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''Mario Kart 7'' is particularly notable for sporting features unseen in previous ''Mario Kart'' installments. Players are able to customize their vehicles, choosing from various frames which range in weight, a selection of tires which affect a kart's handling on certain surfaces, and a choice of retractable [[hangglider]]s, which allow players to glide through the air. Hang gliding may allow players to skip over parts of the track or locate new routes and shortcuts that are otherwise unaccessible.<ref name="equals fun"/> There are 17 frames, 10 tires, and 7 gliders, which makes a grand total of 1,190 possible kart combinations for the players to use during the races and battles. In past games, driving the kart into a body of water was considered going out of bounds and was penalized by delaying the player for several seconds. In ''Mario Kart 7'', the karts are fully [[submersible]] and the tracks feature segments that are completely underwater.
''Mario Kart 7'' is particularly notable for sporting features unseen in previous ''Mario Kart'' installments. Players are able to customize their vehicles, choosing from various frames which range in weight, a selection of tires which affect a kart's handling on certain surfaces, and a choice of retractable [[hangglider]]s, which allow players to glide through the air. Hang gliding may allow players to skip over parts of the track or locate new routes and shortcuts that are otherwise unaccessible.<ref name="equals fun"/> There are 17 frames, 10 tires, and 7 gliders, which makes a grand total of 1,190 possible kart combinations for the players to use during the races and battles. In past games, driving the kart into a body of water was considered going out of bounds and was penalized by delaying the player for several seconds. In ''Mario Kart 7'', the karts are fully [[submersible]] and the tracks feature segments that are completely underwater.


The game features 16 playable ''Mario'' characters, including [[Recurring enemies in the Mario franchise#Wiggler|Wiggler]], Honey Queen, [[Lakitu]], and Metal [[Mario]], who are new to the series, as well as [[Mii]] characters saved in the Nintendo 3DS Mii Maker. The characters are divided into different weight classes, which impact their driving styles. ''Mario Kart 7'' offers 32 different tracks, which consist of sixteen tracks unique to the game and sixteen "classic" tracks, remakes of tracks featured in the past six ''Mario Kart'' games.<ref name="equals fun"/>
The game features 16 playable ''Mario'' characters, including [[Recurring enemies in the Mario franchise#Wiggler|Wiggler]], Honey Queen, [[Lakitu]], and Metal [[Mario]], who are new to the series, as well as [[Mii]] characters saved in the Nintendo 3DS Mii Maker. The characters are divided into different weight classes, which impact their driving styles. ''Mario Kart 7'' offers 32 different tracks, which consist of 16 tracks unique to the game and 16 "classic" tracks, remakes of tracks featured in the past six ''Mario Kart'' games.<ref name="equals fun"/>


===Game modes===
===Game modes===

Revision as of 01:54, 17 June 2012

Mario Kart 7
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Retro Studios
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Kosuke Yabuki
Producer(s)Hideki Konno
Composer(s)Kenta Nagata
Satomi Terui
SeriesMario Kart
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Mario Kart 7 (マリオカート7, Mario Kāto Sebun)[1] is a 2011 racing video game in the Mario Kart series, developed by Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console.[1] The game was released worldwide in early December 2011.[2] Mario Kart 7 is the seventh and most recent iteration in the Mario Kart series, following Mario Kart Wii from 2008.

Similar to previous games in the series, players participate in go-kart racing on various Mario-themed tracks, playing as one of seventeen different Mario characters. While racing, the players make use of power-up items that hinder opposing characters. New additions to the game include hang-gliding attachments for karts, the ability to drive underwater, and the ability to fully customize the vehicles' builds.[3] Mario Kart 7 supports both local and online multiplayer for up to eight players.[4]

Mario Kart 7 received positive reception, gaining aggregate critical scores of 85% and 84.96% on MetaCritic and GameRankings respectively. It is the second 3DS game to sell over 5 million units.

Gameplay

See also: Gameplay in the Mario Kart series
Racing in first person is one of the new gameplay elements in Mario Kart 7 along with hanggliding.

Mario Kart 7 carries on traditional Mario Kart gameplay in which players race against each other in go-karts across a variety of themed tracks. Most tracks are based off various locations in the Mario series, but a few tracks are set on Wuhu Island, which was featured in non-Mario video games Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort.[5] While driving, the players use power-up items, obtained from running into item boxes located at specific points on the track, that are used to hinder the progression of opponents or to help the player in the race. Some of these power-ups include the series staple items Koopa Shells, Banana Peels, and Super Mushrooms. Mario Kart 7 also features three items new to the Mario Kart series: the Fire Flower, the Super Leaf, and the Lucky Seven, which bestows seven items at once.[6] Coins, originally introduced in Super Mario Kart, are scattered about the tracks; collecting them increases the player's top speed. Up to ten coins can be collected in each race but some will be lost if the player comes into contact with hazards or goes out of bounds. Jump actions, which were introduced in Mario Kart Wii as tricks, lets players obtain a brief burst of speed when driving off ramps.[7][4] In addition to traditional controls, Mario Kart 7 can be played using the Nintendo 3DS gyroscope, in which the action is viewed in first person and the player steers the kart simply by turning the entire game system.

