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Mario Kart 7

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Template:Infobox Mario Kart 7 is a racing game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the ninth installment of the Mario Kart series overall, the seventh in the main series (hence the game's title), and the third on a handheld console. This is the second (the first was Super Mario 3D Land) installment in the Mario series overall (excluding crossover installments) to be localized to Dutch, Portuguese, and Russian. Additionally, it is also the first Mario Kart game to be developed by more than one video game developer, Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios, and the second Mario Kart to have a different video game developer (not including the Mario Kart Arcade GP series), the first being Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

The main new feature of this installment is the hang gliding and underwater driving which allows racers to glide through the air and race in underwater sections of the new and old tracks. Kart customization is also introduced instead of racing in pre-made karts like previous titles. In the game, players are able to exchange Ghost data and play online in multiplayer mode. Players can also receive Ghost data via SpotPass and race against other player's Ghosts from around the world. Nintendo stated that the game brings "a bunch of new elements" to the Mario Kart series.[1]

Mario Kart 7 is the first Mario game to use the Nintendo Network service as it offers the ability to create custom communities, which would then become one of the features of the service.[2]

Gameplay

Features

Lakitu racing at Kalimari Desert.
One of the gameplay mechanics in Mario Kart 7 is racing in first-person views. By pressing +Control Pad up, the player can activate the view and then Tilt motion control the system to steer.

In this new installment of the Mario Kart series, coins make a prominent return. Coins have not been featured in this way in the recent Mario Kart games since Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Coins are to be found along a race track, and can be underwater, on the road, or in the air. Collecting coins on different tracks will allow the player to unlock vehicle parts used for customization. The option to select classic Mario Kart tracks is also available again in this game.

Mario Kart 7 also has some new features. Players can now use hang-gliders which can be useful for navigating through the air, and propellers to drive underwater. In addition, players may now assemble their own karts, rather than select preset karts as in previous games. It is possible to select the kart's body, wheels, and gliders, although some parts need to be unlocked before they can be used, mainly through collecting coins during races. Mario Kart 7 returns to the traditional eight-driver race like in previous installments, instead of the total of twelve as seen in Mario Kart Wii. It is also compatible with both SpotPass and StreetPass.

Similar to preceding games, an overall "game ranking" of ★, ★★, or ★★★ is shown next to the player's nationality flag if the player has earned the designated ratings in all cups and in all classes. The overall ranking can also be seen while participating at a Grand Prix. The game shows the overall ranking at the results of the last course before the overall results of the last cup being shown.

Among other gameplay mechanics is the vehicle's behavior in the courses. Each element to assemble the vehicle has a function that grants an advantage on certain courses. In other words, speed and handling alter if the player is driving through land, underwater, or in the air. Gliders also provide speed and duration for the vehicle when airborne and can be controlled using the Circle Pad. Players can tilt the Circle Pad either up or down to fall quickly or gently, respectively. Additionally, when driving underwater, the kart's handling, speed, and drifting can considerably change compared to when driving on land.

This Mario Kart installment also introduces the option to race and battle in a first-person view. This function allows the player to watch the race and battle from the character's perspective and can race by Tilt motion control the system. In first-person view, the player can also see the vehicle's steering wheel in front of the character with an emblem on it. The gyroscope, which gives the player the ability to steer the kart in first-person mode by tilting the Circle Pad, can be enabled or disabled by going to the Mario Kart Channel, going to the player's Mii icon on the bottom right, going to "Settings", and lastly selecting "Use" or "Don't Use" when going to "Gyro Sensor".

In a minor note, an extra track with beats is added to the course's music if the player gets ahead in first place at top speed (frontrunning). This track fades when the player slows down via braking, going off-road, or getting hit by an item. This happens only in 100cc, 150cc and Mirror class.

Motorbikes, which made their first appearance in Mario Kart Wii, do not return in the game. Tricks, which were also introduced in Mario Kart Wii, still return and can be used with Gliders for more speed. The manual for the game refers to tricks as Jump Boosts. The Single Player version of VS mode from the other Mario Kart games and the mission mode from Mario Kart DS are also removed.

Controls

  • A Button/Y Button: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown shows 2 before the race starts)
  • B Button: Brake / Reverse
  • Circle Pad: Steer / Auto Drift
  • R Button: Hop / Manual Drift / Perform tricks in midair.
  • L Button/X Button: Use item
  • Stylus: Switch map view
  • Start Button: Pause / Resume
  • HOME Button: Display HOME Menu
  • +Control Pad up: First-Person Camera
  • Tilt motion control: Steer / Auto Drift (First-person view only)
  • +Control Pad (except up): Third-Person Camera

Modes

Grand Prix

The game's main option mode.

As usual in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart 7 has the Grand Prix, where a single player has to compete against computer-controlled opponents in order to obtain the trophies of the eight cups in the game. The Grand Prix has three engine classes: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. The higher the engine class, the harder the races will be against the opponents. In this mode, by beating the first cups available, the user unlocks the other cups as well as new elements such as the kart's parts (by collecting coins in each race) or a new playable character. By completing all the engine classes available at the start, the player unlocks the Mirror class.

A notable change featured in the game is the point system given to the racers after a race in Grand Prix mode. It is similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, but racers who place below third get an extra point. Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these seven games:

Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
9 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 - - - -
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart DS
10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 - - - -
Mario Kart Wii 15 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart 7 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 - - - -
Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music
Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)
Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available
In Super Mario Kart, and Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Mario Kart 64, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. Starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash to recent installments including this one, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

Time Trials

Time Trials allows the player to complete all the laps of a race course in the fastest time possible. Mario Kart 7 saves the player's records, and a Ghost for the combo that he or she used. Through Nintendo Network connection, the player can exchange his or her Ghosts to other players, compare their records, and even compete with their Ghosts. Up to seven Ghosts can be raced against at the same time, making it an 8-player race.

