Mario Kart 7 [video game]

First off - I have been a kart fan since the SNES version many years back . . . with my most recent versions being Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii. This version brought to the 3DS far exceeded my expectations. This was my first attempt with a new handheld nintendo since the days of the GBA first came out. I was pleasently suprised by the fluid nature and natural controls the system and games offered. Mario Kart 7 was one of the first games I picked up with the new system (the new mario and zelda OoT being the others. The tradition has stayed true for the most part of the game, but brought back some old flare and new flare. You now get speed boost from coins, and loose coins as you get "hit" by other players power ups. They stack to a certain point, but then you don't receive anymore added benefit from them. They added in some new attacks which was nice, 7 is a fun one where you get 7 items to use, the spit fire works great as well for taking down multiple racers. The other new feature was the parachute. You have some control of them in the air and can get a series edge over the competition if you use them properly. So practice practice practice. Graphics: The graphics are amazing! If you blew them up on a larger screen they wouldnt be the most advanced, but on such a small platform screen with a 3D interface, it honestly looks better than my wii with HD hookups (480p ...) on a 32" LED tv. Sound: Excellent. Traditional voices, music, and sfx brings this game to life and keeps giving it an edge. Gameplay: Same as before in terms of control, the added benefit of a parachute makes it interesting and can give more players a leading edge who are new to the genre. It's fast, fluid, and the UI is friendly on and off racing. Replay Value: With ample tracks, cups, and game play options. Players old and new will continue to find a way to revisit this game. Time trials keep your competition driven. Online multiplayer keeps you in the loop with your friends. The replay value will always be there. For a quick 3 minute race to beat a time. Or a 15 minute circuit. Over all, I give this game 9 out of 10. There are some hicups - slow online connections, frequently lost games when users loose signals, hard to remember "Friend numbers" (Come on Nintendo, User names!)and still having moments where you want to throw the game because of the infinite numbers of blue shells that go into play ONLY when you're in first place causing you the match. If you're on the edge on buying this game, and you have a 3DS it's a no brainer. This should be on the top of your list. Whether you've played it on the original SNES, or just started with the Wii, you'll enjoy the competitions, fluid graphics, fantastic mario sounds, and immersive game play that is Mario Kart 7.

Great game.

There is no question that Mario Kart is soon set to celebrate its 20th anniversary as one of the most acclaimed video game series for the Nintendo games. It has just been a non-stop fast & furious ride for Mario, Bowser and his friends from each angle. It has been on every system since the Super NES, and it hasn't seen the plumber and his friends and foes hit the brakes into the warp pipe even once. Still, there have been so many racing games that have tries to copy it and haven't succedded, or those who have been inspired by Mario and his friends race. Well whatever the case, Mario and his friends kept on evolving in the Mairo Kart games and they have never lost their luster. Now with the high-octane and mushroom speed, it is at it again for the Nintendo 3DS, and truthfully it is worth each and every race. Mario Kart 7 really brings in the big guns for the Nintendo 3DS, where some of the other Nintendo 3DS games, have missed their mark with the launch of the system. Hard to believe it is the 7th racing game for Mario and his friends, and this time around it has continued to evolve well by bringing in a swift mix of the new and the old. Just like Mario Kart DS and MarioKart Wii, gamers will race 32 tracks that are both new and from Mario Kart's past. The game definitely looks amazing with some new wrinkles into the game, as you have new racers and new courses too like racing in the new Music Park, where hopping on each note and insturment will help you cross the finish line, Shy Guy Bazaar, where it is a Middle Eastern flavor available, as you and your fellow racers try and cross the starting gate, while trying to glide from rooftops, and classics as well like Luigi Raceway from Mario Kart 64 and the speed and mall-madness of the Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii. Aside from the mix of old and new tracks as well, there are new racers that are here to challenge Mario, Yoshi and friends including Lakitu the cloud-dwelling and spiny tossing foe, Metal Mario (as a celebration to help celebrate the 15th anniversary of Super Mario 64,) Shy Guy and Wiggler to name a few. They bring a lot of new blood into the game, as well as new elements like customizing your karts with tires and gliders which will make you soar your way back to the asphault.You also can race underwater too, which will help you find shortcuts in the game, especially in redesigned courses like Koopa Trooopa Beach and new Cheep Cheep Lagoon. There are also a few new items in the game too including the fireball power-up, the tanooki tail which will help you swat passing racers, and the new Lucky 7 that is a seven-way mix of weapons like the shells both red and green, a blooper to ink foes, banana peel and and a star for invinciblity. The graphics in the game look amazing, as you score your way to the finish, as well as collect coins while on course to help yopu unveil extras to help customize your karts. The control is strong as well, in the classic mode, but there is one small hiccup with the new first person perspective. While the concept is good, in that mode you can race with others using the gyro sensor from the 3DS and steer your kart by swaying your racer back and forth, like the Wii Wheel was in Mario Kart Wii. That can take a bit to get used to for new racers, but for veterans they can also choose to play in the classic way as well. The sound is strong as well, by bringing in the classic scores and musical elements of the distinctive classic courses like Mushroom Gorge, but overall it is the gameplay that is fun in both single play and especially multiplayer too. The multiplayer adds extras with the Streetpass, and online gameplay like Mario Kart Wii showed, as you and 7 other racers try to race your way to the finish line. Overall, despite one small flaw, Mario Kart 7 is definitely a fast and furious game from start to finish, and it still is just as great for many gamers more than meets the eye. If you have enjoyed the chase that Mario Kart has brought before than you'll definitely love this Nintendo 3DS game. I definitely love this thrilling racer and it shows that some game franchises have never gotten old, they just have gotten better with age. It is definitely a must buy for your Nintendo 3DS that is sure to be a treat that many racers haven't been able to show for over 2 decades across the finish line. I absolutely recommend Mario Kart 7 from start to finish. Graphics: A Sound: A- Control: A- for classic gamers; B for Nintendo 3DS gyro sensor Fun & Enjoyment: A- for solo play: A for multiplayer Overall: A-

