Mario Kart 7 on 3DS is the reference portable kart racing. Hang gliders and underwater propellers for circuits in the air and oceans. Excellent online racing. Exhaustive content and flawless gameplay. Essential.
Your verdict
Category
Racing4 players3+
Description
Mario and his friends race against each other on item-filled circuits crossing land, sea and air in this first 3DS Mario Kart. Published by Nintendo, released in Europe in December 2011. Glider flight and underwater driving, customisable karts, online races for up to eight players, new cups and circuits. Multilingual version.
Mario Kart 7 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Drifting through corners, triggering a mini-turbo at the right instant and juggling your items make for driving that rewards immediately and never frustrates. The gliding and underwater additions enrich the tracks without weighing the handling down, and the balance between skill and chaos stays exemplary. A blend so well measured it still comes out for races among friends.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Gliding above the tracks, diving underwater and customising your kart part by part: this portable edition enriches the racing without losing any clarity. Items, drifting and shortcuts keep up a joyful chaos, especially wirelessly. Immediate, balanced and fiercely replayable, an ideal companion for impromptu duels anywhere.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Drifting to earn a mini-boost, grabbing a shell at just the right moment and defending your lead sustains a racing tension that replays endlessly, especially online. Customizing your kart, gliding and diving underwater refresh the tracks. The item balancing frustrates at times, but the instant fun and the multiplayer replayability remain intact.
The initial NTSC pressing of Mario Kart 7 carries the launch build with unpatched shortcuts and stands as the prime target for US speedrunners and collectors focused on original gameplay. Doubly marked collector value: historical weight as the first 3D MK on a handheld, and progressive scarcity of the first print in pristine condition.
Better with friends
A colorful kart race for up to four, where drifts, gliding and underwater driving spice up tracks you soon know by heart. The fun swings between cunning driving and item chaos: shells and stars upend the order in a blink, for better and for fury. The infamous blue shell can frustrate, but it's also what triggers the laughter and the irresistible "let's run one more".
Is Mario Kart 7 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2011 on 3DS, Nintendo and Retro Studios' project brings the festive racing to the handheld with remarkable success, adding gliding and underwater driving that open the tracks upward and downward. The kart customisation by parts, the return of classic and retro tracks and a smooth online play make for a generous formula. The immediate pleasure of the drift, the sense of the circuit and the multiplayer make it a safe bet of the racing party game. The item balance divides, as often. A benchmark of kart racing on 3DS, recommended for fans of arcade racing and of convivial play.
