Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 is a new Mario Kart game for the Nintendo 3DS and is the seventh installment in the platform games in the Mario Kart series (and the ninth installment in the whole series including the arcade installments). Ghost data is able to be exchanged and online gameplay is available in multiplayer mode in this game.

Gameplay
This game had many several radical changes to make it different from previous Mario Kart games.

Players now have the option of collecting coins while racing. At specific points in the games, the karts will sprout either hang gliders and propellers, allowing for racing in the air and underwater. This is the first time a character can go underwater anywhere and not drown.

The game also has kart customization options, allowing players to make custom karts out of a set of pieces, but some of the pieces need to be unlocked first. The game also introduces Retro Karts (Karts returning from other Mario Kart series).

Several courses from past Mario Kart games return in the Retro Cups, including Luigi's Mansion, SNES Rainbow Road, Mushroom Gorge, Daisy Cruiser, Kalimari Desert, and Bowser Castle 1. There are only 3 retro battle arenas, unlike in Mario Kart Wii, where there are 6 battle arenas.

The game has the option to race in first person view, meaning that the players can see the track up close for the first time through the character's own eyes, tilting the 3DS side to side to steer.

Unlike Mario Kart Wii, the game returns to the traditional 8 characters per race. To add on to this, bikes, which were introduced in Mario Kart Wii, do not return in this game, but the player is able to perform Tricks.

It is also compatible with StreetPass and SpotPass.

Starters

 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Princess Peach
 * Yoshi
 * Bowser
 * Donkey Kong
 * Toad
 * Koopa Troopa

Unlockables

 * Princess Daisy
 * Wario
 * Rosalina
 * Metal Mario
 * Shy Guy
 * Queen Bee
 * Wiggler
 * Lakitu
 * Mii

Other

 * Grand Goombas
 * Tiki Goons
 * Screaming Pillars
 * Clampies
 * Cheep-Cheeps
 * Swoopers
 * Banzai Bills
 * Green Lakitu
 * Stingbies
 * Frogoons
 * Chomps
 * Penguins
 * Boos
 * Birdos
 * Sidesteppers
 * Snowmen
 * Fishbones
 * Rocky Wrenches
 * Piranha Plants
 * Dinosaurs
 * Mega Wigglers
 * Music Thwomps
 * Miis
 * Piantas
 * Walking Trees
 * Shy Guys
 * Toads
 * Waluigi (cameo)

Items

 * Banana (Triple Bananas)
 * Green Shell (Triple Green Shells)
 * Blooper
 * Red Shell (Triple Red Shells)
 * Spiny Shell
 * Mushroom (Triple Mushrooms)
 * Star
 * Golden Mushroom
 * Thunderbolt
 * Bullet Bill
 * Bob-omb
 * Coins (return from super circuit and super mario kart)
 * Fire Flower (new)
 * Super Leaf (new)
 * Lucky 7 (new)

Mushroom Cup

 * Toad Circuit
 * Daisy Hills
 * Cheep Cheep Cape/ Cheep Cheep Lagoon
 * Shy Guy Bazaar

Flower Cup

 * Wuhu Island Loop
 * Mario Circuit
 * Melody Motorway/ Music Park
 * Alpine Pass/ Rock Rock Mountain

Star Cup

 * Piranha Plant Pipeway/ Piranha Plant Slide
 * Wario's Galleon/ Wario's Shipyard
 * Koopa City/ Neo Bowser City
 * Wuhu Mountain Loop/ Maka Wuhu

Special Cup

 * DK Jungle
 * Rosalina's Ice World
 * Bowser's Castle
 * Rainbow Road

Shell Cup

 * Luigi Raceway (From Mario Kart 64)
 * Luigi's Mansion (From Mario Kart DS)
 * Bowser Castle 1 (From Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
 * Mushroom Gorge (From Mario Kart Wii)

Banana Cup

 * Koopa Troopa Beach (From Mario Kart 64)
 * Mario Circuit 2 (From Super Mario Kart)
 * Coconut Mall (From Mario Kart Wii)
 * Waluigi Pinball (From Mario Kart DS)

Leaf Cup

 * Kalimari Desert (From Mario Kart 64)
 * DK Pass (From Mario Kart DS)
 * Daisy Cruiser (From Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
 * Maple Treeway (From Mario Kart Wii)

Lightning Cup

 * Airship Fortress (From Mario Kart DS)
 * Koopa Cape (From Mario Kart Wii)
 * Dino Dino Jungle (From Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
 * Rainbow Road (From Super Mario Kart)

New

 * Standard Kart
 * Birthday Girl/Royal Ribbon
 * Bruiser/Growlster
 * Blue Seven
 * Bolt Buggy
 * Cact-X
 * Koopa Clown
 * Cloud 9
 * Bumble V
 * Tiny Tug
 * Soda Jet
 * Zucchini/Gherkin
 * Gold Standard

Retro Karts

 * Egg 1
 * Barrel Train
 * B Dasher
 * Pipe-Frame

Wheels

 * Standard
 * Slick
 * Slim
 * Roller
 * Monster
 * Red Monster
 * Mushroom
 * Wood
 * Sponge Tires
 * Gold Tires

Gliders

 * Super Glider
 * Flower Glider
 * Peach Parasol
 * Swooper/Swoop
 * Paraglider/Parafoil
 * Beast Glider/Ghastly Glider
 * Gold Glider

New Battle Arenas

 * Honeybee Hive
 * Sherbet Rink
 * Wuhu Town

Retro Battle Arenas

 * Big Donut (From Mario Kart 64)
 * Palm Shore (From Mario Kart DS)
 * GBA Battle Course 1 (From Mario Kart: Super Circuit)

Technical Features
3D in this game is praised by most players and critics. Things such as flower petals and bats will fly at the player in this game. Another thing noticed that had never been done before was the competition the player's character's face had. For example, when Mario and Luigi get close to each other, they would stare at each other competitively and keep an eye on each other. This was something new that never had been done before in a Mario Kart game. The game's frame rate is at about sixty frames per second, even in online matches, which is good (considering the fact that online gameplay in Mario Kart Wii was slower by around 30 to 40 frames).

Reception
The game was an outstanding success according to its reviews. Mario Kart 7 has received worldwide critical acclaim. The first review, from Famitsu, gave the game a 37/40. They praised the Community feature, making the game more accessible and finding the opponents using StreetPass was also a positive feature. The reviewer states that it's accessible enough that even new players can enjoy it, and when you get into it, you really get into it. Computer and Video Games gave the game a 9.4/10 and Eurogamer gave it an 8/10. Nintendo World Report gave the game a 8.5, stating that it is more of the same and the gliding mechanics feel underutilized.

It currently holds an 85/100 rating on Metacritic based on 60 critic reviews. The game is currently the top on Global Charts according to VGChartz as it has currently sold 2,115,873 copies worldwide under 15 days.

Trivia

 * This is the first time Wario has to be unlocked before playing as him.

Gallery
For a robust list of images and screenshot for Mario Kart 7, please go here: Mario Kart 7/gallery

References in other media

 * Super Mario Bros.: Piranha Plant Pipeway is made in a Super Mario Bros. tileset-like way, but with it looking more modern.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: Shy Guy Bazaar's appearance looks a lot like many locations in Super Mario Bros. 2 do and has Magic Carpets ridden by Shy Guys and vases looking the same as the ones Cobrats would come out of.
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns: DK Jungle is in appearance very similar to the Jungle world in Donkey Kong Country Returns.