47. Mario Kart 7|3DS|2011|kart racer|1h 54m|9/10
Mario Kart 7 is a superbly well made entry to this long run kart racing franchise. This game looks and sounds fantastic, runs smooth as silk, controls well, and is a joy to play. Outside the impressive 3D effect, Mario Kart 7 brings hang-gliding and submarine additions to the kart itself. This allows the races to take to the air or go under water, which actually doesn't change the racing all that much, but is nice for the variety alone. Karts are further customizable via a plethora of options, most of which unlock from doing well in the races. There are 8 cups across 32 courses, half of which are new, and the other half remixes of prior courses from earlier games in the series. If racing gets old, there's also Balloon Battles and Coin Runners mode to keep the player busy, along with robust online options. A few new combat items are available as well, such as the Tanooki Tail and Fire Flower. My only complaint with this entry is that you cannot use the d-pad for steering, only the analog slider is allowed for that. Mario Kart 7 doesn't really move the series forward in any huge way, but it takes what Mario Kart already was, and polishes that concept to a brilliant sheen. If you've ever enjoy Mario Kart you owe it to yourself to play Mario Kart 7.
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Bittersweet: With finishing Mario Kart 7, I have now beaten every handheld and console Mario Kart released thus far.
