Roll cancel

A roll cancel is a movement technique that allows Mario to instantaneously cancel a roll with a cap throw. If performed at the correct angle, Mario can retain his speed from the roll or even redirect it in a different direction.

Execution

A roll cancel is performed by pressing X or Y, followed almost immediately by A or B (the buttons can also be pressed simultaneously). This will cause Mario to break out of the roll and throw Cappy in the direction that the joystick is being held.

In two-player mode, the window to perform the second input is smaller, meaning the two buttons should be pressed at the same time.

Properties

If the roll cancel is performed at an angle that is approximately 100 to 110 degrees apart from the direction of the roll, Mario's speed from rolling will be conserved and redirected into his running speed. In this case, his running speed will be in the direction of the roll cancel, not the direction of the initial roll. However, Mario's speed can be kept in the direction of the initial roll by immediately following the roll cancel with a jump; this technique is commonly known as a "roll cancel jump". If the jump is performed too late, Mario's speed will be directed in the direction of the roll cancel instead. (This can actually be beneficial rather than detrimental in certain scenarios.)

Uses

Roll cancels are extremely common practice in speedrunning, as they allow Mario to quickly gain speed for various maneuvers. Maneuvers that incorporate roll cancels include roll cancel jumps, falling off of platforms and activating objects using Cappy.