Mario Kart 7

Blog Post: The Mario Kart that revolutionized the series

Ruler 3995 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 07:20:00 GMT

When it comes to Mario, many will point at the series repetition. While titles like New Super Mario Bros. 2 can attest to that, Mario Kart 7, along with Super Mario 3D Land, proves that these series' aren't losing steam. Mario Kart 7's new glider, underwater, and customization features open a new door to what the future of the series can accomplish. While some can view the new additions as gimmicks, the customization and gliders open up the tracks more. Instead of having the karts all running the beaten path like most of the titles feel, being able to hang glide makes shortcuts, controlling your kart in the air, and taking multiple routes puts a lot more strategic driving into the 7th title. The new items, including the double-edged "7" item, definitely makes sure that no lead is safe, and that anything is possible. Not to mention the tracks. Not only are the new ones interesting, and great to play, but the retro-courses are among my personal favorites. While odd character selection (Queen Bee and Wiggler) coupled with a lack of single-player VS. mode (No free racing single play, only Grand Prix) hinder this title as a definitive #1, this title is still a must buy for returning fans, or gamers new to Mario Kart.

Blog Post: Can Mario Kart 7 live up to the name?

Saint Dexter — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 23:43:00 GMT

Mario Kart 7 is a great game. whether is the great courses, the cheerful graphics, or the playful characters, this game should be part of your 3DS archive. After a while, though, the game starts to get a little bit boring. As long as you have some good friends to race against, or you sit on the bus for 3 hours every day, Mario kart 7 is the way to go.

Wiki: Mario Kart 7 Guides

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 08:06:00 GMT

Guides for Mario Kart 7

Wiki Page: game guide issue 1 mario kart guide

Game Guide — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:06:00 GMT

Mario Kart 7 one of nintendo's best sellers,is not every thing you think.If you dont play the grand prix alot do so. you get more characters,karts,wheels and more.so play that and also,online coin collector and balloon battle is a fun way to just have fun.this is game guide.

Blog Post: Chaotic Karting in 3D

lcompx — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:43:00 GMT

The shell hell karting experience comes to the 3DS with enough small updates to make Mario Kart 7 one of the genre's best.

This latest handheld entry plays a lot like a portable version of Mario Kart Wii; the visuals, handling physics, tricks and power ups are all quite similar, but the few changes ultimately make MK7 the superior game. Coin collecting returns to the races for the first time since Super Circuit on the GBA. If you're not familiar with the concept, coins are scattered throughout the tracks and each coin you collect (up to 10) will increase your kart's top speed. This doesn't change the gameplay drastically, but does add just the slightest bit of strategy and decision making. For the most part the coins are off the desired racing line in corners so racers must decide when to take the longer, slower line to collect the coins. And of course, getting hit with a shell or running over a bannana will make you lose some coins. While this can make taking a cheap shot even more infuriating it does also keep the coin collecting strategy going throughout the races.

The glider and submarine gameplay that has been showcased leading up to release actually has very little impact on the racing experience. Basically the submarine propeller comes out when your kart is underwater, but the driving and sliding around corners feels the same as on land. When using the glider after a big jump you can controll the up/down direction of flight a little bit to access alternate higher or lower paths on some circuits, but, again, this doesn't have any major impact.

The roster of unlockable characters isn't as large as the last console entries, but extra karts, wheels and gliders are unlockable. These new kart customization options not only encourage players to experiment with different combinations, but seem to help balance the small, medium and large characters performance as well. Mercifully, the obtuse star ranking system from MK Wii returns in a slightly simpler form and isn't really important in unlocking any content.

Long-time Mario Kart fans will probably be happy to see a few iconic courses from the past recreated, most natably Koopa Beach and Kalimari Desert from Mario Kart 64. Both get an impressive visual overhaul while parts of the Beach are significantly altered, even the famous cave shortcut, to use the new glider and submarine. The tube-frame karts from MK64 are also unlockable, so players can finally see how they look as a 3d model.

This game probably won't change anyone's mind about the franchise; the rubberbanding and general chaos is as fun and/or infuriating as it has been in the last two console entries, but I have to say the changes that have been made were all for the better.

