Mario Kart 7 - 3DS

Solid Tweaks, Cool Tracks, Same Design

Adam Biessener — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:23:00 GMT

If you’ve played one Mario Kart, you haven’t played them all – but you could go directly from the SNES original to this brand-new 3DS version without missing a beat. The mechanics are almost identical, though the formula benefits from a few decades of balance tweaks and subtle improvements. The hatin’ half of the game-playing population can make as much fun of me as they want, but I can’t help but fall in love all over again with Mario Kart when Nintendo executes the classic gameplay this well.

As always, players are encouraged to find a rally-like rhythm of powerslides through the zaniest courses Nintendo could dream up while dodging gonzo power-ups and environmental hazards. Races naturally stay close as players in worse positions get better items. The occasional total screw job (for example, getting blue shelled, then lightning bolted during a jump right before the end of the race) is frustrating, but skill wins 90 percent of the races. I rarely placed poorly because of random chance rather than driver error – tough though that may be to admit.

Mario Kart is almost exactly how you remember it, but what tweaks have been made are generally positive. Powerslide-boosting (blue sparking, in the vernacular) is now dependent on the degree of the slide instead of d-pad gymnastics, meaning that boosting down straightaways is a thing of the past. Heavy characters no longer steer like drunken camels, so you can play as DK or Bowser without unintentionally activating hard mode. The much-hyped glider and underwater segments are minimal and kind of neat, and it’s cool that they adapted the retro stages to fit MK 7’s gameplay systems. I’m less convinced that the return of coins has much effect on gameplay; I think they make you go faster? If nothing else, I dig having something else to aim for during the race.

The new tracks range from good to excellent. Including races that consist of three unique sections instead of three laps is a wonderful choice that adds much-needed variety. New hazards like airships firing oversized Bullet Bills regularly show up, and alternate paths abound. As much as I adore the Double Dash tracks, this set is the new high water mark for the series. The retro tracks don’t have the same wall-to-wall quality, but I appreciate that they have a few new tricks dropped in as well as glider sections.

First-person mode surprised me. I was prepared to hate on the new perspective and its gyroscopic driving controls, just like I despise Mario Kart Wii’s motion controls, but it works well enough to win 150cc races. I’ll be sticking to the traditional method, but I can honestly recommend this to people who like first-person views or motion control.

Battle Mode is, of course, still stupid and boring. I have never understood why anyone would voluntarily spend any time in this poorly balanced, luck-of-the-draw mode that may as well assign a winner by a random die roll. I guess it’s amusing to nail a well-placed green shell shot, but you can do that and have an otherwise fun experience in a proper race.

Nintendo’s other big push for Mario Kart 7 is in online play. It seems to work as advertised, but I’m hardly inspired by racing against strangers with no persistent leagues or overall ranking structure to validate my progress. The ability to create communities of users with custom rules (no blue shells, for example) is neat, but the functionality is limited enough that I would rather just race with the default rule set. I see MK 7’s online as much more of a distraction than a destination.

Mario Kart 7 isn’t 100 percent golden, nor is it going to make believers out of anyone who wrote off the series years ago. Taken on the whole, though, this is one of the best entries in the series. As a fan, I’m thoroughly pleased.

Sharing Information & The Road

Matthew Kato — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:37:48 GMT

Everyone's excited that the upcoming Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS lets you take the racing up in the air and down in the water, and Nintendo is also adding some online features to bolster the game.

Players can set up and share online communities with friends, and you can also choose specific race settings to tailor the experience to everyone's liking.

Using the system's abilities more specifically, Mario Kart 7 uses StreetPass to let you look at the win/loss stats and other information of nearby players, while you can download up to seven ghost racers via SpotPass to create an 8-person race on the fly.

The game will also have a Mario Kart 7 channel that will let you view the StreePass and SpotPass information you've collected.

Mario Kart 7 comes out for the 3DS on December 4, and be sure to check out the latest trailer for the title.

