour.
Lightning Plus
Increases your chances of getting Lightning. Using one will get you more points.
+5 points
Lightning Oilpaper
+8 points
Glitter GliderLuma ParafoilTreasure MapButterfly Wings8-Bit StarPlanet GliderStarry Great SailShip's WheelRed and Gold UmbrellaSilver Candlelight FlightWonderful DiamondGreen EmblemMelon & Banana BalloonsCloud GliderRainy BalloonsDream GliderWario's MustacheLava RocksBoo Masks

Mario Pinball Land

Lightning appears as an item in Mario Pinball Land. When used, it defeats all on-screen enemies.

Mario Power Tennis

In Mario Power Tennis, Lightning appears as an item in the Item Battle in Exhibition Mode. When used, it shrinks the player's opponent(s), reducing their speed and power. Lightning also appears in 8-bit Mario Bros. styled sprites in the mini-game Coin Collectors, where it is used when the player grabs it.

Mario Baseball series

Lightning is an item of the Toy Field in both games of the Mario Baseball series. In Mario Superstar Baseball, it may sometimes occur by landing the ball in the ? space, and by doing so, it switches the leading player's coins with their coins. In Mario Super Sluggers, Lightning is an error item that can be received by the losing player.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Lightning is a usable item that can stun all players and make the ball drop out of one's grasp.

Mario Party series

King Boo's Puzzle Attack
King Boo struck by Lightning in Mario Party 9
Lightning Score Striker in action on Wario
Wario struck by the Lightning Score Striker in Mario Party: Island Tour

Lightning makes a few appearances in the Mario Party series. It first appears in Mario Party 8, although only from being depicted on the wrapper of the Cashzap Candy. In Mario Party 9, Lightning appears in King Boo's Puzzle Attack, where lining three of them will give ten points to whoever lined up three of this item, while taking away three points from their opponents. It also unleashes lightning that will damage King Boo more than the other items do.

As of Mario Party: Island Tour, Lightning has had the role of being an item, although here it is referred to as a Lightning Score Striker, which subtracts three from an opponent's roll. In Mario Party: Star Rush, Lightning returns as an item, this time in Coinathlon, where using it stuns an opponent for a few seconds. Lightning is also an item in the Bowser Kaboom Squad mode of Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Mario & Sonic series

Yoshi is struck by Lightning in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Yoshi is struck by lightning in Dream Race in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii.

Lightning appears as an item in a few installments of the Mario & Sonic series. Its first appearance in the series is the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where it is an item in Dream Race that can temporarily stun all other characters and cause them to lose speed, though one can defend against Lightning by using either a Starman or invincibility from a Chaos Emerald. Lightning made its second appearance in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, where it appears as an item in several Dream Events: in Dream Alpine, Dream Ski Cross and Dream Snowboard Cross, Dream Short Track, and Dream Bobsleigh, Lightning can strike every opponent, knocking them over and causing them to lose speed; in the Individual version of Dream Ski Jumping, Lightning can strike every opponent and cause them to lose height, speed, 10 points and a Bonus panel, though one can defend against it using a Barrier; in the Individual and Team versions of Dream Gliding, Lightning can strike all opponents and knock them out of the sky. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Thunder is in the Dream Racing event, where using it affects all opponents, causing them to spin out of control and lose some of their Rings.

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki article: Lightning Bolt

Lightning appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an item. The item usually shrinks all of the player's opponents. However, at times it might backfire and shrink the player who grabbed the item. Lastly, there is a small chance that the item makes the opponents giant-sized, as if they all touched a Super Mushroom. As with the Super Mushroom and Poison Mushroom, fighters only have to touch the item to activate its effects.

Fighters who get shrunk by the Lightning will be set to the exact same size as when they touch a Poison Mushroom (0.5x normal size), but their direct attacks deal 0.7x their normal damage, instead of 0.6x. Also, if players become giant from the Lightning, they will be much bigger than when they grab a Super Mushroom (2.4x normal size, instead of 1.7x), and their direct attacks will deal 1.84x their normal damage.

Additionally, the Lightning item is depicted as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In The Subspace Emissary, the sticker can be used on any fighter to boost their electric attacks by 4 points.

Super Mario-kun

Lightning makes a brief appearance in volume 6 of Super Mario-kun. While struggling, Mario receives this item and then uses it to pulverize Donkey Kong Jr. and win the race. It is also used in another chapter to shrink the Mega Mole that Mario was fighting, giving it the size of a regular Monty Mole.

Profiles

Mario Kart series

Super Mario Kart

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Use the Lightning Bolt and you'll see a big flash, all of the other racers will become smaller in size for a while. During this time, they will move slower and are very vulnerable.[7]
  • Wii Virtual Console manual:
    • English:
      Strikes all other karts with lightning, shrinking them and making them slow and vulnerable to being flattened by other karts.