Blog Post: Mario Kart 7: Is 7 Really a Lucky Number?

grataxe — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:23:00 GMT

Mario Kart 7 is yet another installment of the popular Mario branded cart racing game from Nintendo. It has the features that anyone who has played any of the franchise's titles would expect and enjoy, but not a whole lot more is offered outside of just being a new Mario Kart game.

It would be hard for one to admit that Mario Kart games are not loads of fun. With great competitive modes and enjoyable racing gameplay that has always been offered in the series; Mario Kart 7 is no exception. But, just because a game is great fun does not mean that it is properly fueled to reach a higher level of performance. Under the hood of the latest Mario Kart rig we have Mario Kart standard gameplay, some new characters, gliding, customizing, new courses, old courses, a new driving perspective, gyro steering, and improved online play, among others. Oh, and it can be played in 3D if one so desires. It is still Mario Kart and very similar to the rest of the series with some minor tune-ups. Gliding was a newly added aspect. Not necessarily something that was expected, or that fans were just dying to see, but it is new, and leaves a minor mark of change to the game. There are more characters, some of which are quite interesting, available to race as in Mario Kart 7; a feature that would be something to expect. The new courses were well designed with great concepts in mind that are unique compared to what has been seen from the series thus far. The courses from previous Mario Kart games were an appropriate addition and were fun to revisit in 3D. A first person driving perspective was added to the gameplay. Quite frankly, it just does not work in conjunction with how the game is played. Your plane of vision is cut down drastically to the point of inevitable hinderance. The gyro steering does work, but it is not necessarily efficient. Steering with the console itself is entertaining for about two laps. As the console moves, so does the screen; as the console and screen move it becomes difficult to play the game properly and one may become ill. The online racing modes are great and allow for many hours of racing fun. The matchmaking is actually functional, and you can play with friends with made-to-call rules. Overall, the features that were added are adequate, but there could have potentially been more noteworthy features added that really impact the game. That being said, what new features are there to really expect from a new Mario Kart game? With what little room for improvement and advancements there really is to make in a Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 7 suffices.

Mario Kart 7 controls beautifully. The 3DS joystick complements the efficiency of Mario Kart 7's controllability. Press the A button to go and the joystick will take you there, if slowing down or breaking is desired press the B button; you know the drill. The gliding sequences control well and there are tactics that can be used to capitalize being airborne and be the earliest to the finish line. There is not a single thing to complain about when discussing Mario Kart 7's controls or control scheme, everything works, and it works very well. Items are far too solidified at the infrastructure of Mario Kart 7; as with the rest of the series. The items add and take away from the game.; they also take you away from the checkered flag most of the time. Of course, the item system feels purely luck-based and unfair at times because it is, and that is just how items work. A player can be in first place the entire race, get struck by a deadly blue shell, and end up in fourth. In this example scenario getting fourth place probably had next to nothing to do with a lack of skill, but a classically overwhelming amount of arbitrary item assignment that Mario Kart has always dedicated itself to. It may not be so bad to see a new item system in the next installment. The functional online play was a huge relief. It operates as it should and has a great selection of various features for you, your friends, and the world.

Playing this game was a fruitful and pleasing experience to say the least; a new Mario Kart game never disappoints because it is consistent. If consistency is what is sought, then look no further. Mario Kart 7 will deliver exactly what is expected. A fun, quirky, cart racing game featuring characters from the Mario universe that will keep oneself entertained for hours. There is a lot to do online; racing with friends, matchmaking, beating others' records, and more. The actual in-game race modes have coins to be collected that unlock customization options; although there does not seem to be an actual pattern to what is unlocked when a certain amount of coins are collected. The customizations are hidden, and with a ten coin limit per race it takes a considerable amount of time to unlock everything, so there is plenty of time to be spent playing this game. The new courses are great, as are the classics. This game does not lose its playability over time, nor does the racing become stale; provided with the new courses and features to choose from. Endless hours of fun and quirky racing can be guaranteed from this game. Mario Kart 7 is a blast! As a definite buy for all 3DS owners; it makes an excellent first game choice for newcomers to the 3DS.

