A great addition for anyone's 3DS library, but it's not the best MK game around.
The visuals are vibrant and colourful, which is to be expected in a Nintendo game. While it looks very nice, it does not divert from the path with other games from this company.
SOUND
It's pretty hit-or-miss here. Some of the music is super catchy, while other tracks have utterly forgettable music tracks.
GAMEPLAY
Here's where the game shows its value.
There are 32 tracks: 16 new, and 16 from past MK games. It's all divided into eight cups, four tracks in each cup, like other MK games. I am pleased with the vintage tracks they chose (ex. Waluigi Pinball, Kalimari Desert) and I do not have much to complain about with the vintage tracks selected. The new tracks don't disappoint either with their varying locales and cool locations.
There are two new gameplay mechanics to the kart racing: 1) Underwater driving. It isn't all that different from driving on land, but the physics change, which forces you to adapt to the changed surface. And 2) Gliding. Sometimes you will launch in the air and your character will whip out their glider and glide over hazards and parts of the track. With enough skill and the right items, you can really cover some ground with the glider.
If you find the AI too easy, you can check out the online mode, which is where the game increases in value even more. It runs pretty smoothly, provided your entire party has a good connection; otherwise, you'll finish races in totally random, confusion-inducing positions. There are also communities if you'd like to race within a group of friends or online communities.
VERDICT
The gameplay has ultimately not been changed all that much, but this franchise never fails to please and any 3DS looking for solid, kart-racing action, then this is the game for you.