Mario Kart 7

Template:Infobox Mario Kart 7 is a racing game developed by Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios 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.

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. Once Nintendo introduced retail games that could be downloaded via the Nintendo eShop, Mario Kart 7 was released in 2012 for the eShop, where it requires 635.38 MB (5,083 blocks) to download.

Gameplay

Features

One of the gameplay mechanics in Mario Kart 7 is racing in first-person views. By pressing , the player can activate the view and then the system to steer.

Mario Kart 7 features the standard gameplay present in preceding games in the series, with the gameplay style being very close to that of Mario Kart Wii. Players compete for gold trophies in the eight Grand Prix cups, consisting of four Nitro Cups and four Retro Cups, a returning feature from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. Along with Grand Prix, Time Trials and Battle Modes also return. Time Trials have players race on tracks to set records, as well as race against their own or other racers' ghosts. Battle Mode features two different modes; Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, the latter returning from Mario Kart Wii. Players can set their own rules for Battle Mode, choosing CPU difficulty, which items will appear or team games. Online races and battles return, allowing up to 8 players to race or battle using the Nintendo Network online service. Players can also create custom communities, which can be accessed by other players via codes.

Mario Kart 7 also has some new features. Players can now use hang-gliders which are used for navigating through the air, and propellers to drive underwater. In addition, players 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 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-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.

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.

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 . Players can tilt the 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 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 , 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

• /: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown shows 2 before the race starts)
• : Brake / Reverse
• : Steer / Auto Drift
• : Hop / Manual Drift / Perform tricks in midair.
• /: Use item
• : Switch map view
• : Pause / Resume
• : Display HOME Menu
• : First-Person View
• : Steer / Auto Drift (First-person view only)
• (except up): Third-Person View

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. Also, 4th place is not a losing place, similar to Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. 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

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

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	Notes
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 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

• 

  Mario
  Medium

• 

  Luigi
  Medium

• 

  Peach
  Light

• 

  Yoshi
  Light

• 

  Bowser
  Heavy

• 

  Donkey Kong
  Cruiser

• 

  Toad
  Feather

• 

  Koopa Troopa
  Feather

Unlockable drivers

• 

  Daisy
  Light

• 

  Wario
  Heavy

• 

  Rosalina
  Cruiser

• 

  Metal Mario
  Heavy
  New Driver

• 

  Shy Guy*
  Feather
  First time as a fully playable character

• 

  Honey Queen
  Heavy
  New Driver

• 

  Wiggler
  Cruiser
  New Driver

• 

  Lakitu
  Feather
  New Driver

• 

  Mii
  Medium

_{*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 Glider) with each driver.

Character Stats
Weight Class		Speed			Acceleration	Weight	Handling			Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
		Land	Water	Air			Land	Water	Air
Feather		3	3	4	4	2.25	3	2.5	2.25	4	2.75	1.75	4.25
Light	File: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		3.5	2.75	4	3	3.25	2.75	2.25	2	3.75	2.5	1.75	3.25
Cruiser		3.75	2.5	4	2.5	3.75	2.5	2	1.75	3.75	2.25	1.75	2.25
Heavy		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
		File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
	File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
		None
		File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
	File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png

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
Medium	File:Yoshi-MKWii-Icon.png
Large

Background Characters

These characters appear in the background of certain stages and do not affect the racers in any way.

Birdos Boos Lakitu Maw-Rays Miis

Monty Moles Piantas Shy Guys Toads Waluigi (cameo as a statue)

Hazards and Obstacles

These characters and features serve as hazards on tracks and can directly affect racers if hit.

