Mario Kart 7 just might be the best in the series so far, combining experiences from all the past games into one package
Nintendo has managed to once again successfully blend old and new with their latest entry into the Mario Kart franchise. Old tracks are completely overhauled to take advantage of the new features, coins make their return finally, only eight karts on the track at a time, and items feel much more balanced than in the last release. While at the same time the new tracks work incredibly well, newly added items (Tanooki tail, Fire Flower, and Luck 7) add more chaos to the track, the ability to drive under water and glide over distances changes up the strategy, and the addition of customized karts further adds to the depth of Mario Kart 7.
As usual you'll be racing through either Cup Races, four being for the new tracks and four being the reworked retro tracks, in a bid to take the top spot and unlock more characters and items. Offering a total of 32 tracks with 16 retro tracks returning from past Mario Kart games, you'll never find yourself feeling like you've been hitting the same track one too many times. Each track offers a unique experience with its own hazards, short cuts, and other touches to keep players on their toes. The retro tracks are particularly impressive since they manage to successfully blend in the new elements like under water travel and gliding without feeling like they were forced in just because.
Once again Nintendo does away with a past kart option as motor cycles do not make their return and have apparently gone the way of the two person kart. This wasn't much of a sore spot for me though since I didn't overly care for the bikes in the Wii version however I do pine for the return of the two seater from Double Dash. Instead we've got the usual one seater karts however this time we have the ability to completely customize our kart to whatever our heart desires. The body, tires, and glider are all interchangeable and each impact your kart's overall stats, as does the racer you choose. This makes for a rather interesting twist since the kart options you go with at the start of a Cup you can't change out. So if you go for less control in favor of speed, you might find yourself hating life once you hit the ice based tracks. It forces you to think ahead and weigh out all the advantages of each choice you make.
On the track you'll find that coins have returned and impact the top speed of your kart. Giving you the ability to carry 10 coins can certainly give you added speed boost but also these coins go towards unlocking new parts. Every 100 coins you gather nets you a new part to pick from along with sometimes earning parts for taking 1st place in a Cup. Be warned though, whenever you are hit or fall off the track you give up three coins and of course your speed will take a hit. These add a twist to the series we haven't seen for years and it certainly had me changing up my racing tactics to make sure I nabbed coins.
Nintendo has also done away with many of the newest items with only a handful joining classics like the turtle shells, bananas, mushroom, star, and others. Things like the Ink Squid and Bullet Bill return and this time around things feel much more balanced than in Mario Kart Wii. The newest items on the block are the Tanooki Tail, which allows the player a limited time to use the tail to swipe around them either knocking trailing opponents aside or removing dangerous obstacles like a turtle shell. It doesn't have much reach though and performs a 360 attack so you have to time when you use it. The Fire Flower is a welcome addition in my book, as it allows you send up to three fireballs out at a time which bounce along the track and off walls. Though not very accurate they can be easily spammed and work well over a short range. Again this item has a small window of use unlike the turtle shells.
The biggest item to be added was Lucky 7, which gives you a selection of seven items that you can unleash in any order you desire. Of course this item is regulated to those lagging behind towards the back of the pack and I actually only had it come up for me once. Now I'm sure some of you are thinking this sounds overpowered but it really isn't. Get hit once and all those items are gone, so using them quickly is key but you also need to make sure you maximize their effectiveness.
A few things that irked me about the game were small but still stood out enough for me to make mention. My biggest complaint would be that there doesn't seem to be a grace period after you are hit where you can't be damaged. This becomes a major nuisance if you find yourself getting hit by a red shell (or something of the like) and before you've even settled back onto the track someone uses lightning or something else and you've been hit again. The reason I complain is because you still drop coins if you are carrying any and at times it feels like you can easily have attacks stacked on you if someone were far enough behind. I actually took advantage of this fact a few times; having three red turtle shells can be quite deadly if you space out launching them enough and the result is successfully keeping a player pinned and costing them nearly all their coins.
My other complaint comes from the inability to dodge turtle shells if you don't have an item. I really missed how in Double Dash you could avoid a trailing red shell if you timed a boost right going through a turn and other things like that. Here if you see a red shell creeping up on you and you've got nothing to dangle along behind you then you are going to take the hit. To make matters worse gliding doesn't mean you are safe as the shells are not ground based and will take flight after you. A few times I made the mistake of thinking I was safe only to get knocked out of the air. This can also be really bad if you are gliding over a huge gap and get taken out by a blue shell which not only costs you three coins for the hit from the blue shell but also three coins for being hauled back onto the track.
The gliding and underwater travel are a welcome change up. Gliding through sections can be a real treat and often lets you bypass certain obstacles by catching a boost and performing a trick at the top of a ramp. At times this can be used to get ahead of the back as you glide overhead, safe from harm (unless that harm is a red/blue shell). Underwater travel is abit slower than land but it means that falling in the water doesn't result in being hauled back onto the track, but rather you are now faced with a longer path to get back into the race and a decrease in speed. Both of these elements are seamlessly blended into the retro tracks and brought new life to the courses I've done so many laps on before.
Character selection this time has taken a hit though it wasn't something I didn't mind. There weren't nearly as many clone characters with the babies getting the boot along with the variation of Koopa Troopa and other characters. The only same-ish character this time would be Metal Mario though his weight is quite heavy and he feels like a completely different character. In total you have 17 characters including your Mii which I think added a good mix. Starting with eight characters you earn the other nine by winning the different cups.
The graphics impressed me quite abit here, more so than Super Mario 3D Land actually. This is a game I prefer to play with the 3D on and it truly adds to the depth of the game and the racing mechanics. Everything looks smooth and seeing the game running at 60 fps is quite impressive as well. The 3D effects are subtle and I often would completely forget I had the slider on until I set the 3DS down the screen would blur. This isn't to say that the 3D effects are forgettable, quite the opposite in fact. They work so well that you seem to forget that you are playing it in 3D and just become immersed in the experience. It is games like this that will make the 3DS shine and I hope other developers pay attention.
Mario Kart 7's AI is impressive as well, often changing up their driving lines to keep you at a disadvantage, dragging items behind them to fend off incoming attacks, and just overall acting intelligently and racing smart. However I didn't really feel the challenge until I hit 150cc and Mirror Mode, though that has been the case with every past Mario Kart. A few times I was cursing the AI for using the same tactics I do to keep themselves in the race and making me work all the harder to win.
Overall this is a great Mario Kart game that stands as the series best entry yet. Sure you occasionally catch a blue shell coming into the final turn or the randomness of the items can leave you high and dry, but that is part of the fun of the Mario Kart franchise. You don't know what position you'll finish until you cross that finish line and everything is done. With only a few minor complaints about the game I can't help but love it. Admittedly I haven't been online with it which is why I made no mention of it in this review, but I can't imagine it is a bad experience based on the time I've spent playing the single player side and beating all the Cups in every cc.
Score: 9.0/10