Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 is a well-established edition to the popular kart racing franchise.  Mario Kart 7 takes what made the franchise popular and refines it enough to feel fresh and fun. With a satisfying single player and the inclusion of both local and online multiplayer you have an excellent game to enjoy by yourself or with friends.

Mario Kart 7 has sixteen new and old courses for players to compete in. As you transverse each track you’ll notice that the character models are well done and react in smooth fashion. This brings each character that you play personality to life and ensure that the player can connect to each of these iconic characters. The 3D is also done well adding a noticeable depth of field effect during each race without creating an unwanted distraction.

The menus are simple and easy to navigate. Players will be able to choose up to seventeen identifiable characters, including a Mii. Mario Kart Wii did support twenty-six playable characters, but considering this is a handheld title the selection was enough.

Those who have played Mario Kart will instantly recognize the gameplay. Gameplay has always been Mario Kart’s strongest feature and Mario Kart 7 doesn’t disappoint. Each course is easy to navigate and offers enough short-cuts and timed boosts to give racers different methods of how to win. With the inclusion of air and underwater segments add twist to each course, especially the old courses.  Also included in the Mario Kart 7 is the coin system from the SNES version of Mario Kart that raise max speed. Items still offer defensive and offensive abilities and contribute to the high stakes that franchise is known for. New items such as the fire flower, lucky seven, and the Tanooki Tail that offer new ways to win each objective. The developers have also refined the drifting-boost system by require players to drift in the same direction to gain a boost instead of shifting the control pad as certain points to exploit boosting.

Mario Kart 7 offers various options to can be suited for any skill level. Returning is Grand Prix which includes eight cups with four courses each. Each is divided into 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc to accommodate players of different skill levels. Also included is Balloon Battle which is a battle royal to eliminate opposing players and coin runners requires you to collect as many coins as possible. Each of these options can be access through single and multiplayer.

This brings me to Mario Kart 7’s most admirable addition multiplayer. Mario Kart 7 allows players to play both online and local with a single card. Mario Kart 7 hosts an array of community options that allows players to tweak things to their liking. Getting in and out of matches is easily done, but you will need a good connection.

The sound design is spot on to the chaotic toon-filled madness of Mario Kart. Each character sounds as they should and the musical tracks for his course fit the mood, whether it is retro or modern.Mario Kart 7 is a wonderful addition to the franchise. The inclusion of local and multiplayer allows players easy access to multiplayer options that should be integrated into games to come by Nintendo. In addition the single player offers a wealth of content that can be tailored to any skill level and allows for hours of entertainment.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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