VS

In Versus Mode, players can customize the races selecting personally the order of the racecourses and change other settings, such as setting the computer difficulty, the requirements to win the races, and the engine class of the player's and computer players' karts. Unlike in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, this mode is no longer available in Single Player mode. In Download Play, the players that do not have the Mario Kart 7 game card in their handhelds play as Shy Guy, like in Mario Kart DS, and are unable to customize their kart.

Point Spread
Number of Players 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
2 players 3 1 - - - - - -
3 players 4 2 1 - - - - -
4 players 5 3 2 1 - - - -
5 players 6 4 3 2 1 - - -
6 players 7 5 4 3 2 1 - -
7 players 9 7 5 4 3 2 1 -
8 players 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Battle

In Battle Mode, the player can select one of the two types of battles available in Mario Kart 7 and one of the six battle courses that appear in this mode. There are three new courses, and the remaining three are from previous installments in the series.

Balloon Battle
Mario participating in a free-for-all Balloon Battle in Mario Kart 7.
Free-for-all Balloon Battle

Racers compete by popping their opponents' balloons to gain points in a time limit of two minutes. All racers start with three balloons and must use the items from the Item Boxes to take away a balloon from their opponents. Hitting a rival is worth a point. Players who lose all of their balloons will have half of their points deducted. Up to three points can be taken away, and the player re-spawns with three balloons.

Coin Runners
From Mario Kart 7.
Team Coin Runners

In Coin Runners (Coin Battle in the PAL region), racers collect the Coins scattered in the battle course within the time limit of two minutes. The racer that has the most Coins at the end wins. Racers can use the items to hit their opponents and make them drop a maximum of three coins that they have collected. Unlike in Mario Kart Wii, only up to ten coins can be held at once. Coins collected in this mode do not count toward the coin total to unlock kart parts.

Online Multiplayer

With the Nintendo 3DS's online capabilities, players can look for other users for online play, local or global range. Players can choose a worldwide competition to race against other users that are connected, race with friends that were met via StreetPass, or play in communities formed by users with customized rules for the races. Just like in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 has the Mario Kart Channel that shows updates of online activity automatically through the SpotPass and StreetPass modes. With StreetPass, the users can exchange their Miis, Ghost Data from Time Trials, players' names, and information of communities, while the user will only receive Ghost Data from other users and community recommendations via SpotPass.

VR

When players take part in online races or battles, points are added to or removed from their VR (short for VS Rating) based on their finishing position. The main purpose of VR is determining the skill of players, to match them with players of a similar skill level. Players start with 1000 VR (rather than 5000 VR, as in Mario Kart Wii). Online play in Communities does not use the VR system. Also, a player's VR counts for both races and battles, as opposed to Mario Kart Wii with races affecting VR, and battles affecting BR (Battle Rating).

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
Dutch RP / Racepunten
Race Points
German RP / Rennpunkte
Race Points
Italian PC / Punti Corsa
Race Points
Portuguese PO / Pontos Obtidos
Earned Points
Russian ИР / Игровой Рейтинг
IR / Igrovoy Reyting
Play Rating

Spanish PC / Puntos de carreras
Race Points

Characters

The second ending screen with all seventeen playable characters.
The seventeen playable characters.

Mario Kart 7 includes 17 total drivers (eight starting drivers and nine unlockable drivers). Each driver is categorized into any of five weight classes: Feather being the lightest, followed by Light, Medium, Cruiser, and finally Heavy. This is the only game in the main Mario Kart series to have Wario as an unlockable character (Wario is also unlockable in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX). The player's Mii never appears as a CPU driver, but Miis the player has obtained via StreetPass for this game's Mario Kart Channel can rarely appear as a CPU driver during the standard Grand Prix mode.

On a side note, with the exception of Donkey Kong, all of the starting characters were the same as in Super Mario Kart; featuring Koopa Troopa as a starting driver.

Starting drivers

Unlockable drivers

*While this is Shy Guy's first appearance as a selectable playable character, players without a card using Download Play are restricted to an alternate colored Shy Guy.

Unlocking criteria

Character Criteria
Daisy Win 150cc Mushroom Cup
Wario Win 150cc Flower Cup
Rosalina Win 150cc Star Cup
Metal Mario Win 150cc Special Cup
Shy Guy Win 150cc Shell Cup
Honey Queen Win 150cc Banana Cup
Wiggler Win 150cc Leaf Cup
Lakitu Win 150cc Lightning Cup
Mii Successfully complete all cups in any class

Character statistics

For the in-game tables from which these values were derived and for the tables to translate those values into the actual statistics used by the game, see Mario Kart 7 in-game statistics.

Contrarily to what happens in Mario Kart Wii, where characters have their own statistics bonuses that don't always coincide with the statitics of the vehicles, in Mario Kart 7, beside determining the size of the body frame, characters have the same statistics as kart parts, and all characters are grouped into weight class that share the values of said statistics. The in-game units used for the statistics of both the selected driver and kart parts, called points, are summed for each statistics, giving a number out of 20 called Level, presented by the game's vehicle customization menu in bars whose values range from 0.75 to 5.5 out of 6, with increments of 0.25. In general, lighter characters have high values ​​of Acceleration, Handling, and Off-Road, while heavier characters have high values ​​of Speed and Weight. In this table the Level shown is the one obtained when using standard parts (Standard Kart, standard Tires, Super Gldier) with each driver.

