Mario Kart 7

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. The main new feature of this installment is the hand gliding and underwater driving which allows racers to glide through the air and race in underwater sections of the new and old tracks. Kart customizing 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]

Gameplay

Features

One of the innovations in Mario Kart 7 is the race in first-person views. By pressing the

, the player can activate the view and then tilt the Nintendo 3DS 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 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 . Players can tilt the 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 tilting 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 , 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. Tricks, which were also introduced in Mario Kart Wii, do return and can be used with Gliders for more speed. The Single Player version of VS mode from the other Mario Kart games and the mission mode from Mario Kart DS are also absent.

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 Camera
Tilt: Steer / Auto Drift (First person view only)

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 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. 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 three 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

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, 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 don't 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	Total
2 players	3	1							4
3 players	4	2	1						7
4 players	5	3	2	1					11
5 players	6	4	3	2	1				16
6 players	7	5	4	3	2	1			22
7 players	9	7	5	4	3	2	1		31
8 players	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	39

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. 3 of the six battle courses are new, and the remaining 3 battle courses are from previous installments in the series.

Balloon Battle

File:BalloonBattleMK7.png

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 has one balloon remaining and is hit, half of the player's points will be taken out and the player will be momentarily out of the battle to respawn with three balloons again and continue to play.

Coin Runners

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 3 coins of the coins they have collected. As with Grand Prix and Time Trials, only 10 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

File:Mario Kart 7.PNG

Map that shows (in red) the countries that are registered to Nintendo Network to play Mario Kart 7 online.

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 racing online, players gain VR (short for VS Rating) points based on their finishing position. Also, players start with 1000 VR, rather than 5000 VR from the previous game. The basic use of VR is determining the skill of players and putting them against players of the same skill level in online races. Races and battles online play affect VR, but Community races and battles do not.

Template:Foreignname

Drivers

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.

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
New Driver (Single Player)
Honey Queen
Heavy
New Driver
Wiggler
Cruiser
New Driver
Lakitu
Feather
New Driver
Mii
Medium

Unlocking Criteria

Criterion
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	Win all cups on any engine class.

Character Stats

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.^[2] In general, light characters have high values of Acceleration, Handling, and Off-Road, while heavy characters have high values of Speed and Weight. Hover over the weight class column to see the characters in the represented weight class.

Character Stats
Weight Class	Speed			Acceleration	Weight	Handling			Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Weight Class	Land	Sea	Air	Acceleration	Weight	Land	Sea	Air	Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Feather	3	3	4	4	2.25	3	2.5	2.25	4	2.75	1.75	4.25
Light	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. 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, making the default character a third rival, that occasionally appears on the race.

Character
Character	Rivals
Mario	Metal Mario, Bowser, Peach (third rival)
Luigi	Mario, Daisy, Yoshi (third rival)
Peach	Lakitu, Donkey Kong, Toad (third rival)
Yoshi	Wiggler, Toad, Donkey Kong (third rival)
Bowser	Mario, Rosalina, Luigi (third rival)
Donkey Kong	Wario, Koopa Troopa, Bowser (third rival)
Toad	Rosalina, Peach, Koopa Troopa (third rival)
Koopa Troopa	Yoshi, Shy Guy, Luigi (third rival)
Daisy	Peach, Wario, Luigi (third rival)
Wario	Luigi, Mario, Donkey Kong (third rival)
Rosalina	Honey Queen, Peach, Toad (third rival)
Metal Mario	Bowser, Rosalina, Mario (third rival)
Shy Guy	Toad, Lakitu, Koopa Troopa (third rival)
Honey Queen	Koopa Troopa, Metal Mario, Yoshi (third rival)
Wiggler	Shy Guy, Yoshi, Bowser (third rival)
Lakitu	Donkey Kong, Honey Queen, Mario (third rival)
Mii	Bowser, Metal Mario, Mario (third rival) or Yoshi, Rosalina, Peach (third rival)

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.

Body Frame
Size	Characters
Small	Toad, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Lakitu
Medium	Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Daisy, Metal Mario, Mii
Large	Bowser, Donkey Kong, Wario, Rosalina, Honey Queen, Wiggler

Other

Star Thwomps
Stingbies
Swoopers
Thwomps
Tiki Goons
Toads
Trains
Unagis
Walking Vases
Waluigi (Cameo)

Items

Many classic items make a return in Mario Kart 7. However, the Thunder Cloud, POW Block, and Mega Mushroom, introduced in Mario Kart Wii, are absent from the game. Instead, it features three new items – the Fire Flower, the Super Leaf, and the Lucky Seven. 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 Mario Kart 7, 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. 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.

