Thunder Cloud
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| Asset Info favorite | |
|---|---|
| Name | Thunder Cloud |
| Category | Wii |
| Game | Mario Kart Wii |
| Section | Items |
| Submitted | March 11, 2018 |
| Uploaded By | Tyler Cretal |
| Size |
30.55 KB (9 items) arrow_right
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| Format |
ZIP (application/zip) dae, png, txt |
| Hits | 7,280 |
| Tags (1): | |
Comments (7)
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My opinion on this item has changed a lot, and now, I honestly kinda like it. The concept is great: an item that acts like a double-edged sword, with advantages that you can utilize while also having a quality that makes it prone to backfiring. In the Thunder Cloud's case, when you have the cloud, you have a speed boost and can cut through off-road, but when it strikes, you shrink and slow down. But ultimately, the execution was not very well-received: many hated it, as whenever they received it, they almost never got to pass it around, and they only faced the disadvantage part. But honestly? I don't think the lightning-strike part of it is the issue; I think that not being able to use it on-command is the issue. There's very little strategy to utilize with this item when it activates as soon as you receive it. It ends up being less planning out a route or going for a surprise attack and moreso frantically trying and failing to get the cloud off of you. Because of this, I think that if you could manually activate the Thunder Cloud, it could actually be quite a good item...
...and it's also why I think that the community's Mega Thunder Cloud is actually WORSE than the Thunder Cloud. It doesn't solve the problem; it creates another one, that being that it's TOO advantageous now. Sure, the concept is fine: a reverse hot-potato situation where you WANT the cloud so that when it strikes, you get powered up. However, the advantages of having the cloud on you are still present. So, if you keep the cloud for the entire time, which is likely if you are by yourself, when we factor in both the Thunder Cloud time AND the Mega Mushroom time, you get some powerful advantages for a RIDICULOUS amount of time. It only works well in packs, where everyone is crowded, so it's gonna get passed around constantly.
...and it's also why I think that the community's Mega Thunder Cloud is actually WORSE than the Thunder Cloud. It doesn't solve the problem; it creates another one, that being that it's TOO advantageous now. Sure, the concept is fine: a reverse hot-potato situation where you WANT the cloud so that when it strikes, you get powered up. However, the advantages of having the cloud on you are still present. So, if you keep the cloud for the entire time, which is likely if you are by yourself, when we factor in both the Thunder Cloud time AND the Mega Mushroom time, you get some powerful advantages for a RIDICULOUS amount of time. It only works well in packs, where everyone is crowded, so it's gonna get passed around constantly.
The Mega Thunder Cloud in CTGP-R pulls it off way better. I thought the original purpose was to give you a speed boost, and then punish you, so it'd be fair. Not so fair, now that I think of it.
It's so joyous
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea behind the item, but the only reason I hate this item is because it was executed in the worst way possible.
One of the most hated items in the Mario Kart series.
Goddamn I hate this item. D:
When you get this item, it activates automatically (this is already a bad start). It gives the player a small speed boost, allowing the player to negate off-road terrain for ten seconds. That seems like it would be a good thing, right? Well, here's what makes this item so bad. Once that ten second timer runs out, YOU SHRINK. I'm not kidding. This item actively harms the user.
You can get rid of the Thunder Cloud by bumping into another racer, but that's easier said than done. Your best bet to get rid of it is to get shot out of a cannon or use an invincibility item. This is especially painful to do online because people go out of their way to not get bumped because they know how brutal the punishment is. I would make it so that, instead of having to bump into another player to pass the cloud, just getting within a certain distance of said racer should be enough to pass the cloud. I would also increase the timer and the speed boost, as well as making the punishment less brutal.
What makes this already terrible item even worse is where you get this item. In Grand Prix (Mario Kart Wii has 12 racers on each course), you can obtain a Thunder Cloud if you're anywhere from 3rd to 7th place, or in the case of VS Races, 3rd to 8th place. While 3rd and 4th may not be as problematic, 5th to 8th place is why the position placement is a problem because if you're in any of those four positions, you already aren't doing great, and the Thunder Cloud is just going to add to the pain by making you end up in 9th place or lower. I feel like if you get an item this punishing, it should punish those in the front, not the middle. This is why making it obtainable in the top 4 positions only is the solution I would prefer the most. I would give it a 10% chance to appear in 1st place, 7.5% for 2nd, 5% for 3rd, and 2.5% for 4th.
Honestly, I'm glad the Thunder Cloud has only ever been in Mario Kart Wii, and unless at least one of my proposed solutions gets implemented, I hope this item never returns.