Character Stats
Weight Class Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Off-Road Mini-Turbo Stability Drift
Land Water Air Land Water Air
Feather Sprite of ToadSprite of Koopa TroopaShy GuyLakitu
3 3 4 4 2.25 3 2.5 2.25 4 2.75 1.75 4.25
Light Sprite of PeachSprite of DaisyFile:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
3.25 3 4 3.5 2.75 3 2.5 2.25 3.75 2.5 1.75 3.25
Medium Sprite of MarioSprite of LuigiMii icon, from Mario Kart 8.
3.5 2.75 4 3 3.25 2.75 2.25 2 3.75 2.5 1.75 3.25
Cruiser Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart WiiSprite of RosalinaWiggler
3.75 2.5 4 2.5 3.75 2.5 2 1.75 3.75 2.25 1.75 2.25
Heavy Sprite of BowserSprite of WarioMetal MarioHoney Queen
4 2.5 4 2 4.25 2.5 2 1.75 3.5 2.25 1.75 2.25

Rival order

Much like in Super Mario Kart, all playable characters have a rival order, the order CPU drivers finish at the end of the race. However, unlike in Super Mario Kart, it is more simplified, as two characters are set instead of single characters followed by another single character, etc..

Each character's rivals will never change; for example, Bowser will always appear in a Grand Prix if the player is playing as Mario. However, if a set character is supposed to be unlockable, the set character is replaced by a default character until the unlockable character can be used. That will make the default character a third rival that occasionally appears in the race. The only exception to this is Wario, who does not have a third rival due to both of his main rivals being starting characters.

Character Rivals Third Rival
Sprite of Mario Metal MarioSprite of Bowser Sprite of Peach
Sprite of Luigi Sprite of Daisy Sprite of Mario File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
Sprite of Peach Lakitu Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart Wii Sprite of Toad
File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png Wiggler Sprite of Toad Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart Wii
Sprite of Bowser Sprite of Mario Sprite of Rosalina Sprite of Luigi
Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart Wii Sprite of Wario Sprite of Koopa Troopa Sprite of Bowser
Sprite of Toad Sprite of Rosalina Sprite of Peach Sprite of Koopa Troopa
Sprite of Koopa Troopa File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png Shy Guy Sprite of Luigi
Sprite of Daisy Sprite of Peach Sprite of Wario Sprite of Luigi
Sprite of Wario Sprite of Luigi Sprite of Mario None
Sprite of Rosalina Honey Queen Sprite of Peach Sprite of Toad
Metal Mario Sprite of Bowser Sprite of Rosalina Sprite of Mario
Shy Guy Sprite of Toad Lakitu Sprite of Koopa Troopa
Honey Queen Sprite of Koopa Troopa Metal Mario File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
Wiggler Shy Guy File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png Sprite of Bowser
Lakitu Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart Wii Honey Queen Sprite of Mario
Mii icon, from Mario Kart 8. Sprite of BowserMetal Mario Sprite of Mario

Body frame

Depending on the character, the kart body that's chosen may appear bigger or smaller. This affects how big of a target that character's kart will be; for example, smaller body frames are harder to hit. The character's weight determines the body Frame size, Metal Mario being the only exception, as he's medium size despite being a heavy character.

Body Frame
Size Characters
Small Sprite of Koopa Troopa Lakitu Shy Guy Sprite of Toad
Medium Sprite of Daisy Sprite of Luigi Sprite of Mario Sprite of Peach File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png Metal Mario Mii icon, from Mario Kart 8.
Large Sprite of Bowser Sprite of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart Wii Honey Queen Sprite of Rosalina Sprite of Wario Wiggler

Other

Items

To know the probability of obtaining each item when an Item Box is opened in the various modes, see Mario Kart 7 item probability distributions.

Many classic items make a return in Mario Kart 7. The game introduces three new items – the Fire Flower, the Super Leaf, and the Lucky Seven. The Thunder Cloud, POW Block, and Mega Mushroom from Mario Kart Wii are absent from the game. The Fake Item Box from previous installments is also absent, along with Boo. Similar to its predecessors, players receive items by driving through an Item Box found on courses. When players drive through an Item Box, the Item Roulette will select an item. In addition to Item Boxes, Coins can be found on the track. Players can collect the coins by driving through them. Picking up a coin increases a player's top speed. If players collect ten coins, their kart is at maximum speed and cannot gain additional coins. Players lose coins if they get hit by an item or fall in a pit. Collecting a certain amount of coins unlocks vehicle parts to select them in the vehicle's customization menu. Also, unlike in its predecessor, the item warning sound will only play if a Spiny Shell or a Bullet Bill is approaching.

One prominent change to the classic items is that the Spiny Shell now has been redesigned into a wingless form, similar to the one found in Mario Kart 64 and having a new sound effect. Its overall behavior is also changed as well; the shell now flies lower to the ground and is able to hit other racers on its path. In addition, the explosion is noticeably less powerful compared to previous installments.

Items found on tracks

Image Name Description
Item Box Item Box Item Boxes give players items.
File:Mk7 coin.jpg Coin Players receive a small boost and an increase to their top speed. A maximum of 10 can be carried at one time.

