Special Shot
It has been suggested that this page be split into Special Shot (''Mario Tennis Aces''), Special Shot (''Mario Golf: Super Rush''). (discuss) |
A Special Shot is a move that any playable character can perform in various sports games of the Super Mario franchise, debuting in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. It generally involves the character performing a powerful strike to the ball when certain conditions are met.
History
Mario Hoops 3-on-3

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Special Shots are activated by touching the Touch Screen at points to make a certain letter or symbol. The symbols include an M, an L, a triangle, a W, a B, an N, an S, or a star, with each character having a set symbol. The symbol must be tapped out twice to perform the Special Shot, and characters cannot move while starting the Special Shot. A player is highly vulnerable to tackles while bouncing the ball in the special formation, so it is unwise to attempt a special shot when being swarmed by opponents.
Special Shots are unstoppable if executed from inside the 3-point line, and will always make it in the basket. However, if executed outside the 3-point line, a teammate needs to run up and dunk the ball. If the special shot is a regular shot, then most of the animations will go unchanged with the exceptions of White Mage's Holy Shot and Black Mage's Meteor Shot. If the special shot is a dunk or Holy Shot or Meteor Shot, the character jump into the air and throw the ball which has a cover and a trail of a particular color. Sometimes, the teammate will fail to receive the ball. If an opponent is blocking that teammate, the shot will miss.
Listed below are the Special Shot symbols and their associated character(s) and special shot(s).
M
- Mario's Fire Shot
- Yoshi's Flutter Dunk
- Donkey Kong's Konga Dunk
- Diddy Kong's Jet Shot
- Moogle's Moogle Dance
L
Triangle
W
B
N
S
Star
Mario Sports Mix
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: 11
In Mario Sports Mix, special shots make a return appearance. While the shots play similarly to that of the special shots from Mario Hoops 3-on-3, these shots are blockable, and can be preventable. Also, the method of unleashing a special shot is different as the moves can only be used once the player's special shot meter reaches a maximum level. Each character has a different, and unique special shot that is based on their properties and features. Additionally, the special shots tend to vary in the way it is used in each of the four sports: Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, and Dodgeball.
Mario Tennis Aces
In Mario Tennis Aces, Special Shots can only be used when the energy gauge is full, and allow the player to aim their shot in a first-person perspective. These shots are capable of breaking the opposition's racket in one hit, though they can be blocked, so not all Special Shots are a guaranteed win. Blocking a Special Shot successfully can either drastically push back or spin out the character.
When the player triggers the Special Shot, a short animation is played where the character is shown performing the shot using external forces or special powers. The table below lists all separate names used for the Special Shots as revealed by the Toad commentators during tournaments, along with a description for the action each character carries out to perform the shot. These and Zone Shots are the only types of shots with which the player can get a net.[1]
Image | Special Shot | Action | Shot color and effects |
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Blazing Wall Jump | Mario clenches his fist in front of the camera, then uses Wall Jumps to climb some transparent walls that form in the air. Once he reaches a certain height, he flips through the air, preparing to hit the ball with power. | Red and magenta with spiral trails |
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Pipe Cannon | Luigi raises his racket in the air, then jumps inside a Pipe Cannon that appears under him from the ground. Luigi then blasts himself in the air while shouting his name, preparing to launch the ball onto the other side of the field. | Red and magenta with confetti trails |
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Glorious Garlic Bomber | Wario pulls a head of garlic from behind and consumes it, conferring him strength. Afterwards, he jumps and whirls through the air to hit the ball. | Yellow and purple with spiral trails |
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Showtime | Waluigi puts a rose between his teeth and snaps his fingers while posing. He makes several pirouettes to gain momentum before hitting the ball. | Red with rose petal trails |
