Editing Mario Kart 7

{{Infobox

|image=[[File:Mario-Kart-7-Box-Art.jpg|250px]]<br>'''International box cover'''

|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]<br>[[Retro Studios]]

|released='''Retail'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|December 1, 2011|Europe|December 2, 2011|Australia|December 3, 2011|USA|December 4, 2011|South Korea|May 31, 2012|HK|September 28, 2012|ROC|September 28, 2012}}'''Nintendo eShop'''<br>{{releasedate|Europe|October 4, 2012|Australia|October 4, 2012|USA|October 18, 2012|Japan|November 1, 2012}}

|genre=[[Mario Kart (series)|Racing]]

|modes=Single player, local multiplayer (up to 8 players), online multiplayer

|ratings={{ratings|cero=a|pegi=3|esrb=e|dejus=l|usk=0|acb=g}}

|media={{container|3ds=1|3dsdl=1}}

'''''Mario Kart 7''''' is a racing game for the [[Nintendo 3DS]]. It is the ninth installment of the [[Mario Kart (series)|''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''. A follow-up, ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'', was released in May 2014 for the [[Wii U]].

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 (Mario Kart)|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.<ref name="Mario Kart 3DS will bring a bunch of new elements into the game">[http://nintendo3dsblog.com/mario-kart-3d-will-bring-a-bunch-of-new-elements-into-the-game-more-info-at-e3 Mario Kart 3DS will bring a bunch of new elements into the game]</ref>

''Mario Kart 7'' is the first [[Mario (series)|''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.<ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/120127/04.html]</ref>

[[File:FirstPerson MK7.png|220px|thumb|One of the innovations in ''Mario Kart 7'' is the race in first-person views. By pressing {{button|3ds|Padup}}, the player can activate the view and then {{button|3ds|tilt}} the Nintendo 3DS to steer.]]

In this new installment of the ''Mario Kart'' series, [[Coin]]s make a prominent return. Coins have not been featured in this way in the last ''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 air gliders, which can be useful for navigating through the air and also use propellers to drive underwater. In addition, players may now assemble their own karts, rather than select pre-set karts as in older ''Mario Kart'' games. It is possible to select the body of the kart, the wheels, and the glider, 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 characters per race like 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 innovations 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 {{button|3ds|Stick}}. Players can tilt the {{button|3ds|Stick}} either up or down to fall gently or quickly, 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 in a first-person view, where the player watches the race from the character's viewpoint and can race by {{button|3ds|tilt}} the system, instead of the usual third person view in the other six installments. In this view, the player can also see the vehicle's steering wheel in front of the character. The gyroscope, which gives the player the ability to steer the kart in first-person mode by tilting the {{button|3ds|Stick}}, can be enabled or disabled by going to the Mario Kart Channel, going to the player's Mii's 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, a small additional beat of the track's music plays if the player gets ahead in first place. The small beat fades when the player slows down the kart via braking, going off-road, or getting hit by an item. This happens only when the player is playing any cup beyond 50cc.

Motorbikes, which made their first appearance in ''Mario Kart Wii'', do not return in the game. [[Trick]]s, which were also introduced in ''Mario Kart Wii'', do 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 absent.

* {{button|3ds|A}}/{{button|3ds|Y}}: Accelerate / [[Rocket Start]] (press and hold when the countdown shows 2 before the race starts)

* {{button|3ds|B}}: Brake / Reverse

* {{button|3ds|Stick}}: Steer / Auto [[Drift]]

* {{button|3ds|R}}: [[Hop (Mario Kart)|Hop]] / Manual Drift / Perform [[Trick|trick]]s in midair.