My 9 year old LOVES racing games like Mario Kart and Sonic All Stars. The other day we were at a brick and mortar and he was playing the 3DS there with Mario Kart 7 in it, and that was my first time really looking at the 3DS. I was quite impressed with what they were doing with such a small screen, and no glasses needed. We have an old DS, so I bought this for him behind his back. When it arrived and i "surprised" him with it, he was psyched. Then he was sad when it wouldn't fit in his old DS. I said, "Oh, it won't work in the DS? Only in the 3DS?" He sadly nodded at me, so I pulled out the new red 3DS from behind my back to give to him, telling him we were lucky I got one of those as well. Made his weekend. He can't get enough of this, and I got pretty hooked too. The controls are SO much better with the 3DS games, so the stick on the left makes driving a lot easier. Changing from one to another vehicle type is something we really enjoyed with the Sonic transformed on the Wii U, so I was glad to see that "updated" type of game play here. We really want Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U but we'll stick with this for the time being, it's a great way to pass the time till the next version comes out for the full sized consoles. There's familiar tracks here, as well as new ones, and the 3D effect makes it VERY enjoyable. Some different power ups and different car customizations give it a different feel as well. If you've enjoyed the Mario Kart franchise, but haven't seen it on the 3DS yet, get to a store and check it out. It's a whole new game...

I've been a huge fan of the MarioKart series since it was first released, I've played them all, and let me just say, never have any of them made me want to rip the game out of the system and smash it with a hammer...until now. I can't really complain about the graphics/music/3D etc, they are all really well done. Where this game gets hair-ripping out frustrating is actually playing it. Even on Easy mode, the computer will not let you win easily. The computers will rapid fire off the starting line almost every single time, while it's hit or miss for you. The power ups (weapons) in this game...OMG don't even get me started! TWO WORDS - BLUE SHELLS! Those mother$#@*#!% blue shells! The computer opponents seem to get these blue shells INCESSANTLY while me, well I've raced through all of the 50cc, 100cc, and working on 150cc and I have yet to get ONE SINGLE BLUE SHELL. NOT A SINGLE ONE! I run over every power up I can see...you know what I get? Banana....the FREAKING BANANA ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME! I now hate bananas in real life. Every time I go to the grocery store now I have to avoid the produce section, because I can feel them staring at me, and laughing... Oh, and lets not forget to mention the ink...THE INK...Oh yes, the wonderful ink...almost every race, just as you are about to make a tough jump, or just about to take an S turn, HERE COMES THE INK TO BLOCK YOUR VIEW...SUPER!! YEAH I LOVE INK! Oh, I was in 1st place the whole race, and got inked and blue shelled right at the last turn, and now come in 4th...yep, this happens frequently... This game infuriates me beyond belief but yet I keep playing because my blood pressure isn't quite high enough yet. As soon as finally beat this game, I'll be taking it out back and throwing it in my fire pit to cleanse my life of the evil that is Mario Kart 7. TLDR: Great game, you should definitely buy it, tons of hours of fun for the whole family.

