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Mario Kart 7 (JP) (also called MK7, MK3DS, and originally called Mario Kart 3DS) is a 2011 racing game developed by Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the eleventh installment of the Mario Kart series overall, the seventh in the main series (hence the game's title), and the third on a handheld console. This is the second (the first was Super Mario 3D Land, which was released a month before this game) installment in the Mario series overall (excluding the crossover installments) to be localized to Dutch, Portuguese, and Russian. Additionally, it is the first Mario Kart game to be developed by more than one video game developer, namely Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios, and the second Mario Kart to have a different video game developer (not including the Mario Kart Arcade GP series), the first being Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

The main new feature of this installment is the hang gliding and underwater driving, which allows racers to glide through the air and race in underwater sections of the new and old tracks. Kart customization is also introduced instead of racing in pre-made karts like the previous titles. In the game, players are able to exchange Ghost data and play online in multiplayer mode. Players can also receive Ghost data via SpotPass and race against other player's Ghosts from around the world. Nintendo stated that the game brings "a bunch of new elements" to the Mario Kart series.

Mario Kart 7 is the first Mario game to use the Nintendo Network service as it offers the ability to create custom communities, which would then become one of the features of the service. Once Nintendo introduced retail games that could be downloaded via the Nintendo eShop, Mario Kart 7 was released in 2012 for the eShop, where it requires 635.38 MB (5,083 blocks) to download.

Gameplay[]

Mario Kart 7 features the standard gameplay present in the preceding games in the series, with the gameplay style being very close to that of Mario Kart Wii. Players compete for gold trophies in the eight Grand Prix cups, consisting of four Nitro Cups and four Retro Cups, a returning feature from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. Along with Grand Prix, Time Trials, and Battle Modes also return. Time Trials have players race on tracks to set records, as well as race against their own or other racers' ghosts. Battle Mode features two different modes; Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, the latter returning from Mario Kart Wii. Players can set their own rules for Battle Mode, choosing CPU difficulty, which items will appear or team games. Online races and battles return, allowing up to 8 players to race or battle using the Nintendo Network online service. Players can also create custom communities, which can be accessed by other players via codes.

Mario Kart 7 also has some new features. Players can now use hang-gliders to navigate through the air and propellers to drive underwater. In addition, players now assemble their own karts, rather than select preset karts as in the previous games. It is possible to select the kart's body, wheels, and glider, although some parts need to be unlocked before they can be used, mainly through collecting coins during races. Mario Kart 7 returns to the traditional eight-driver race like in previous installments, instead of the total of twelve as seen in Mario Kart Wii. It is also compatible with both SpotPass and StreetPass.

In this new installment of the Mario Kart series, Coins make a prominent return. Coins have not been featured in this way in the recent Mario Kart games since Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Coins are to be found along a race track, and can be underwater, on the road, or in the air. Collecting coins up to a maximum of ten slightly increases the player's top speed and, if enough are collected, will allow the player to unlock vehicle parts used for customization. The option to select classic Mario Kart tracks is also available again in this game.

Similar to preceding games, an overall "game ranking" of ★, ★★, or ★★★ is shown next to the player's nationality flag if the player has earned the designated ratings in all cups and in all classes. The overall ranking can also be seen while participating at a Grand Prix. The game shows the overall ranking at the results of the last course before the overall results of the last cup being shown.

Among other gameplay mechanics is the vehicle's behavior in the courses. Each element to assemble the vehicle has a function that grants an advantage on certain courses. In other words, speed and handling alter if the player is driving through land, underwater, or in the air. Gliders also provide speed and duration for the vehicle when airborne and can be controlled using the Stick. Players can tilt the Stick either up or down to fall quickly or gently, respectively. Additionally, when driving underwater, the kart's handling, speed, and drifting can considerably change compared to when driving on land.

This Mario Kart installment also introduces the option to race and battle in a first-person view. This function allows the player to watch the race and battle from the character's perspective and can race by tilt the system. In first-person view, the player can also see the vehicle's steering wheel in front of the character with an emblem on it. The gyroscope, which gives the player the ability to steer the kart in first-person mode by tilting the Stick, can be enabled or disabled by going to the Mario Kart Channel, going to the player's Mii icon on the bottom right, going to "Settings", and lastly selecting "Use" or "Don't Use" when going to "Gyro Sensor".

