Mario Kart 7 delivers frenetic racing fun by air, land and sea. Longtime fans of the franchise will encounter new features and customisation options, while newcomers will love racing with their favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters against opponents near and far.

At the heart of Mario Kart is multiplayer racing. Using a broadband Internet connection or local wireless built into the Nintendo 3DS, players can race against their own friends or even against opponents worldwide.
Solo players can race through the Grand Prix and Time Trial modes using either the Circle Pad layout or the motion-sensitive gyro controls of the system to steer their karts. The gyro controls also allow players to control their karts in a first-person perspective, a feature never before seen in the Mario Kart franchise.

New playable characters include Metal Mario from the Super Mario 64 game and Lakitu, the spectacled cloud-riding Koopa. Players can also choose to race as their own Mii characters.

New power-ups include the Fire Flower and Super Leaf. The Fire Flower allows players to throw blazing balls of fire at other drivers, while the Super Leaf makes the Tanooki Tail appear on the back of karts to knock other drivers and items out of the way. And, of course, the karts come equipped with gliders for manoeuvring through the air and propellers for underwater propulsion.

The Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup introduce eight new courses, including ones on Wuhu Island and one created by Retro Studios set in the jungles from the Donkey Kong Country Returns game. The Shell Cup and Banana Cup feature eight classic courses, including Luigi's Mansion from the Nintendo DS and Koopa Beach from the Nintendo 64. There will be 16 new courses and 16 classic courses in total.