Hi everyone, it’s Gabe from CGRundertow.
When I was younger, my brother had his SNES out, playing a copy of Super Mario Kart.
From then on, I was hooked.
The series seemed to be made for me.
It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s incredibly easy to pick up and play, and you
get to throw freaking koopa shells at your opponents.
It’s also been one of the few series in gaming that really hasn’t had a misstep.
Now, I wasn’t a big fan of the motion control aspect of the Wii version, and I know that
some, although this list doesn’t include me, were not a fan of Double Dash.
But for the most part, this series has been one of the best, from beginning to present,
in all of gaming.
Of course, with a title like Mario Kart 7, some might infer that this latest entry in
the series may be more of the same, but this is actually the freshest entry in the series
in a very long while.
Mario Kart 7 features the Grand Prix mode that we’ve all come to know and love from
past entries in the series, and yes, as far as this goes, we have seen it before.
There’s still the 50, 100 and 150cc cups, and you’ll still be going across a variety
of themed tracks.
The difference, however, is that these tracks no longer force you to stay on the ground.
For the first time in a Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 7 allows you to fly off of special ramps
and soar into the air with a glider.
Couple this with the 3D effect that the 3DS does so well, and the series gets flipped
on its head.
In addition to these segments, which are very common, there are less common underwater sequences.
Now, it may just be because the air sequences give so much control, but the water ones feel
a little sluggish.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, as this change of pace helps to keep things
interesting.
Controls in Mario Kart 7 are some of the best I’ve ever played on a handheld.
A or Y is accelerate, R is jump and drift, and X or L is the item button, and with steering
being handled by the circle pad, this means that you’ll have access to every button
at all times.
The 3DS feels like it was just made for this game, it’s really astounding.
Now, the not as astounding thing is that a first-person mode can be used by pressing
up on the d-pad, but if you have the 3D effect on, you’ll have to literally spin in your
chair to keep the effect working properly, and with 3D, that will probably lead to some
vomiting.
Of course, multiplayer is the best aspect of any Mario Kart game, and Mario Kart 7 is
no exception.
8 person races are now available, and I experienced absolutely no lag in my time with this mode.
I did get booted from a few races, but this should go down after the game is out for a
little while.
Racing against people from Japan, Germany, England and France at the same time is cool.
Visually, Mario Kart 7 is one of the most impressive games I’ve ever seen on the 3DS.
From rain effects to the tremendous environments, this game looks like a Gamecube game, maybe
even a little better.
Sound is what you would expect, with all of your favorite tracks, for each track, returning.
I hate the Rainbow Road song, though.
It’s not the actual music.
It’s the fact that it’s the soundtrack to me falling off of the edge.
Mario Kart 7 is a fantastic game, and if you own the 3DS, this is an absolute “must purchase.”
This will get played for more time than just about anything on the 3DS, I guarantee it.
So what are you waiting for?
Go get it!