In a minor note, an extra track with beats is added to the course's music if the player gets ahead in first place at top speed (frontrunning). This track fades when the player slows down via braking, going off-road, or getting hit by an item. This happens only in 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror class.

Motorbikes, which made their first appearance in Mario Kart Wii, do not return in the game. On the other hand, tricks return, known as jump actions, and are now the sole way of obtaining a boost, known as Jump Boost, when the kart jumps because of a ramp or an element of the course. The jump action can also be performed on glider ramps to receive a speed boost when gliding starts. The map is viewed in the bottom screen, but unlike in Mario Kart DS, the map doesn't display course hazards and obstacles. The Single Player version of VS. Mode from the other Mario Kart games and the mission mode from Mario Kart DS are also removed.

Elements[]

Starting Drivers[]

Unlockable Drivers[]

Items[]

There are a multitude of different items listed below which can be obtained from item boxes scattered around the track, which randomly generate items to the drivers according to their position in the race. They can be used to help the drivers, or disrupt their opposition with varying effects. The Fake Item Box from the previous installments is absent, as well as the POW Block, Mega Mushroom, and Thundercloud from Mario Kart Wii

Name Image Ability
Banana Peel 507px-Banana - Mario Kart Wii This can be placed on the road and cause drivers to slip around upon contact.
Triple Banana Peels 534px-Triple Bananas - Mario Kart Wii Ditto - the bananas can be dropped one at a time, or all at once.
Green Shell 582px-Green Shell Artwork - Mario Kart Wii This shell speeds forwards on the ground at a straight line, but can also deflect off walls. Drivers that collide with the shell will tumble over.
Triple Green Shells Triple Green Shells Artwork - Mario Kart Wii Ditto - however, initially they will rotate around the driver, acting as a shield from most attacks.
Red Shell 584px-Red Shell Artwork - Mario Kart Wii This shell locks onto the next opponent ahead of the driver, and chases them to knock them over.
Triple Red Shell 475px-Triple Red Shells - Mario Kart Wii Ditto - like the triple green shells, they will initially rotate around the driver as a protection.
Mushroom 486px-Mushroom - Mario Kart Wii

Gives a speed boost.

Triple Mushrooms 23199930 Ditto
Super Leaf
Super Leaf MK7
When activated, a leaf tail will spout behind the driver's kart and can be twisted around multiple times by repeatedly pressing the L button. Other drivers and obstacles can get knocked away when the driver swipes the tail at them. 
Fire Flower
MK8 Fire Flower
With this item, the driver is granted fire powers and can throw multiple fireballs one-by-one at other drivers, which will spin them out upon contact.
Bob-omb Bob-omb (MKWii) This can be thrown ahead (or be dropped just behind). The bomb will stay on the track for a few seconds, then explode - anyone caught in the blast radius gets thrown over. 
Blooper 354px-Blooper Artwork - Mario Kart Wii This pesky creature squirts black ink over all the opponents ahead, obstructing their view.
Spiny Shell
Spiny Shell MK7

This infamous shell will launch away and slide on the track, to chase the unfortunate driver in first place and explode onto them. As it slides along the ground, other drivers that get in its way can also get knocked over.

Star 504px-Star - Mario Kart Wii Makes the driver flash in rainbow and gives them invincible powers - any opponent that collides onto the driver will get knocked over.
Lucky Seven
Lucky 7 MK7

The most special but rarest item available, this magic item grants the driver seven different items that will rotate around the driver to pick and choose from, one-by-one. They include a banana, one green and red shell each, mushroom, bomb, Blooper and a star.

Lightning 469px-Thunderbolt - Mario Kart Wii Shrinks all the drivers ahead. The drivers return to their normal size at a rate corresponding with their position i.e. the driver at first place will take the longest to return back to normal.
Golden Mushroom 400px-Golden Mushroom Artwork - Mario Kart Wii Serves as an upgraded form of a mushroom, which can be used to provide multiple boosts over and over again for a period of time.
Bullet Bill* 640px-Bullet Bill Artwork - Mario Kart Wii

Arguably the most powerful item in Mario Kart, this is given to drivers floundering in the worst positions. When activated the driver is turned into an auto-pilot bullet rocket that boosts across the track at high speed, and will knock away any opponents upon contact. 