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Heart Shot | Peach swipes her racket and performs a floaty whirl, stepping on the air to gain height while the racket leaves a pink trail. She then draws a heart in front of the camera using her racket and pulls it back to strike the ball. | Pink with heart trails |
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Bloom Blast | Daisy winks in front of the camera and quickly glides around on a forming staircase, leaving petals behind her. She then lunges towards the ball to hit it. | Orange with Daisy petal trails |
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Star Combo | Rosalina performs a whirl and points her racket in front of her, bringing in three yellow, green, and red Lumas that spin to pass the ball from one to another. The last Luma directs the ball to Rosalina, who gives the ball a powerful stroke. | Blue with sparkle trails |
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Super Toad Dive | Toad spins as the camera closes up on him. He then throws the racket upward and does a backflip that lands him on his head. From this position, he bounces in the air to grab the racket and strike the ball. | Orange |
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Hop Skip Jump | Toadette raises her fist in the air and starts hopping on some bouncy mushroom-like platforms that appear in the air. Soon after, she lunges towards the ball to hit it. | Pink |
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Fire-Breath Barrage | Bowser roars and breathes a stream of flames on his racket, setting it on fire. He then jumps and quickly spins in the air while leaving trails of fire before hitting the ball. | Red with spiral trails |
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Armed and Dangerous | Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car throws the racket upward and draws a Mecha Hand to catch it. The Mecha Hand then lunges forward to strike the ball. | Orange with fire trails |
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Illusion Shot | Boo waves the racket and attracts several other Boos that encircle him. The Boos then spin and turn into tennis balls displaying Boo's emblem, which gather around the racket. The playable Boo also spins around several times before launching the balls with a powerful swing. | White with ball trails |
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Flying Rainbow | Yoshi first poses with the racket backwards, then the camera cuts behind him to show that he gains a pair of wings. Using them, he swirls in the air to hit the ball while leaving a rainbow behind him. | Rainbow with feather and star trails |
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Barrel Cannon Chaos | Donkey Kong grins to the camera, then mounts a Barrel Cannon that appears next to him. He shoots into a few other Barrel Cannons before launching himself towards the ball with a thrust. | Orange with spiral trails |
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Spike Strike | Spike swallows the racket and turns it into a large spiked roller, which he spins several times above his head before tossing it in the air. He then jumps to grab it again and strike the ball using the gained momentum. | Green with spiral trails |
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Unleash | Chain Chomp barks and begins skipping frantically. It continues with a brisk spin around an invisible axis, hitting the ball afterwards. | Purple with spiral trails |
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Spin Break | Koopa Troopa does a short dance and retreats inside his shell. He starts spinning increasingly faster, making the shell glow. He then darts high through the air and comes out of the shell, hitting the ball with a swing. | Green with whirlwind trails |
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Wave Rider | Blooper gushes a huge stream of water and surfs on it using his racket in order to fly high and smash the ball. | Blue |
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Jungle Swing | Diddy Kong throws his racket upward, then grabs a vine and swings on it. As he lets go of the vine, he catches the racket with his tail, hitting the ball with the acquired momentum. | Orange with star trails |
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Airlift Extravaganza | Birdo blows a kiss at the camera and a trio of Fly Guys lift her up and throw her up into the air in a twirling motion. She then hits the ball. | Magenta with heart trails |
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Spiral Special | Two other Paratroopas, one yellow and one blue, appear next to Koopa Paratroopa. They all start spinning around to create a tornado that engulfs the ball. Koopa Paratroopa then flies in a spiral motion towards the ball to hit it. | White with whirlwind trails |
