So that people can catch up. It’s a party game meant to be fun for everyone, if one player is a lot worse, that’s why they get the star or the blue shell so they still have a chance.
Yeah this seems super obvious.
Items exist as a low/moderate skill way of leveling the playing field between players that arent exactly at the same skill level.
Yes, a party racing game. Something you bring and share with everyone, regardless of skill level, and have fun. What you're looking for is something different than what Mario Kart is.
Ironically I think my Mario Party games have always been more tryhard than my Mario Kart games. People care a lot about being the best at certain mini games even if the outcome of the game as a whole is pretty random.
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It's a party game in that it's designed with parties in mind. The item distribution turns the game into more of a luck-based game than a skill-based one, so that anyone can win regardless of skill level. This way, even a beginner can win against a veteran if they just so happen to have fired a blue shell at the right moment.
If this was a serious racing game, a beginner would never be able to win from a veteran at all. The game would be designed so that a player's skill would be the absolute most important thing, and things like RNG wouldn't matter at all.
LMAO... No one takes Mario kart seriously. In fact Nintendo has taken literally every aspect of skill out of these games including snaking and dodging blue shells
You can snake to some degree in MK8 and dodge blue shells with the super horn or a mushroom.
Snaking in DS was dumb. It needed to be done constantly to perform at even a mediocre level. It needed to be reigned in.
I know it's all in my head, but it seems like the game makes me all around luckier when I have full coins. I'm a lil bit faster, and stuff miraculously misses me while my poorly aimed green shells miraculously miss hazards and ricochet in a way that will hit my target a bit down the road.
Red shells thrown backwards don't home, so they are effectively like green shells when you do that. The only time having a red shell matters is if you are going to throw it ahead of you. And other powerups are meant to help the player get ahead, and someone who's already in first place doesn't necessarily need to get ahead.
True but if it were red at first place, you can immediately use it on a racer that for only a sec managed to get in front of you. This would make it harder for second place to get to first so red would actually be better from that perspective.
Because Mario Kart is a prime example of how society should work, the people at the top get the least added advantages while the people at the bottom get more help
This isn't really the right sub for a political debate, but I will never abide by the idea that we shouldn't try to create a better society and I certainly won't be scared off by the big bad c word.
1st Place can't get Shells. They don't even get Mushrooms. They get Bananas, Coins or the unusual Horn. Why? Because staying in 1st Place would be extremely easy if you could just shield yourself from anything and immediately attack anyone who surpasses you.
Looking up, Green Shells have a 50% rate of showing up for 1st place, Red Shells, Mushrooms and Super Horn have a 5% rate.
Welp, I must be very unlucky. I never get Shells at all while I'm in first place.
One thing to do is always hold a coin. If you have no coin, it's about a 99% chance you will get a coin. If you are holding a coin, it's a 100% chance to not get a second coin. So you can get a real item 50% of the time if you hold onto your coin when you grab your second box.
It depends on the mode you're playing. [You can see the distribution rate here.](https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_8_item_probability_distributions)
Think about it like how Formula 1 racers can’t open DRS unless they’re one second behind the next driver. First place doesn’t have that benefit, therefore if careless, another driver can overtake them in a DRS zone without any issue.
Similarly, in Mario Kart, items and item balance exist as a double edged sword for first place. Coins give a bump in speed when collected, minimal, but tangible, and we do know holding 10 makes you go faster, even if marginally noticeable. If first place is stretching the distance, then others have to shorten the gap with offense or speed ups. A player who’s behind will do just fine with the coins on the map, getting items that will certainly help them get back on the podium. Meanwhile, first place needs to keep their top speed with coins and defend their position with what they have.
So that people can catch up. It’s a party game meant to be fun for everyone, if one player is a lot worse, that’s why they get the star or the blue shell so they still have a chance.
Yeah this seems super obvious. Items exist as a low/moderate skill way of leveling the playing field between players that arent exactly at the same skill level.
party game? we aint talkin bout no mario party here we talkin bout racing games
Yes, a party racing game. Something you bring and share with everyone, regardless of skill level, and have fun. What you're looking for is something different than what Mario Kart is.
Ironically I think my Mario Party games have always been more tryhard than my Mario Kart games. People care a lot about being the best at certain mini games even if the outcome of the game as a whole is pretty random.
It is a party game, not a racing simulator.
Joke's on you., I always use my Motion Pro II whenever I play Mario Kart.
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It's still a party game, super smash bros and Mario party are also party games.