Characters and elements
Character/element	Location	Description
Banzai Bill	DS Airship Fortress	Banzai Bills are fired from a cannon near the starting straightaway of the track. They fly along the straight path in different positions based on where they were fired. They disappear once they hit the road where the starting line is located.
Barrel	Wario Shipyard DK Jungle	Barrels are scattered around the track and can be broken by players. Once broken, a Banana, a Mushroom, a Green Shell, or a Star may fly out. In Time Trials, the barrels cannot be broken.
Big Wiggler	Wii Maple Treeway	Two Big Wigglers walk around the top of the tree section of the track. Racers simple bounce off of them rather than wiping out.
Board	Piranha Plant Slide	Boards can be broken by players by racing into them. There are two board shapes; Goomba shaped boards and bush shaped boards. Two bush shaped boards are located in off-road sections near the end of the track.
Boulder	Rock Rock Mountain Maka Wuhu	Boulders fall from mountain tops and roll down the track, flipping over any racer that hits them. They are destroyed upon hitting walls.
Bouncing Note	Music Park	Bouncing Notes jump at regular intervals near the end of the track. Players can do tricks off the ground when the Bouncing Notes land, however players can also be flattened if a Bouncing Note lands on them. During the final lap, their bouncing is faster.
Bumper	DS Waluigi Pinball	Bumpers are located on the pinball table section of the track and will bump racers back when they collide with them. Pinballs will also ricochet off of bumpers.
Car	Wuhu Loop Wii Coconut Mall	Cars travel across the road of the entire track, causing players to flip over if hit. In Coconut Mall, cars are located in the parking lot and drive back and forth along the area.
Cheep Cheep	Cheep Cheep Lagoon Wii Koopa Cape	Cheep Cheeps swim in various water sections of the track, lightly bouncing back racers who hit them.
Chomp	Rainbow Road	Chomps appear on the moon segment of the track, rolling around in circles. Two Chomps also roll off of the craters on the surface, causing them to jump off of them and float in the air for a short time. Colliding with one will flip a racer over.
Clampy	Cheep Cheep Lagoon GCN Daisy Cruiser	Clampies appear in the first underwater segment of the track, opening and closing their mouths at regular intervals. Coins and Item Boxes can appear in an open Clampy, but if a racer is caught when a Clampy is closing its mouth, they will spin out.
Crate	DS Airship Fortress	Crates are scattered inside the airship of the track and act identically to Barrels. A Banana, a Mushroom, a Green Shell, or a Star may fly out when broken, but will stop a racer in the process. Crates cannot be broken in Time Trial mode.
Dinosaur	GCN Dino Dino Jungle	The dinosaur appears near the track's center, occupying the bridge section after the cave and the ground below the bridge. The dinosaur's feet stomp the lower section, flattening racers in a similar manner to a Thwomp. The dinosaur's head does not spin a racer out, rather blocks their path.
Fish Bone	Wario Shipyard	Fish Bone appear near the track's beginning and swim through the first tunnel. Hitting one will simply bounce a racer back.
Flipper	DS Waluigi Pinball	Flippers appear at the pinball table section of the track, specifically at the bottom of the table. They hit any pinball back across the table and will hit racers if they get too close.
Frogoon	DK Jungle	Frogoons hop across the track in the jungle section before the giant temple. Colliding with one will cause the racer to spin out.
Grand Goomba	Mario Circuit Piranha Plant Slide Wii Mushroom Gorge Wii Koopa Cape	Grand Goombas appear on various tracks, replacing regular Goombas on Retro Tracks. They act in the same way they did in past installments, slowly waddling back and forth on certain parts of the track.
Icicle	Rosalina's Ice World	Icicles behave in an identical way to crates and barrels, slowing the player's vehicle speed upon impact. Items do not fly out of icicles when they break and icicles cannot be broken in Time Trial mode.
Lava Bubble	GBA Bowser Castle 1	Lava Bubbles jump out of the lava between the ramps near the end of the track, causing players who hit them to spin out.
