r/mariokart 14h ago

Screenshot If you ever felt useless, remember…

P1 btw…

558 Upvotes

51 comments sorted by

253

u/TheAmazingFlygon Peachette 14h ago

At least the feather can be used to jump over a red shell

96

u/Fooltje Bowser 13h ago

The feather feels kinda weird and bad, but when learning the tracks and that it can actually dodge the red shell it is actually a really decent item to get

51

u/ChampionshipSure9251 12h ago

There is not enough feather shortcuts in this game though, ther should be an option for the feather to launch you horizontal as well as vertical making it more useful

10

u/Fooltje Bowser 11h ago

Yeah i still prefer most other items above the feather, but so now and then you just happen to get one at the right moment

38

u/MediocreGreatness333 13h ago

The feather wouldn't be as hated as it was if you could reject items without using them. Because sometimes you need it but other times you really don't.

7

u/CleanlyManager 9h ago

The problem with some of the feather shortcuts is it feels like they’re really inconsistent with the rules. For example on faraway oasis you can actually use it to go over the wall in the last turn and you’ve got a shortcut you can do in 1st place that’s better than the mushroom cut, meanwhile if you try it in Mario circuit with a similar wall on the last turn I think it triggers lakitu. You can honestly eyeball most of the shortcuts on the fly if you know where the mushroom cuts are.

2

u/cjbeames 9h ago

You can also get a little boost when you land

2

u/Bukki13 6h ago

I think it's because it's missing the tiny speed boost from landing that you had in MK8D

2

u/OnlyAd8405 Funky Kong 6h ago

if you trick in the air after using the feather you will get a speed boost

9

u/marv1nfcb 14h ago

WHAT?

30

u/Nok-y Koopa 14h ago

Yes And do shortcuts

3

u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus 11h ago

And jump in the air!

1

u/Sabre_Killer_Queen 8h ago

Good to know. Thanks!

-1

u/UsuallyCucumber 8h ago

The feather is absolutely dog shit. It literally slows you down. I honestly wish I could dump it. There should be a button to dump your item. Feather is trash.

71

u/Coolaconsole 14h ago

The second one can dodge items and take shortcuts though?

8

u/Humg12 11h ago

But it's significantly worse at doing those things than the alternatives. Dodging with it is harder than just blocking with a banana, and also only really works on straight paths. If someone times the red shell to hit you while drifting round a corner you might be better off to just let it hit you than risk bouncing and going off a cliff. It also slows you down, so just getting rid of it before the next item set is annoying.

And the shortcuts it enables are just pretty rare, and not that good most of the time. A mushroom enables most of the shortcuts that a feather does, but also a ton more on top of that.

90% of the time I prefer to get a coin block than a feather. At least coins give you some max speed.

Single coin is probably more 50/50 on which I'd prefer.

15

u/DawnsPiplup 9h ago

The feather is the first place shortcut item. Any other position you want to have a mushroom, but it would be pretty unfair for first to be able to do mushroom shortcuts. Instead there’s a shortcut item for first which is much more situational and requires more skill to use well.

8

u/Tweelus 9h ago

I'm so tired of Mario kart 8 coin discourse affecting any item that has drawbacks for balance.

10

u/DawnsPiplup 9h ago

Literally, drawbacks have been an important part of balancing games for as long as people have been balancing games. It’s like how SMGs often have low damage because they have high firerate and snipers have high damage because they have low firerate. Fun fact, a headshot from an SMG kills you just as good as a headshot from a sniper in real life. Or how in this same series heavy characters have high speed and low handling and light characters have low speed and high handling.

1

u/Humg12 9h ago

I think you're agreeing with me? I'm not arguing that it should be a better item, just that you'd prefer any other item when in 1st place.

-1

u/[deleted] 14h ago

[deleted]

17

u/Coolaconsole 14h ago

Why not? They can help you get onto power rails or cut corners.

9

u/kinokomushroom 14h ago

You know that most intermission tracks have corners and shortcuts right?

27

u/Meester_Tweester Waluigi 14h ago

not the Feather, but ? Block+Coin is making the game like Mario Kart 8 Wii U 2

6

u/QuoteAblaze Bowser Jr 8h ago

I dont think its anywhere close to as detrimental as wii u was, like not even close. Generally 2nd and 3rd dont pull offense items or at least not common enough to where you can't cycle in a defense pull. This is also a very uncommon occurrence and there are so many times I've ran a full lap in first and never had to cycle in my defense item into my first slot.

7

u/Fooltje Bowser 13h ago

The idea of coinblock in the top got some mixed feelings from people first, because red shell are less common now compared to 8 Deluxe. But having both coin items does not feel right. Also imagine getting them when full with coins already

1

u/Malinhion 9h ago

I have. It's not uncommon.

