12 Awesome Video Games With One Awful Mechanic

12. The Blue Shell - Mario Kart

The legendary stature of the Mario Kart franchise speaks for itself, and as incredible as the games are, the presence of the Blue Shell has a habit of transforming sheer player elation into pure, unfettered rage at a moment's notice.

During a race, the Blue Shell will automatically race towards whoever is in first place and explode in their face, quite probably costing them the victory as a result, especially if fired shortly before the finish line.

There are few feelings in gaming that can match the anger you'll feel at being on the receiving end of a Blue Shell, even if the joy at stealing first place from some poor sap is undeniable.

Still, it's a ludicrously cheap mechanic that's just straight-up annoying more often than not. There's no doubt that real-life friendships have been shattered forever because of this skill-annihilating power-up.