Blog Post: Mario Kart 7: Seven games can't slow down this kart racer.

The Monster Hunter — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:30:00 GMT

Mario Kart has been going on for a long time now. Since the SNES we've seen a Mario Kart on every Nintendo system, although this is probably the best one since Double Dash!!

If you don't know what Mario Kart is, it's a racing game where you play as Mario and co. and race around a variety of courses while drifting and using items to get ahead of your opponents. The formula is still the same but it is still fun. It allows you to play with super experience players while also giving your little brother a chance to get something higher that 8th. Items are still based on luck and your current place, but they're more balanced out then in Mario Kart Wii. The Tokoni tail and fire flower are welcome addition, however the best item is the lucky 7 which gives you 7 items at once.

Getting first place isn't just about luck though, you'll still need to have some sort of skill if you want to actually win some races. The drifting mechanic is re-done this time. The harder you drift the faster you'll get a powerslide. You'll also have to have a kart combination that suits you as well. That's right, Mario Kart now has kart customization. you'll be making your own kart from the frames, the tires, and your glider. Swapping out parts will affect some stat in some way, shape, or form, and finding the right combo for you is key, especially online.

Another new addition to Mario Kart 7 is the addition of gliders and propellers. This mean you can race just about everywhere, land, sea, or air. In almost each level you'll find some way to use your glider or propeller even in retro tracks. How they're used makes them feel less like a gimmick and more essential, especially the more you play it. Using a glider can help you pull ahead and even take some shortcuts. Coins also make a return in this Mario Kart too. unlike in Super Cicurt, you won't need them to maintain your speed, however they do increase your top speed and will allow you to unlock new kart parts. There's a lot to collect so you'll want to make sure you collect them whenever you see them.

One of the biggest parts to Mario Kart is multiplayer, and 7 is no exception. Both local and online is supported and they're excellent. Online has made the biggest improvement, by adding a new communities mode which allows you to create a group and share it with your friends. You can customize it by allowing or restricting certain items and deciding the CC. Although the feature is nice there's not a lot of customization. I would've preferred an item customization similar to Smash Bros. where you can turn certain items on and off. There also could have been an actual chat room in pre game lobbies instead of choosing from a set of phrases. Online is still good however. the game always run 60fps even with 3D on.

Conclusion: Mario Kart is still the Kart racer you know and love (or hate). If you didn't like a Mario Kart before, it's doubtful you'll like the newest entry. For those of us who do like it, you'll find another reason why you love it. This arguably the best Mario Kart with improved controls, kart customization, and a well balanced character and item selection. Although the Communities online section could use some more work, it's still a nice addition and I know I can sink plenty of time into it with out getting bored

Pros

+0.5 nice 3D effect
+1.5 Kart customization/ lots of unlock-ables
+1.5 fun online system
+0.5 60fps regardless of 3D or online

Cons

-0.5 Communities could still use some work

8.5

Thanks for reading my first review! If you have any questions on the review score, please leave a comment or check my profile page

Blog Post: Lucky 7

Gaming Warthog — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:51:00 GMT

Mario Kart 7 Review

Mario Kart is one of Nintendo’s many franchises. Ever since the first entry on the SNES it’s been on every major Nintendo platform. Of course with many long running series the same question is asked, what does this game do to make it different?

The general race to race formula is still the same, with some new changes. For starters you can customize your kart. (covered next paragraph) Coins are now scattered throughout the tracks (a feature missing since Super Circuit) collecting them gives you a quick boost, increases your max speed and works towards unlocking new kart parts. However, in contrast to Super Circuit you can only collect 10 to increase your max speed, and with the high numbers required to unlock some parts the coin limit can be annoying. Another new feature is the ability to go underwater and glide. The underwater sections have slightly different physics while the gliding segment let move in any direction. In both cases you can pull off tricks in those segments you can’t do anywhere else in the track. Additionally you can go into first person mode where you can use gyro controls or the circle pad. Despite what you may think first person mode is actually fun to play in, you can quickly and easily shift view with the d-pad.