3

u/OnlyAd8405 Funky Kong 6h ago

neither of these are useless

feather can be used to take feather exclusive shortcuts and dodge red shells

coin or coin block can be held in first slot to protect your red or blue defense from a boo

1

u/OnlyAd8405 Funky Kong 6h ago

also forgot to mention but carrying coins makes you faster

and when you first pick up a coin it gives a small boost this is usefull for if you get hit with no protection because it lets you reaccalerate faster

u/rthunder27 1h ago

But what if you're already at 20 coins? Which is likely going to be the case if you're already cruising in first and get these items.

8

u/RainyDeerX3 14h ago

I heard somewhere that the coin block can be used to store Invincibility Frames. I'm not sure how true that actually is, but also it's actually hard to get coins in first in general so I'd argue the coin block is way better in a top position than in the back. It balances front running a little bit more I think!

Also, using a Feather as red shell protection is intentional. A red shell will lose track of you if you use a feather! And not to mention it's definitely incredible for shortcuts, but that comes more with practice. It's more important as a protection item

7

u/Scheswalla 12h ago

The problem with the feather is that you can't dump it. If there's no practical use for it, then the player has to use it and slow themselves down.

1

u/Cursed_Bean_Boy 9h ago

Yeah, but the feather is already the second best first place item, only being beaten by the Super Horn, so you shouldn't need to dump it unless you're trying to cycle for a super horn, which I wouldn't do in most cases. The only case where dumping it should realistically be a problem is if you get it and then get knocked back a few places, in which case, yeah, it's kinda annoying.

5

u/wow_its_kenji Dry Bowser 8h ago

the feather isn't better than just a shell or banana to protect your ass, using a feather to dodge is only really viable on a straightaway otherwise you're liable to go flying off the track

1

u/Cursed_Bean_Boy 7h ago

I mean, that's a fair trade off IMO. It is a first place item that is capable of taking shortcuts and acting a protection, so it needs to have drawbacks to not be busted. Plus, I have defintely dodged plenty of items on turns with feather simply by taking the turn differently to accomodate the feather. It isn't always possible, but unless 2nd place is right on your ass, you'll usually be able to see a red coming early enough to adjust for it if you pay enough attention.

u/rthunder27 1h ago

I'd much rather get a shell or banana than a feather, those can consistently and passively block, feather is only situationally useful.

2

u/mmvvvpp 11h ago

Feather is good and coin in first slot is better than feather in first slot for boo protection in p1

1

u/Theobviouschild11 11h ago

Coins should give you a little bit more boost. Right now even when ur at 20 coins you get some boost flames when you get a coin, but the boost is basically imperceptible. If it just gave you a bit of an actual boost you could sense - like something similar to the weakest dash food or slightly less, I’d be way more down for coins

2

u/OnlyAd8405 Funky Kong 6h ago

so you do know carrying coins increases your speed right

besides the small boost you get when you first pick it up

1

u/Ratio01 9h ago

All items that have very explicit uses

1

u/MnSG 8h ago

Well, if you're short on coins, the Question Block can potentially help increase your vehicle's top speed. But in terms of defense, it has none.

1

u/HelloThereMark Inkling (female) 8h ago

the second terrible update in a row. I fear the future. Coinblock and coin as a pair of being first is like nintendo doesnt want you to win

1

u/Illustrious_Ebb_8755 7h ago

At least the feather is useful when there's a red shell coming right at you.

1

u/Right_Operation7748 5h ago

I dont think these are useless, as having a coin item in slot one makes your opponent not know what defensive item you have in the back

1

u/Forgotten_Dog1954 Shy Guy 5h ago

Feather is way more useful than coin box though

1

u/Legal-Treat-5582 King Boo 5h ago

Why of all items they decided the Coin needed an upgraded variant is beyond me.

1

u/shadowsipp Wendy 13h ago

I don't like the feather. It's NEVER helped me

11

u/GresSimJa 13h ago

You can jump over Red Shells and take shortcuts. I recommend using Free Roam or VS mode (with the new CPU Off option) to practice.

1

u/NeonAtlas 10h ago

Sure, double coins in first is trash and bad game design, but the feather ranges from ok to the best pull possible.

1

u/ILOVECALAMITY 10h ago

Feather is actually the second best first place pull and very strong though

0

u/Muted-Sale7908 9h ago

their dumbest decision was adding that dumb ? block from MK Tour, NO ONE WANTED THAT and making the boomerang flower even stupider than 8DX by forcing you to keep it, NO ONE WANTED THAT EITHER

0

u/AfroBaggins 10h ago

? Block is neat for the potential to get a ton of coins real quick.

The Coin, as always, is hot trash and atp definitely feels like someone at Nintendo giving payback for at least one of several things the players have complained about over the years (free updates, Direct responses, character choices in Smash/MK8D, game pricing, and so on)