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Mario Kart 7 review Mario Kart's 3DS debut will be played by thousands all over the globe long after Link has rescued Zelda and Mario has snaffled his last Star Coin. Where Mario Kart 7, Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land are all magnificent showcases for Nintendo's design genius, this new chapter in the world's favourite racing series is quite different to its contemporaries.
It's not a game you can finish, in the traditional sense. Mario Kart 7's true qualities emerge over days, weeks and months of honing racing lines and learning where to lob bananas.
Playing against friends familiar and distant, every race becomes a miniature melodrama - a five-minute seesaw of disappointment, elation, victory or defeat.
It's a rare thing to find any gamer yet to indulge in a spot of Mario Kart, but even those with an intimate knowledge of the series will find something new to love in the seventh game in the series.
Lucky Number Seven
The visuals and controls might look and feel near-identical to Mario Kart Wii, but the 16 new tracks, new customisation and online options give Mario Kart 7 added reasons to be cheerful.
Fortunately, the new courses revolve around the new air and sea sections in such a coherent way that they never feel tacked-on or superfluous. The additional diversions have given Nintendo's design team much more to play with, and Mario Kart 7's set of courses is the richest and densest crop yet.
A more varied scramble to the finish line makes for a greater sense that there's more to be discovered over time, especially in those tracks which dispense with the traditional three lap structure.
Two Wuhu Island courses plus a spectacular romp down Rainbow Road are one long dash from A to B, and because there's no repetition in any one race they take a little longer than the others to really master. Though the Wuhu Island duo aren't perhaps the most creative courses Nintendo has ever produced, there are some truly outstanding creations elsewhere among the sixteen new tracks.
Melody Motorway and Piranha Plant Pipeway are the most striking of the debutants in Mario Kart 7, through cute use of musical cues and a loving marriage of Mario references both retro and recent.
Kart handling has been tuned to feel tighter and sharper, making Mario Kart Wii seem slightly woolly in comparison. The reshuffle of the items is more prudent than prodigious - the Tanooki Tail, Fire Flower and Lucky 7 are solid additions, but hardly game-changers - the clearest indication yet that after seven games of honing this formula to near-perfection, Nintendo would rather augment than reinvent.
Although of course there is a small random element to item selection, you can guarantee that there are a set of algorithms working away under Mario Kart's bonnet quietly nudging you in the direction of certain items, hobbling you slightly if you're too far in front or helping backmarkers to keep pace.
Retaining that feeling of chaos while secretly and subtly directing the play is among the greatest tricks Nintendo have ever pulled. That Mario Kart chaos is there in single player 150cc races, of course, but add seven other humans and Mario Kart 7 really comes alive.
Net Gains
Single players can take part in typical Grand Prix, Battle Modes and Time Trials but there's nothing to compare to competing for glory online. Much of the basic ranking system is lifted straight from Mario Kart Wii, with a few subtle differences - races are up to eight players, rather than twelve. Lopping off four karts not only keeps online races rock solid and completely lag-free (if you're on a decent connection, of course), but it also reflects Mario Kart 7's renewed focus on racing rather than total on-track chaos.
Your 1000 VR points will be boosted if you come in the top three or knocked down if you're consistently awful and also dictate who you get matched against online. Worldwide Vs Races are much the same as in the Wii game, and ideal for dipping your toe in for a quick race when you have a spare moment.
More intriguing are the Friends/Opponents and Communities options. The former keeps track of your record against everyone on your friends list, notching up a 'victory' if you finish ahead of them and a 'defeat' every time you don't. It also retains this data on everyone you've faced online recently (whether you're friends or not), and gives you the option of joining their next race if you're particularly keen to overturn the agony of a last minute defeat.
The latter, Communities, is the biggest step forward for Mario Kart online. You can now create, name and dictate the race type, the tracks and the items available within your own personal community and race according to those rules. It means you can, for example, cherry-pick your four favourite tracks and remove all weapons to make it a straight race to the finish, or ensure that shells are the only weapons allowed.
It then generates a community code - used like a password into the Community - which you can send to online friends (Incidentally, you can join the ONM racing community on launch day with the code 53-9276-0936-9782).
With Battle mode variables to take into account as well, Mario Kart 7 is without question the most complete online experience yet for the series.
Even Time Trials, previously only reserved for the desperately bored or those with a bizarre compulsion to beat their own times are refreshed. Set a time here and you'll effectively throw down the gauntlet to anyone else with a save file via StreetPass.
Mushroom For Improvement?
Mario Kart 7 is more than a video game with sky-high production values, a finely tuned gameplay engine and superior track design. It is the platform upon which Nintendo's flagship racer will be enjoyed for the foreseeable future.
And it's never been better. Miyamoto himself has suggested that the Mario Kart formula is so beautifully executed that this seventh game needn't be a huge reinvention. And it isn't.
Cynics might say that the sensible additions like Kart customisation, glider sections and enhanced online options mingle with just as many less successful extras (The underwater sections and the first person view can't really be considered series high points) to make this a little too familiar. We'd beg to differ.
This is no re-hash, more an exhilarating re-affirmation of what makes this series great. The beautifully intuitive racing and sense of fun infused into every pixel and polygon of Mario Kart 7's 32 tracks is pure Nintendo magic, and it's a game that will resonate across all gaming generations.