The future looks quite bright for Nintendo's latest handheld if they can continue to deliver games like Mario Kart 7. Being the first in the series to carry a number that has nothing to do with the system Mario Kart 7 brings quite abit to the table and deliver an excellent package which, dare I say, tops all the other releases before it. Nintendo has managed to once again successfully blend old and new with their latest entry into the Mario Kart franchise. Old tracks are completely overhauled to take advantage of the new features, coins make their return finally, only eight karts on the track at a time, and items feel much more balanced than in the last release. While at the same time the new tracks work incredibly well, newly added items (Tanooki tail, Fire Flower, and Luck 7) add more chaos to the track, the ability to drive under water and glide over distances changes up the strategy, and the addition of customized karts further adds to the depth of Mario Kart 7. As usual you'll be racing through either Cup Races, four being for the new tracks and four being the reworked retro tracks, in a bid to take the top spot and unlock more characters and items. Offering a total of 32 tracks with 16 retro tracks returning from past Mario Kart games, you'll never find yourself feeling like you've been hitting the same track one too many times. Each track offers a unique experience with its own hazards, short cuts, and other touches to keep players on their toes. The retro tracks are particularly impressive since they manage to successfully blend in the new elements like under water travel and gliding without feeling like they were forced in just because. Once again Nintendo does away with a past kart option as motor cycles do not make their return and have apparently gone the way of the two person kart. This wasn't much of a sore spot for me though since I didn't overly care for the bikes in the Wii version however I do pine for the return of the two seater from Double Dash. Instead we've got the usual one seater karts however this time we have the ability to completely customize our kart to whatever our heart desires. The body, tires, and glider are all interchangeable and each impact your kart's overall stats, as does the racer you choose. This makes for a rather interesting twist since the kart options you go with at the start of a Cup you can't change out. So if you go for less control in favor of speed, you might find yourself hating life once you hit the ice based tracks. It forces you to think ahead and weigh out all the advantages of each choice you make. On the track you'll find that coins have returned and impact the top speed of your kart. Giving you the ability to carry 10 coins can certainly give you added speed boost but also these coins go towards unlocking new parts. Every 100 coins you gather nets you a new part to pick from along with sometimes earning parts for taking 1st place in a Cup. Be warned though, whenever you are hit or fall off the track you give up three coins and of course your speed will take a hit. These add a twist to the series we haven't seen for years and it certainly had me changing up my racing tactics to make sure I nabbed coins. Nintendo has also done away with many of the newest items with only a handful joining classics like the turtle shells, bananas, mushroom, star, and others. Things like the Ink Squid and Bullet Bill return and this time around things feel much more balanced than in Mario Kart Wii. The newest items on the block are the Tanooki Tail, which allows the player a limited time to use the tail to swipe around them either knocking trailing opponents aside or removing dangerous obstacles like a turtle shell. It doesn't have much reach though and performs a 360 attack so you have to time when you use it. The Fire Flower is a welcome addition in my book, as it allows you send up to three fireballs out at a time which bounce along the track and off walls. Though not very accurate they can be easily spammed and work well over a short range. Again this item has a small window of use unlike the turtle shells. The biggest item to be added was Lucky 7, which gives you a selection of seven items that you can unleash in any order you desire. Of course this item is regulated to those lagging behind towards the back of the pack and I actually only had it come up for me once. Now I'm sure some of you are thinking this sounds overpowered but it really isn't. Get hit once and all those items are gone, so using them quickly is key but you also need to make sure you maximize their effectiveness. A few things that irked me about the game were small but still stood out enough for me to make mention. My biggest complaint would be that there doesn't seem to be a grace period after you are hit where you can't be damaged. This becomes a major nuisance if you find yourself getting hit by a red shell (or something of the like) and before you've even settled back onto the track someone uses lightning or something else and you've been hit again. The reason I complain is because you still drop coins if you are carrying any and at times it feels like you can easily have attacks stacked on you if someone were far enough behind. I actually took advantage of this fact a few times; having three red turtle shells can be quite deadly if you space out launching them enough and the result is successfully keeping a player pinned and costing them nearly all their coins. My other complaint comes from the inability to dodge turtle shells if you don't have an item. I really missed how in Double Dash you could avoid a trailing red shell if you timed a boost right going through a turn and other things like that. Here if you see a red shell creeping up on you and you've got nothing to dangle along behind you then you are going to take the hit. To make matters worse gliding doesn't mean you are safe as the shells are not ground based and will take flight after you. A few times I made the mistake of thinking I was safe only to get knocked out of the air. This can also be really bad if you are gliding over a huge gap and get taken out by a blue shell which not only costs you three coins for the hit from the blue shell but also three coins for being hauled back onto the track. The gliding and underwater travel are a welcome change up. Gliding through sections can be a real treat and often lets you bypass certain obstacles by catching a boost and performing a trick at the top of a ramp. At times this can be used to get ahead of the back as you glide overhead, safe from harm (unless that harm is a red/blue shell). Underwater travel is abit slower than land but it means that falling in the water doesn't result in being hauled back onto the track, but rather you are now faced with a longer path to get back into the race and a decrease in speed. Both of these elements are seamlessly blended into the retro tracks and brought new life to the courses I've done so many laps on before. Character selection this time has taken a hit though it wasn't something I didn't mind. There weren't nearly as many clone characters with the babies getting the boot along with the variation of Koopa Troopa and other characters. The only same-ish character this time would be Metal Mario though his weight is quite heavy and he feels like a completely different character. In total you have 17 characters including your Mii which I think added a good mix. Starting with eight characters you earn the other nine by winning the different cups. The graphics impressed me quite abit here, more so than Super Mario 3D Land actually. This is a game I prefer to play with the 3D on and it truly adds to the depth of the game and the racing mechanics. Everything looks smooth and seeing the game running at 60 fps is quite impressive as well. The 3D effects are subtle and I often would completely forget I had the slider on until I set the 3DS down the screen would blur. This isn't to say that the 3D effects are forgettable, quite the opposite in fact. They work so well that you seem to forget that you are playing it in 3D and just become immersed in the experience. It is games like this that will make the 3DS shine and I hope other developers pay attention. Mario Kart 7's AI is impressive as well, often changing up their driving lines to keep you at a disadvantage, dragging items behind them to fend off incoming attacks, and just overall acting intelligently and racing smart. However I didn't really feel the challenge until I hit 150cc and Mirror Mode, though that has been the case with every past Mario Kart. A few times I was cursing the AI for using the same tactics I do to keep themselves in the race and making me work all the harder to win. Overall this is a great Mario Kart game that stands as the series best entry yet. Sure you occasionally catch a blue shell coming into the final turn or the randomness of the items can leave you high and dry, but that is part of the fun of the Mario Kart franchise. You don't know what position you'll finish until you cross that finish line and everything is done. With only a few minor complaints about the game I can't help but love it. Admittedly I haven't been online with it which is why I made no mention of it in this review, but I can't imagine it is a bad experience based on the time I've spent playing the single player side and beating all the Cups in every cc. Score: 9.0/10