The items written in bold are newly introduced in this game.

Courses[]

Mushroom Cup Flower Cup Star Cup Special Cup
Toad Circuit Wuhu Loop Piranha Plant Slide DK Jungle
Daisy Hills Mario Circuit Wario Shipyard Rosalina's Ice World
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Music Park Neo Bowser City Bowser's Castle
Shy Guy Bazaar Rock Rock Mountain Maka Wuhu Rainbow Road
Shell Cup Banana Cup Leaf Cup Lightning Cup
N64 Luigi Raceway N64 Koopa Beach N64 Kalimari Desert Wii Koopa Cape
GBA Bowser Castle 1 SNES Mario Circuit 2 DS DK Pass GCN Dino Dino Jungle
Wii Mushroom Gorge Wii Coconut Mall GCN Daisy Cruiser DS Airship Fortress
DS Luigi's Mansion DS Waluigi Pinball Wii Maple Treeway SNES Rainbow Road

Because there are 16 characters and 32 courses in the game, each character is the staff ghost of two courses each:

Default Characters
Character Courses
Mario Mario Circuit
SNES Mario Circuit 2
Luigi N64 Luigi Raceway
DS Luigi's Mansion
Peach Cheep Cheep Lagoon
Wuhu Loop
Yoshi Maka Wuhu
GCN Dino Dino Jungle
Bowser Bowser's Castle
GBA Bowser Castle 1
Donkey Kong DK Jungle
DS DK Pass
Toad Toad Circuit
Wii Mushroom Gorge
Koopa Troopa N64 Koopa Beach
Wii Koopa Cape
Unlockable Characters
Character Courses
Daisy Daisy Hills
GCN Daisy Cruiser
Wario Wario Shipyard
DS Waluigi Pinball
Rosalina Music Park
Rosalina's Ice World
Metal Mario Neo Bowser City
DS Airship Fortress
Shy Guy Shy Guy Bazaar
N64 Kalimari Desert
Honey Queen Rainbow Road
Wii Coconut Mall
Wiggler Rock Rock Mountain
Wii Maple Treeway
Lakit Piranha Plant Slide
SNES Rainbow Road

Controls[]

  • Accelerate: Hold the A/Y Button.
  • Rocket Start: Hold the A/Y Button when Lakitu's traffic light flashes in the middle, or when you see number 2.
  • Brake/Reverse: Hold the B Button.
  • Drift: When you find a curve, use R button to turn sharply without speed loss.
  • Mini-turbo: When you curve, grey wisps can be seen coming out of your wheels. Move to make blue wisps. When you move longer, you can see red wisps. Releasing the button makes this action increase speed.
  • Move: Use the Circle Pad and hold it to move. If it goes left, your vehicle will turn left and vice versa.
  • Use Item: If you touch the an Item Box and you want to use the item, click the L/X button and something will happen.
  • Stop Item Roulette: If you get an item and you want to stop the roulette, just click the L/X button immediately.
  • Pause: If you want to stop playing the race and want to do something else, or when something happens around you, click Start Button. Then a list of choices will appear. Click the option you want.
  • Gyro sensor (first-person view): Press up on the D-Pad.

Kart customization[]

Unlike all previous Mario Kart games, players can make their own karts. Seven are available from the start (hence the name of the game), but twenty four are unlockable. There are thirty one kart parts in the game. You need three parts to race: 1x kart, 1x set of wheels and 1x glider.

Karts[]

Wheels[]

Gliders[]

  • Super Glider
  • Peach Parasol
  • Gold Glider
  • Beast Glider
  • Flower Glider
  • Paraglider
  • Swooper

Unlocking Criteria:[]

All parts require the same amount of Coins. If the player gets enough Coins, they will get a random part. Gold parts require special tasks. The only non-gold part that requires a special task is the Beast Glider.

  • Beast Glider: 5,000 Coins. But when using StreetPass, the price reduces.
  • Gold Glider: 10,000 Coins, or using one hundred StreetPass connections.
  • Gold Wheels: 15,000 Coins, Or getting Star Rank on all engine classes-no matter if single/double or triple Star Rank.
  • Gold Kart: 20,000 coins, or getting 10,000 versus points.