Items received from Item Boxes

Image Name Description
Banana Banana Players that run over Bananas spin out.
File:Mk7 bananas.jpg Triple Bananas Gives the player three Bananas that trail behind the kart. They can then be dropped or thrown one by one.
File:Green Shell MK7.jpg Green Shell Travels in a straight line and bounces off walls. Knocks over the player it hits.
File:Mk7 triplegreenshell.jpg Triple Green Shells Three Green Shells that protect the player from incoming attacks by rotating around its kart. They can then be thrown one by one.
File:Mk7 redshell.jpg Red Shell Chases after the closest player in front of the player and knocks it over. Throwing it backwards will make it travel in a straight line, like a Green Shell.
File:Mk7 tripleredshells.jpg Triple Red Shells Three red shells that protect the player from incoming attacks by rotating around its kart. They can then be thrown one by one. CPU players can't get this item in Grand Prix and VS modes.
Spiny Shell Spiny Shell Chases after the player in the lead, then explodes on it. It will also knock over anything that is on its path.
File:Mk7 bob-omb.jpg Bob-omb After being thrown or dropped, it explodes after a moment or when a player comes too close, knocking over anything in its blast radius. It will also chase after players that comes by.
File:Mk7 supermushroom.jpg Mushroom Gives the player a speed boost.
File:Mk7 triplemushrooms.jpg Triple Mushrooms Same effect as the Mushroom. It can be used three times.
File:Mk7 goldenmushroom.jpg Golden Mushroom Same effect as the Mushroom. It can be used at will, but only for a moment after the first use.
Bullet Bill Bullet Bill Transforms the player into a Bullet Bill, which rockets down the entire track at high speeds on auto-pilot for a time that is determined by the player's current position. The Bullet Bill is invincible and can knock over items, course hazards and other players, which makes them lose any item in their possession.
Blooper MK7.png Blooper Sprays ink on all the players ahead of the user and reduces their visibility. The ink will go away after a moment or when the player receives a boost from a Mushroom or a Boost Pad.
File:Mariokart7 lightning.jpg Lightning Causes all players, except the user, to drop their item, shrink, and have their kart's top speed reduced for a moment, the effect being longer for the players that are leading the race. They can also get squashed by normal-sized players.
File:Mk7 star.jpg Star The player obtains total invincibility for a moment and is able to knock over everything in its path including items, course obstacles and other players, making them lose their current item. In addition, the player receives a speed boost and the ability to drive off-road without losing any speed.
File:FireFlower-MK7.jpg Fire Flower
New Item
Allows the player to throw fireballs that bounces off walls and cause other players to spin out of control on impact. Up to three fireballs are allowed at a time per player, throwing a fourth one will make the oldest one disappear. If ten fireballs are used, this item wears off immediately.
Artwork of a Super Leaf with transparency. Super Leaf
New Item
Gives the player's kart a tail that can be used to deflect items, knock over opponents and collect coins. The tail will disappear after a moment or if the player is hurt.
Lucky Seven from Mario Kart 7. Lucky Seven
New Item
Surrounds the player with seven items that rotates around its kart. The player receives a Mushroom, Banana, Green Shell, Red Shell, Blooper, Bob-omb, and a Star. CPU players can't get this item.

Courses

Mario Kart 7 introduces 32 courses that include 16 new courses and 16 retro courses, which include two courses from Super Mario Kart, three from Mario Kart 64, one from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, two from the Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, four from Mario Kart DS, and four from Mario Kart Wii. It also features three new battle stages, and three Retro ones. Only the Mushroom Cup and Shell Cup, as well as the battle courses, are available from the start, but upon unlocking them they are available for all game modes, and not just for that specific Engine Class, unlike past installments. Mario Kart 7 has three courses – Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and Rainbow Road – that have three sections each, with each section counting as one lap. The following charts show the North American English names of the tracks, with their European and Australian variants in italics. Like in Mario Kart DS, the retro tracks' width have been shortened, except the DS retro courses, which have been widened.

New courses

Mushroom Cup icon
Mushroom Cup
Flower Cup icon
Flower Cup
File:MK7-StarCup.png
Star Cup
File:MK7-SpecialCup.png
Special Cup
Toad Circuit
Toad Circuit

Wuhu Loop
Wuhu Loop
Wuhu Island Loop
Piranha Plant Slide
Piranha Plant Slide
Piranha Plant Pipeway
DK Jungle
DK Jungle

Daisy Hills
Daisy Hills

Mario Circuit
Mario Circuit

Wario Shipyard
Wario Shipyard
Wario's Galleon
Rosalina's Ice World
Rosalina's Ice World

Cheep Cheep Lagoon
Cheep Cheep Lagoon
Cheep Cheep Cape
Music Park
Music Park
Melody Motorway
Neo Bowser City
Neo Bowser City
Koopa City
Bowser Castle
Bowser's Castle

Shy Guy Bazaar
Shy Guy Bazaar

Rock Rock Mountain
Rock Rock Mountain
Alpine Pass
Maka Wuhu
Maka Wuhu
Wuhu Mountain Loop
Rainbow Road
Rainbow Road

Retro courses

File:MK7-ShellCup.png
Shell Cup
File:MK7-BananaCup.png
Banana Cup
File:MK7-LeafCup.png
Leaf Cup
File:MK7-LightningCup.png
Lightning Cup
Luigi Raceway
N64 Luigi Raceway

KoopaTroopaBeachMK7.png
N64 Koopa Beach
N64 Koopa Troopa Beach
KalimariDesertMK7.png
N64 Kalimari Desert

KoopaCapeMK7.png
Wii Koopa Cape

GBA Bowser Castle 1.jpg
GBA Bowser Castle 1
SNES Mario Circuit 2
SNES Mario Circuit 2
DKPassMK7.png
DS DK Pass
DinoDinoJungleMK7.png
GCN Dino Dino Jungle
MushroomGorgeMK7.png
Wii Mushroom Gorge
Wii Coconut Mall
Wii Coconut Mall
DaisyCruiserMK7.png
GCN Daisy Cruiser
AirshipFortressMK7.png
DS Airship Fortress
LuigiMansionMK7.png
DS Luigi's Mansion
DS Waluigi Pinball
DS Waluigi Pinball
MapleTreewayMK7.png
Wii Maple Treeway
SNES MK7.png
SNES Rainbow Road

Battle stages

Battle mode icon
New Stages Retro Stages
Honey Bee House.png
Honeybee Hive
Honeybee House
Battlecourse1gbaMK7.png
GBA Battle Course 1

Sherbet Rink in Mario Kart 7
Sherbet Rink
BigDonutMK7.png
N64 Big Donut
Wuhu Town in Mario Kart 7
Wuhu Town
DS Palm Shore.png
DS Palm Shore

Vehicle customization

Bolt Buggy kart body.
The vehicle customization menu allows the player to build his or her own kart, choosing the body, the tires, and the glider. Here, the player has selected Bowser as the character, the Bolt Buggy kart, the Monster tires, and the Paraglider glider.

