Balloons

I previously discussed balloon myosis, a theoretical way to create a balloon. After some testing, we have determined that balloon myosis is not possible. If you are hit by a star or mushroom and then enter a pipe, attempting to exploit the bug, you will not create an extra balloon. You lose the balloon instantly as you are hit by the other player, and so there is no longer a balloon to be used by the exploit.

Formation

Formation is a rather complicated issue that arose during the earlier stages of our somewhat fanatical skill development. We define it as the amount of time and space needed for a particular weapon to materialize and become effective. Mostly, the formation issue causes problems in forward blocks. With some weapons, you need to throw them early so they'll be solid when they hit the oncoming shell while others can be thrown with only an instant left.

When attacking, all weapons form instantly. That is, if you are in contact with another kart and you throw a shell, it will always contact the your opponent and remove a balloon. However, in defensive maneuvers (such as the forward banana peel block), formation issues arise.

For red and green shells, there is a split second formation time during which the shell is immaterial. That is, you cannot block an oncoming shell with a thrown shell at the very last moment. Your shell will travel through the attacking shell and you will still be hit. However, peels still form instantly, which allows them to block an oncoming shell until the last instant.

MSG forms instantly, and with a wider range than shells. The side fireballs form instantly to the side of the kart, which allows for an interesting attack. While driving very closely past another kart so that you just barely pass it without colliding, release MSG and you will be able to knock your opponent out without impeding your speed or direction.

Air Brakes

The evolution of trapping pipes has caused many advanced techniques to arise. One of the most useful innovations that we have come up with is something we call "air brakes". Often, you will find yourself hurtling into a pipe with reckless abandon, only to discover that the landing spot has been trapped. What do you do? Originally the only course of action was to curse your opponent (or self, depending on the amount of attention you are paying) and resign the loss of a balloon.

However, we have discovered a way to at least decelerate, if not stop, in the air. While flying through the air to your doom, press B + L (shoulder button) while pushing and holding the joystick to the left. Obviously, the same would work with R and/or holding the joystick to the right. The combination of these three causes you to land before the trap and change direction so you don't accidentally roll into it upon landing. Of course, this led dropping a trap slightly before landing such that someone would hit it only if they used air brakes, but would sail over the trap in normal circumstances. Use your best judgement.

Special Weapons

The special weapons are obviously quite different from the normal weapons. In general they are larger and do something in addition to balloon removal (remove weapons, spin out). They have a hierarchy of power, however, and need to be described.

Big Banana Peel

A thrown big peel will deflect a big shell. It is thus an excellent blocking tool. When hit, it will leave three normal banana peels evenly spaced around it. The orientation of these three may be random and not dependant on the initial drop direction.

Fireballs (MSG)

MSG evaporates through all normal weapons and continues forward uninhibited. However, big peels and big shells will absorb any fireball that hits it. A major downside is that there are only three fireballs instead of the five seen while racing. Further, MSG forms slightly to the side of the kart, giving rise to the possibility of a drive by attack.

Big Shell

The big shell destroys a set big banana peel (though it is deflected by a mid-air one). Its spikes are tall enough from the ground level to hit a player who is driving above it on the grid. When hit by a big shell, forward progress is stopped and inventory emptied.

Bomb

A bomb cannot destroy a red box. When hit by a bomb all forward progress is stopped and the inventory emptied. If a bomb is not detonated by object or player collision, it has a random fuse time from about 1-5 seconds. There is no way to tell what this time is.

Testing todo

This is a continuously-updated post describing tests we need to run.

• Big banana peel spread to normal banana peel directions and orientation: random or set by drop direction?
  
• Inventory status after big banana peel and MSG?
  
• What debris are left after a bomb blast? Do green shells, peels, etc. survive?
  
• Do all combinations of attack and bomb-inventory position always explode a held bomb? If the bomb is in the driver seat, does an attack by a green shell trigger it, or does it need a special weapon?
  

Glossary

We use lots of terminology in our playing and writing. This post describes word meaning. This post will be actively updated.

• bug - the bug in the pipe level.
• debris - stationary objects on the level: red boxes, banana peels, etc.
• formation - time it takes for a weapon to be able to collide with another object.
• honk error - the event occurring when the desired weapon is unknowingly held by the driver and a shot is made. When two weapons are in inventory, the wrong weapon is shot. When only one weapon is in inventory, you honk, indicating the vacant attempt.
• majesty - a star, usually sitting on the field.
• MSG - fireball special weapon.

Starbomb

The starbomb (not star bomb or star-bomb, ala spacetime) is the holiest of attacks. It can occur when one has both a star and a bomb in inventory. It is performed by first using the star, rendering yourself invincible. Then a forward banana-peel-like attack is performed so that your opponent is hit by the bomb, the blast radius of which you are in (due to the forward attack). The invincibility, however, allows you to emerge unscathed. This can similarly be performed with a non-forward attack, but must then end with you running into the bomb, exploding it, hitting your enemy, and you escaping. To recap, four requirements must be met to have executed a starbomb:

1. Your enemy is hit with your bomb.
2. You purposefully trigger the bomb either by a successful forward attack or running into it yourself.
3. You are within the blast radius.
4. Your enemy is the only one to lose a balloon due to your star-powered invincibility.

We have only achieved this once, due to accident. It was so awesome, however, that we named the occurrence and have striven to repeat it.