Taking a slightly pod
gy plumber, sitting him in a go kart and swinging him around brilliantly crafted race tracks has been one of the best things about Nintendo for a long time now and Mario Kart 7 is no exception. However, getting to take the port with you on the road thanks to the might of the Nintendo 3DS makes it that much more fun, so even at your lowest of lows there’s always a bit of Mario Kart action to cheer you up, no matter where you are.
The 3D action on the 3DS works particularly well on Mario Kart 7, bringing a new level of depth to the texture of the game. The graphics are perfect, with richly animated tracks and characters. However, as ever it’s the gameplay that is the spark of brilliance in the Mario Kart mix and in 7 it’s got it in abundance.
As ever, 50cc is pretty tame, only getting slightly edgy when you get up to the Special Cup, but when you crank things up to the 100 and 150cc modes the game starts to come into its own with high adrenaline-rush game playing. This is even more acute when you get into the multiplayer territory, which can be much tougher, especially if you’re up against a Mario Kart pro racer or two. While it can get a bit frustrating getting connected if your WiFi isn’t that full-on or if it’s getting mullered by lots of other people doing stuff online, it’s well worth the patience for when you do finally get a race on the go.
The big new additions for Super Mario Kart 7 are the hang-glider flight capabilities, the underwater mode and the jump tricks thanks to the built in gyroscopes on the Nintendo 3DS. These all add a good refresh to an already brilliant game.
Lots of the old levels have been soopped up for SM 7, including the original Rainbow Road, but there are also 16 new levels to test your racing skills on. The big addition to the power-up attacks is the spinning might of the Tanooki tail, which has had a comeback recently, playing a big role in Super Mario 3D Land.
There are 16 playable characters to choose from, 8 of which you unlock when you complete a track on single race in all cc levels. However, the addition of Mii racing to the 3DS instalment means that you can take people on in your own guise, which is pretty cool. One thing to remember is that collecting coins will increase your top speed, so aim for the shiny gold to win races.
You also get to unlock new cars and kart modifications as you collect more coins, so they really are worth going for like a hyperactive Scrooge McDuck after a big bag of refreshers.
Super Mario Kart 7 is easily one of the best games of the year and a great reintroduction of the brilliant series. For a hand-held game, it’s got a lot packed into it and it’s one that will remain a staple of the 3DS for years to come.
Super Mario Kart 7 review: 4.5/5