Items found on tracks

Image	Name	Description
	Item Box	Item Boxes give players items.
File:Mk7 coin.jpg	Coin	Coins receive a small boost and increase top speed.

Items received from Item Boxes

Image	Name	Description
File:Mk7 banana.jpg	Banana	Karts that run over Bananas spin out.
File:Mk7 bananas.jpg	Triple Bananas	Gives players three bananas that trail behind the kart.
File:Green Shell MK7.jpg	Green Shell	Travels in a straight line and knocks over a kart it hits.
File:Mk7 triplegreenshell.jpg	Triple Green Shells	Three green shells that protect the player's kart from incoming attacks.
File:Mk7 redshell.jpg	Red Shell	Homes in on the closest kart in front of the player and knocks it over.
File:Mk7 tripleredshells.jpg	Triple Red Shells	Three red shells that protect the player's kart from incoming attacks.
File:Spiny Shell.jpg	Spiny Shell	Chases after the kart in the lead, knocking over all karts it hits on the way.
File:Mk7 bob-omb.jpg	Bob-omb	Explodes when thrown or dropped, knocking over any kart in its blast radius.
File:Mk7 supermushroom.jpg	Mushroom	Provides the player's kart with a small speed boost.
File:Mk7 triplemushrooms.jpg	Triple Mushrooms	Provides the player's kart with three separate speed boosts.
File:Mk7 goldenmushroom.jpg	Golden Mushroom	Gives players a speed boost when the / is pressed, but only for a short time.
	Bullet Bill	Transforms the player into a Bullet Bill, which rockets down the entire track at very high speeds on auto-pilot for some seconds. The Bullet Bill is invincible and can knock over items, course hazards and other racers, which makes them lose all items in their possession.
	Blooper	Sprays ink on all the karts ahead and reduces their visibility.
File:Mariokart7 lightning.jpg	Lightning	Causes all opponents to drop their items and drive slowly for a short time. Opponents can also get squashed by normal-sized players.
File:Mk7 star.jpg	Star	The driver obtains total invincibility and is able to knock over everything in his path including items, course obstacles and other racers, making them lose their current item. In addition, the driver 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 cause other karts to spin out of control on impact.
	Super Leaf New Item	Gives the player's kart a tail that can be used to deflect items, knock over opponents and collect coins.
	Lucky Seven New Item	Surrounds the player's kart with seven items that can all be used.

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' lengths have been shortened, except the DS retro courses, which have been widened.

New Courses

Mushroom Cup	Flower Cup	Star Cup	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

Shell Cup	Banana Cup	Leaf Cup	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

File:BoltBuggyScreenshot.jpg

The vehicle customization menu allows the player to build his or her own kart, choosing the body, the tires, and the glider. Here, Bowser selects the Bolt Buggy, 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, tire, or glider to use. It is possible to acquire ten coins in a race. As the user chooses the parts, the stats may vary, regarding to the parts' combination and that the vehicle works better in particular situations.

Vehicle parts and stat boosts

Each part affects each kart's stats differently. There are also 17 kart bodies, which each can be linked to a representing character. The following is a list of the stat boosts that are applied, and the units are out of 6.^[2] However, only the Speed, Acceleration, Weight, Handling, and Off-Road stats are visible in-game. This list 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 Bonuses
Kart Bodies
Body	Speed			Acceleration	Weight	Handling			Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Body	Land	Sea	Air	Acceleration	Weight	Land	Sea	Air	Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Standard*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	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
Kart Tires
Tire	Speed			Acceleration	Weight	Handling			Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Tire	Land	Sea	Air	Acceleration	Weight	Land	Sea	Air	Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Standard (Normal)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	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
Kart Gliders
Glider	Speed			Acceleration	Weight	Handling			Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
Glider	Land	Sea	Air	Acceleration	Weight	Land	Sea	Air	Off-Road	Mini-Turbo	Stability	Drift
File:Supergilder.png Super Glider*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gold Glider	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	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	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	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 female Mii's.