Mario Kart 7 introduces the option to personalize the player's vehicle before getting to the race. The player can select the body, the tires, and the glider to build the desired kart. By collecting many coins from the races in Grand Prix mode, the player can unlock a new body, a new set of tires, or a new glider to use. It is possible to acquire a maximum of ten coins in a race. As the user chooses the parts, the stats may vary according to the parts' combination, and the vehicle will work better in particular situations.

Vehicle parts and stats

For the in-game tables from which these values were derived and for the tables to translate those values into the actual statistics used by the game, see Mario Kart 7 in-game statistics.

Each part affects each kart's stats differently. There are 17 kart bodies, 10 tires, and 7 gliders for a grand total of 1,190 kart combinations. The stats are in units, called points, that are out of 20, in each stat the points of the parts and of the driver are summed to give a number, called Level, that will determine the actual values of the corresponding in-game stats. The Level is presented by the game's customization menu as ranging from 0.75 to 5.5 with increments of 0.25. However, only the Speed, Acceleration, Weight, Handling, and Off-Road stats are shown in said menu. The following is a list of the stats presented as difference with respect to the stats of standard parts (Standard Kart, Standard Tires, Super Glider), it shows the North American kart names. If the kart has a different name in Europe, the European name will be put in parentheses under the North American name. All kart parts are sorted based on how they're ordered in-game, starting with the standard parts.

Vehicle Part Stats

Karts

Kart Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Off-Road Mini-Turbo Stability Drift
Land Water Air Land Water Air
The Standard body used for Karts.
Standard*
0
Gold Kart, also known as the Gold Standard.
Gold Standard****
(Gold Kart)
+0.25 0 -0.25 -0.25 +0.25 0 0 0 -0.25 -0.25 0 -0.25
Birthday Girl
Birthday Girl**/***
(Royal Ribbon)
-0.5 +0.5 +0.5 +0.5 -0.25 +0.5 +0.25 +0.25 -0.25 +0.5 0 +0.25
Bumble V
Bumble V
0 0 +0.5 +0.5 -0.25 -0.5 0 +0.25 +0.25 +1.5 0 +0.25
Bruiser, also known as Growlster.
Bruiser
(Growlster)
+0.5 -0.5 -0.25 -0.25 +0.25 -0.5 0 0 0 +0.5 0 -0.25
Soda Jet
Soda Jet
+0.25 -0.5 +0.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +0.25 -0.25 +0.5 0 +0.25
MK7 B Dasher.png
B Dasher
+0.5 -0.5 0 -0.5 0 +0.25 0 0 -0.25 0 0 0
Egg 1
Egg 1
-0.25 +1.5 +0.5 +0.5 -0.25 0 0 0 0 +0.5 0 +0.25
Barrel Train
Barrel Train
+0.25 -0.75 -0.25 0 +0.25 -0.5 0 0 0 +1.5 0 -0.25
Tiny Tug
Tiny Tug
-0.5 +1.5 -0.25 0 +0.25 0 +0.5 0 +0.25 -0.5 0 -0.25
Cact-X
Cact-X
-0.25 +0.5 -0.25 -0.25 0 +0.25 0 0 +0.25 -0.5 0 0
Koopa Clown
Koopa Clown
0 0 0 -0.25 0 +0.5 +0.25 +0.25 -0.25 +1.5 0 0
Cloud 9
Cloud 9
-0.5 +1 +0.5 +0.25 -0.25 +0.5 +0.5 +0.25 0 +0.5 0 +0.25
Zucchini, also known as Gherkin.
Zucchini
(Gherkin)
+0.5 -0.5 -0.25 -0.25 0 -0.25 0 0 0 -0.5 0 0
Blue Seven
Blue Seven
+0.5 0 -0.25 -0.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 0 -0.5 0 -0.25
Bolt Buggy
Bolt Buggy
+0.25 -0.5 -0.25 -0.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +0.25 0 0 -0.25
Pipe Frame
Pipe Frame*
-0.25 +1 +0.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.25 +0.25 +0.5 0 +0.25

Tires

Tire Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Off-Road Mini-Turbo Stability Drift
Land Water Air Land Water Air
MK7 Standard.png
Standard
(Normal)
0
MK7 Gold Tires.png
Gold Tires****
(Gold Wheels)
+1 -1 0 -0.5 +0.5 -1.25 0 -1 -2.5 0 0 -1
MK7 Roller.png
Roller
-0.75 +1 +1 +0.75 -1 +2 +1.25 +1 -1.25 +1 +1 -1
MK7 Slim.png
Slim
-0.25 0 0 +0.25 -0.25 +1.25 +1.25 0 -1.25 -1 +1 +1
MK7 Slick.png
Slick
+1 -1 0 -0.25 +0.25 -1.25 -1.25 0 -2.5 0 0 +1
MK7 Sponge Wheels.png
Sponge
-0.25 -1 +1 +0.5 -0.75 0 -1.25 +1 0 0 0 +1
MK7 Mushroom Wheels.png
Mushroom
+0.25 0 0 -0.25 -0.5 +1.25 0 0 -1.25 0 0 -1
MK7 Wood.png
Wood
(Wooden)
-0.5 +1 +1 +0.5 -0.5 +1.25 +2.5 +1 0 -1 +1 +1
MK7 Red Monster.png
Red Monster
+0.75 -1 0 -0.5 +0.75 -1.25 -1.25 -1 +1.25 +0.25 -1 -1
MK7 Monster.png
Monster
+0.75 -1 0 -0.75 +1 -1.25 -1.25 -1 +1.25 0 -1 0

Gliders

Glider Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Off-Road Mini-Turbo Stability Drift
Land Water Air Land Water Air
File:Superglider.png
Super Glider*
0
Gold Glider
Gold Glider****
0
Peach Parasol
Peach Parasol**
0 0 -3 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +2 0 +0.25 0 -0.25
Flower Glider
Flower Glider
0 0 -3 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +2 0 +0.25 0 -0.25
Beast Glider, also known as Ghastly Glider.
Beast Glider
(Ghastly Glider)
0
Swoop
Swooper
(Swoop)
0 0 -1.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +1 0 +0.25 0 -0.25
Paraglider, also known as Parafoil.
Paraglider
(Parafoil)
0 0 -1.5 +0.25 -0.25 0 0 +1 0 +0.25 0 -0.25
*Changes color, depending on the character.
**Changes color, only when used by female characters, excluding Princess Peach and female Mii's.
***Male or gender-indeterminate CPU drivers never drive on the Birthday Girl body.
****CPU drivers never drive with Gold parts, except for Miis obtained via StreetPass from this game's Mario Kart Channel, if they are equipped.