Game modes[]

Grand Prix[]

As usual in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart 7 has the Grand Prix, where a single player has to compete against computer-controlled opponents in order to obtain the trophies of the eight cups in the game. The Grand Prix has three engine classes: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. The higher the engine class, the harder the races will be against the opponents. In this mode, by beating the first cups available, the user unlocks the other cups as well as new elements such as the kart's parts (by collecting coins in each race) or a new playable character. By completing all the engine classes available at the start, the player unlocks the Mirror class.

A notable change featured in the game is the point system given to the racers after a race in Grand Prix mode. It is similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, but racers who place below third get an extra point. Also, 4th place is not a losing place, similar to Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart Wii (which has 12 racers). Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these seven games:

Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
9 6 3 1 0 0 0 0
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart DS
10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart Wii 15 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart 7 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1
Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music
Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)
Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available
In Super Mario Kart, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Mario Kart 64, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. Starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash to recent installments including this one, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

Time Trials[]

Time Trials allows the player to complete all the laps of a race course in the fastest time possible. Mario Kart 7 saves the player's records, and a Ghost for the combo that he or she used. Through Nintendo Network connection, the player can exchange his or her Ghosts to other players, compare their records, and even compete with their Ghosts. Up to seven Ghosts can be raced against at the same time, making it an 8-player race.

VS. Mode[]

In Versus Mode, players can customize the races selecting personally the order of the racecourses and change other settings, such as setting the computer difficulty, the requirements to win the races, and the engine class of the player's and computer players' karts. Unlike in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, this mode is no longer available in Single Player mode. In Download Play, the players that do not have the Mario Kart 7 game card in their handhelds play as Shy Guy, like in Mario Kart DS, and are unable to customize their kart.

Point Spread
Number of Players 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
2 players 3 1 - - - - - -
3 players 4 2 1 - - - - -
4 players 5 3 2 1 - - - -
5 players 6 4 3 2 1 - - -
6 players 7 5 4 3 2 1 - -
7 players 9 7 5 4 3 2 1 -
8 players 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Battle[]

In Battle Mode, the player can select one of the two types of battles available in Mario Kart 7 and one of the six battle courses that appear in this mode. There are three new courses, and the remaining three are from previous installments in the series.

Balloon Battle[]

Racers compete by popping their opponents' balloons to gain points in a time limit of two minutes. All racers start with three balloons and must use the items from the Item Boxes to take away a balloon from their opponents. Hitting a rival is worth a point. Players who lose all of their balloons will have half of their points deducted. Up to three points can be taken away, and the player re-spawns with three balloons.

Coin Runners[]

In Coin Runners (Coin Battle in the British English version), racers collect the Coins scattered in the battle course within the time limit of two minutes. The racer that has the most Coins at the end wins. Racers can use the items to hit their opponents and make them drop a maximum of three coins that they have collected. Unlike in Mario Kart Wii, only up to ten coins can be held at once. Coins collected in this mode do not count toward the coin total to unlock kart parts.

Online multiplayer[]

With the Nintendo 3DS's online capabilities, players can look for other users for online play, local or global range. Players can choose a worldwide competition to race against other users that are connected, race with friends that were met via StreetPass, or play in communities formed by users with customized rules for the races. Just like in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 has the Mario Kart Channel that shows updates of online activity automatically through the SpotPass and StreetPass modes. With StreetPass, the users can exchange their Miis, Ghost Data from Time Trials, players' names, and information of communities, while the user will only receive Ghost Data from other users and community recommendations via SpotPass.

VR[]

When players take part in online races or battles, points are added to or removed from their VR (short for VS Rating) based on their finishing position. The main purpose of VR is determining the skill of players, to match them with players of a similar skill level. Players start with 1000 VR (rather than 5000 VR, as in Mario Kart Wii). Online play in Communities does not use the VR system. Also, a player's VR counts for both races and battles, as opposed to Mario Kart Wii with races affecting VR, and battles affecting BR (Battle Rating).

