Star Dash (technique)

Star Dash is a special technique performed in the horse racing segments of Mario Sports Superstars. The meter of the Star Dash is represented by three circles containing stars on the left part of the screen, above the stamina meter for the horse. Players fill this meter when they collect stars strewn across the track; five of these stars fill out one Star Dash. Most of the stars are found in singular forms, though clusters of doubles or even triples may be found. Additionally, if players start the race on a horse with a better mood, players start out the race with more of the Star Dash meter filled. Players can reserve up to three possible usages of the Star Dash if all are fully filled out. The Star Dash allows players to cut through hedges, trees, and off-road without any loss of speed, as well as having a small burst of speed that allows players to speed past a pack. Each character receives their own Star Dash particle and sound effect, though characters do not have performance differences from each other, making the effect purely aesthetic.