Kart customization is easily one of the more interesting parts of the game. Before you select the track/grand prix you can customize your kart by swapping out the body, wheels and glider. Each part has it’s own stats. There five stats kart parts have: Speed, Acceleration, Weight, Handling and Off-Road. Weight class has no effect on what parts you pick but there are still minor differences depending on weight class (heavy weight class characters can still knock you off more easily then medium and light characters). The body affects your kart throughout the entire race while wheels only affect you on ground and underwater while gliders only affect you in the air.

There are still four engine class’s for grand prix (50, 100, 150 and mirror) with 8 cups total (four new, four retro). The retro cups seem to include too many tracks from the recent Wii and DS entries instead of focusing on the older ones. Additionally, the only engine class to actually give you a reward for beating the cups in it is 150 CC. This is rather annoying as some of the kart parts require a ridiculous amount of coins and feel like they should’ve been rewards for the other engine class’s. Despite this it’s still fun to play through the various difficultly levels and try to get the highest rank (3 stars).

In terms of controls this game works well. The Items are still as fun and evil as before, with the thunder cloud being removed. The Fire Flower is useless unless you’re in a group and the Tanuki Tail has even less range but can thankfully destroy red and green shells.

The online is a step forward from Wii. The addition of communities really hasn’t added to online interaction but the rules that can be set up (engine class and what items can be used, including none) make it different from just selecting find match. Additionally you can join a friend, recent opponent or someone you street passed by selecting the friends/opponents option. You gain or lose vr depending on how you do in races and if you get star rank or above it will show next to your name.

Street pass, Spot pass and 3d are all used well. Street passing with someone who has Mario Kart 7 will give you access to a time trial, a grand prix they made and sometime their Mii will show up in your solo grand prix. Additionally, if you beat a street pass Mii with a part you don’t have, you get the part. Spot Pass is used for ghost data (you can race up to seven ghosts at once) and comes daily in groups of four. 3d makes the tracks look amazing and is well used.

In Short Mario Kart 7 continues to innovate while sticking to its formula. If you own a 3ds and haven’t picked this up yet, I highly suggest you do.

Blog Post: Mario Kart 7 Races and Finishes in First Place

Apricot — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:05:00 GMT

Mario Kart 7 is a big reason why you should get a 3DS (if you haven't yet). Mario Kart 7 took racing and Mario Kart to the next level by putting major improvements that make the game a lot more fun. Read my review on Mario Kart 7 to see what is good about it and what is bad about it.

Gameplay: If you have played a Mario Kart game in the past, then you know what to expect. You choose a character from Mario games, pick a kart, pick a course, and race to the finish line. If you are one of those people that say that Nintendo is just taking the Mario Kart series and milking it, then you're wrong. There are huge improvements in Mario Kart 7 that make the game a lot different than other Mario Kart games. First of all, there are new characters. Above is a picture with all the characters from Mario Kart 7. As you can see, Metal Mario, Honey Queen, Wiggler, and Lakitu are new characters. When you first start in Mario Kart 7, you can only play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Toad, and Koopa Troopa. The next thing you will notice is that you have the ability to customize your kart, which is a great option. It gives you more freedom and you can build an excellent kart (or a bad kart, whichever is your choice). You can customize three things and they are the body, the wheels, and the glider. After you build your kart, you will notice that there are 32 tracks (4 per prix). 16 of these tracks are new and the other 16 are from previous Mario Kart games. The mushroom, flower, star, and special cup host the new tracks while the shell, banana, tanooki leaf, and the lightning cup host the old tracks. When you start playing, the game will be just as fun as the old Mario Kart games except the inclusion of the glider and the propeller will add to the fun. It feels so different once you fly in the air and when you go underwater without worrying about entering the deep area. It's a great addition to Mario Kart and it improves the gameplay a lot. By the way, red shells can attck you in the air. The new tracks add to the fun of the game because of what's in it. For example, in Cheep Cheep Lagoon the clams make the track fun (that's just my opinion). The old tracks got revived and upgraded by getting beefed up with 3D graphics and geting glider and/or propeller usage. Time Trial is exactly how you remember it to be, you need to finish 3 laps (or 3 sections) in the shortest amount of time and you are given three mushrooms to use Time Trial is used in something new and exclusive for the 3Ds, but I will talk about that below. The balloon battle gives you the option of being independent or on a team. The coin runners is the same as what it was in previous Mario Kart games, so don't expect anything new other than the courses. The battle courses are really nice starring GBA Battle Course 1, N64 Big Donut, DDS Palm Shore, Honeybee Hive, Sherbet Rink, and Wuhu Town.