Normal ones:[]

Course Staffs Time Selected Character Kart bodies Wheels Gliders
Toad Circuit Katie 1.35.135 Toad Standard Normal Super Glider
Daisy Hills Terui 2.06.351 Daisy Royal Ribbon Roller Peach Parasol
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Gonta 1.53.758 Peach Royal Ribbon Roller Peach Parasol
Shy Guy Bazaar Teague 2.31.167 Shy Guy Standard Roller Super Glider
Wuhu Loop Bryan 1.44.287 Peach Standard Sponge Peach Parasol
Mario Circuit Miki 2.25.001 Mario Standard Normal Super Glider
Music Park Wtnbt 2.19.336 Rosalina Royal Ribbon Roller Super Glider
Rock Rock Mountain Morimo 2.35.105 Wiggler Standard Red Monster Super Glider
Piranha Plant Slide Tbando 2.20.186 Lakitu Standard Monster Super Glider
Wario's Shipyard Miyamo 2.26.268 Wario Bolt Buggy Monster Super Glider
Neo Bowser City Chuck 2.11.032 Metal Mario Standard Normal Super Glider
Maka Wuhu Reed 1.50.607 Yoshi Bumble V Sponge Paraglider
DK Jungle Derek 2.24.040 DK Bolt Buggy Red Monster Super Glider
Rosalina's Ice World Rlingo 2.25.784 Rosalina Standard Sponge Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Matt 2.34.815 Bowser Standard Monster Super Glider
Rainbow Road Takamu 2.10.090 Honey Queen Royal Ribbon Slim Peach Parasol
N64 Luigi Raceway McCoy 2.04.317 Luigi Standard Slick Super Glider
GBA Bowser Castle 1 Hayata 1.31.030 Bowser Pipe Frame Standard Ghastly Glider

Wii Mushroom Gorge

Kataok 2.02.292 Toad Cloud 9 Mushroom Paraglider
DS Luigi's Mansion Konno 2.09.982 Luigi Gherkin Slim Super Glider
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach Amanda 1.54.274 Koopa Troopa Pipe Frame Normal Super Glider
SNES Mario Circuit 2 Itros 1.28.106 Mario Pipe Frame Normal Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Thomas 2.30.117 Honey Queen Standard Slim Super Glider
DS Waluigi Pinball Bill 2.44.372 Wario Standard Slick Swoop
N64 Kalimari Desert Nishim 2.01.932 Shy Guy Cact-X Wooden Swoop
DS DK Pass Sean 2.35.045 DK Barrel Train Wooden Super Glider
GCN Daisy Cruiser Dai8 1.49.564 Daisy Pipe Frame Sponge Peach Parasol
Wii Maple Treeway Asakaw 2.53.560 Wiggler Standard Wooden Super Glider
Wii Koopa Cape Quinn 2.49.046 Koopa Troopa Standard Monster Super Glider
GCN Dino Dino Jungle Iwaco 2.29.837 Yoshi Egg 1 Roller Paraglider
SNES Rainbow Road Yabuki 1.34.459 Lakitu Pipe Frame Slim

Super Glider

Expert ones:[]