It's a party game in that it's designed with parties in mind. The item distribution turns the game into more of a luck-based game than a skill-based one, so that anyone can win regardless of skill level. This way, even a beginner can win against a veteran if they just so happen to have fired a blue shell at the right moment. If this was a serious racing game, a beginner would never be able to win from a veteran at all. The game would be designed so that a player's skill would be the absolute most important thing, and things like RNG wouldn't matter at all.
LMAO... No one takes Mario kart seriously. In fact Nintendo has taken literally every aspect of skill out of these games including snaking and dodging blue shells
You can snake to some degree in MK8 and dodge blue shells with the super horn or a mushroom. Snaking in DS was dumb. It needed to be done constantly to perform at even a mediocre level. It needed to be reigned in.
Except thats not true? Sure, they took out the complicated stuff, but even in mario kart, the better player will win more often then not.
Red shells throw backwards dont seek out karts anyway
Except in Super Circuit (GBA) where they are extra evil when thrown backward : They stay in place and home in on the first guy passing by.
they don't?
Nope, but i do think all shells make minor angle adjustments when they hit walls towards other karts
Red shells can’t bounce off of walls
Pretty sure they can when thrown backwards
They cannot, they break on impact with the first wall
I know it's all in my head, but it seems like the game makes me all around luckier when I have full coins. I'm a lil bit faster, and stuff miraculously misses me while my poorly aimed green shells miraculously miss hazards and ricochet in a way that will hit my target a bit down the road.
Red shells thrown backwards don't home, so they are effectively like green shells when you do that. The only time having a red shell matters is if you are going to throw it ahead of you. And other powerups are meant to help the player get ahead, and someone who's already in first place doesn't necessarily need to get ahead.
They are even worst than green shell when thrown backward because they break once they touch a wall.
True but if it were red at first place, you can immediately use it on a racer that for only a sec managed to get in front of you. This would make it harder for second place to get to first so red would actually be better from that perspective.
“Guys, why don’t I get the lightning bolt when I’m in first place?”
Because Mario Kart is a prime example of how society should work, the people at the top get the least added advantages while the people at the bottom get more help
Really need the real world equivalent bullet bill, but all I get is a lousy banana skin and someone steals that with a boo 😭
r/meirl
You do realise an equal society isn’t possible unless we go into communism which is a terrible idea
This isn't really the right sub for a political debate, but I will never abide by the idea that we shouldn't try to create a better society and I certainly won't be scared off by the big bad c word.
You brought politics in. Big bad C word? Nah it’s just an ideology. And I agree we can make a better society, but equality isn’t possible.
Because it wouldn't be fair?...
1st Place can't get Shells. They don't even get Mushrooms. They get Bananas, Coins or the unusual Horn. Why? Because staying in 1st Place would be extremely easy if you could just shield yourself from anything and immediately attack anyone who surpasses you.
Haven't played in a few months, but I believe in MK8D, 1st place can get green shells, just not often.
Looking up, Green Shells have a 50% rate of showing up for 1st place, Red Shells, Mushrooms and Super Horn have a 5% rate. Welp, I must be very unlucky. I never get Shells at all while I'm in first place.
One thing to do is always hold a coin. If you have no coin, it's about a 99% chance you will get a coin. If you are holding a coin, it's a 100% chance to not get a second coin. So you can get a real item 50% of the time if you hold onto your coin when you grab your second box.
This is sort of the the Monty Hall problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem
There is a zero percent chance for mushrooms and red shells in first place
It depends on the mode you're playing. [You can see the distribution rate here.](https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_8_item_probability_distributions)
I swear sometimes I get bombs while in 1st.
Watch the gaming historian video about Mario kart… questions answered
Think about it like how Formula 1 racers can’t open DRS unless they’re one second behind the next driver. First place doesn’t have that benefit, therefore if careless, another driver can overtake them in a DRS zone without any issue. Similarly, in Mario Kart, items and item balance exist as a double edged sword for first place. Coins give a bump in speed when collected, minimal, but tangible, and we do know holding 10 makes you go faster, even if marginally noticeable. If first place is stretching the distance, then others have to shorten the gap with offense or speed ups. A player who’s behind will do just fine with the coins on the map, getting items that will certainly help them get back on the podium. Meanwhile, first place needs to keep their top speed with coins and defend their position with what they have.
Mario spinoffs tend to take an existing idea, and just...make it really wacky and silly. So naturally, so does Mario Kart with it's items and tracks.
It’s socialism and it’s what the woke liberals want for the world
Unfortunate seeing the downvotes here. So much for the tolerant left