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Balloon Assist | Shy Guy grabs a cluster of balloons and floats up in the air like a Sky Guy, accompanied by two blue Shy Guys who are tied to separate balloons. Shortly afterwards, he lets go of the balloons and falls down to hit the ball. | White and red with spiral trails |
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Vicious Twister | Petey Piranha generates two tornadoes and flies up. The tornadoes combine and engulf the ball, launching it high into the air where Petey Piranha strikes it. | Lime green with spiral trails |
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Constellation Smash | Three Lumas of different colors appear around the playable Luma and turn into Launch Stars. Luma then shoots from one Launch Star to another to gain momentum before hitting the ball. | Yellow with sparkle trails |
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Spiteful Strike | Boom Boom roars and punches the camera, then spins upward to gain height and momentum to hit the ball. | Orange with spiral trails |
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Showstopper | The camera zooms in on Pauline from behind a crowd of New Donkers that are seen cheering her on. The refrain of "Jump Up, Super Star!" plays as the actions unfold. As she starts dancing to the music, a building from the Metro Kingdom begins rising underneath her. Once the building is at its tallest, she jumps up and hits the ball. | Red with sparkle trails |
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Gigantic Smash | Kamek uses magic to grow both himself and his racket significantly before hitting the ball. Kamek and the racket return to normal size immediately after the ball is hit. | Purple with magic trails |
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Bone Crusher | Dry Bones dismembers himself and his parts levitate to another position. The body parts then reform Dry Bones in mid-air and he hits the ball. | Cyan |
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Hot Shot | Fire Piranha Plant flings its racket up and shoots a fireball to the incoming tennis ball, shrouding it in flames and causing it to dart upward. It then leaps high in the air and catches its racket, striking the ball with it. | Fiery red trails |
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Blazing Barrage | Dry Bowser shares the animation with Bowser's Fire-Breath Barrage, but emits blue flames instead. | Fiery blue with spiral trails |
Mario Golf: Super Rush
This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.
It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this section. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added. Specifics: Missing Special Shots
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information.
In Mario Golf: Super Rush, Special Shots can only be used when the energy gauge is full, similar to Mario Tennis Aces. There are four different types of Special Shots: "Strike" shots are capable of blasting away balls hit by other players on impact; "Stinger" shots can launch the ball straighter and farther than "Strike" shots; "Skipper" shots can bounce the golf ball three times, with the third one landing on the target; and the rest that use none of these labels can create special abilities that affect the floor like ice, lightning, and bombs. Special Shots are also capable of giving balls status effects for their next shot, impacting how straight they roll.
When the player triggers the Special Shot, they first see them prepare for their shot by performing an action, and by activating the Special Shot, they can be seen using external forces or special powers. The table below lists all separate names used for the Special Shots as revealed by the Toad commentators, along with a description for the action each character carries out to perform the shot, both before and while activated.
Image | Special Shot | Character | Pre-action | Action | Impact on balls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Super Star Strike | Mario | Readies himself by clenching his fists and slightly crouches. | A Super Star appears on top of Mario, and he jumps to activate it. He lands back on the ground with a serious expression, and swings the ball with speed and power. The ball rises, and drops sharply downwards. | Blasts away balls in impact zone. |
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Ice Flower Freeze | Luigi | Readies himself by retrieving an Ice Flower in his right arm, and looks at the camera, saying "Ha ha!" | Luigi uses the Ice Flower he got from before activating the Special Shot, striking a pose with his left arm up. He spins to gain momentum, and hits the ball with power. The ball travels in the usual angle. | Freezes the ground in impact zone. Balls that hit the ice will bounce, and in Speed Golf, the surface becomes slippery when someone runs on it. |