This game is great for all ages and provides a huge value (have been playing it off and on since shortly after its release in 2011). It can take a long time to get 3 gold stars on all tracks and unlock all the unlockables, but above that there is an online community which is still active in 2016 (which is where I have spent the majority of my time). The gameplay is classic Mario Kart on the go. This is the first time the handheld entries have felt as good as the home console versions to me-- the tracks are a lot more beautiful and full than the previous handheld entries. On GBA, the tracks were essentially just flat (very similar to SNES Super Mario Kart). This is is definitely not the case here. The point is driven home by the new mechanics for this game (the gliders) which allow you to choose alternate routes or time your booster item usage for some of the best shortcuts. The single player is similar to how it has been for many years. There are multiple cups in which you can enter at different speeds (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc). One downside to the 3DS version is that it does not have a 200cc mode or any track DLC (both present on the WiiU title, Mario Kart 8)-- this would have prolonged the fun for this title even more. If you have a 3DS and do not own this already, I would definitely give it a shot. You can find deals on it around $20 pretty routinely, so there is no reason not to pick it up!

After Ocarina of Time 3D, of course. This game is great. Gameplay-5/5--The computer player are almost as smart as humans, they steal item boxes and Coins that are in front of you, so you can't collect them, they are dead-on precise with items such as Green Shells, the all-new Fire Flower, Bob-ombs, and those Bananas. The Circle Pad is great for the game, and the regular +Control Pad cannot be used. There's an all-new 1st-person mode, where you can tilt your 3DS family console to steer your racer. If you just want to use traditional controls in 1st-person, just use the Circle Pad and don't move the system, or turn the gyro-sensor off in the Mario Kart Channel. The Mario Kart Channel is not like the Wii Version, but an in-game "status and StreetPass" record. You can adjust StreetPass settings, and race time-trial ghosts and in the Grand Prix with Miis that you've met via StreetPass. If you win, you get a new kart-personalization from the Mii if you didn't have it before. Coins make a return, they're used to increase your top speed and unlock kart customizations. Kart customs are new, you can select your Kart body, wheels, and glider. Some Kart bodies return from previous MK games, like the B-Dasher from MKDS. Gliding is new, you go throught air as well as water. The customs each have their own stats. Music-4/5--This game references older Mario Kart Games, especially Mario Kart 64. The one thing I hate- when you're in first place in a race, there's an added beat to the background music. It's good for the Nitro Cups, but for Retro, it's awful. Some retro cups and battle courses have 100% remade music, and it's good for the GP, but for the Battle Courses, ESPECIALLY N64 Big Donut, and DS...(can't remember the name) are worse and is just bad. Most of the music is epic, that's all I can say. Graphics-4.5/5--I love them, they're bright and vibrant. Not much else. Online-3/5--I don't use it much. The loading is long and I have more fun with computers. Just buy it.