Homing cap throw

A homing cap throw (also referred to simply as a homing throw or abbreviated as HCT) is a movement technique that allows Cappy to home in on nearby objects during a cap throw. A homing cap throw can be performed by shaking the controller while Cappy is extended.

Using a midair homing throw in conjunction with a cap return spin is a very useful move for trickjumping, since it allows a bit of extra distance to be gained for precise jumps.

Behavior

Cappy's homing ability can be performed in four different directions: up, down, left and right, and the direction of the homing function depends on the direction in which the controller is shaken.

Cappy will obey the following behavior when a homing throw is performed:

• If there are any nearby objects in the direction of the homing that Cappy can latch onto, Cappy will home in on the nearest one.
• If there are no objects in that particular direction that are in range, but there are nearby objects in another direction, Cappy will home into the nearest object in general.
• If there are no objects in range at all, Cappy will briefly move in the direction of the homing, then return to Mario.

Use in trickjumping

Because a homing cap throw will cause Cappy to quickly return to Mario if there are no target objects nearby, if it is performed in midair and there are no targets in the vicinity, it can be followed up with a cap return spin to gain extra distance during a trickjump. The homing throw and cap return spin sequence can be performed either before or after a midair cap bounce; both of these sequences yield equal distance. This is a better alternative to simply performing a cap return spin after the cap bounce, since it allows an additional cap throw to be performed to gain a small amount of extra distance. This sequence is sometimes referred to as a homing cap throw twirl, or HCTT.