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Lightning Blast | Wario | Readies himself by swinging his golf club towards the sky, as if he was summoning something. | Wario summons a lightning cloud above him, and he gets electrocuted, giving him power. He swings the ball with power. The ball rises, and then drops vertically down. | Electrocutes the ground in impact zone. A lightning cloud spawns above, and affects all balls below. |
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Slim Stinger | Waluigi | Readies himself by putting both of his hands on the base of his golf club, directed upwards. | Waluigi spins once, sticking his golf club outwards. With a smug expression, he jumps in the air, spins again and hits the ball with power. The ball travels horizontally. | Blasts away balls in its path. |
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Spiral Stinger | Peach | Readies herself by putting both of her hands on the grip of her golf club, saying "Yeah!" | Peach releases a pink ribbon while spinning with her golf club. She then twirls the ribbon in circles and strikes the ball away with the long ribbon. The ball is shot with sparkles surrounding it. | |
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Blossom Strike | Daisy | Prepares to spin her golf club by holding her hands in position, saying "All right!" | Daisy spins her golf club at an increasingly quick speed, then she flips her golf club in the air, and strikes the ball with power, with petals coming off. The ball rises, and drops sharply downwards. | Blasts away balls in impact zone. |
Eggschanger | Yoshi | Prepares to gobble the ball. | Yoshi gobbles the ball, turning it into a egg. He then hits the ball with his tail. | ||
Meteor Strike | Bowser | ||||
Smokeball | Bowser Jr. | ||||
Mischief Twister | Boo | ||||
Burly Strike | Donkey Kong | ||||
Shooting Star | Rosalina | ||||
Songbird Stinger | Pauline | Prepares to sing with her hands on her golf club, saying "Fire!" | Pauline transforms her golf club into a microphone, and she sings the refrain of "Jump Up, Super Star!", before hitting the ball with power using the microphone's base. The ball travels horizontally. | Blasts away balls in its path. She runs quicker after using her Special Shot. | |
Super Toad Strike | Toad | ||||
Scrimmage Stinger | Chargin' Chuck | Prepares to grab the ball. | Chargin' Chuck picks up the ball and throws it towards the green. | Blasts away balls in its path. | |
Bob-ombs Away | King Bob-omb | ||||
Super Pickax Stinger | Toadette | ||||
Hop Skipper | Ninji | ||||
Shell Skipper | Koopa Troopa | Koopa Troopa simply spins in his shell. | Koopa Troopa spins in his shell, then does a slower breakdance in midair before putting. | The ball simply bounces until it lands on the ground for the third time. | |
Angry Strike | Wiggler | Prepares to turn red by angrily clenching his fists. | Wiggler turns red, stomps the ground, making three apples fall, and then putts. | Blasts away balls on impact. His drive is powered up. | |
Spin Strike | Shy Guy | ||||
Power Stinger | Mii |
Names in other languages
- Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Italian | Super tiro[?] | Super shot |
- Mario Sports Mix
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Italian | Mossa speciale[?] | Special move |
- Mario Tennis Aces
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
French (NOE) | Super frappe instinct[?] | Super instinct shot | |
Italian | Colpo speciale[?] | Special shot/hit | |
Spanish (NOE) | Golpe especial[?] | Special Shot |
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Italian | Tiro speciale[?] | Special shot |
References
Mario Sports Mix | ||
---|---|---|
Playable characters | All-around | Mario • Luigi • Yoshi • Ninja • Mii |
Technical | Princess Peach • Princess Daisy • Waluigi • White Mage | |
Powerful | Wario • Donkey Kong • Bowser | |
Speedy | Diddy Kong • Bowser Jr. • Toad | |
Tricky | Black Mage • Slime • Moogle • Cactuar | |
Non-playable characters | Behemoth • Behemoth King • Birdo • Blue Yoshi • Boo • Dry Bones • Gold Ghost • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Monty Mole • Penguin • Pianta • Purple Puncher • Red Yoshi • Shy Guy | |
Courts | Mario Stadium • Koopa Troopa Beach • Peach's Castle • DK Dock • Toad Park • Luigi's Mansion • Western Junction • Daisy Garden • Wario Factory • Bowser Jr. Blvd. • Bowser's Castle • Waluigi Pinball • Ghoulish Galleon • Star Ship • Sherbet Sea • Rowdy Raft • Fire Mountain | |
Items | Banana Peel • Bob-omb • Coin • Green Shell • Mini Mushroom • Red Shell • Super Star | |
Party games | Feed Petey • Harmony Hustle • Bob-omb Dodge • Smash Skate | |
Further info | Image gallery • Pre-release and unused content • Glitches • Media • Staff |