File:MK7 Goat.jpg Mountain goat	Daisy Hills	Mountain goats roam around the mountainous areas of the track, wiping out racers who collide with them.
Oil Slick	SNES Mario Circuit 2	Oil Slicks appear on various parts of the track, causing racers to spin out if they race over them.
Penguin	Rosalina's Ice World Sherbet Rink	Penguins appear around the icy pond section of Rosalina's Ice World, on both the land and in the water. In both instances, players will simply bounce off of them if they collide with them. On Sherbet Rink, Penguins roam around the track as a whole.
Pinball	DS Waluigi Pinball	Pinballs roll across various sections of the track, causing racers to flip over when hit. On the pinball table, pinballs can be hit by flippers and bounce of the bumpers scattered across the table.
Pipe	Toad Circuit SNES Mario Circuit 2	Pipes appear as stationary obstacles and are usually scattered on off road sections. Players will come to a complete stop if they collide with them.
Piranha Plant	Music Park Piranha Plant Slide	Piranha Plants will attempt to bite any racer that drives near them. In Music Park, they appear on either sides of the track and occasionally swap positions. In Piranha Plant Slide, they are completely stationary and will turn back and forth regularly to attack racers.
Puddle	Neo Bowser City	Puddles appear at the end of the track and function identically to Oil Slicks. They can be avoided by jumping over them.
Rocket Engine	DS Airship Fortress	Rocket Engines appear within the airship of the track, moving back and forth along the track. Racers will spin out if they drive through the fire.
Rocky Wrench	DS Airship Fortress GBA Battle Course 1	Rocky Wrenches pop out of the ground and will flip over racers who hit them. Players can also do tricks off of their manhole covers when they peak out from the ground.
Screaming Pillar	DK Jungle	Screaming Pillars are completely stationary obstacles and will stop a racer if they collide with them. They occasionally let out screams that will push racers back if they are in range.
Flying Shy Guy	Shy Guy Bazaar	Shy Guys fly about on carpets at the gliding section of the track. They will block any racer who collides with them.
Sidestepper	Cheep Cheep Lagoon N64 Koopa Beach DS Palm Shore	Sidesteppers move back and forth along parts of the track, causing any racer who hits them to spin out.
Snowball	DS DK Pass	Snowballs appear on DK Pass and function identically to Boulders or Pinballs. They roll down the mountain and fall off the track, flipping over racers who collide with them.
Snowman	DS DK Pass	Snowmen appear at the end of the track and function in the same way as they did in past installments, causing racers who hit them to flip over.
Stingby	Honeybee Hive	Several Stingbies fly around the battle stage, spinning out racers who hit them.
Super Thwomp	SNES Rainbow Road	Super Thwomps appear throughout the track, wiping out racers who hit them. When they hit the ground, they cause ripples in the track, which can be trick jumped off of.
Swoop	Rock Rock Mountain	Swoops appear in the cave section of the track, slowing racers down if they hit them.
Thwomp	Bowser's Castle GBA Bowser Castle 1	Thwomps act identically as they did in past installments, stopping racers who hit them and flattening them if they fall on them.
Tiki Goon	DK Jungle	Tiki Goons move back and forth along the track, pausing at the track's edges before moving the other way. Colliding with one will cause the player to spin out.
Train	N64 Kalimari Desert	Two trains follow an oval track around the center of the race track. Players will flip over if they hit the train or their carriages.
Vase	Shy Guy Bazaar	Vases function identically to Barrels and Crates, stopping racers and letting a Banana, a Mushroom, a Green Shell, or a Star as they break. Some vases also move around the area and do not release items if hit. Vases cannot be broken in Time Trail mode.
Walking Tree	DS Luigi's Mansion	Walking Trees walk around set paths at the end of the track. They function just like normal trees and will stop a racer completely when hit.
Water Geyser	GCN Dino Dino Jungle	Water Geysers appear in both the cave section and near the end of the track, erupting at regular intervals. Racers are flipped over if they hit an erupting geyser. Players can do tricks off of geysers if they are inactive.

