Special Shot

Mario making out an "M" for his Fire Shot in Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

A Special Shot is a move that any playable character can perform in Mario sports games, debuting in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. It generally involves the character performing a powerful strike to the ball when certain conditions are met.

History

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Special Shots are activated by touching the Touch Screen at points to make a certain letter or symbol. The symbols include an M, an L, a triangle, a W, a B, an N, an S, or a star, with each character having a set symbol. The symbol must be tapped out twice to perform the Special Shot, and characters cannot move while starting the Special Shot. A player is highly vulnerable to tackles while bouncing the ball in the special formation, so it is unwise to attempt a special shot when being swarmed by opponents.

Special Shots are unstoppable if executed from inside the 3-point line, and will always make it in the basket. However, if executed outside the 3-point line, a teammate needs to run up and dunk the ball. Sometimes, the teammate will fail to receive the ball. If an opponent is blocking that teammate, the shot will miss.

Listed below are the Special Shot symbols and their associated character(s).

• M - Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Moogle
• L - Luigi
• Triangle - Peach, Daisy, Dixie Kong, and Birdo
• W - Wario and Waluigi
• B - Bowser Jr., Bowser, and Boo
• N - Paratroopa and Ninja
• S - Fly Guy and Cactuar
• Star - White Mage and Black Mage

Mario Sports Mix

Mario prepares to execute his special shot during a Hockey match, in Mario Sports Mix.

In Mario Sports Mix, special shots make a return appearance. While the shots play similarly to that of the special shots from Mario Hoops 3-on-3, these shots are blockable, and can be preventable. Also, the method of unleashing a special shot is different as the moves can only be used once the player's special shot meter reaches a maximum level. Each character has a different, and unique special shot that is based on their properties and features. Additionally, the special shots tend to vary in the way it is used in each of the four sports: Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, and Dodgeball.

Mario Tennis Aces

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In Mario Tennis Aces, Special Shots can only be used when the energy gauge is full, and allow the player to aim their shot in a first-person perspective. These shots are capable of breaking the opposition's racket in one hit, though they can be blocked, so not all Special Shots are a guaranteed win.

When the player triggers the Special Shot, a short animation is played where the character is shown performing the shot using external forces or special powers. The table below lists all separate names used for the Special Shots as revealed by the Toad commentators during tournaments, along with a description for the action each character carries out to perform the shot.

Image	Special Shot	Action
	Blazing Wall Jump	Mario clenches his fist in front of the camera, then uses Wall Jumps to climb some transparent walls that form in the air. Once he reaches a certain height, he flips through the air, preparing to hit the ball with power.
	Pipe Cannon	Luigi raises his racket in the air, then jumps inside a Pipe Cannon that appears under him from the ground. Luigi then blasts himself in the air while shouting his name, preparing to launch the ball onto the other side of the field.
	Glorious Garlic Bomber	Wario pulls a head of garlic from behind and consumes it, confering him strength. Afterwards, he jumps and whirls through the air to hit the ball.
	Showtime	Waluigi puts a rose between his teeth and snaps his fingers while posing. He makes several pirouettes to gain momentum before hitting the ball.
	Heart Shot	Peach swipes her racket and performs a floaty whirl, stepping on the air to gain height while the racket leaves a pink trail. She then draws a heart in front of the camera using her racket and pulls it back to strike the ball.
	Bloom Blast	Daisy winks in front of the camera and quickly glides around on a forming staircase, leaving petals behind her. She then lunges towards the ball to hit it.
	Star Combo	Rosalina performs a whirl and points her racket in front of her, bringing in three yellow, green, and red Lumas that pass the ball from one to another. The last Luma directs the ball to Rosalina, who gives the ball a powerful stroke.
	Super Toad Dive	Toad spins as the camera closes up on him. He then throws the racket upward and does a backflip that lands him on his head. From this position, he bounces in the air to grab the racket and strike the ball.
	Hop Skip Jump	Toadette raises her fist in the air and starts hopping on some bouncy mushroom-like platforms that appear in the air. Soon after, she lunges towards the ball to hit it.
	Fire-Breath Barrage	Bowser roars and breathes a stream of flames on his racket, setting in on fire. To gain momentum, he jumps and quickly spins in the air while leaving trails of fire.
	Armed and Dangerous	Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car throws the racket upward and draws a Mecha Hand to catch it. The Mecha Hand then lunges forward to strike the ball.
	Illusion Shot	Boo waves the racket and attracts several other Boos that encircle him. The Boos then spin and turn into tennis balls displaying Boo's emblem, which gather around the racket. The playable Boo also spins around several times before launching the balls with a powerful swing.
	Flying Rainbow	Yoshi first poses with the racket backwards, then the camera cuts behind him to show that he gains a pair of wings. Using them, he swirls in the air to hit the ball while leaving a rainbow behind him.
	Barrel Cannon Chaos	Donkey Kong grins to the camera, then mounts a Barrel Cannon that appears next to him. He shoots into a few other Barrel Cannons before launching himself towards the ball with a thrust.
	Spike Strike	Spike swallows the racket and turns it into a large spiked roller, which he spins several times above his head before tossing it in the air. He then jumps to grab it again and strike the ball using the gained momentum.
	Unleash	Chain Chomp barks and begins skipping frantically. He continues with a brisk spin around an invisible axis, hitting the ball afterwards.
	Spin Break	Koopa Troopa does a short dance and retreats inside his shell. He starts spinning increasingly faster, making the shell glow. He then darts high through the air and comes out of the shell, hitting the ball with a swing.
	Wave Rider	Blooper gushes a huge stream of water in order to fly high and smash the ball.
	Jungle Swing	Diddy Kong uses a vine to climb and jumps to the sky. While the tennis racket is tied with the vine to his legs, he kicks the ball.

Gallery

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  Wario eating some garlic for his Glorious Garlic Bomber

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  DK shooting between Barrel Cannons for his Barrel Cannon Chaos