How To Dodge Red Shells In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

It’s frustrating to have the lead snatched away from you due to an unexpected Red Shell that you can’t seem to dodge or block. Red Shells are the bane of any leader’s existence, and in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, they serve the same role as they’ve always had. Luckily there are some ways for you to deal with Red Shells that will make dealing with them much less of a hassle.

Read this guide to learn how to deal with Red Shells in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

NOW READ: Best Mario Kart 8 Combos

 Videogamer.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last updated on 2024-04-16 

What Are Red Shells?

Red Shells are launchable items that will seek the player in front of you and knock their vehicle over, incapacitating them for a couple of seconds. You can get either a single Red Shell or a Triple Red Shell. Red Shells have a common rarity meaning they will frequently spawn during your races, and you will face many of them. This is why knowing how to deal with them is essential if you plan on consistently winning races.

BUY NOW: Check Out All The Hot Deals At Green Man Gaming – 15% OFF Selected PC Games

There are two methods of avoiding Red Shells. You can either block them or dodge them outright. We will be discussing both these methods in detail up ahead.

Blocking Red Shells

Blocking the Red Shells is the easier option and can be performed frequently with high reliability. The Red Shell gets destroyed upon collision with items on the course. You can use this mechanic to reliably block Red Shells by dropping an item behind you. Here is a list of all the various methods you can employ to deal with those pesky Red Shells:

• Hold Bananas, Blue Shells, or your own Red Shells defensively instead of throwing them forward. 
• Throw a Banana, Blue Shell, or Red Shell backward when you see a Red Shell approaching you in the rearview mirror.
• Drop a Bob-omb behind yourself. Normally a Bob-omb will catch you in its explosion if it collides with a Red Shell. However, you can also use it to neutralize a Red Shell by throwing it backward with the correct timing.
• Use an Invincibility Star to avoid taking any damage or collisions with Red Shells.
• Use a Super Horn to destroy all Red Shells approaching you.

BUY NOW: $20 OFF Selected Mario Games at Best Buy – Ends on 03.13.23

Dodging Red Shells

Blocking is the more reliable option, but sometimes the resources to block a Red Shell are unavailable. In these cases, you must opt for the riskier but more rewarding way of dealing with them. Dodging a Red Shell is entirely possible in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Here are some ways of going about it:

• Taking a very sharp turn in one direction followed by swerving in the opposite direction 2-3 seconds before the Red Shell is about to hit you. The Red Shell will often miss you and go straight ahead or into a wall.
• Learn how to wall bump. If you drift and bump into a wall right before a Red Shell is about to hit you, it will collide with the wall instead. Do note that the timing for this can be quite difficult.
• Wall bump in the air or while holding a defensive item behind you. This method increases your chances of performing a successful Red Shell dodge with the above method.
• Have another player take the hit. If you know a Red Shell is approaching, position yourself before another player so they take the hit instead.
• Have it hit a course object. Red Shells can be avoided by having them hit course obstacles such as trees, jumping pads, and other stage hazards.

Timing and awareness are necessary for all these strategies. The quicker your reflexes in noticing an approaching Red Shell, the quicker you can perform a countermeasure for it.

Final Thoughts

That concludes our guide for how to block and dodge Red Shells in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Due to their abundance and common rarity, players need to know how to deal with them efficiently. If you aim to take first place, dodging Red Shells is a must-know trick. Check out the rest of our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe guides for more useful techniques.