Unlocking criteria

The only parts that are already unlocked are the Standard kart, the Standard tires, the Super Glider, and four random parts. Unlocking a different kart part requires a certain total of coins collected from every race in Grand Prix. Once the player has reached that amount, a random kart part is unlocked. The only exceptions to this rule are the gold parts and the Beast Glider.

Random parts

Players can unlock random parts by collecting the following coin values:

  • 50
  • 100
  • 150
  • 200
  • 250
  • 300
  • 400
  • 500
  • 600
  • 700
  • 800
  • 900
  • 1,000
  • 1,200
  • 1,400
  • 1,600
  • 1,800
  • 2,000
  • 2,500
  • 3,000
  • 3,500
  • 4,000
  • 4,500

Special parts

Part Standard Criteria Coin Criteria
Gold Standard Reach 10000 VR. Collect 20000 coins.
Gold Tires Obtain a minimum of one star ranking in all cups of every engine class. Collect 15000 coins.
Gold Glider Reach 100 StreetPass hits. Collect 10000 coins.
Gold Steering Wheel Race in 100 races using gyro-controls in at least 80% of them. N/A
Beast Glider N/A Collect 5000 coins. Its amount will decrease if players unlock kart parts via the StreetPass feature.

Ghosts

Just like in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 has Normal Staff Ghosts and Expert Staff Ghosts, which appear in the Time Trials game mode.[3] The Normal Staff Ghosts are available at the start, but when the player gets a time higher than the Normal Staff Ghost of a track, the Expert Staff Ghost of the same track will be unlocked.

Normal Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Toad Circuit Nin★KATIE 01:35.135 Toad Standard Standard Super Glider
Daisy Hills Nin★Terui♪ 02:06.351 Daisy Birthday Girl Roller Peach Parasol
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Nin★Gonta♪ 01:53.758 Peach Birthday Girl Roller Peach Parasol
Shy Guy Bazaar Ret★TEAGUE 02:31.167 Shy Guy Standard Roller Super Glider
Wuhu Loop Ret★Bryan 01:44.287 Peach Standard Sponge Peach Parasol
Mario Circuit Nin★Miki★ 02:25.001 Mario Standard Standard Super Glider
Music Park Nin★wtnbt 02:19.336 Rosalina Birthday Girl Roller Super Glider
Rock Rock Mountain Nin★Morimo 02:35.105 Wiggler Standard Red Monster Super Glider
Piranha Plant Slide Nin★tBando 02:20.186 Lakitu Standard Monster Super Glider
Wario Shipyard Nin★Miyamo 02:26.268 Wario Bolt Buggy Monster Super Glider
Neo Bowser City Ret★Chuck 02:11.032 Metal Mario Standard Standard Super Glider
Maka Wuhu Ret★Reed 01:50.607 Yoshi Bumble V Sponge Paraglider
DK Jungle Ret★Derek 02:24.040 Donkey Kong Bolt Buggy Red Monster Super Glider
Rosalina's Ice World Ret★RLingo 02:25.784 Rosalina Standard Sponge Paraglider
Bowser's Castle Ret★Matt M 02:34.815 Bowser Standard Monster Super Glider
Rainbow Road Nin★Takamu 02:10.090 Honey Queen Birthday Girl Slim Peach Parasol
N64 Luigi Raceway Nin★McCoy 02:04.317 Luigi Standard Slick Super Glider
GBA Bowser Castle 1 Nin★Hayata 01:31.030 Bowser Pipe Frame Standard Beast Glider
Wii Mushroom Gorge Nin★Kataok 02:02.292 Toad Cloud 9 Mushroom Paraglider
DS Luigi's Mansion Nin★Konno 02:09.982 Luigi Zucchini Slim Super Glider
N64 Koopa Beach Ret★Amanda 01:54.274 Koopa Troopa Pipe Frame Standard Super Glider
SNES Mario Circuit 2 Nin★ITRO-S 01:28.106 Mario Pipe Frame Standard Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Ret★Thomas 02:30.117 Honey Queen Standard Slim Super Glider
DS Waluigi Pinball Ret★Bill 02:44.372 Wario Standard Slick Swooper
N64 Kalimari Desert Nin★Nishim 02:01.932 Shy Guy Cact-X Wood Swooper
DS DK Pass Ret★Sean 02:35.045 Donkey Kong Barrel Train Wood Super Glider
GCN Daisy Cruiser Nin★Dai8 01:49.564 Daisy Pipe Frame Sponge Peach Parasol
Wii Maple Treeway Nin★Asakaw 02:53.560 Wiggler Standard Wood Super Glider
Wii Koopa Cape Ret★Quinn 02:49.046 Koopa Troopa Standard Monster Super Glider
GCN Dino Dino Jungle Nin★iwaco 02:29.837 Yoshi Egg 1 Roller Paraglider
DS Airship Fortress Nin★OBSHNN 02:23.323 Metal Mario Zucchini Slick Super Glider
SNES Rainbow Road Nin★YABUKI 01:34.459 Lakitu Pipe Frame Slim Super Glider

