Long read, although I think its right for nintendo to include the BLs (not really a fan of the catch up sys), and am SICK TO DEATH of complaints about the blue shell. Everything in life has a reason!

The Blue shell in my opionion is one of the best additions to mario kart and nobody else seems to agree with me. I have my reasons for thinking this though!!! and i hope some people will see my sense. When you are in 1st position you get green shells and bananas ALL of the time, why you ask? FOR DEFENCE

First place getting lots of either of the 3 shells would basically mean that you cannot be hit or overtaken, so thats out of the window.

 The lightining was created to help keep the pack together and make the bad players not feel so bad, whilst jumbling everything up a little bit( thank god they took the crushing out).

Getting green shells and banana peels makes sure that you do not get hit by the constant red shell spam of the 2nd place, which basically leaves 1st 2nd and 3rd place open to a bit more skill factor.

 Although..... 3rd place gets triple shells, both amazing offensively and defensively, so can overtake 2nd place, which is why that is counter balanced by that annoying self lightning cloud, which also incorporates tactics and skill.

Which brings me to the reason why they incorporate the blue shell, 2nd place tries to attack 1st place and yeilds no results as of defensiveness from 1st place. 2nd place attacks are negated by bana/ green equip, then 2nd place is left open to a third place attack.

 3rd place is usually trailed by what i like to call 'the pack'(every other man and his dog/yoshi) so in 3rd place you also get nailed pretty often (so 3 shells is obtainable).

This is why on straight easy tracks like luigis it is always damn hard to get away from the pack, lack of corners = less skill = less red shell defense

So..... with 3rd place and the pack constantly being barraged by the kitchen sink (and the rabid cat ontop of it)+ 2nd place being attacked by 3rd place, closely followed by the pack who then gets off scott-free? 1st place

When you are in 1st place the only time that you really get hit is by the blue shell. whereas everyone else gets 10 tonnes of sh!t kicked out of them.

So this is a very good balance in my opinion.

Now nintendo was kind enough to change to blue shell as well to make it an AOE(ie can hit more than one). So if you really are good enough at the game 1st 2nd and third place will be well infront of the pack and if you get hit by the blue shell 2nd and 3rd place will be hit by lasting aoe blue shell.

 If you are very good at the game it wont really matter at all because you are hard enough to take it:D

Finally if you hate the blue shell, think about this carefully. Why when you are online are 1st 2nd and 3rd place always so far ahead of the pack? because they are better players.

/rant off

I have no issue with the idea of the Blue Shell. What I do take issue with is that it will home in on whomever was in first when it was launched. Meaning that, if you get hit by one and lose first place, you can get hit by another one that was fired off before you had lost the lead to the first Blue Shell. That usually knocks you back to 8th or 9th place, and if you have the bad luck of having that combo hit you just as your reach the finish line for the last lap... This has happened to me exactly once, but it was an annoying race just the same.

I feel you pain, this has happened to me exactly once too.

The way I see it is everybody uses the same battlefeild, the same weapons and the same/ish luck, they are the things that are controlled.

This then leave the only variables being the control type and the player themselves and the major factor will always be the skill of the player.

For instance i have played bowsers castle N64 countless times online, yet have only ever been beaten once, by a VERY skill full japanese player who pulled off the wall jump perfectly 3 times!