Game Review: Mario Kart 7

Platform: Nintendo 3DS (PLEASE NOTE THIS GAME IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH EARLIER DS SYSTEMS)

Price Range: £34.99- £39.99

Age Rating: 3+

Genre: Racing 

Design:

Mario Kart comes to the 3DS with all new tracks and weapons and it's just as fun as ever. Traditionally like all the other Mario Kart games Mario Kart 7 doesn't have a storyline, you simply play to your hearts content in 4 different game modes all of which are just as fun to play as the next. Nintendo always steps up it's game when it comes to games of this type especially when Mario is involved and it doesn't let you down here. Grand Prix mode sees you competing in four races back to back to earn top points to win the cup but it wouldn't be Mario Kart without the presence of the loveable yet sometimes irritating power-ups, Nintendo has included some old favourites such as the banana skin and red shells as well as three new power-ups such as fireballs and the unique '7' power-up all of which give you an advantage if you are at the back of the race but at the same time become an irritant if you are at the front, be prepared to be bashed with shells and zapped with lightning bolts every few seconds especially when tackling the harder race courses. Balloon battle mode has players using power-ups to hit other players to steal their balloons  the player with the most balloons at the end of the time limit wins the match, it's not a great game mode to be honest and can get boring after a short while but on the other hand it does keep the younger players entertained for longer especially if they get stuck on Grand Prix. Coin Battle mode is essentially the same as balloon battle only this time you battle for coins and finally Multiplayer mode has you racing against people from all over the world in different types of races, it's great fun and can get quite competitive but I can't help feeling at times that the matching isn't exactly fair when you are going up against somebody with the best Kart and you are stuck in your standard Kart, I felt a bit let down by the whole situation.

Gameplay:

I loved playing this game! Simple really, it just seems to never get old, you find yourself doing races over and over again to try and get the best score possible. The controls are easy and simple to use and the customisation possibilities on the Karts is great, each character has their own standard Kart to begin with and then once you collect enough coins which are found throughout the races more and more Karts, wheels and gliders become unlocked, it really gives you a huge scope to play around with the different types of characters and Karts to see which combination best suits your playing style. At some points I do think they have tried a bit too hard to throw you into the action with the new first person camera view which turns your 3DS into the steering wheel of the car, now okay it sounds cool and it is, for about 30 seconds until you realise that turning the actual 3DS system left or right is pretty difficult to do and you end up crashing into multiple walls or down giant holes in the ground, for me it's an addition that really doesn't need to be there but unfortunately IS there. You can use your Nintendo Mii characters in the game and give them their own Kart to ride around in but only after you have completed a certain amount of races on Grand Prix Mode.

Presentation:

The graphics of Mario Kart are well and truly top class even in 3D although I would advise that if you have small children playing this game to only allow a short amount of time in 3D mode as it can cause sight damage, The 3D effects are great especially in first person mode ( if you like seeing 3D walls coming towards you then go right ahead ). The surroundings and tracks look stunning and they don't just whizz by like other racing games where you can't tell what is going on around you. The menu system is easy and simple to use and the music is your general cheery Mario soundtrack which speeds up on the final lap of a race to give a real sense of pace to the game, once you hear that music start to speed up you know that you need to get a wriggle on if you want to win. 

Summary:

Overall it's a great game for all ages, I know that these kind of games are typically aimed at the younger generation but anybody can pick it up and have some fun on any of the game modes. The only downside is the fact that the first person mode is so difficult to get your head around but I suppose if you gave it enough time you might find you enjoy it, I just find it more satisfying seeing what I am doing from a third person view. So if you liked all the other Mario Kart games you will love this one, the new power-ups are great and it is just a real pleasure to play.

Ratings:

Design: 9.6

Gameplay: 9.8

Presentation: 9.3

Overall: 9.5