Expert Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Toad Circuit Nin★ishi 01:26.632 Toad Standard Monster Super Glider
Daisy Hills Nin★SASAKI 01:51.111 Daisy Birthday Girl Sponge Super Glider
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Nin★Tkdr 01:42.011 Peach Tiny Tug Roller Peach Parasol
Shy Guy Bazaar Ret★RWO 02:14.714 Shy Guy Pipe Frame Monster Paraglider
Wuhu Loop Nin★nkm 01:32.854 Peach Pipe Frame Slick Peach Parasol
Mario Circuit Nin★raba 02:10.018 Mario B Dasher Slick Super Glider
Music Park Nin★Masa 02:07.511 Rosalina Soda Jet Roller Paraglider
Rock Rock Mountain Nin★Hiroma 02:19.149 Wiggler Standard Mushroom Flower Glider
Piranha Plant Slide Nin★JIKU 02:06.540 Lakitu Cloud 9 Sponge Paraglider
Wario Shipyard Nin★syun1 02:12.313 Wario Bruiser Slim Beast Glider
Neo Bowser City Ret★Matt M 01:58.996 Metal Mario Blue Seven Monster Paraglider
Maka Wuhu Nin★Chucky 01:39.361 Yoshi Standard Monster Super Glider
DK Jungle Ret★Dupree 02:10.777 Donkey Kong Standard Wood Swooper
Rosalina's Ice World Ret★Dax 02:13.091 Rosalina Zucchini Red Monster Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Ret★Tom 02:15.244 Bowser Bruiser Red Monster Beast Glider
Rainbow Road Nin★Asakur 01:52.077 Honey Queen Bumble V Standard Flower Glider
N64 Luigi Raceway Nin★miyakw 01:52.206 Luigi Pipe Frame Slick Paraglider
GBA Bowser Castle 1 Nin★hokwai 01:22.221 Bowser Koopa Clown Roller Super Glider
Wii Mushroom Gorge Ret★Jay 01:50.526 Toad Pipe Frame Monster Super Glider
DS Luigi's Mansion Ret★Vince 01:58.539 Luigi Egg 1 Monster Paraglider
N64 Koopa Beach Nin★ueda 01:42.909 Koopa Troopa Soda Jet Sponge Paraglider
SNES Mario Circuit 2 Nin★==Kony 01:17.777 Mario B Dasher Slick Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Ret★RyanP 02:14.167 Honey Queen Koopa Clown Sponge Paraglider
DS Waluigi Pinball Nin★Nahhr 02:27.574 Wario Bruiser Slim Beast Glider
N64 Kalimari Desert Nin★KOZ★ 01:48.707 Shy Guy Bolt Buggy Red Monster Beast Glider
DS DK Pass Nin★MaTU 02:16.534 Donkey Kong Bolt Buggy Red Monster Paraglider
GCN Daisy Cruiser Ret★Carlos 01:43.341 Daisy Tiny Tug Sponge Peach Parasol
Wii Maple Treeway Ret★Bill 02:34.877 Wiggler Egg 1 Sponge Flower Glider
Wii Koopa Cape Ret★Shane 02:28.585 Koopa Troopa Cact-X Standard Flower Glider
GCN Dino Dino Jungle Ret★Will 02:14.430 Yoshi Egg 1 Monster Paraglider
DS Airship Fortress Ret★Shane 02:07.704 Metal Mario Standard Monster Super Glider
SNES Rainbow Road Nin★SRIWtm 01:21.994 Lakitu Cloud 9 Roller Paraglider

Update history

Bottom screen from Mario Kart 7's main menu.
After the update, Ver. 1.1 can be seen on the Online Multiplayer button.

Mario Kart 7 is the first Nintendo 3DS game to use the 3DS's ability to patch games, spurred by significant shortcut exploits found on certain courses. Updating is free, with the data being categorized as 3DS Add-On Content; the patches can be deleted at any time and have no effect in Single Player and Local Multiplayer, but are mandatory to play online. An SD Card is required to download the patches, however.

Version 1.1 of May 15, 2012 (43 SD Card blocks)
Resolved shortcut exploits for Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and GBA Bowser Castle 1 when playing online. Does not affect offline play; the exploits remain in Single Player and Local Multiplayer, and Ghosts that used these exploits are unaffected.
Starting on May 15, 2012, all players must download this update to access Online Multiplayer.

Nintendo eShop description

The newest installment of the fan-favorite Mario Kart™ franchise brings Mushroom Kingdom racing fun into glorious 3D. For the first time, drivers explore new competitive kart possibilities such as soaring through the skies or plunging into the depths of the sea. New courses, strategic new abilities and customizable karts bring the racing excitement to new heights!

Reception

Critical reception

The game has received generally positive reviews. As of December 12, 2013, Metacritic has an average score of 85, including 64 positive reviews, and 9 mixed.[4] GameRankings has an average score of 85.17% based on 50 reviews.[5] Critics generally praise the new glider and underwater mechanic that the game adds, but often cite how similarly it feels to past entries of the Mario Kart series.

GameXplain has given the game's Multiplayer 4.5 stars out of 5, and Single-Player a 3.5 out of 5.[6][7] Audrey Drake of IGN gave the game a 9.0/10. She criticized the character roster for being small and the potential of the Spiny Shell "screwing up" the race, but she praised the innovation and the polish the game provides.[8][9] Griffin McElroy of Joystiq gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. He praised the game for being well-polished with only a few flaws, noting the Spiny Shell as "unavoidable" and "race-ruining" (even though the former statement is technically incorrect, as a Spiny Shell can be avoided with precise timing).[10] Adam Biessener of Gameinformer gave it an 8.5/10. He praised the first person view, the new tracks, and the new glider and underwater features while criticizing the Battle Mode, and online modes "being a distraction rather than a destination".[11] 1up gave it a B- grade.[12] Tom McShea of Gamespot gave it a 8/10. He remarked that the game has "been the same as previous entries of the series, but the innovations have kept it fresh", while criticizing the online structure and lack of mission mode.[13] Justin Towell on Gamesradar gave it a perfect 10/10. He praised the fanservice and how "anyone can pick up and enjoy" the game.[14] However, Jim Sterling of Destructoid rated the game a 5.0/10, criticizing how this game is "practically the same as any other game in the Mario Kart series". He ended it with, "Mario Kart is in need of a severe shake up. This stagnant, crawling, and indolent effort is not it".[15]

