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This thread has been linked to the game 'Mario Kart 7'.
Fresh from announcing that Super Mario 3D Land was the best game on the 3DS at the moment, I find myself making a correction to this statement.
Super Mario 3D Land WAS the best game on the system. Then Mario Kart 7 came along.
You may have seen the ads, seen the screenshots, or even seen the front of the box and your first impression might have been 'oh great, what have they done to Mario Kart?' Such is the initial feeling when you see the car fitted with a hang-glider. Your first impressions are wrong, though. The flying element is one of the finely introduced elements which only add to the joy of this game.
What Nintendo has managed to do is bring a stew of Mario Kart's past, add a little salt and pepper for seasoning and then serve as the most beautiful meal you have ever tasted. It is Mario-a-la-Kart, if you will, but with more rather than less (is that a contradiction? I seem to be full of them today!).
Not only are there tracks going back to the original 1992 classic, but new tracks based on Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports Resort have been added, all lovingly populated with everything from cars to penguins. It's a testament to the creators that the old and new tracks blend together so well and neither lets the side down. Even the reworking of some of the lesser tracks from previous Mario Kart games give them a new lease of life. The new rainbow road is entirely more beautiful and deadly than the original, the underwater sections added to previous tracks ensure that some elements of strategy pepper the course and the tracks with varying heights all make for a wonderful trip into the blue with your new found power of flight.
Ah, yes, back to those flying machines. It isn't really flying, not in the sense that Diddy Kong racing had flying anyway. The various parachutes, parasols or hang gliders all open as you launch off high platforms. Just as in Pilotwings, they allow you to ride the air currents, only staying up as long as the air keeps them there. Pointing downwards will allow you to gather speed and hit the track with some momentum.
Staying airborne will allow you to find the oft placed alternative routes that the game favours so much. One thing is for sure, the flying never outstays its welcome and only adds to the strategy of the game.
Being able to customise your racer is another new area. Using a sort of fruit machine style system (without the luck element), you can move each piece of car (body, wheels and flying tool) up and down, adding or taking away from the stats of your racer. The most logical decision is to go for the higher speed or acceleration, but I found myself giving the aesthetics just as much importance. That probably says more about me than the game though.
Cups and races are pretty much as they always were, with 50cc providing an easy access to the game for beginners. Veterans of Mario Kart should have no problem acing all the races, but there is an added bonus for those who can achieve a three star rating and get the gold cup. The balance is always perfect, though and the fact that the 3DS boasts an analogue stick is not to be sniffed at, it's the only change in the control system but it really does make driving a kart all the more fun.
Multiplayer is as easy to use as the rest of the game, with an option to jump straight in to a world wide challenge. My first 2 attempts were against an all Japanese lineup, though, which was certainly my downfall. You can set up groups to create races easily against friends and include people from your 3DS friends list too. Even racing against ghost cars picked up in Streetpass is great fun and provides a challenge outside of the traditional multiplayer game.
In fact, the only point I'd grumble about here is that there aren't as many racers available from the start to choose from as in previous titles. Perhaps I've been spoilt by baby Mario and co, but I'd have liked more of a choice.
So, there you have it. If you have a 3DS then you need Mario Kart. If you don't have a 3DS then get one for Mario Kart and if you can't get one then go and beg someone else to let you borrow theirs. It's that good.
10/10
Super Mario 3D Land WAS the best game on the system. Then Mario Kart 7 came along.
You may have seen the ads, seen the screenshots, or even seen the front of the box and your first impression might have been 'oh great, what have they done to Mario Kart?' Such is the initial feeling when you see the car fitted with a hang-glider. Your first impressions are wrong, though. The flying element is one of the finely introduced elements which only add to the joy of this game.
What Nintendo has managed to do is bring a stew of Mario Kart's past, add a little salt and pepper for seasoning and then serve as the most beautiful meal you have ever tasted. It is Mario-a-la-Kart, if you will, but with more rather than less (is that a contradiction? I seem to be full of them today!).
Not only are there tracks going back to the original 1992 classic, but new tracks based on Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports Resort have been added, all lovingly populated with everything from cars to penguins. It's a testament to the creators that the old and new tracks blend together so well and neither lets the side down. Even the reworking of some of the lesser tracks from previous Mario Kart games give them a new lease of life. The new rainbow road is entirely more beautiful and deadly than the original, the underwater sections added to previous tracks ensure that some elements of strategy pepper the course and the tracks with varying heights all make for a wonderful trip into the blue with your new found power of flight.