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 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	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, unless the item settings are set to Shells Only.
	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	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	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.
	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 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, unless only one type of item is chosen.

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. A new feature of Mario Kart 7 is that three of the courses – Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and Rainbow Road – have three sections each, with each section counting as one lap. The following charts show the American English names of the tracks, with their PAL 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	Flower Cup	File:MK7-StarCup.png Star Cup	File:MK7-SpecialCup.png Special Cup
Toad Circuit	Wuhu Loop Wuhu Island Loop	Piranha Plant Slide Piranha Plant Pipeway	DK Jungle
Daisy Hills	Mario Circuit	Wario Shipyard Wario's Galleon	Rosalina's Ice World
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Cheep Cheep Cape	Music Park Melody Motorway	Neo Bowser City Koopa City	Bowser's Castle
Shy Guy Bazaar	Rock Rock Mountain Alpine Pass	Maka Wuhu Wuhu Mountain Loop	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
N64 Luigi Raceway	N64 Koopa Beach N64 Koopa Troopa Beach	N64 Kalimari Desert	Wii Koopa Cape
GBA Bowser Castle 1	SNES Mario Circuit 2	DS DK Pass	GCN Dino Dino Jungle
Wii Mushroom Gorge	Wii Coconut Mall	GCN Daisy Cruiser	DS Airship Fortress
DS Luigi's Mansion	DS Waluigi Pinball	Wii Maple Treeway	SNES Rainbow Road

Battle stages

New Stages	Retro Stages
Honeybee Hive Honeybee House	GBA Battle Course 1
Sherbet Rink	N64 Big Donut
Wuhu Town	DS Palm Shore

Vehicle customization

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 American kart names. If the kart has a different name in PAL regions, the PAL name will be put in parentheses under the 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
Standard*	0
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**/*** (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	0	0	+0.5	+0.5	-0.25	-0.5	0	+0.25	+0.25	+1.5	0	+0.25
Bruiser (Growlster)	+0.5	-0.5	-0.25	-0.25	+0.25	-0.5	0	0	0	+0.5	0	-0.25
Soda Jet	+0.25	-0.5	+0.5	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	+0.25	-0.25	+0.5	0	+0.25
B Dasher	+0.5	-0.5	0	-0.5	0	+0.25	0	0	-0.25	0	0	0
Egg 1	-0.25	+1.5	+0.5	+0.5	-0.25	0	0	0	0	+0.5	0	+0.25
Barrel Train	+0.25	-0.75	-0.25	0	+0.25	-0.5	0	0	0	+1.5	0	-0.25
Tiny Tug	-0.5	+1.5	-0.25	0	+0.25	0	+0.5	0	+0.25	-0.5	0	-0.25
Cact-X	-0.25	+0.5	-0.25	-0.25	0	+0.25	0	0	+0.25	-0.5	0	0
Koopa Clown	0	0	0	-0.25	0	+0.5	+0.25	+0.25	-0.25	+1.5	0	0
Cloud 9	-0.5	+1	+0.5	+0.25	-0.25	+0.5	+0.5	+0.25	0	+0.5	0	+0.25
Zucchini (Gherkin)	+0.5	-0.5	-0.25	-0.25	0	-0.25	0	0	0	-0.5	0	0
Blue Seven	+0.5	0	-0.25	-0.5	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	0	-0.5	0	-0.25
Bolt Buggy	+0.25	-0.5	-0.25	-0.5	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	+0.25	0	0	-0.25
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
Standard (Normal)	0
Gold Tires**** (Gold Wheels)	+1	-1	0	-0.5	+0.5	-1.25	0	-1	-2.5	0	0	-1
Roller	-0.75	+1	+1	+0.75	-1	+2	+1.25	+1	-1.25	+1	+1	-1
Slim	-0.25	0	0	+0.25	-0.25	+1.25	+1.25	0	-1.25	-1	+1	+1
Slick	+1	-1	0	-0.25	+0.25	-1.25	-1.25	0	-2.5	0	0	+1
Sponge	-0.25	-1	+1	+0.5	-0.75	0	-1.25	+1	0	0	0	+1
Mushroom	+0.25	0	0	-0.25	-0.5	+1.25	0	0	-1.25	0	0	-1
Wood (Wooden)	-0.5	+1	+1	+0.5	-0.5	+1.25	+2.5	+1	0	-1	+1	+1
Red Monster	+0.75	-1	0	-0.5	+0.75	-1.25	-1.25	-1	+1.25	+0.25	-1	-1
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****	0
Peach Parasol**	0	0	-3	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	+2	0	+0.25	0	-0.25
Flower Glider	0	0	-3	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	+2	0	+0.25	0	-0.25
Beast Glider (Ghastly Glider)	0
Swooper (Swoop)	0	0	-1.5	+0.25	-0.25	0	0	+1	0	+0.25	0	-0.25
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 10,000 VR.	Collect 20,000 coins.
Gold Tires	Obtain a minimum of one star ranking in all cups of every engine class.	Collect 15,000 coins.
Gold Glider	Reach 100 StreetPass hits.	Collect 10,000 coins.
Gold Steering Wheel	Race in 100 races using gyro-controls in at least 80% of them.	N/A
Beast Glider	N/A	Collect 5,000 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. 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

