Mario Golf: Super Rush Special Shots Explained

There's nothing like a peaceful day spent on the golf course. Except for maybe some time relaxing in the Mushroom Kingdom. But what if you combined the two? Why, you'd get "Mario Golf: Super Rush."

While Nintendo fans weren't terribly excited for this Switch game at first, GameStop pre-orders proved that after Nintendo's 2021 E3 presentation, gamers were ready to hit the green. 

"Mario Golf: Super Rush" received mixed reviews from critics, though that doesn't mean you can't enjoy golfing with Mushroom Kingdom's finest. Of course, if you want to sink a hole-in-one, you're going to have to master your technique. In "Mario Golf: Super Rush," not only can you add topspin and backspin to shots, but you have fancy special shots at your disposal. Like any other Mario sports title, these are powered-up moves that add a dash of whimsy to make that sport unique. 

This is what you need to know to pull off a special shot in "Mario Golf: Super Rush."

Whenever your ball lands in a hole in "Mario Golf: Super Rush," your special meter fills up until it's maxed out. At that point, the color will pulse and you will see a flame next to the meter. Pressing the "L" button gets your character ready for a special shot, where they will perform a unique move to help you gain an edge. Depending on your golfer, your ball will either cause shockwaves that push opponents' balls further away from the hole or shove any other ball out of its way.

IGN provided a video breakdown of each character's special shot and what it looks like. Mario has "Super Star Strike," in which he touches the titular power-up for a hefty swing. Luigi uses "Ice Flower Freeze," where he takes on his icy form for a ball that freezes the ground behind it. Wario summons "Lightning Blast," which absorbs his ball into a thundercloud and fires it directly down. Waluigi, in all his glory, uses "Slim Stinger" to get that ball closer to the hole. Peach's special shot is "Spiral Stinger," and it covers quite the distance. These are just a few examples of the character-specific power-ups you'll encounter in "Mario Golf: Super Rush."