Online Multiplayer: The online multiplayer in Mario Kart 7 is phenomenal. You won't believe how good it is when compared with other Mario Kart games and other Nintendo games. Mario Kart 7 takes online multiplayer to the next level. You can play against other people around the world by playing worldwide. You can either pick race or battle. If you pick race, you will be able to race against people from all over the world. It's the same concept as Mario Kart Wii, you get picked to race against people you don't know, then you pick a course to race in, the game randomly selects a place that somebody picked, then you start. It's the same thing with battle except you do balloon battles and coin runners. You will start out with 1000 VR and you can get more VR by winning. VR is used to record how good you are in Mario Kart 7 online. Your VR will be used in both race and battle. If you always race and get 2000 VR, then you do a battle, it will say you have 2000 VR in battle. The next thing you can do is play against friends/opponents online. Do you have any friends with a 3DS and Mario Kart 7? If you do, then you can play against each other over the internet. Also, anybody you played against will show up here, where you can play against them again if they're online. The next thing you can do is communities. This is where you can join communities and play against people from that community. You can join a community by typing in a community code. After that, you can join the community and you will have the ability to play against people who have joined that community. When you first go under communities, you will see you have one recommended community. That community is the Mario Cup. Later on, more recommended communities will be added. Also, you have the option of making your own community. You can only make a community after you win a grand prix (it can be any grand prix at any level). This can be helpful if you want to play against your friends over wi-fi. If you want to join a community right now, then here are 3 community codes of communities you should join.

Mario Kart 7 Communities:

Nintendo Show 3D: 26-8521-3553-5069

3DSBuzz MK7: 03-1224-4129-2957

IGN: 60-2240-3145-6926

Graphics: The graphics are beautiful! You won't believe how stunning they look in crisp 3D! The graphics are so good that they make me want to play as Mario, and I never want to play as Mario!

Sound/Music: The music isn't something to marvel at like a huge and shiny gem, but it's great. My favorite song in Mario Kart 7 was in Rainbow Road. It really sets the mood of the place and it tells you that you're in outer space (even though you already know you are in outer space in the game). Anyways, there is excellent music in this game that come from the old tracks we all love and the new music showing off each new track.

Bugs?: Sadly, there are some bugs in Mario Kart 7, and these bugs are nasty ones. I have played the game a lot since I got it and I haven't found any bugs in the game except for some bugs in the online multiplayer. The first bug I encountered made some of the objects I use against someone (like a green shell or a tanooki tail) not affect them. It's very weird because when I hit someone, they don't get hurt, but when they hit me I get hurt. This is only with some items in Mario Kart 7. Other items (like the red shell) do affect them and hurt them. The second bug I encountered involves what place you win in. I noticed that it drops the place you win in. For example, I came in first place, but it said I came in second place and it only gave me the VR you earn for coming in second place. This is a very bad bug that downgrades the online multiplayer. The third and final bug I encountered involves VR. if there is a connection error then it will decrease the amount of VR you have earned. It would make sense if it did that if you push the wireless trigger to cause the error, but when you don't cause the error it still does that.

Streetpass: Yes, Mario Kart 7 does support streetpass, and it does a great job of using the streetpass feature too. When you do streetpass with somebody else who has Mario Kart 7, your 3DS will exchange Mario Kart 7 records. If you visit the Mario Kart Channel and click on the picture of your mii, then you will see your driver's license. Your driver's license contains information like how many games you win, how many games you lost, and how many coins you collected. Streetpass will give the person you did streetpass with your drivers license and your mii so they can race it. You can also customize your mii's kart write a greeting, make a grand prix, and more. Please note that when you make a grand prix, you can only pick four of your favorite tracks and pick an order for them.