Mario Kart 7 is particularly notable for sporting features unseen in previous Mario Kart installments. Players are able to customize their vehicles, choosing from various frames which range in weight, a selection of tires which affect a kart's handling on certain surfaces, and a choice of retractable hanggliders, which allow players to glide through the air. Hang gliding may allow players to skip over parts of the track or locate new routes and shortcuts that are otherwise unaccessible.[4] There are 17 frames, 10 tires, and 7 gliders, which makes a grand total of 1,190 possible kart combinations for the players to use during the races and battles. In past games, driving the kart into a body of water was considered going out of bounds and was penalized by delaying the player for several seconds. In Mario Kart 7, the karts are fully submersible and the tracks feature segments that are completely underwater.

The game features 16 playable Mario characters, including Wiggler, Honey Queen, Lakitu, and Metal Mario, who are new to the series, as well as Mii characters saved in the Nintendo 3DS Mii Maker. The characters are divided into different weight classes, which impact their driving styles. Mario Kart 7 offers 32 different tracks, which consist of 16 tracks unique to the game and 16 "classic" tracks, remakes of tracks featured in the past six Mario Kart games.[4]

Game modes

Mario Kart 7 features four single-player game modes: Grand Prix, Time Trials, Balloon Battle, and Coin Runners. Some modes feature multiplayer options. In Grand Prix, the player races against seven computer-controlled opponents in one of eight different cups, each featuring four tracks. The player receives points based on his or her finishing position in each race, ranging from ten points for first place and one point for last place, and receives a trophy based on his or her overall standing after all of the races and along with that, they will also receive a star rank ranging from one to three. In Time Trials, the player races alone to finish the track in the fastest time possible. The best time for each track is saved as a ghost, which the player can compete against in later trials. If the player has SpotPass enabled on his Nintendo 3DS, he or she will be able to download ghosts from other players and can race against up to seven other ghosts simultaneously.[8][5] In the Balloon Battle and Coin Runners battle modes, the players drive around a closed arena to collect items and attack their opponents within the time allotted. The player can play online via Nintendo Network, participating in races or battles with up to seven other players. Game data can also be exchanged with other Nintendo 3DS consoles via StreetPass.

Development

Nintendo EAD began development on Mario Kart 7 in early 2010.[9] The idea to have hang gliding and submersible karts came during the development of the previous Mario Kart game, Mario Kart Wii, and was one of the first gameplay mechanics implemented.[10] The ability to customize the player's kart was added in order to make gameplay more strategic and to boost the multiplayer experience.[11] The game was first publicly announced at E3 2010 under the tentative title Mario Kart and then shown again at E3 2011, where it was announced for a late 2011 release.

Because Nintendogs + Cats was scheduled to be released first, Mario Kart 7 was given lower priority and only eight staff members were assigned to begin work on it. When it was time to focus on the game, producer Hideki Konno realized that there was not enough staff available due to many other titles being developed at the same time, including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword which had its production extended into 2011. In order to finish the game in time for the 2011 Christmas season,[4] Nintendo consulted with Retro Studios, which had just finished making Donkey Kong Country Returns, to co-develop the game.[9] Retro started work on Mario Kart 7 in December 2010. The team focused on producing the classic racing courses, remakes of courses from earlier Mario Kart titles, in order to learn both "lessons about the development process [for Mario Kart games]" and "about what makes a good course from a design perspective."[12]

Music and voice

The game's soundtrack was composed by both Kenta Nagata, who worked on previous Mario Kart titles Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Star Fox 64 3D composer Satomi Terui. The main voice cast consists of Charles Martinet, performing as Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Metal Mario; Sam Kelly as Princess Peach; Kenny James as Bowser; Kazumi Totaka as Yoshi; Freddie Winston as Koopa Troopa, Lakitu and Shy Guy; Deanna Mustard as Daisy; and Kerri Kane as Rosalina.

