Mario Kart 7

It’s hard to believe that this is the seventh edition of the Mario Kart, but yes, the series that started way back on the Super Nintendo and has made an appearance on every Nintendo system is now making its seventh appearance. Interestingly enough, one can argue that the series peaked back with Mario Kart 64, the second entry in the series, but that doesn’t mean that the following games since haven’t been good. They just haven’t necessarily matched up to everything Mario Kart 64 offered. Mario Kart 7, however, may be the title that comes closest to matching the pure entertainment value.

Mario Kart Wii suffered from a severe case of the game auto-balancing the race; drivers in the pack of the back had a gigantic advantage in terms of the items they received and, what seemed like anyway, a minor speed boost in comparison to karts in front of the pack. While this still feels present, in Mario Kart 7, especially during online and multiplayer play, it isn’t as extreme, thankfully. In comparison to the Forza’s and Gran Turismo’s of the world, Mario Kart 7 is half racer half mayhem, and this is the first time since Mario Kart 7 that the gameplay formula actually works.

See, past iterations all had something going against them. Super Circuit lacked serious multiplayer, Double Dash!! lacked a sense of urgency to the races, Mario Kart DS races were abused by dashing, and we already talked about Mario Kart Wii. But it just feels right in Mario Kart 7, even if the track selection is hit or miss. Shockingly, the new tracks stand out above the classics, thanks in part to their brilliant use of 3D elements that beg you to turn the 3D slider on, as well as the occasional track that is actually separated by 3 sections, not laps. It’s a nice change of pace that adds an additional sense of urgency to races; instead of trying to ensure you have the best item for the race to the finish, you’re also exploring parts of the track you haven’t experienced yet.

Speaking of the items, we see the introduction of three new ones to the series: a lucky 7 box, which gives you 7 random items that make you an instant force to be reckoned with, while removing the element of “luck” that is gained by simply becoming “Bullet Bill” and steamrolling your way tot he front of the pack and instead relying on the strategy of using your items, a flame petal that enables more skill shot usage to take down enemies, and a tanooki tail that can both thwart off incoming shells and trip up nearby racers. What’s remarkable is that these items don’t have a gimmick appeal that, say, the squid ink on the screen.

While the dream of a Mario Kart game with every track still isn’t a reality, we’re given the latest “best of the best” with Mario Kart 7 and the result is…hit or miss. It’s great to see old favorites revamped and enhanced with the new gliding effect, especially using the ability to jump and sail over the train in Kalimari Desert, but it seems like some of the additions, such as Airship Fortress, only made it because they’d look “cool” in 3D, which isn’t necessarily the best design choice. Still, it’s nice to see that it wasn’t a simple port over for some of these tracks, as I mentioned with Kalimari Desert, as well as the new underwater elements in Daisy Cruiser. The combination of being able to choose between land, air, and water on some tracks adds to a new depth of strategy that brings me back to the days of mayhem of tracks such as Yoshi Valley.

For those looking to take their well honed skills against any and all comers, you can do so over the internet. Sadly, my dream for an 8-player Grand Prix, bringing me back to my days of playing Mario Kart 64‘s 2 player Grand Prix all morning with my sister, also isn’t a reality. But that’s okay, because I enjoy the online offering Nintendo has brought. While there’s nothing ground breaking in terms of how it works (you search for a lobby, vote on maps, race, rinse and repeat), Mario Kart 7‘s gameplay is what really shines here. Instead of being stun-locked by projectiles while you’re in the lead, games actually feel fair and require a sense of strategy; you’ll win races because you’re the best player, not because everyone else threw blue spiked shells at you. To compliment this, those far behind are never really out of a race, but items can only carry them so much. When everyone’s at the top of their game, it makes for some really entertaining action. I wish I could say the same about the games Balloon Battle. Sure, its now a frantic 8-player mess, but it only works in small spurts and lacks the longevity of, say, a deathmatch mode in Twisted Metal.

While all of this sounds great in theory, there’s so much more that could have been done with Mario Kart 7. Don’t get me wrong, the gameplay is solid the 3D is spectacular, and the online runs flawlessly no matter where I’m playing it. But I’d love to see more than just 16 tracks in the game and I’d love to see more characters that I miss from the older games; Metal Mario is a fantastic addition, but do we really need Queen Honey Bee? When all is said and done, Mario Kart 7 is a solid addition to your 3DS collection, but it could have been so much more.