Course Staffs Time

Selected Character

Kart Bodies Wheels Gliders
Toad Circuit Ishi 1.26.632 Toad Standard Monster Super Glider
Daisy Hills Sasaki 1.51.111 Daisy Royal Ribbon Sponge Super Glider
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Tkdr 1.42.011 Peach Tiny Tug Roller Peach Parasol
Shy Guy Bazaar Rwo 2.14.714 Shy Guy Pipe Frame Monster Paraglider
Wuhu Loop Nkm 1.32.854 Peach Pipe Frame Slick Peach Parasol
Mario Circuit Raba 2.10.018 Mario B Dasher Slick Super Glider
Music Park Masa 2.07.551 Rosalina Soda Jet Slim Paraglider
Rock Rock Mountain Hiroma 2.19.149 Wiggler Standard Mushroom Flower Glider
Piranha Plant Slide Jiku 2.06.540 Lakitu Cloud 9 Sponge Paraglider
Wario's Shipyard Syun1 2.12.313 Wario Bruiser Slim Ghastly Glider
Neo Bowser City Matt 1.58.996 Metal Mario Blue Seven Monster Paraglider
Maka Wuhu Chucky 1.39.361 Yoshi Standard Monster Super Glider
DK Jungle Dupree 2.10.777 DK Standard Wooden Swoop
Rosalina's Ice World Dax 2.13.091 Rosalina Gherkin Red Monster Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Tom 2.15.244 Bowser Bruiser Red Monster Ghastly Glider
Rainbow Road Asakur 1.52.077 Honey Queen Bumble V Normal Flower Glider
N64 Luigi Raceway Miyakw 1.52.206 Luigi Pipe Frame Slick Paraglider
GBA Bowser Castle 1 Hokwai 1.22.221 Bowser Koopa Clown Roller Super Glider
Wii Mushroom Gorge Jay 1.50.526 Toad Pipe Frame Monster Super Glider
DS Luigi Mansion Vince 1.58.539 Luigi Egg 1 Monster Paraglider
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach Ueda 1.42.909 Koopa Troopa Soda Jet Sponge Paraglider
SNES Mario Circuit 2 Kony 1.17.777 Mario B Dasher Slick Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Ryan 2.14.167 Honey Queen Koopa Clown Sponge Paraglider
DS Waluigi Pinball Nshhr 2.27.574 Wario Bruiser Slim Ghastly Glider
N64 Kalimari Desert Koz 1.48.707 Shy Guy Bolt Buggy Red Monster Ghastly Glider
DS DK Pass Matu 2.16.534 DK Bolt Buggy Red Monster Paraglider
GCN Daisy Cruiser Carlos 1.43.341 Daisy Tiny Tug Sponge Peach Parasol
Wii Maple Treeway Bill 2.34.877 Wiggler Egg 1 Sponge Flower Glider
Wii Koopa Cape Shane 2.28.585 Koopa Troopa Cact-X Normal Flower Glider
GCN Dino Dino Jungle Will 2.14.430 Yoshi Egg 1 Monster Swoop
SNES Rainbow Road Sriwtm 1.21.994 Lakitu Cloud 9 Roller Paraglider

World Records[]

Just like Mario Kart Wii, players have made world records for Mario Kart 7. Below is a table (as of June 2, 2015):

Course Time Player Nation Date
Toad Circuit] 1:19.270 Mr.L Japan May 24, 2014
Daisy Hills 1:38.328 ジャスミン Japan January 26, 2014
Cheep Cheep Lagoon 1:33.142 ZCrone United Kingdom June 19, 2014
Shy Guy Bazaar 2:02.855 ZCrone United Kingdom May 19, 2014
Wuhu Loop 1:23.166 Jacob United States May 18, 2014
Wuhu Loop (Glitch) 1:18.217 Alexony Spain August 28, 2013
Mario Circuit 1:58.647 Jacob United States November 7, 2013
Music Park 1:47.570 Demon France June 5, 2014
Rock Rock Mountain 1:58.986 ZCrone United Kingdom November 16, 2014
Piranha Plant Slide 1:48.476 Eric United States May 27, 2015
Wario Shipyard 1:53.965 Aiguille France December 27, 2013
Neo Bowser City 1:43.467 かミノせん Japan April 10, 2015
Neo Bowser City (Glitch) 1:21.970 Ray Canada May 2, 2014
Maka Wuhu 1:26.324 AdroMaster Spain November 24, 2013
Maka Wuhu (Glitch) 1:04.394 AdroMaster Spain December 13, 2013
DK Jungle 1:55.402 Ray Canada May 29, 2014
DK Jungle (Glitch) 1:52.923 Toad Japan September 26, 2014
Rosalina's Ice World 1:52.974 Toad Japan August 31, 2014
Bowser's Castle 1:58.150 Jacob United States December 18, 2013
Rainbow Road 1:36.261 Gogoku7 Netherlands June 23, 2014
N64 Luigi Raceway 1:42.965 Demon France March 2, 2014
GBA Bowser Castle 1 1:11.736 Miracle Japan February 7, 2015
GBA Bowser Castle 1 (Glitch) 1:10.896 TvK Belgium January 23, 2015
Wii Mushroom Gorge 1:33.705 Weisse Japan June 16, 2014
DS Luigi's Mansion 1:43.482 Lee United Kingdom April 21, 2014
DS Luigi's Mansion (Glitch) 1:41.589 Marv Germany March 28, 2014
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach 1:30.498 Ray Canada March 27, 2014
SNES Mario Circuit 2 1:08.967 レンジでチン Japan March 20, 2015
Wii Coconut Mall 1:56.453 Diogo France February 8, 2014
DS Waluigi Pinball 2:11.258 mume Japan July 31, 2014
N64 Kalimari Desert 1:34.221 きゃわ Japan April 5, 2015
DS DK Pass 1:57.207 Diogo France February 20, 2014
GCN Daisy Cruiser 1:26.611 Nicola Italy April 24, 2014
GCN Daisy Cruiser (Glitch) 1:11.138 Diogo France March 5, 2014
Wii Maple Treeway 2:17.105 よっしー Japan December 11, 2013
Wii Maple Treeway (Glitch) 1:49.044 Samuel United States May 25, 2015
Wii Koopa Cape 2:06.816 Coco France May 28, 2014
Wii Koopa Cape (Glitch) 2:06.617 Coco France October 9, 2013
GCN Dino Dino Jungle 1:50.123 Okami United Kingdom May 30, 2015
DS Airship Fortress 1:54.233 AdroMaster Spain June 6, 2014
SNES Rainbow Road 1:12.949 Mr.L Japan May 21, 2014