Unlocking criteria

The only parts that don't need to be unlocked are the Standard kart, the Birthday Girl, the Bolt Buggy, the Standard tires, the Roller tires, the Monster tires, and the Super Glider. To unlock 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 coins
100 coins
150 coins
200 coins
250 coins
300 coins

400 coins
500 coins
600 coins
700 coins
800 coins
900 coins

1000 coins
1200 coins
1400 coins
1600 coins
1800 coins
2000 coins

2500 coins
3000 coins
3500 coins
4000 coins
4500 coins

Special parts

The special parts must be unlocked with these criteria:

The Beast Glider can be unlocked by collecting 5,000 coins, but if players earn kart parts with the StreetPass feature, the amount of coins needed to unlock it will decrease.
The Gold Glider can be unlocked by making a minimum of 100 StreetPass connections, or by collecting 10,000 coins.
The Gold Tires are unlocked by obtaining a minimum of one star ranking in all cups of every engine class, or by collecting 15,000 coins.
The Gold Standard can be unlocked by obtaining at least 10,000 VR, or by collecting 20,000 coins.
The Gold Steering Wheel can be unlocked by racing 100 races using gyro-controls for 80% of the time. The golden steering wheel is lost once 20 races are played without the gyro controls, unlike the Golden Wheel in Mario Kart Wii.

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 players achieve a certain time, the Expert Staff Ghosts will be unlocked.

Normal Staff Ghosts

Course	Staff Name	Time	Character	Kart Combination
Course	Staff Name	Time	Character	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	Kart Combination
Course	Staff Name	Time	Character	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	02:07.551	Rosalina	Soda Jet	Slim	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	Swooper
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

File:MK711.jpg

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 Descriptions

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!

Gallery

Template:Morepic

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.
First logo.

Beta Elements

Main article: List of Mario Kart 7 beta elements

The game featured a demo in which 3 courses could be played. These courses are Rock Rock Mountain, Cheep Cheep Lagoon and DK Jungle.^[4] Waluigi was meant to be in the game, but was scrapped due to time constraints. [2]

Media

Main article: List of media from Mario Kart 7

Glitches

Main article: List of glitches in Mario Kart 7

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 allowed 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

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.
Super Mario Kart: The Pipe Frame returns from this game. The starting lineup of characters is also the same. Mario Circuit 2 and Rainbow Road return as retro courses.
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. 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.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Part of the Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road themes are based on their respective themes originating from this game. Also, the Barrel Train returns from this game. Daisy Cruiser and Dino Dino Jungle return as retro courses, and finally, the countdown timer for starting a race or battle 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.
Super Mario Galaxy: The Comet Observatory and the starting planet of Gateway Galaxy appears in the background in the course, Rosalina's Ice World. A part of Space Junk Galaxy's music is also remixed in the course. Honey Queen originates 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 fanfare music is from 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. Mushroom Gorge, Coconut Mall, Maple Treeway, and Koopa Cape return as retro courses.
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 also used for the logo for the Leaf Cup. Also, the cardboard cut-out Goombas reappear in Piranha Plant Slide.
Mario Party 9: Waluigi's sprite from the character selection screen can be seen on Waluigi Pinball.
Super Mario 3D World: Princess Peach's icon from this game can be seen in Sherbet Rink.

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 motion. Also, he is confirmed as playing as himself.
Mario Kart 8: Music Park, Piranha Plant Slide and DK Jungle are confirmed return as this game's retro tracks. The glider and underwater racing mechanics return. Customization returns as well.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS: Rainbow Road will appear as a stage in this game.

Reception

The game has received positive reviews. As of December 12, 2013, Metacritic has an average score of 85, including 64 positive reviews, and 9 mixed.^[5] Gamerankings has an average score of 85.17% based on 50 reviews.^[6] The game sold over 420,000 units in its first 4 days in Japan.^[7]

GameXplain has given the game's Multiplayer 4.5 stars out of 5, and Single-Player a 3.5 out of 5.^[8]^[9]. 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. She wrote, "Overall it’s a well-polished experience that fans of the kart-racing genre - or of the Mushroom Kingdom - should not hesitate to pick up."^[10]^[11] Gametrailers gave it a 8.8/10.^[12] 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 the "unavoidable race-ruining bullshit".^[13] Adam Biessener of Gameinformer gave it an 8.50/10. He praised the first person view, the new tracks, and the new glider and underwater features while criticizing the Battle Mode, and online being a distraction rather than a destination. He ended with, "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."^[14] 1up gave it a B- grade.^[15] 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.^[16] Justin Towell on Gamesradar gave it a perfect 10/10. He praised the fanservice and how anyone can pick up and enjoy the game.^[17] However, 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. They ended it with, "Mario Kart is in need of a severe shake up. This stagnant, crawling, and indolent effort is not it."^[18]

Names in other languages