Spotpass: Guess what? Mario Kart 7 also supports spotpass! Yeah. You probably already knew that. In my opinion, spotpass is performed a lot better than streetpass. When you do spotpass, you will recieve ghost data . What's even better is that you can get new ghost data EVERY day! What's even better than that is you get over 20 ghosts EVERY day! When you do spotpass, you might say "I only got four ghosts today! Nintendo said i'm supposed to get 20!" Actually, that is 32 ghosts. 8 ghosts are in one course and you get 4 courses in one day. It keeps the game fresh and it adds to the fun of the game. Also, you can create and send ghosts by racing in time trials. When you race in a time trial, Mario Kart 7 will copy your run, make you a ghost, and sends the race to other peoples's 3DSs all over the world so they can play against your ghost. Mario Kart 7 sends it automatically, all you have to do is do a time trial (completely finish every lap/section) and you're done.

The Conclusion: Despite the bugs in Mario Kart 7, the game is worth every last cent you pay for it. It is so fun and the fun doesn't stop thanks to the streetpass, spotpass, and online multiplayer features that Mario Kart 7 supports. If I had to compare Mario Kart 7 with Super Mario 3D Land, then I would say that Mario Kart 7 is better. What are you waiting for? Go! Race! Fly! Swim! You must get to yor local video game store as soon as possible and buy this game!

Thank you for reading my review on Mario Kart 7!

Mario Kart 7 Official Website

Blog Post: Gliding into First Place

RadiantChaos — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:55:00 GMT

My days of Mario Kart go way back to playing the original on SNES at my day care lady's house. Years later, my family got Mario Kart for the Wii, and over the last two and a half years we have played over 400 hours on it. Suffice to say, I'm a huge Mario Kart fan, so when I finally got a 3DS the newest iteration was a must. And I have to say, I haven't been disappointed at all.

The game plays just like any other in the series: you collect items while racing, drifting, and boosting your way into first. Gameplay holds a balance between complete luck and skillful driving, and all in all master memorization of the courses will net you first place. There are a number of new features, however, that really add to the experience.

First and foremost to these additions is the new air and underwater segments. While at first these additions seem gimmicky and minuscule, they actually add lots of diversity to the courses. There are few feelings greater than smoothly gliding into first place. Also, these additions are made not just to the 16 new races, but the other 16 retro ones as well, which helps mix things up a little.

The other big changes are intertwined. Coins are on the racetracks, and collecting them gives you a nice, yet very short, boost. Much more important, though, is that collecting these coins will unlock various parts to create your karts with. Customizing your vehicle is very enjoyable, and allows you to compromise between aesthetically pleasing and stats you prefer.

My only qualm with the game is the lack of characters. No characters (excluding Miis) are unlocked except for beating each of the 8 cups in 150 cc. That leaves very little reason for veterans to even bother playing the lower difficulty levels, and also gives you much less to work toward. Of these characters, only 4 are returnees: Daisy, Wario, Rosalina, and Shy Guy, who had taken a long sabbatical since his appearance as a special, multiplayer only character in Mario Kart DS. The other 4 characters are mostly duds: Metal Mario, Lakitu, Wiggler, and... Queen Bee? I honestly have no idea why they chose such bizarre characters. While Lakitu is deserving of his spot, the others have nearly no influence in the rest of the Mario series, and are only really fun for a match or two. I can't see why Nintendo would choose these characters as opposed to series staples like the babies, Dry Bones, and (to Dan's chagrin) Waluigi, who are all left out.

The 3D effect is the least eye straining of anything I've seen on the 3DS, and applies some nice graphical and lighting effects. In particular, this game is probably the best looking of any Mario Kart to date, as the courses and characters all look gorgeous. This game sets the example for how great 3DS games should look. The first-person view and gyro controls work fine, but I didn't find them to be that enjoyable. The online functions, however, work very well, especially the ability to race against a variety of ghosts all at once. Playing online adds lots of additional replay value to the game.

