Seven Mario Kart games later, the series still continue to show that it is still as awesome as it was in the SNES days
Like all games, there is Grand Prix mode enabling you to race on various tracks on four separate cups to earn the gold cup. Prove yourself worthy enough to win a gold cup in all 4 cups within all 3 difficulty (50CC, 100CC and 150CC) will unlock mirror mode; an even harder difficulty that will truly test your skills and patience. There's Versus Mode against the A.I. and friends offline that are within the proximity of each other. Batle mode is an all-out brawl to be the last kart standing or the one with the most coins when it is all set and done. From there, online pits you against the best racers in the region or world to either provide a better challenge or improve your skills.
Gameplay/control wise, almost every single game from the Mario Kart franchise is implemented here. Coins (SNES) which have not been used in races for years increases the speed of the kart and unlocks various parts for kart customisation, a la ModNation Racers. Successful tricks from a jump (Wii) gives a speed boost upon landing and etc. Other new features are gliding in the air which helps to get a slight advantage over everyone else if exploited correctly and the 'Lucky 7' item that surrounds a racer with seven items that can be used at any time.
Racers are broken down into 3 categories: light; great acceleration yet the slowest speed and can be easily knocked around by the other karts. Medium; balanced and recommended for beginners. Heavy; slow acceleration yet the fastest speed and can bully both the light and medium classes with ease. All of the characters that made their debuts in Super Mario Kart minus Donkey Kong Jr. start off the roster. Along the way via various circumstances, a new racer will be unlocked. Plenty of them have been fan favorites for years while they've been plenty of newcomers such as Lakitu and Queen Bee from Super Mario Galaxy.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The Mario Kart franchise continues to shine with the addition of Mario Kart 7. Good gameplay, precise controls, plenty of replay value and a lot of charm behind it along with a decent challenge to unlock everything. Definitely one of the more recommended games for the 3DS thus far.