Nintendo eShop description[]

NA Version

A New Dimension of Kart Racing! The newest installment of the fan-favorite Mario Kart™ franchise brings Mushroom Kingdom racing fun into glorious 3D. For the first time, drivers explore new competitive kart possibilities, such as soaring through the skies or plunging into the depths of the sea. New courses, strategic new abilities and customizable karts bring the racing excitement to new heights.

EU Version

Mario Kart 7 brings Mushroom Kingdom racing fun into glorious 3D - and that's just the beginning, as new courses, strategic new abilities and cutomisable karts bring the racing excitement to new heights. Up to 8 players can enjoy local wireless races or race together online.

Reception[]

Critical reception[]

The game has received generally positive reviews. As of December 12, 2013, Metacritic has an average score of 85, including 64 positive reviews, and 9 mixed.[1] GameRankings has an average score of 85.17% based on 50 reviews.[2] Critics generally praise the new glider and underwater mechanic that the game adds, but often cite how similarly it feels to past entries of the Mario Kart series.

GameXplain has given the game's Multiplayer 4.5 stars out of 5, and Single-Player a 3.5 out of 5.[3] Audrey Drake of IGN gave the game a 9.0/10. She criticized the character roster for being small and the potential of the Spiny Shell "screwing up" the race, but she praised the innovation and the polish the game provides.[4][5] Griffin McElroy of Joystiq gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. He praised the game for being well-polished with only a few flaws, noting the Spiny Shell as "unavoidable race-ruining bullshit".[6] Adam Biessener of Gameinformer gave it an 8.5/10. He praised the first person view, the new tracks, and the new glider and underwater features while criticizing the Battle Mode, and online modes "being a distraction rather than a destination".[7] 1up gave it a B- grade. Tom McShea of Gamespot gave it a 8/10. He remarked that the game has "been the same as previous entries of the series, but the innovations have kept it fresh", while criticizing the online structure and lack of mission mode.[8] Justin Towell on Gamesradar gave it a perfect 10/10. He praised the fanservice and how "anyone can pick up and enjoy" the game.[9] However, Jim Sterling of Destructoid rated the game a 5.0/10, criticizing how this game is "practically the same as any other game in the Mario Kart series". He ended it with, "Mario Kart is in need of a severe shake up. This stagnant, crawling, and indolent effort is not it".[10]

Sales[]

The game sold over 420,000 units in its first 4 days in Japan.[11] As of March 31, 2014, Mario Kart 7 is the 2nd best-selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, having sold about 9.62 million copies worldwide, and also the best-selling Mario game on the 3DS.

Credits[]

Main article: Mario Kart 7/credits

Gallery[]

  Main article: Mario Kart 7/gallery

Glitches[]

Some of the most well known glitches are found in Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and GBA Bowser Castle 1. If executed correctly, they will allow the driver to skip sections of the track. On May 15, 2012, an update was released that made these glitches unusable in online multiplayer.

Differences in multiplayer modes[]

When playing in multiplayer mode, both locally and online, there are several changes made to the tracks, most likely to retain a stable connection.