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 system'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 offline play, 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. GameRankings has an average score of 85.17% based on 50 reviews. 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. 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. 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 race-ruining bullshit". 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". 1up gave it a B- grade. 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. Justin Towell on Gamesradar gave it a perfect 10/10. He praised the fanservice and how "anyone can pick up and enjoy" the game. 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".

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. 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.

• MarioGlider3DS.PNG

  Mario gliding in air.

• 

  Luigi and his Bolt Buggy kart.

• 

  Yoshi in the Bumble V.

• 

  Shy Guy and his standard kart.

• 

  Mario, Bowser, Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Lakitu.

• 

  Mario on his own circuit.

Pre-release and unused content

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

The 7 in the original logo featured a different design than the final logo. Original demos featured many elements from Mario Kart Wii, such as menu music, Dash Panel textures and a winged Spiny Shell. Several tracks shown in early trailers lacked details shown in the final version, such as the lack Wigglers in Wii Maple Treeway and the lack of ramps in Wuhu Loop, Mario Circuit and Rock Rock Mountain.

• 

  The original logo, featuring the seven's different design.

• 

  An early version of Mario Circuit, with missing ramps.

• 

  An early version of N64 Kalimari Desert, featuring more cacti than the final version.

Media

Main article: List of media from Mario Kart 7

Help:Media • Having 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. Retro Studios was also responsible for contributing to the Donkey Kong series attributes in the game, mainly the DK Jungle track. The music composition is credited to Kenta Nagata and Satomi Terui. Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata were the game's general and executive producers respectively.