Technical issues

Shortly after the release of Mario Kart 7, it was discovered that three of its available race tracks, Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and GBA Bowser Castle 1, had each contained a glitch that allowed players to skip over a significant portion of the track, often exploited as a cheat during online play. Although Nintendo initially reported in January 2012 that there were no plans to release a fix,[13] a downloadable patch that removes the glitches during online play was released in the Nintendo eShop on May 15. Players who do not download and install the patch will be unable to connect and play Mario Kart 7 online.[14]

Reception

Mario Kart 7 has received generally positive reviews. It holds an 85/100 rating on Metacritic based on 60 critic reviews and an 84.96% rating on GameRankings based on 45 reviews.[15][16] IGN scored it a 9/10, praising "a handful of incredible innovations" and the game's multiplayer, particularly community features and customizable racing rules, but criticizing the small roster of only 17 characters, compared to that of Mario Kart Wii's 25 characters.[19] Computer and Video Games gave the game a 9.4/10[17] and Eurogamer gave it an 8/10.[18] Nintendo World Report gave the game a 8.5, stating that it is more of the same and the gliding mechanics feel underutilized.[20]

On the more critical side, Destructoid gave the game a 5/10, stating that "sticking to tradition has not worked in Nintendo's favor" and saying the new glider and underwater sections "exist to provide the illusion of variety rather than actually altering the core experience".[21] Giant Bomb scored the game a 3/5, noting "your enjoyment of Mario Kart 7 will likely hinge on your continued appreciation of [the series'] formula".[22]

IGN awarded Mario Kart 7 the IGN's Editors' Choice.[19] Mario Kart 7 was nominated for "Best 3DS Game" and "Best Driving Game" at GameTrailers' 2011 Game of the Year Awards, but lost both respectively to Super Mario 3D Land and Forza Motorsport 4.[23][24] Digital Spy awarded Mario Kart 7 the "Best Game of 2011" for the Digital Spy readers' awards of 2011.[25]

Mario Kart 7 sold over one million units in the U.S. as of 3 January 2012.[26] In Japan, the game has sold over 1.5 million units as of 25 January 2012.[27] As of 26 January 2012, the game has sold 4.5 million units globally, becoming the second best-selling 3DS game.[28]. The game has been nominated for "Favorite Video Game" in the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards.

References

  1. ^ a b "Nintendo 3DS Price Drops to $169.99, as Great Value and New 3D Games Come Together". Nintendo. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Mario Kart 7 Related Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Mario Kart 7 at Nintendo :: Games". Nintendo. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e Hill, Jason (6 December 2011). "Mario Kart 7 = fun". The Sydney Morning Herald's Digital Life. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Mario Kart 7 Will Allow You To Register StreetPass Contacts As Friends". Siliconera. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Mario Kart 7 Video Game, Japanese Overview Trailer". GameTrailers.com. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Mario Kart 7 Video Game, TGS 11: Hang Time Trailer". GameTrailers.com. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  8. ^ "Mario Kart 7 Video Game, TGS 11: Iwata Asks Gameplay". GameTrailers.com. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  9. ^ a b "It All Began with a Yakiniku Party". Iwata Asks: Mario Kart 7. Nintendo of America. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Instantly Enjoyable, But Deep". Iwata Asks: Mario Kart 7. Nintendo of America. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  11. ^ Drake, Audrey. "Why Blue Shells are Mandatory in Mario Kart 7". IGN. Retrieved May 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ "Starting with Classic Courses". Iwata Asks: Mario Kart 7. Nintendo of America. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  13. ^ Ivan, Tom (17 January 2012). "Nintendo has 'no plans' to fix Mario Kart 7 track glitch". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 11 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Bray, Nicholas (15 May 2012). "Nintendo Releases Mario Kart 7 Game Data Update". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Mario Kart 7". GameRankings. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  16. ^ a b "Mario Kart 7 for 3DS Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  17. ^ a b "3DS Review: Mario Kart 7 Review". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  18. ^ a b Parkin, Simon (25 November 2011). "Mario Kart 7 Review • Reviews •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  19. ^ a b c Drake, Audrey (29 November 2011). "Mario Kart 7 Review". Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  20. ^ a b Ronaghan, Neal (29 November 2011). "Mario Kart 7". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  21. ^ a b "Review: Mario Kart 7". Destructoid. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Mario Kart 7 Review". Giant Bomb. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  23. ^ "Best 3DS Game". Game of the Year Awards. Gametrailers. 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  24. ^ "Game of the Year Awards 2011 – Best Driving Game". 20 December 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  25. ^ Reynolds, Matthew (22 December 2011). "'Mario Kart 7' voted Digital Spy readers' favorite game for 2011". Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  26. ^ var authorId="247378584" by Andrew Goldfarb. "Nintendo 3DS Breaks 4 Million in U.S. – DS News at IGN". Ds.ign.com. Retrieved 11 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Japan: 3DS continues to dominate sales". Computer and Video Games. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  28. ^ "Super Mario 3D Land tops 5 million sales". Computer and Video Games. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
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