Ah, yes, back to those flying machines. It isn't really flying, not in the sense that Diddy Kong racing had flying anyway. The various parachutes, parasols or hang gliders all open as you launch off high platforms. Just as in Pilotwings, they allow you to ride the air currents, only staying up as long as the air keeps them there. Pointing downwards will allow you to gather speed and hit the track with some momentum.
Staying airborne will allow you to find the oft placed alternative routes that the game favours so much. One thing is for sure, the flying never outstays its welcome and only adds to the strategy of the game.
Being able to customise your racer is another new area. Using a sort of fruit machine style system (without the luck element), you can move each piece of car (body, wheels and flying tool) up and down, adding or taking away from the stats of your racer. The most logical decision is to go for the higher speed or acceleration, but I found myself giving the aesthetics just as much importance. That probably says more about me than the game though.
Cups and races are pretty much as they always were, with 50cc providing an easy access to the game for beginners. Veterans of Mario Kart should have no problem acing all the races, but there is an added bonus for those who can achieve a three star rating and get the gold cup. The balance is always perfect, though and the fact that the 3DS boasts an analogue stick is not to be sniffed at, it's the only change in the control system but it really does make driving a kart all the more fun.
Multiplayer is as easy to use as the rest of the game, with an option to jump straight in to a world wide challenge. My first 2 attempts were against an all Japanese lineup, though, which was certainly my downfall. You can set up groups to create races easily against friends and include people from your 3DS friends list too. Even racing against ghost cars picked up in Streetpass is great fun and provides a challenge outside of the traditional multiplayer game.
In fact, the only point I'd grumble about here is that there aren't as many racers available from the start to choose from as in previous titles. Perhaps I've been spoilt by baby Mario and co, but I'd have liked more of a choice.
So, there you have it. If you have a 3DS then you need Mario Kart. If you don't have a 3DS then get one for Mario Kart and if you can't get one then go and beg someone else to let you borrow theirs. It's that good.
10/10
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Fresh from announcing that Super Mario 3D Land was the best game on the 3DS at the moment, I find myself making a correction to this statement.
Super Mario 3D Land WAS the best game on the system. Then Mario Kart 7 came along.
You may have seen the ads, seen the screenshots, or even seen the front of the box and your first impression might have been 'oh great, what have they done to Mario Kart?' Such is the initial feeling when you see the car fitted with a hang-glider. Your first impressions are wrong, though. The flying element is one of the finely introduced elements which only add to the joy of this game.
What Nintendo has managed to do is bring a stew of Mario Kart's past, add a little salt and pepper for seasoning and then serve as the most beautiful meal you have ever tasted. It is Mario-a-la-Kart, if you will, but with more rather than less (is that a contradiction? I seem to be full of them today!).
Not only are there tracks going back to the original 1992 classic, but new tracks based on Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports Resort have been added, all lovingly populated with everything from cars to penguins. It's a testament to the creators that the old and new tracks blend together so well and neither lets the side down. Even the reworking of some of the lesser tracks from previous Mario Kart games give them a new lease of life. The new rainbow road is entirely more beautiful and deadly than the original, the underwater sections added to previous tracks ensure that some elements of strategy pepper the course and the tracks with varying heights all make for a wonderful trip into the blue with your new found power of flight.
Ah, yes, back to those flying machines. It isn't really flying, not in the sense that Diddy Kong racing had flying anyway. The various parachutes, parasols or hang gliders all open as you launch off high platforms. Just as in Pilotwings, they allow you to ride the air currents, only staying up as long as the air keeps them there. Pointing downwards will allow you to gather speed and hit the track with some momentum.
Staying airborne will allow you to find the oft placed alternative routes that the game favours so much. One thing is for sure, the flying never outstays its welcome and only adds to the strategy of the game.
Being able to customise your racer is another new area. Using a sort of fruit machine style system (without the luck element), you can move each piece of car (body, wheels and flying tool) up and down, adding or taking away from the stats of your racer. The most logical decision is to go for the higher speed or acceleration, but I found myself giving the aesthetics just as much importance. That probably says more about me than the game though.
