Mario Kart 7
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Whether on the Super Nintendo, N64, Gamecube or Wii, almost every gamer has crowded around the TV with a group of friends to race as famous Nintendo characters in Mario Kart. We’ve all felt the glory of sliding across the finish line mere seconds ahead of the pack, or the unbound fury that accompanies the sound of the blue shell approaching to end a perfect race. The series is simple, yet addicting, and it serves as the perfect party game. Mario Kart DS allowed gamers to take their races on the go and battle online, and Mario Kart 7 tweaks the formula ever so slightly to bring an even more complete experience to the 3DS.
There’s something very appealing about playing Mario Kart on a handheld. While playing with three friends on a single console has its own thrills, being able to open up the 3DS to get a quick race or two in while waiting for a bus or before falling asleep just seems right. Races are quick and exciting, and the game is conducive to bite-sized play sessions.
As far as Mario Kart games go, there aren’t really any surprises in Mario Kart 7. The kart physics feel familiar, the standard list of characters is back for the most part, and you’ll still be hurling green and red shells, dropping bananas and smiling like a maniac as you send a blue shell to bring a world of hurt to whichever unlucky soul happens to be in first place. Two new features – air control and underwater control – serve to add a new dimension to the tracks, but they fit so well with the core gameplay that they hardly feel new. Ramps and water sections are scattered about the map, and provide a nice break in the pace of a race. The racing is just as fast and frantic as it’s always been, especially when you crank it up to 150 cc.
There’s something very appealing about playing Mario Kart on a handheld. While playing with three friends on a single console has its own thrills, being able to open up the 3DS to get a quick race or two in while waiting for a bus or before falling asleep just seems right. Races are quick and exciting, and the game is conducive to bite-sized play sessions.
As far as Mario Kart games go, there aren’t really any surprises in Mario Kart 7. The kart physics feel familiar, the standard list of characters is back for the most part, and you’ll still be hurling green and red shells, dropping bananas and smiling like a maniac as you send a blue shell to bring a world of hurt to whichever unlucky soul happens to be in first place. Two new features – air control and underwater control – serve to add a new dimension to the tracks, but they fit so well with the core gameplay that they hardly feel new. Ramps and water sections are scattered about the map, and provide a nice break in the pace of a race. The racing is just as fast and frantic as it’s always been, especially when you crank it up to 150 cc.
You’ll now find coins scattered around the tracks that give you a slight speed boost. The coins serve as your means for unlocking new karts, tires and hang-gliders, and they help to add a sense of progression to the game. You’ll want to revisit tracks you’ve already played to gather more coins and give yourself the edge with fancy new karts.
As always, grand prix allows you to race through a series of four tracks to gain a medal. Each time you complete a grand prix and place well, you’ll unlock the next series of tracks. Battle mode pits players against their friends or the CPU in a battle to destroy the other players’ balloons while protecting their own. You can hone your skills on any of the tracks in time trial mode, and a new mode called coin runners has you zooming around the map, trying to collect coins before your opponents can. Every mode is fun and if you ever get tired of normal racing in grand prix mode, hopping into the other modes is a nice diversion. You can also race and battle online, which adds a whole new level of replayability to the game.
As always, grand prix allows you to race through a series of four tracks to gain a medal. Each time you complete a grand prix and place well, you’ll unlock the next series of tracks. Battle mode pits players against their friends or the CPU in a battle to destroy the other players’ balloons while protecting their own. You can hone your skills on any of the tracks in time trial mode, and a new mode called coin runners has you zooming around the map, trying to collect coins before your opponents can. Every mode is fun and if you ever get tired of normal racing in grand prix mode, hopping into the other modes is a nice diversion. You can also race and battle online, which adds a whole new level of replayability to the game.
As with Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS, the track list consists of sixteen new tracks and sixteen re-mastered tracks from older iterations. This leads to a huge variety in the tracks, and it’s awesome to see how track design evolved throughout the franchise’s history. Adding the new air and water sections to the old tracks gives them a twist, and seeing older tracks with updated 3D visuals is a treat.
This is one game you’ll want to play with the 3D slider cranked all the way up. Mario Kart 7 handles 3D better than most games on the 3DS. There’s no ghosting, and the added depth actually makes the tracks look and feel noticeably different. Having the extra depth perception helps when it comes to judging turns or deadly bananas in the middle of the road. The tracks are colorful and lush, and the visuals are right up there with the Gamecube and Wii.
While not much has changed for Mario Kart over the years, this new entry is definitely worth a look. The huge number of new and old tracks, the gorgeous visuals and good use of 3D, and the endless possibilities of online play will insure you come back to Mario Kart 7 often. Some of the items are still as frustrating as ever, but the feeling you get when you fire off a perfectly-timed red shell to win the race is hard to find in any other three-minute experience. If you’ve got friends with 3DS’s, this is a no-brainer.
This is one game you’ll want to play with the 3D slider cranked all the way up. Mario Kart 7 handles 3D better than most games on the 3DS. There’s no ghosting, and the added depth actually makes the tracks look and feel noticeably different. Having the extra depth perception helps when it comes to judging turns or deadly bananas in the middle of the road. The tracks are colorful and lush, and the visuals are right up there with the Gamecube and Wii.
While not much has changed for Mario Kart over the years, this new entry is definitely worth a look. The huge number of new and old tracks, the gorgeous visuals and good use of 3D, and the endless possibilities of online play will insure you come back to Mario Kart 7 often. Some of the items are still as frustrating as ever, but the feeling you get when you fire off a perfectly-timed red shell to win the race is hard to find in any other three-minute experience. If you’ve got friends with 3DS’s, this is a no-brainer.