References to other games

• Super Mario Bros.: The Fire Flower appears for the first time as a usable item that throws fireballs. The layout of the course Piranha Plant Slide greatly resembles the tile sprites from this game.
• Super Mario Bros. 2: The Shy Guy Bazaar course makes references to the elements from this game such as the addition of Magic Carpets (being ridden by Shy Guys) and vases in their original colors.
• Super Mario Bros. 3: The Super Leaf appears as an item, and the Angry Sun appears on a blanket in Shy Guy Bazaar.
• Super Mario Kart: The Pipe Frame returns from this game, however it uses the dual exhaust design from Mario Kart 64 instead of the single exhaust from Super Mario Kart. Mario Circuit 2 and Rainbow Road return as retro courses. Collecting coins also returns from this game.
• Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3: A small portion of Wario Shipyard's music is a remix of this game's main theme.
• Donkey Kong Country: DK Jungle's music is a remix of the Jungle Hijinxs theme from this game.
• Mario Kart 64: Some musical pieces are remixes from this game such as the main title screen, the results screen and Rainbow Road. A segment of the theme for the course Toad's Turnpike can be heard in the newer course, Neo Bowser City. Chomps appear in Rainbow Road similar to how they appear in Rainbow Road from that game. Luigi Raceway, Koopa Troopa Beach, and Kalimari Desert return as retro courses, plus Big Donut returns as a playable battle course.
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit: Bowser Castle 1 returns as a retro course, plus Battle Course 1 returns as a playable battle arena.
• Super Mario Sunshine: The possible Toad artwork can be seen on Toad Circuit on the Mario Kart banner near the starting line.
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Part of the Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road themes are based on their respective themes originating from this game. Some voice clips are reused. Also, the Barrel Train returns from this game. Daisy Cruiser and Dino Dino Jungle return as retro courses, and finally, the 3-2-1 starting countdown returns with a new design.
• Mario Kart Arcade GP: The way that coins give the kart a small boost upon being collected originated from this game.
• Mario Kart DS: The Egg 1 and B Dasher return from this game as kart parts. Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, DK Pass, and Airship Fortress return as retro courses, plus Palm Shore returns as a playable battle arena. During multiplayer with someone who doesn't have the game, Shy Guy becomes their automatic character like in this game.
• New Super Mario Bros.: The playable Lakitu's artwork in Mario Kart 7 is a color swapped version of Lakitu's artwork from this game. Koopa Troopa's artwork is also reused from the game.
• Super Mario Galaxy: The Comet Observatory and the starting planet of Gateway Galaxy appear in the background in the course Rosalina's Ice World. A part of Space Junk Galaxy's music is also remixed in the course. Rosalina and Honey Queen both originate from this game.
• Mario Kart Wii: Most of the gameplay in Mario Kart 7 is based off of this game. The first part of the Award Ceremony music is from the said installment as well. Minecarts from Wario's Gold Mine can be seen on Wario Shipyard. Tricks return from this game. The menu selection music is based on said music from this game. The roster and map sprites also return from this game. Some voice clips are reused. Mushroom Gorge, Coconut Mall, Maple Treeway, and Koopa Cape return as retro courses.
• Mario Super Sluggers: Some of Wiggler's voice clips are taken from this game.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: DK Jungle is based on and includes elements from this game.
• Super Mario 3D Land: The new look for the Super Leaf introduced in this game is shown as one of the newest items for the Mario Kart series and used as the logo for the Leaf Cup. Also, the bush and Goomba Boards reappear in Piranha Plant Slide.

References in later games

• Mario Kart Arcade GP DX: Gameplay elements such as the glider and underwater racing return in this game.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: Donkey Kong plays this game during his idle animation. Also, he is confirmed as playing as himself.
• Mario Golf: World Tour: The countdown timer and the signal light returns in Speed Golf to signal the start of the first hole.
• Mario Kart 8: The Wii U follow-up includes various elements from this game. Music Park, Piranha Plant Slide, and DK Jungle return as this game's retro tracks. The glider and underwater racing mechanics return. Customization returns as well. Some vehicle bodies, tires, and gliders from Mario Kart 7 return also. Neo Bowser City returns as a downloadable retro course.
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: The Koopa Clown kart body returns. Wuhu Town returns as a retro battle course. Lunar Colony has a moon section with low gravity just like Rainbow Road.
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS: Rainbow Road appears as a stage in this game. The Rainbow Road theme music can play on the aforementioned stage, along with a remix of Rainbow Road themes from handheld Mario Kart games. In addition, various trophies reference content from this game.
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: The Rainbow Road theme, a remix of Rainbow Road themes from handheld Mario Kart games, and a remix of this game's Circuit theme appear as music tracks for the Mario Circuit stage. Various trophies reference content from this game.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
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)
Korean	마리오 카트 ７[?] Mario Kateu 7	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 multiplayer (both local and online). 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.

External links

• Launch Trailer
• Official Japanese Website
• Official European Website
• Official Oceanian Website
• Official American Website
• Official Korean Website
• Official Chinese (Hong Kong) Website
• Official Chinese (Taiwan) Website
• Official Chinese (China) Website