All in all, this is the best Mario Kart experience to date, with a great selection of courses and plenty of replay value. Fans will adore this game, and newbies to the series can easily mold into the great depth of content here.

Blog Post: nice another addition

Zack Parken — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:49:00 GMT

ok so after playing this 7TH addition to this EPIC franchise I realised that hey its just another mario kart nothing special but its nice that nintendo came back with a more advanced version of the game and i think that its pretty good

Blog Post: Good Title on the 3DS, Why Never

The Towel Boy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:16:00 GMT

Okay Mario Kart 7, you've played one Mario kart, you've played em all, so why should you play this one? Well first off its one of the few interesting titles in the 3DS lineup now, Second they've made some quite interesting tweaks to the formula. You can glide,go kart-diving, and thats pretty much it.There are 8 different tournaments like usual,along with the same old stunt of using tracks used in older games.Is Nintendo trying to go for a nostalgia factor or what?Then they added a couple new items and characters, but what I was most interested in was the coin and Kart customization. To get new part, you must collect coins which I think make you go faster? and can then assign different gliders,wheels,and karts. OVERALL: Decent Game,needs to stop miliking old frachises!

Blog Post: How Many Litter Citations Does It Take...

JiroGamer SGS — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:34:00 GMT

So here is yet another release of a main stream title on the 3DS. While gamers have certainly waited long enough for solid titles to grace the newest clam-shell handheld, it would seem that the wait was well worth it so far. Does that trend continue with the release of Mario Kart 7 however? Put on your driving gloves and eat some bananas ahead of time, because it most certainly does!

Anyone who hasn't played a single Mario Kart by now is either not a racing fan or has lived under a rock since the days of the Super Nintendo. The game play hasn't received many tweaks over the years, aside from the drifting mechanic, more complex track designs, and new items, but that doesn't take the fun away from the series. I will admit, something about the version for the Wii did not sit as well with me as past installments, with Mario Kart for the original DS standing easily as my favorite. This newest game, number "7", has easily and masterfully blended aspects of the Wii and the DS version together, creating a game that will likely stand as my new favorite installment.

As with those prior installments, this version of the game sports 32 tracks all together, spread across a series of 8 circuit races. The tracks are pretty evenly spread out, and many of the new tracks are very dynamic. Some were a bit of a disappointment, however, especially Neo Bowser City. For such a bright and colorful name, the city looks rather dull, but other tracks, such as the Shy Guy Bazaar and Music Park, are very colorful and fun to play. Many of the past installment tracks that are included are great as well, though some I wonder why they've come back (I'm talking about you Dino Dino Jungle!).

Aside from my personal track preferences, there's plenty to keep a racer busy, here. There are plenty of unlockables, including nine new racers and a plethora of carts, tire styles, and gliders. The local multiplayer is always fun if you have friends with a 3DS, and even if they don't have a copy, the updated download play will actually allow them to play through the Grad Prix races with you, as apposed to single tracks. The gyro controls are also a nifty little diversion. A shock, because I found that very same aspect annoying on the Nintendo Wii. I say "diversion" however, because except for true motor heads (well... KART motor heads), this feature will prove to be much more difficult to be precise and accurate than the traditional 3rd person perspective. I have not been experiencing much luck getting access to the online play yet, but I believe that issue is on my end, so I don't fault the game for it yet.

I guess what I'm saying is that in case you weren't aware what the Mario Kart series is all about (welcome to Earth), you now should have a very good place to start. The game is beautiful, the game play as good as ever, and the series as a whole just gets better every time. Like the old saying goes, if it isn't broke, don't fix it, and that's exactly what they've done. Until my next review, give a hoot, don't pollute, and keep playing! ...Seriously, no more bananas, because if you make me lose one more coin, I'm coming for you!

Blog Post: my thoughts

inferna_assassin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:38:00 GMT

i hate the new gliders, but that's honestly it

Blog Post: 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.[Excerpt]

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.

File: Mario Kart 7 Review Screens

Adam Biessener — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:13:00 GMT