Mario Kart 7 (2011)

The multiplayer moments that the Mario Kart franchise provides are always entertaining: a chaos of exploding and flying items, no doubt, but a controllable chaos nonetheless. A rookie can take advantage of the stars to not finish in the last place, for example, and experienced players can decelerate when they realize that someone has picked up a blue shell, letting the new first place take the fall. That is, it is a game that can entertain any type of player and always maintain a good level of competition. In this sense, Mario Kart 7 is a new entry that tries to expand some ideas and improve existing mechanics, but ultimately fails to offer enough content.

The additions to the franchise are varied and, for the most part, interesting. Karts can now fly, for example, with the use of a glider. Although it does not come up frequently, the ability to glide proves useful in overcoming some ground obstacles easily and gaining time in a race, as well as guaranteeing a certain variety in the tracks. A propeller has also been added in the aquatic parts, but it is only a logical aesthetic move, since, besides some slowness, it does not change the way racing occurs in the water.

A first-person view has also been included, but when the kart is hit the camera returns momentarily to third person to show the action, possibly not to cause vertigo in the player – not that most will discover this, since the game never bothers to tell you that this functionality exists. And it is also possible to play using the 3DS motion sensor.

But the most impressive addition present in Mario Kart 7 is the vehicle customization. Now, before each match, players can assemble his favorite kart after choosing their character. This option has its strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, it gives players freedom to create fun and bizarre combinations, such as leaving Bowser with a flowery glider inside Yoshi’s egg, or uncovering optimal ones that make racing easier. But on the other hand, such an option significantly diminishes the individuality of each character, since, even with their initial statuses, players can make them identical to each other with the correct pieces.

Nevertheless, Mario Kart 7 also marks the return of coins. Disappeared since the GBA version, they are a highly positive addition, as they have considerable impact on the strategy of a race. After all, in addition to providing new parts – one for each fifty collected – each of them increases the top speed of the kart, which stimulates racing not only for item boxes but also for any coin scattered around the tracks.

Mario Kart 7, however, does not mark the return of the mission mode of the DS entry, which extended the singleplayer part of the game and forced players to see the tracks differently – thereby limiting the content of the title. As for the Wii version, bikes were abandoned and the number of players dropped from twelve back to the usual eight. Mario Kart 7 does not try to present any different or fascinating game mode, being limited to Grand Pix, Time Attack, Balllon and Coin Battle. It also lacks a customizable cup mode, where players can choose the tracks and the number of laps they want to race. Online multiplayer mode, however, presents the possibility of creating communities that let you choose the types of items used in the race.

As for them, the new ones are great: the Super Leaf fits perfectly with the rest, with a tail that can not only attack enemies but also protect players from shells, while Lucky 7 makes players get seven items at the same time, but it is so rare that it never comes to unbalance a race. But the main change is the fact that the infamous Blue Shell now goes follows the first place on the ground, hitting anyone who is in the way. Such a change is significant and very positive, because, as the item is usually got by players in the last positions and has the main function of knocking down the first place, now it becomes useful for anyone who throws it.

The level design of the tracks, however, is the element that certainly jumps to the eye. Crafted to explore certain mechanics while having an excellent art direction, they are certainly the game’s trump card. Music Park, a track in the form of musical instruments, is a prime example. Players’ vehicles will run over keyboards, fall on drums that will propel them upward and they will even try to escape the impact of large musical notes, which have their sounds added to the music. But in addition to being highly creative, Music Park is also completely designed around the turbo achieved after pressing the jump button the moment the kart is launched. Therefore, as the black keyboard keys, the drums and the impact of the musical notes propel the kart upwards, the track allows the perfection of this mechanic.

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Mario Kart DS was fantastic. This is better. The addition of the gliders seems like a gimmick on the previews and trailers. It's not. It adds something fresh and fun to the cart racing.

The new power ups are pretty sweet (except the leaf - which you'll see a lot of in first place :( ) The fireball flower is so cool!

If you enjoy Mario Kart, you'll enjoy this. The retro cups feature some pretty neat races (SNES rainbow road!!!!) and the new courses are worth the twenty-something dollars I paid for a new copy!

You know what you're getting with Mario Kart and it's always a fun game that will suck up your time (in a good way)!