* {{button|3ds|L}}/{{button|3ds|X}}: Use item

* {{button|3ds|Stylus}}: Switch map view

* {{button|3ds|start}}: Pause / Resume

* {{button|3ds|home}}: Display HOME Menu

* {{button|3ds|Padup}}: First-Person Camera

* {{button|3ds|tilt}}: Steer / Auto Drift (First person view only)

* {{button|3ds|Paddown}} : Third-Person Camera

[[File:MK73.png|thumb|200px|right|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 part (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 competition in Grand Prix mode. It is similar to ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', but racers who place below top 3, get an extra point. Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these seven games:

{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align="center" style="background:#fffcfc;text-align:center;color:black" width=84%

! colspan=13 style="background:#fff5f5" width=84% | Point Spread Comparisons (GP)

! style="background:#fff7f7" width=14% | !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 1st !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 2nd !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 3rd !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 4th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 5th !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 6th !! style="background:#fff9f9" width=4% | 7th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 8th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 9th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 10th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 11th !! style="background:#fff7f7" width=4% | 12th

|'''''Super Mario Kart'' <br> ''Mario Kart 64'' <br> ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit''''' ||style="background:#096"| 9 ||style="background:#CF0"| 6 ||style="background:#CF0"| 3 ||style="background:#CF0"|1||0||0||0||0||-||-||-|| -

|'''''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'' <br> ''Mario Kart DS''''' ||style="background:#096"| 10 ||style="background:#CF0"| 8 ||style="background:#CF0"|6||4||3||2||1||0||-||-||-||-

|'''''Mario Kart Wii''''' ||style="background:#096"| 15 ||style="background:#CF0"| 12 ||style="background:#CF0"| 10 ||style="background:#CF0"| 8 ||style="background:#CF0"|7||6||5||4||3||2||1||0

|'''''Mario Kart 7''''' ||style="background:#096"| 10 ||style="background:#CF0"| 8 ||style="background:#CF0"|6||style="background:#CF0"|5||4||3||2||1||-||-||-||-

| colspan=13 style="text-align:justify;font-size:smaller;" | <span style="background:#096">Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music</span><br><span style="background:#CF0">Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)</span><br>Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available<br>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 instalments including this one, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

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.

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.

{| class="wikitable"

!colspan=10 | '''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

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. Three of the six battle courses are new, and the remaining three battle courses are from previous installments in the series.

[[File:BalloonBattleMK7.png|thumb|left|Free-for-all Balloon Battle]]

Racers compete each other by popping the opponent’s 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. If the racer loses all balloons, half of the player's points will be removed (with a maximum of three points) and the player respawns with three balloons.

[[File:Coin Runners MK7.png|thumb|left|Team Coin Runners]]

In Coin Runners (Coin Battle in Europe), racers collect the Coins spread 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 the opponents and make them drop a maximum of three coins of the coins they have collected. Unlike ''Mario Kart Wii'', only up to ten coins can be held onto 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.

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|the previous ''Mario Kart'' game]]). Online play in Communities does not use the VR system.

 

{{Foreignname

|Fra=PC / Points course

|FraM=Race Points

|PorM=Race Points

==Drivers==

[[File:Mario Kart 7 Character Select Screen.png|thumb|right|The complete character select screen.]]

''Mario Kart 7'' includes 17 total drivers (8 starting drivers and 9 unlockable drivers). The following is the order of what weight classes go by in order from lightest to heaviest: '''Feather''', '''Light''', '''Medium''', '''Cruiser''', and '''Heavy'''. [[Waluigi]] was [[List of Mario Kart 7 beta elements|meant to appear in the game as a playable character]], but was scrapped due to time contraints.<ref>[http://www.marioboards.com/index.php?topic=14919.msg630416#msg630416]</ref> However, his course, [[Waluigi Pinball (course)|Waluigi Pinball]] made an appearance as one of the retro tracks. Also, this is the only game in the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series to have [[Wario]] as an unlockable character. 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 appears as CPU driver during the standard Grand Prix mode.

File:Mario MK7.png|[[Mario]]<br>'''<span style="color:green">Medium</span>'''

File:Luigi MK7.png‎|[[Luigi]]<br>'''<span style="color:green">Medium</span>'''

File:Peach MK7.png|[[Princess Peach|Peach]]<br>'''<span style="color:dodgerblue">Light</span>'''

File:Yoshi MK7.png‎|[[Yoshi]]<br>'''<span style="color:dodgerblue">Light</span>'''

File:Bowser MK7.png|[[Bowser]]<br>'''<span style="color:red">Heavy</span>'''

File:Donkey MK7.png‎|[[Donkey Kong]]<br>'''<span style="color:purple">Cruiser</span>'''

File:Toad MK7.png|[[Toad]]<br>'''<span style="color:gold">Feather</span>'''