Mario Kart 64

  • Operation Card bio: Use this to attack every other Kart. When struck by a thunder bolt, a Kart will shrink, its speed will drop and it can easily be crushed.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English (American):
      Drop lightning on all your opponents, shrinking them and slowing them down for a few seconds.[8]
    • English (British):
      Fire lightning at all your opponents, shrinking them and slowing them down for a few seconds.[9]

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English (American):
      This mighty bolt strikes all opponents at the same time, causing them to spin out, drop their items, and shrink in size, which reduces their max speeds.[10]

Mario Kart DS

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English (American):
      Makes all opponents spin out, drop their items, and shrink for a brief period of time.[11]

Mario Kart Wii

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English (American):
      Lightning zaps your opponents, causing them to spin out, drop their items, shrink, and drive more slowly for a while.[12]

Mario Kart 7

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Lightning zaps your opponents, causing them to spin out, drop their items, shrink, and drive more slowly for a while.note</ref>
  • Website description:
    • English (American):
      Use this item to send a bolt from the sky on to all of your opponents, shrinking and slowing them down.

Mario Kart 8

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Strikes all opponents with lightning, causing them to lose their items. It also temporarily shrinks them, reducing their speed.

Mario Kart Tour

  • Tips & Tricks: Calls down lightning to spin out your opponents and destroy the items they hold. Those struck will be smaller and slower for a set amount of time.
  • Mario Kart Tour Twitter: This powerful item calls bolts of lightning down from the sky to strike your opponents with electrifying accuracy! If you get hit, your kart will shrink and slow down.
    Channel mother nature to make a comeback for the ages...and maybe bring a thunder rod.
    [13]

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trophy
Lightning
BrawlTrophy500.png
Appears in:
SNES Super Mario Kart
N64 Mario Kart 64
How to unlock: Random
An item that goes off the moment you touch it. It may shrink every other character on the screen. Tiny players suffer a reduction in their attack power and become easier to send flying. After a set amount of time, all the characters will return to their normal sizes. In the Mario Kart series, all players but the item user shrunk, and got flattened when run over.
Sticker
Lightning
Lightning Sticker.png
Artwork from: Mario Kart DS
Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Electric] - Attack +4
Usable by: Anyone

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Trophy
Lightning
3DS:
LightningBoltTrophy3DS.png
Wii U:
Lightning's trophy render from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Category: Item
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Appears in:
SNES Super Mario Kart (09/1992)
Wii U Mario Kart 8 (05/2014)
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Trophy Box: 10: Super Mario Kart
How to unlock:
Random
If there is one thing I've learned from Mario Kart, it's that lightning can strike without a cloud in the sky. Picking this up will hit your foes with a character-shrinking blast of lightning, making them really easy to launch into the distance. If you get struck, you'd best run until the fight is fair again. (American English)
Don't let sunny weather fool you! Lightning can strike at any time. This mighty force of nature can make you feel small...and actually make you small, too. In this state, you'll be quite weak and easily launched, so just try to stay out of everyone's way until you go back to normal. THEN you can get your own back! (British English)

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Lightning.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese イナズマ[14]
Inazuma
Lightning Super Mario Kart
サンダー[?]
Sandā
Thunder
Chinese (simplified) 闪电[?]
Shǎndiàn
Lightning
Chinese (traditional) 雷電[15] (Mario Party 9)
Léidiàn
Thunder
閃電[?]
Shǎndiàn
Lightning Mario Kart series / Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Dutch Bliksemschicht[?] Lightning bolt Mario Kart 8
Bliksem[?] Lightning Mario Kart 7
French Éclair[?] Lightning
German Donnerblitz[?] Thunderbolt
Blitz[?] Lightning Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart Tour
Italian Fulmine[?] Lightning
Lampo[?] Mario Pinball Land
Saetta[?] Thunderbolt Mario Kart DS
Korean 번개[?]
Beongae
Lightning
Portuguese Relâmpago[?] Lightning
Russian Молния[?]
Molniya
Lightning
Spanish Rayo[?] Lightning

References

  1. ^ 1992. Super Mario Kart instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of America (American English). Page 14.
  2. ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of America (American English). Page 13.
  3. ^ April 1997. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) issue 49. Page 39Media:NMS Australia 49 MK64 drivers and items.jpg.
  4. ^ a b April 17, 2021. Item Probability Chart (SNES). GameFAQs (English).
  5. ^ 1997. Mario Kart 64 instruction manual. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 10 and 13.
  6. ^ BlazingMan11 (November 10, 2018). (Epilepsy Warning) Mario Kart 64 Lightning Bolt Flashing Alteration on Virtual Console. YouTube (English).
  7. ^ 1992. Super Mario Kart instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 14.
  8. ^ 2001. Mario Kart: Super Circuit instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 16.
  9. ^ 2001. Mario Kart: Super Circuit European instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (English). Page 12.
  10. ^ 2003. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 17.
  11. ^ 2005. Mario Kart DS instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 12.
  12. ^ 2008. Mario Kart Wii instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 9.
  13. ^ mariokarttourEN (September 23, 2019). Post. Twitter (English). Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  14. ^ スーパーマリオカート (Sūpā Mario Kāto) instruction booklet (PDF). nintendo.co.jp (Japanese). Page 13. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  15. ^ 瑪利歐派對 9:種類豐富!80種小遊戲. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved February 12, 2020.