Mario Kart 7 review
Mario Kart 7 sees the much-loved racing franchise return to debut on Nintendo’s first-ever 3D handheld console. New innovations, a generous selection of tracks, and addictive gameplay shows that, in Mario Kart 7 the series has lost none of its magic, says Stephen Ebert.
Mario Kart 7 delivers on the same karting formula Nintendo fans have grown to love over the years. Generally speaking, it’s the same deal. Nintendo’s most-loved characters put their rivalries aside to compete in a Whacky Races style festival of go-karting across several grand prix race tournaments.
It might be the same premise as every other Mario Kart, but the Nintendo magic never fails to rub off. Nintendo has done it again, on yet another new console, and in 3D to boot.
The Good
When it comes to some of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, Nintendo knows how to tinker without screwing things up. Mario Kart 7 keeps to the same formula, yet its some of the small additions that make Mario Kart 7 the game it is. In keeping things simple, yet still finding room to add new innovations, Nintendo has done it again.
Mario Kart 7 betters the previous Wii version in many ways. Power-sliding is now manual, activated by holding down the R button. Using power-slides is key to winning races. Take a corner well enough and you’ll gain a temporary but effective boost. Longer power-slides grant a longer boost, so timing these is important. It’s a small tweak that lends a strategic element to races. Holding down accelerate isn’t enough. There’s more depth than you think, especially in later races.
The ability to customise karts means you can adopt a motor that is quick and nimble with loose handling, or a brute of a racer with less of the speed, but superior handling. You also get to choose a glider. That’s because there are now airborne sections. These occur when you drive up a ramp, or jump off a huge hill. They never take up more than a few seconds of any race, but they lend another nice touch we’ve not previously seen in a Mario Kart game. How you handle them can sometimes be the difference between first and second place. Do you tilt your sails up to glide in the air longer or tilt its nose downwards to get back on the road quicker?
All the usual karting goodness we’ve come to expect features in Mario Kart 7: power-ups that shoot red homing shells, banana peels, speed-boosting mushrooms and lightening power-ups that shrink racers all appear. There’s even a power-up that gives you a raccoon tail to swing at opponents, and a fireball power-up that lets any character shoot flame balls. All the obstacles, traps, detours and shortcuts are there too, in tracks from each of the franchises much-loved games from the original SNES Mario Kart to Mario Kart Wii.
Battle modes also make their appearance. One mode has you collecting as many gold coins as possible before the other karts. The one with the most at the end wins. Balloon Burst returns. Against three competing karts the aim is to pop each of their balloons using the power-ups available. As fun as that is, it’s multiplayer racing that, away from the single player modes is the main draw.
Once you’ve got a buddy’s friend code it’s easy to join races. Matches can be instigated in minutes. Most players should encounter very few connection issues. Enter a community code and you can compete in grand prix races with friends. The one with the most points after a series of races is declared champion. Mario Kart 7 always keeps a head-to-head track record of the amount you’ve won versus each friend, letting you see determine who really is the best at Mario Kart.
The Bad
Races take place across several different classes. You’ll immediately notice three grand prix tournaments: 50cc, 100cc and 150cc. Unfortunately it’s possible to place first in the 50cc tournaments without even trying. Only when you reach 150cc does Mario Kart 7 become a challenge – an entertaining one, it has to be said.
Mario Kart 7 adds a few innovations here and there, but at its core, will be seen by onlookers as just another Mario Kart game. In many ways, they would be right, but Mario Kart 7 is a lot of fun.
The Bottom Line
In Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS, the series is just as charming and delightful as it has always been, and just as entertaining. It might be the same Mario Kart formula, but when racing is this much fun, who cares? Not us. We love Mario Kart 7.