Cups and races are pretty much as they always were, with 50cc providing an easy access to the game for beginners. Veterans of Mario Kart should have no problem acing all the races, but there is an added bonus for those who can achieve a three star rating and get the gold cup. The balance is always perfect, though and the fact that the 3DS boasts an analogue stick is not to be sniffed at, it's the only change in the control system but it really does make driving a kart all the more fun.
Multiplayer is as easy to use as the rest of the game, with an option to jump straight in to a world wide challenge. My first 2 attempts were against an all Japanese lineup, though, which was certainly my downfall. You can set up groups to create races easily against friends and include people from your 3DS friends list too. Even racing against ghost cars picked up in Streetpass is great fun and provides a challenge outside of the traditional multiplayer game.
In fact, the only point I'd grumble about here is that there aren't as many racers available from the start to choose from as in previous titles. Perhaps I've been spoilt by baby Mario and co, but I'd have liked more of a choice.
So, there you have it. If you have a 3DS then you need Mario Kart. If you don't have a 3DS then get one for Mario Kart and if you can't get one then go and beg someone else to let you borrow theirs. It's that good.
10/10
Super Mario 3D Land WAS the best game on the system. Then Mario Kart 7 came along.
You may have seen the ads, seen the screenshots, or even seen the front of the box and your first impression might have been 'oh great, what have they done to Mario Kart?' Such is the initial feeling when you see the car fitted with a hang-glider. Your first impressions are wrong, though. The flying element is one of the finely introduced elements which only add to the joy of this game.
What Nintendo has managed to do is bring a stew of Mario Kart's past, add a little salt and pepper for seasoning and then serve as the most beautiful meal you have ever tasted. It is Mario-a-la-Kart, if you will, but with more rather than less (is that a contradiction? I seem to be full of them today!).
Not only are there tracks going back to the original 1992 classic, but new tracks based on Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports Resort have been added, all lovingly populated with everything from cars to penguins. It's a testament to the creators that the old and new tracks blend together so well and neither lets the side down. Even the reworking of some of the lesser tracks from previous Mario Kart games give them a new lease of life. The new rainbow road is entirely more beautiful and deadly than the original, the underwater sections added to previous tracks ensure that some elements of strategy pepper the course and the tracks with varying heights all make for a wonderful trip into the blue with your new found power of flight.
Ah, yes, back to those flying machines. It isn't really flying, not in the sense that Diddy Kong racing had flying anyway. The various parachutes, parasols or hang gliders all open as you launch off high platforms. Just as in Pilotwings, they allow you to ride the air currents, only staying up as long as the air keeps them there. Pointing downwards will allow you to gather speed and hit the track with some momentum.
Staying airborne will allow you to find the oft placed alternative routes that the game favours so much. One thing is for sure, the flying never outstays its welcome and only adds to the strategy of the game.
Being able to customise your racer is another new area. Using a sort of fruit machine style system (without the luck element), you can move each piece of car (body, wheels and flying tool) up and down, adding or taking away from the stats of your racer. The most logical decision is to go for the higher speed or acceleration, but I found myself giving the aesthetics just as much importance. That probably says more about me than the game though.
Cups and races are pretty much as they always were, with 50cc providing an easy access to the game for beginners. Veterans of Mario Kart should have no problem acing all the races, but there is an added bonus for those who can achieve a three star rating and get the gold cup. The balance is always perfect, though and the fact that the 3DS boasts an analogue stick is not to be sniffed at, it's the only change in the control system but it really does make driving a kart all the more fun.
Multiplayer is as easy to use as the rest of the game, with an option to jump straight in to a world wide challenge. My first 2 attempts were against an all Japanese lineup, though, which was certainly my downfall. You can set up groups to create races easily against friends and include people from your 3DS friends list too. Even racing against ghost cars picked up in Streetpass is great fun and provides a challenge outside of the traditional multiplayer game.
In fact, the only point I'd grumble about here is that there aren't as many racers available from the start to choose from as in previous titles. Perhaps I've been spoilt by baby Mario and co, but I'd have liked more of a choice.
So, there you have it. If you have a 3DS then you need Mario Kart. If you don't have a 3DS then get one for Mario Kart and if you can't get one then go and beg someone else to let you borrow theirs. It's that good.
10/10