Red Shell

Red Shell
Artwork of the Red Shell from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Universe	Mario
Appears in	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4
Item class	Throwing
Article on Super Mario Wiki	Red Shell

“	Basically the same as the Green Shell, this shell bounces back and forth in the same area of the stage.	”
—Super Smash Bros. instruction booklet description

The Red Shell (アカのこうら, Red Shell) is a throwing item in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee that will actively hunt out the nearest player, even the player that activated it. Red Shells appear as special items in later titles without the homing behavior, acting mostly the same as Green Shells, which appear as normal items in those games.

Origin

The red shells have a homing ability in the Mario Kart series.

Red Shells have appeared in every Mario game that has a Red Koopa Troopa ever since Super Mario Bros.; however, the way the Red Shell acts in Super Smash Bros. and Melee originates from its behavior in the Mario Kart series, where it homes in on other characters causing the kart that got hit to flip out in an attempt for the firer to steal a place. Also, the red shells can backfire too just as it can in Smash Bros. Its behavior in the Smash Bros. games could also be referencing the behavior of Red Koopas, as they do not walk off of ledges like other enemies do.

Although based on the Red Shell from Mario Kart, Red Shells also act similarly to the Kamikaze Koopa from Super Mario World. When a yellow Beach Koopa entered any shell, they would begin to pursue Mario or Luigi the best they could, while still sliding on the ground.

Overview

Instead of sliding in the same direction it was thrown in after coming in contact with the ground like a green shell, it will start sliding from left to right, targeting the closest player. If there are no fighters on the same platform as a Red Shell, it will continuously slide from side to side; much in the same way as Red Koopa Troopas turn around at the end of a platform, a Red Shell will not fall off the platform on which it is moving, and instead will bounce back from the edge. When stationary, the Red Shell will activate when jumped on or after coming in contact with a hitbox. Like the Green Shell, a sliding Red Shell will halt all movement upon being jumped on. The Red Shell does moderate set knockback and therefore cannot KO opponents at any percentage except lower handicapped opponents. When the Red Shell is reflected, its damage output is increased, but its knockback is not. A reflected Red Shell will also have much more hitlag when it hits a player.

The Red Shell does not appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but Red Koopa Shells appear in the Subspace Emissary. However, these function in the same way as a Green Shell. The same goes for Smash Run in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, as the Red Koopa appears once again as an enemy.

The Red Shell also appears as headgear for Mii Fighters in SSB4.

Damage

Action	SSB	Melee
After attacked/Bounced	10%	9%
Throw	15%	14%
U-Tilt Throw	14%-16%	15%
D-Tilt Throw	10%	16%
Dash Throw	19%	15%
F-Smash Throw	19%	17%
U-Smash Throw	19%	18%
D-Smash Throw	10%	19%
Air Throw	17%	14%
Air U-Tilt Throw	17%	13%
Air D-Tilt Throw	19%	16%
Air F-Smash Throw	19%	15%
Air U-Smash Throw	19%	13%
Air D-Smash Throw	19%	16%

• Deals 15% if dropped in Melee.

Red Koopa Shell

The Red Koopa Shell is a special item that appears in the Adventure Mode of Melee, The Subspace Emissary of Brawl, and Smash Run of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, which can only be obtained by attacking a Red Koopa Paratroopa or Red Koopa Troopa. In Melee, only one Red Koopa Paratroopa appears. Although similar (but not identical) in appearance to a Red Shell, it behaves like a Green Shell, and does fire damage in Melee, a reference to when Yoshi can eat red shells and spit fire as a result in Super Mario World. When compared to the Green Koopa Shell, it does even more damage and knockback. Another difference from the Red Shell is if it is left alone for a while, it will turn back into a Red Koopa Troopa.

Other information

Trophy description

The Red Shell trophy and its description.

Throw a Red Shell, and it will home in on random characters and send them flying straight up. Red Shells moving around the surface are dangerous to all players, but they may also present attack chances for players with good timing and strategy. Red Shells won't leave the platform they're on once they start moving.

Super Mario Bros. 10/85

Trivia

• The Red Shell is the only projectile in Melee that does not inflict more knockback when it is reflected. It does, however, still deal more damage.
• In the first stage of Melee's Adventure Mode, the player will earn the Dead-Weight KO bonus for each Yoshi they KO with the Red Koopa Shell.
• In the original Super Smash Bros. training mode, if four red shells are spawned in the same spot, and if Ness uses PK Fire on them, they will do about 460% damage upon contact.
• The Red Shell, the Fan, the Team Healer, and the Spring are the only items to have been removed after appearing in multiple Super Smash Bros. titles.
• The Red Shell is part of the "Bowser + Flame Runner" trophy, which is only exclusive to the Wii U version of SSB4. This is the only appearance for the Red Shell in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and since the Wii U version has no campaign modes such as Adventure Mode, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate (whose Adventure mode is made up of a series of battles, with no enemies aside from the fighters and bosses) are the only games where the Red Shell never appears in a standard game mode.

See also

• Green Shell
• Koopa Troopa

Gallery

• 

  The Red Shell artwork for Smash 64.

• 

  A Red shell in Melee.