Game of the Week: Mario Kart 7 | Video Games, Reviews, Features ...

This week, we?re taking a look at one of 3DS?s first big successes. This entry in the much-loved karting series retains all the shell flinging, banana dropping pandemonium that has made the games so popular. This is a given, of course, but there have also been some tweaks and new additions to prevent any stagnation of this magic formula.

My favourite of these is the concept of kart customisation. After selecting a character, you will move on to a garage of sorts. Here, you create your vehicle by choosing a kart body, set of wheels, and a glider. You start the game with a small selection of these, earning more options by collecting the coins that have returned to the racetracks. There isn?t an extensive range on offer, but certainly enough for some experimentation. As ever, the racers are divided into weight classes, which have a natural effect on their statistics. With the customisation mechanic, you can enhance these abilities, or offset weaknesses. All in all, this is a great way to inject a subtle layer of strategy to proceedings.

The tracks themselves have undergone changes too. Gliding sections and underwater sections make their much-publicised debut. When passing over a special type of turbo pad, your glider will emerge. You?ll float back down to earth, adjusting your descent as you go for extra speed. Diving underwater, meanwhile, sprouts a small propeller from the back of your kart. The action slows a little in this state, but not so much as to be jarring for the player. Both of these changes begin and end automatically, and hardly prove to be the intrusive misstep some feared. Indeed, one of my highlights of the game comes from gliding around some of the new tracks. Control feels great here, and some of the visuals from on high are a treat. Providing, of course, that you get a second to enjoy the scenery. This is particularly apparent in Rainbow Road.

The online system is quite impressive too, for Nintendo?s tentative approach. It?s based on Mario Kart Wii?s system, with a great degree of extra connectivity and functionality. There are time trial ghosts from around the world to compete against, with a full complement of seven at once available. Also, a streetpass encounter with another player enables you to later join their online races effortlessly. Such improvements are great to see in a series like this, where the majority of players will spend most of their time online. I?m hoping for further refinements in the inevitable Wii U installment.

As a long-time fan of the series, I preferred Mario Kart 7 to any of the previous entries. The core gameplay is as enjoyable as ever. The new air and sea mechanics fit seamlessly into the experience. Furthermore, these two factors are backed up by some great new tracks and returning favourites. I do share some player?s gripes about the cast of unlockable characters, but with a polished package like this it seems churlish to let such a minor issue mar the experience.

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