Mario Kart 7: The SI Kids Review

The question on everyone's mind here at the SI Kids office is this: Does Mario Kart 7 technically qualify as a racing game?

The "yes" people say this:
-It has a gas button and a brake button.
-It has tracks (32 in total in this version) to race on.
-It uses the words "grand" and "prix," two words that are typically only associated with racing games.

The "no" people say this:
-The "drivers" are usually monkeys, plumbers, and mushroom-headed creatures.
-The "cars" transform into hang gliders on occasion.
-A driver can deploy an ink-spewing squid to slow down another driver.

Regardless of whether you are a "yes" person or a "no" person, one thing I think that we can all safely agree on is this: Mario Kart 7 is a lot of fun, and an absolute must-own for any Nintendo 3DS owner out there.

So, you ask, what's new in this version? How is it different from the 2005 DS version (Mario Kart DS), or the 2008 Wii version (Mario Kart Wii)? The answer, in all honesty, is this: not much is new in this "new" version.

There's 3D, though more discerning gamers will switch it off after their first race or two. You can, as I mentioned, hang glide across cavernous divides in this one. (Your kart automatically transforms into a hang glider whenever you go airborne.) You can also drive underwater. (Woo!) So, whenever you encounter a body of water, feel free to dive right in. (Note: Your kart has a churning propeller to keep you moving against the current.) Other things you might notice: the motorcycles, which debuted in the Wii version of the game, are gone. The two-characters-in-the-same-kart dynamic, which the Gamecube version of the game, Double-Dash!, featured, is still M.I.A. The trick system from Mario Kart Wii made it into this version, so feel free to go crazy whenever you're in the air. And there's a new, extremely rare, totally awesome weapon in the game called a Lucky 7, which is awarded only to players at the back of the pack, and which gives them seven weapons to use however they see fit. Sports Gamer confession: It's absolutely thrilling to have seven weapons at your disposal.

If all of these changes sound pretty minor, that's because they are. Nintendo, as usual, takes an if-it-ain't-broke/don't-fix-it approach to the game. The series has been around since 1992, and aside from some minor tinkerings here and there, hasn't really changed all that much. 

On the plus side, finding online matches, thanks to the robust Community interface, is super easy. (Warning: No matter how good you think you are at this game, going online will be a humbling experience. Try not to cry your eyes out when you lose. Which is what the Sports Gamer did. Yes, he cried. So what? It's a perfectly human response to a very sad situation.) Also on the plus side: the game is still so much fun that, regardless of whether you are playing online or offline, you'll have a hard time putting the 3DS down. The Sports Gamer typically is all for pushing the envelope, for getting games to try new things, and to take us gamers to new, exciting places we've never been to before. The only time I make an exception is when it comes to Mario Kart games. These games are still consistently fun, even though they're kind of, sort of, the same game over and over again. 

Now, if you don't mind, I've got to get back to a white-knuckle race on Koopa Troopa Beach. And if you go online, don't be surprised if the person sending that Red Turtle Shell into your back bumper is the Sports Gamer himself.