Whether you've been there and done that, you have to admit that this is one to remember for a 3DS owner.
Platforms- 3DS
Gamespot Score- 8.0
Mario Kart has finally made its 3DS debut and now its time to pick the game apart and breakdown everything you need to know if you want to pick up this potential 3DS blockbuster. I'll just start by praising the game for its amazing graphics that really enhance the game experience especially with the 3D turned on but its still pretty impressive without 3D.
So up to this point, there hasn't been much to speak of in terms of the 3DS lineup aside from a few stand outs. Well now, this has officially become one of them. Mario Kart 7 does almost everything right which means that if you own a 3DS, there is no reason to not have this in your collection.
I'll start with the gameplay. What we have here is basically the same Mario Kart formula that has worked for years with several interesting tweaks to the game. One of the most fun to play around with is the parasail that attaches to your car at specific points to give the driver a small boost as well as to breeze over the other cars. One less significant feature is underwater racing. There is no problem with this feature but its just too insignificant and has no influence on gameplay at all.
Next up are the track and character options for you to choose from. Like in any Mario Kart, you start with a few tracks with new tracks becoming available through playing the game. There are multiple championships to play for all with the perks of unlocking new things. The cups contain a combination of favorite tracks as well as some pretty creative new tracks. My favorites were the two tracks themed off of Wii Sports Resort. Now the character options have also been enhanced. When you choose your character, you are taken to a screen where you can choose all of the features of your kart like the body, wheels, and sail which can be changed upon unlocking new features.
In my opinion, multiplayer leaves a bit to be desired. Although I do like that you can play online without the need for friend codes, I've been more tempted to simply play with the AI. Now this may just be me since I've always been a bit of an isolationist when it comes to gaming. Spotpass is also utilized. You can receive ghost data of other players that you can race against. This is something I really like because it gives you a chance to see just what you're capable of against real players without actually having other real players.
FINAL BITE: Mario Kart 7 takes everything gamers loved about any other Mario Kart experience along with all of the advantages of the 3DS technology and many other new features.
Gamer Shark Score: 8.25/10