The 50 Best Nintendo Games Right Now (Wii U / 3DS)

Best Nintendo Games List – #47 Mario Kart 7

Developers: Nintendo EAD Group No. 1, Retro Studios

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Release Date: December 4, 2011

While some may remark Mario Kart 7 as a by-the-numbers game, this entry in the renowned racing series brought a number of new ideas and features to its gameplay. Firstly, racing karts first became customizable, offering more than a thousand different combinations possible. Water, once an out-of-bounds location, became central to some of the top tracks. Hang gliders allowed players to guide through the air, opening up more routes and optimized racing speeds. 32 tracks, 50% of which were new, was quite the feat for a Nintendo 3DS cartridge. Finally, the 3DS gyroscope allowed for directional control by moving the console.

In short, Mario Kart 7 brought the familiar rubberbanding cartoonish fun and added some extra features on top, some of which continued as strong staples for the future of the series.

Next: #46 Kirby: Triple Deluxe