File:Koopa MK7.png|[[Koopa Troopa]]<br>'''<span style="color:gold">Feather</span>'''

File:Rosalina MK7.png|[[Rosalina]]<br>'''<span style="color:purple">Cruiser</span>'''

File:Metal Mario MK7.png|[[Metal Mario (character)|Metal Mario]]<br>'''<span style="color:red">Heavy</span>'''<br>''New Driver''

File:Shy Guy MK7.png|[[Shy Guy]]<br>'''<span style="color:gold">Feather</span>'''<br>''New Driver (Single Player)''

File:Honey Queen MK7.png|[[Honey Queen]]<br>'''<span style="color:red">Heavy</span>'''<br>''New Driver''

File:Wiggler MK7.png|[[Wiggler]]<br>'''<span style="color:purple">Cruiser</span>'''<br>''New Driver''

File:Lakitu MK7.png|[[Lakitu]]<br>'''<span style="color:gold">Feather</span>'''<br>''New Driver''

====Unlocking criteria====

{|border=1 cellpadding=3 align=center style=background:#fff7f7;text-align:center;width:30%;border-collapse:collapse

!colspan=2|Criteria

!width=10%|Daisy

|width=20%|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

|Win all 50cc cups.

===Character statistics===

Just as in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', characters get their own specific stat boost that accounts for kart customization, based on their weight class. The units are out of 6.<ref name="kartboost">http://www.mariokartwii.com/4224652-post1.html</ref> In general, lighter characters have high values ​​of Acceleration, Handling, and Off-Road, while heavier characters have high values ​​of Speed and Weight.  

{|border="1" cellpadding="3" style="background:#f5f5f5;text-align:center;width:94%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;" align=center

!colspan="14" bgcolor="#9c9c9c"|Character Stats

!width="20%" bgcolor="#dedede" rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Weight Class

!width="24%" bgcolor="#dedede" colspan="3"|Handling

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede" rowspan="2"|Mini-Turbo

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede" rowspan="2"|Drift

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Land

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Water

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Air

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Land

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Air

!bgcolor="#dedede"|<span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted">Feather</span>

![[File:ToadMKW.png|link=Toad|32x32px]][[File:KoopaTroopa-MKWii-Icon.png|link=Koopa Troopa|32x32px]][[File:ShyGuyIcon-MK7.png|link=Shy Guy|32x32px]][[File:LakituIcon-MK7.png|link=Lakitu|32x32px]]<br />

|3

|2.75

|4.25

!bgcolor="#dedede"|<span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted">Light</span>

![[File:PeachMKW.png|link=Princess Peach|32x32px]][[File:DaisyMKW.png|link=Princess Daisy|32x32px]][[File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png|link=Yoshi|32x32px]]<br />

|3.25

|3

|3.25

!bgcolor="#dedede"|<span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted">Medium</span>

![[File:MarioMKW.png|link=Mario|32x32px]][[File:LuigiMKW.png|link=Luigi|32x32px]][[File:Mii MK8.png|link=Mii|32x32px]]<br />

|3.5

|2.75

|1.75

!bgcolor="#dedede"|<span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted">Cruiser</span>

![[File:DonkeyKongMKW.png|link=Donkey Kong|32x32px]][[File:RosalinaMKW.png|link=Rosalina|32x32px]][[File:WigglerIcon-MK7.png|link=Wiggler|32x32px]]<br />

|3.75

|2.5

|4

|2.5

|3.75

|2.5

|2

|1.75

|3.75

|2.25

|1.75

|2.25

|-  

!bgcolor="#dedede"|<span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted">Heavy</span>

![[File:BowserMKW.png|link=Bowser|32x32px]][[File:WarioMKW.png|link=Wario|32x32px]][[File:MetalMarioIcon-MK7.png|link=Metal Mario (character)|32x32px]][[File:QueenBeeIcon-MK7.png|link=Honey Queen|32x32px]]<br />

===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.

{| border=1 style="text-align:center;border-collapse:collapse" width=70% align=center

|-  

|- bgcolor=#dedede

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Character

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Rivals

!width="6%" bgcolor="#dedede"|Third Rival