We've Got A Spiffy New Trailer, Release Date

Jeff Cork — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:10:00 GMT

Kart-racing fans have something to look forward to this December, with the release of Mario Kart 7 on the Nintendo 3DS. The latest installment of the beloved series is more than a 3D retread, adding flight and undersea action to the chaotic races.

Nintendo just announced the North American release date for the game: It's coming December 4. The company also released a new trailer for the game, which you can see below. It highlights some of the game's new mechanics, including customizable karts that can take to the skies with glider wings or chug along the ocean floor via a propeller. There is a disturbing lack of Wario in the trailer, but we'll chalk that up to a video editor's error. It's inconceivable that someone would purposefully think footage of Princess Peach in sixth place is more compelling than watching the greatest competitor in the history of the Mario Kart series.

At any rate, it's going to be a crowded holiday season, but this is shaping up to be a game that deserves a spot on your stack.

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Mario Kart 3DS Screens & Trailer

Matthew Kato — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:25:00 GMT

Nintendo's Mario Kart is coming to the 3DS for another spin, and here's a look at the game in action.

Although this is another iteration in the long-running series, that doesn't mean that Mario Kart 3DS is just a port. It adds hang-gliders, customizable car parts, and of course...3D. Still, unlike some other 3DS games, Mario Kart is a title you can play in 3D without worrying about your eyes bugging out.

Be sure to check out Dan's impressions of the title in this preview.

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Mario Kart On 3DS Mixes Old And New, But Remains Fun

Dan Ryckert — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:35:00 GMT

Ever since the Super Nintendo, every Nintendo console has featured a Mario Kart game (let's not pretend like Virtual Boy was a real console). Considering they still sell like crazy, it's as sure a bet as any that the racers of the Mushroom Kingdom would arrive sooner rather than later on 3DS. Mario Kart is playable here on the show floor, and I got a chance to participate in a three-race grand prix.

If you're on this site, odds are you're at least familiar with how Mario Kart works. For the most part, what you'll find in the 3DS' Mario Kart falls in line with what you've played before. Shells are thrown, boosts are plentiful, and the tracks are colorful and filled with obstacles. However, a few minor tweaks and changes make me more excited for the game than I expected to be.

The first thing I immediately noticed is that this is the best 3D I've seen on the portable yet. On most games on the system, the 3D effect can be slightly jarring at times. This wasn't the case with Mario Kart, as I had the slider set to max for the entire time I played it. It looks gorgeous, and the bright colors and environments of the game are well-suited for the effect.

Changes aren't purely cosmetic, however, Previous games in the series featured a selection of cars, but you couldn't alter individual parts. With Mario Kart on 3DS, you select your kart's frame, wheels, and glider style before you ever hit the pavement. These will alter both the cosmetics and handling of your vehicle, and there were slots to indicate plenty of unlockables.

Gliders are new to the series, and come into play more than I expected. After going off a huge jump, your glider automatically deploys and gives you full airborne control of your vehicle. Sometimes you'll be avoiding obstacles, sometimes you'll be steering towards pickups, but you'll always have control. Another new feature is underwater driving, complete with a boat propeller that appears on your vehicle when you're submerged.

I played on three tracks. One was high in the sky and featured flowers that I could bounce off of, a second featured plenty of underwater sections and oyster traps, and the third was set in the world of Donkey Kong Country Returns. All were full of personality and unique traps, and feel like great fits for the series. We'd expect a bunch of classic courses to return as well if previous games are any indication.

Coins also make a return, but it was unclear in my demo what their function is. They made your kart move faster on SNES, but that didn't seem like the case here. My guess would be that they're used to purchase unlockables from an in-game store.

I've enjoyed every single Mario Kart game, but this one feels like the freshest entry since Double Dash. The series is a staple on Nintendo systems for a reason, and it looks like that trend will certainly continue on 3DS.