It's not just craggy old Mario Kart veterans like us who will find something to love here, it's everyone. A best-ever entry to the series and the third must-own title to be released in as many weeks.
that two high scores this game got and if you see a skells33 on the track you know that is me online, I love Mario kart so see you Friday online people!
Looks great! Gonna get it for Christmas! Also, can you join more than one community? I'm guessing so but I don't know for certain. The option to join the same game as a random person you met online before is great! You can potentially be thrashed, do some extra training on Time Trial mode and then comeback and beat them! Mmm... that sounded very much like a Pokémon episode somehow...
MKDS is like 6 years old. MKWii is like 3 years old. they got their respective scores because for there time, they were great games. well ds anyway. some good ol' onm bias shone through for mkwii, an 80 game at best.
Unfortunately I have to wait until Christmas Day to play this game. I can't wait! Let's hope they've eliminated the cheats and hackers that you get playing the Wii version online.
Hi all, CyberGW: Yes, as far i'm aware you can join as many Communities as you like. Can't wait to get started on the ONM one on Friday.
Also just to address any comments about the score, Link16 has got it right - we just review the games in front of us and award a score based on its own merits, rather than being beholden to a review written four or five years ago (usually by a different person). 93% is a *huge* score anyway!
Nintendo are spoiling us all at the mo as for the score 93% is a result for the 3DS platform. Great review guys..... looking forward to your next pod cast.
On the topic of the low score, if you could go into a shop and buy one of either SM3DLand or MK7 and the onm guys would choose SM3DLand, then the score is fair. If they would prefer MK7, then the score is a bit low.
I think this was fairly rated, the reason people think its going to be the 'Best Mario Kart yet', is becuase it is on the 3DS, which might I add I only need £30 but I might save up for Limited edition Zelda 3DS.
I thought that this would've got a higher score, considering there was absolutely no negative comments, unlike SM3DL or Star Fox 64 3D. Could you please change the score to match the review? Thanks
As for the review, I think it is fair. The review, not its rating. There is no point for the rating on any game, as it will always be different for every person.
People complaining about the score are stupid. And let's not forget this is a different time to when MKDS and MKW came out, so while it's a better game, compared to other games it may not be as good. Red Steel 2 is better than RS1, but it scored lower because it didn't have a similar impact to the launch titles. I'm sure if ONM could go back and change scores, they may lower many they've given for games.
Anyway, enough rambling. I just wondered if ONM could confirm whether or not Lubba's in this game? Thanks to whoever does!
I'll be getting it at Christmas so I'll have to wait until the new year to join the ONM Community races, but I'm so looking forward to it. I also love the idea of throughing the Time Trial gauntlet to people via StreetPass. I hope it comes with personalised taunts so that when you get a hit you'll get a smack-down message from that person.
Thanks!Very interesting,and this is believable as 3DS sales were bad,but it seems to be rising!i new retro studios were helping,but not to this extent!
Fools! just because it scored lower than MKDD and MKWii doesn't mean its not as good/better - could've been reviewwed by different people perhaps? Review scores change over time, would ONM still give red steel 91%? ONM consistently over-rate games anyway
Awsome game getting it as soon as it comes out, dino dino jungle is gonna be awsome, however 4 new characters isnt so great nintendo could do better. Think about it petey the piranha, diddy kong, birdo alot more characters could be added but i think its the best mario kart game of all time!!!
i must admit, i wasnt expecting mk7 to get as low a score as this. i was expecting it to get somthing like 98%. i havent even played the game yet and i already love it.
Sounds groovy. Just out of interest, will the ONM community still be active after the launch? Would be refreshing if I was on Twitter and then a sponatneous race was annouced.
This game is truly brilliant, and a great addition to the 3DS catalogue. However, i really hope they get the online sorted out soon :/ also, im still undecided as to whether it really is the best MK game ever. Right now im still thinking mario kart wii, but only time will tell... well, and the sales charts of course...
I'm a bit behind the times I know, but could someone help me out. I've been reading reviews for MK7 and the things that have seemed to be the problems are that the single-player is rather limited and the online could be improved due to the single races and codes for the communities. I've played MKDS and MK Wii and have enjoyed both of them, but I mainly played by myself or local play. How is the single-player in MK7, and is it likely that Nintendo will/can update the online. Maybe Neil you want to answer this
Mario Kart 7 is AMAZING it is the best Mario Kart EVER!!!!!!! I need all the gold parts I really want them they are just brilliant they look really cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't really see why this is better than Mario Kart Wii, because I think they've made a massive mistake. The new power-ups are over powered, the new tracks look great but the paragliding and driving underwater parts I think are gamebreakers. I won't get this game. But I hope that Mario Kart Wii U will keep the community online stuff, as well as using the ideas from ONM's article of ideas, while keeping away the annoying power-ups and flying and 'swimming' bits.
Is it the best MK?- well there's you're basic mario kart in there, add gliding and underwater sections, and on top of all that, it's in 3D. So yes it is
well now ive finally got my hands on it i have to say im gonna have to stick with mario kart wii. why? well to be honest i was dissapointed at how a lot of the tracks followed the same basic rule, start the race, drive through the tracks, throw items at somebody, get hit by items then finally do gliding or underwater racing (which is the same as on ground racing). then this repeats. i hope mario kart wii u gives some new features such as track creating or bring back the emblem drawer tool thingy from mkds.
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