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo 3DS Audrey Drake, IGN 9/10 "Overall [Mario Kart 7 is] a well-polished experience that fans of the kart-racing genre - or of the Mushroom Kingdom - should not hesitate to pick up."
Nintendo 3DS Marc Camron, EGM 9/10 "Mario and pals return to get their race on. Featuring great graphics, amazing tracks and some hilarious new power-ups, the game shows that the series is a long way away from running its course."
Nintendo 3DS Neal Ronaghan, Nintendo World Report 8.5/10 "Mario Kart 7 isn’t a huge leap forward for the series. Instead, it’s another damn fine iteration in a proven series. You’ll still be upset when you’re “Mario Karted” by a blue shell followed up by a red shell and a bomb, but the winning online play and gameplay polish make Mario Kart 7 a must-have for all 3DS owners."
Nintendo 3DS Griffin McElroy, Joystiq 4.5/5 "Mario Kart 7 is an exquisitely polished game with few flaws."
Nintendo 3DS Adam Biessener,
Game Informer
8/10 "Mario Kart 7 isn’t 100 percent golden, nor is it going to make believers out of anyone who wrote off the series years ago. Taken on the whole, though, this is one of the best entries in the series. As a fan, I’m thoroughly pleased."
Nintendo 3DS Justin Towell, GamesRadar 5/5 "Mario Kart 7 is THE game the 3DS has been in dire need of. Sadly, it raises the bar so high for almost everything else, most 3DS games don't even look like they belong on the same system. Get it now."
Nintendo 3DS Jim Sterling, Destructoid 5/10 "Mario Kart 7 is as derivative as a game can get, and while we pour scorn on so many other games for rehashing themselves, something tells me this will get a free pass from many critics and gamers. That strikes me as ironic since Mario Kart 7 is the one game I'd hold up as the least deserving of any kind of leniency. It being an unadventurous and predictable retread, however, is only half of Mario Kart 7's problem. The other half is the fact that it's a lethargic and mundane game, easily outpaced by games that could be considered knock-offs of the formula Nintendo itself perfected."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 85
GameRankings 85.17%

Sales

The game sold over 420,000 units in its first 4 days in Japan.[16] As of March 31, 2014, Mario Kart 7 is the 2nd best selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, having sold about 9.62 million copies worldwide, and also the best selling Mario game on the 3DS.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart 7.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Mario Kart 7 pre-release and unused content

Media

Main article: List of media from Mario Kart 7
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Glitches

Main article: List of Mario Kart 7 glitches

Some of the most well known glitches are found in Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu and GBA Bowser Castle 1, if executed correctly they allow the driver to skip sections of the track. On May 15, 2012 an update was released that made these glitches unusable in multiplayer, but they are still available while playing offline.

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart 7 staff

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development developed Mario Kart 7, with Retro Studios as Co-Developers and Artists. The music composition is credited to Kenta Nagata and Satomi Terui.

References to other games

References in later games

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese マリオカート7
Mario Kāto 7
Mario Kart 7

Chinese 瑪利歐賽車7 (Traditional)
Mǎlìōu Sàichē 7
马力欧卡丁车7 (Simplified)
Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē 7

Mario Racing 7 (Traditional)

Mario Karting Car 7 (Simplified)



Dutch Mario Kart 7
-
German Mario Kart 7
-
Italian Mario Kart 7
-
Korean 마리오 카트 7
Mario Kateu 7
Mario Kart 7

Portuguese Mario Kart 7
-
Russian Mario Kart 7

-

Spanish Mario Kart 7
-

Trivia

  • The Nitro Courses use the current Mario Kart logo on their starting banners, while Retro Courses still use the classic logo.
  • When unlocking a new kart part, if the player goes to the Mario Kart Channel to change parts, no jingle sound will play and the gift icon will not be there. However, it will still appear when going into the Grand Prix or Time Trials.
  • Some tracks have differences between single player and (online) multiplayer. An example is Mario Circuit having a different coin placement in the castle section.
  • This is the only "Mario Kart" game that doesn't have its corresponding year of release on the title screen.

References

  1. ^ Mario Kart 3DS will bring a bunch of new elements into the game
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ http://www.gamefaqs.com/3ds/997822-mario-kart-7/faqs/63593
  4. ^ Metacritic score of Mario Kart 7 Metacritic. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  5. ^ GameRankings score of Mario Kart 7 GameRankings. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  6. ^ http://www.gamexplain.com/article-633-1322553607-mario-kart-7-review.html
  7. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWuxbTmdVQA
  8. ^ Drake, Audrey (Nov 29, 2011) Mario Kart 7 Review IGN. Retrieved December 11, 203.
  9. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16D9OXFzRJc&feature=channel_video_title
  10. ^ McElroy, Griffin (November 29th 2011) Mario Kart 7 review: An exercise in fun/frustration Joystiq. Retrieved December 11, 203.
  11. ^ Biessener, Adam (November 29, 2011) Solid Tweaks, Cool Tracks, Same Design GameInformer. Retrieved December 11, 203.
  12. ^ http://www.1up.com/reviews/mario-kart-7-3ds?pager.offset=0
  13. ^ Mario Kart 7 review Gamespot. (broken link)
  14. ^ Towelle, Justin (July 2, 2012) Mario Kart 7 review GamesRadar. Retrieved December 11, 203.
  15. ^ Sterling, Jim (November 29, 2011) Review: Mario Kart 7 Destructoid. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  16. ^ http://www.next-gen.biz/news/mario-kart-7-enjoys-biggest-3ds-launch-week-japan

External links

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