  • One of the two Mountain Goats was removed from Daisy Hills.
  • There is only one Sidestepper in Cheep Cheep Lagoon, as opposed to two.
  • In the bazaar section of Shy Guy Bazaar, one jar was removed. Also in the gliding section, there are fewer Shy Guys on flying carpets.
  • In Wuhu Loop, the first group of cars consists of only two cars instead of three. The last group of cars near the finish line were removed entirely. Also, the wind turbines near the lighthouse have no rotor blades.
  • In Mario Circuit, the coin placement in the castle area was changed. Also, one of the two Giant Goombas is absent.
  • In Music Park, the second of three Bouncing Notes was removed.
  • Piranha Plant Slide has no Item Boxes flowing with the water. Also in the section before the finish line, the Giant Goomba and the boards resembling it were removed.
  • The Fish Bones in the tunnel in Wario Shipyard are absent as well as the Sidesteppers before the gliding section.
  • One Tiki Goon and one Frogoon were taken out of DK Jungle, reducing their number to two and one respectively.
  • There are no penguins in the underwater section of Rosalina's Ice World.
  • One of the two Thwomps in Bowser's Castle is absent.
  • The two ceiling lights in the second room of Luigi's Mansion were removed.
  • In N64 Koopa Beach, three of the six Sidesteppers are absent: Two underwater and one before the finish line.
  • In DS Waluigi Pinball, there is only one Pinball rolling around in the open area before the finish line.
  • N64 Kalimari Desert has only one train on its rails as opposed to two.
  • DS DK Pass does not have any snowballs in the part that goes uphill. Also most of the snowmen are absent.
  • There are no Cheep Cheeps in the underwater section of GCN Daisy Cruiser.
  • One of the two Wigglers in Wii Maple Treeway was removed.
  • Wii Koopa Cape has no moving Item Boxes in the area where the water flows with the track. Also, there are no Cheep Cheeps in the underwater area.
  • There are fewer Rocky Wrenches in DS Airship Fortress.

Names in Other Languages[]

Languages/Regions: Name: Meaning:
Traditional Chinese 瑪利歐賽車7

(Mǎlìōu Sàichē 7)

Mario Racing 7
Simplified Chinese 马力欧卡丁车7

(Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē 7)

Mario Karting Car 7

Trivia[]

  • This is the only Mario Kart game where Wario is an unlockable character.
  • This is also the only post-Mario Kart: Double Dash!! game where Waluigi is not a playable character (though he was supposed to appear in the game as a playable character, but was scrapped, due to time constraints). However, his course, Waluigi Pinball appears as one of the retro tracks.
  • This marks the only time where Princess Daisy appears in a modern game without Waluigi.
  • When the player has a strong lead in the race, a backbeat will kick into the music.
  • The Nitro Courses use the current Mario Kart logo on their starting banners, while Retro Courses still use the classic logo.
  • When unlocking a new kart part, if the player goes to the Mario Kart Channel to change parts, no jingle sound will play and the gift icon will not be there. However, it will still appear when going into the Grand Prix or Time Trials.
  • This is the only Mario Kart game that doesn't have its corresponding year of release on the title screen.
  • This Mario Kart game has the most track name differences in the American English and British English versions with a total of eight racetracks and one battle course.
  • This is the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to not feature single player VS. Mode.
  • The eight starting characters in this game resembles the eight playable characters in Super Mario Kart, the only difference is that Donkey Kong is in Donkey Kong Jr.'s spot.

References[]

  1. Metacritic score of Mario Kart 7 Metacritic. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  2. GameRankings score of Mario Kart 7 GameRankings. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWuxbTmdVQA
  4. Drake, Audrey (Nov 29, 2011) Mario Kart 7 Review IGN. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16D9OXFzRJc&feature=channel_video_title
  6. McElroy, Griffin (November 29th 2011) Mario Kart 7 review: An exercise in fun/frustration Joystiq. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  7. Biessener, Adam (November 29, 2011) Solid Tweaks, Cool Tracks, Same Design GameInformer. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  8. Mario Kart 7 review Gamespot. (broken link)
  9. Towelle, Justin (July 2, 2012) Mario Kart 7 review GamesRadar. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  10. Sterling, Jim (November 29, 2011) Review: Mario Kart 7 Destructoid. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  11. http://www.vgchartz.com/game/45691/mario-kart-7/Japan/

External links[]

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