Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 is a 2011 kart racing game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. In Mario Kart 7, the player takes control of one of seventeen Mario series characters, who participate in races on various Mario-themed race tracks using specialized items to hinder opponents or gain advantages. In single player mode, players can race against computer-controlled characters in 8 multi-race cups consisting of 32 tracks (4 in each cup) over three difficulty levels. Alternatively, players can race against the clock in a Time Trial mode. New additions to Mario Kart 7 include hang-gliding attachments for karts (which introduced aerial sections to race tracks for the first time in the series), the ability to drive in first person, gyro controls, and the ability to customize the vehicles' builds. Additionally, Mario Kart 7 supports both local and online multiplayer through Nintendo Network for up to eight players. The ability to play online was discontinued on April 8, 2024, along with Nintendo Network as a whole. Development of Mario Kart 7 began in early 2010 as a port of Mario Kart Wii. Producer Hideki Konno said that completing the game was an "act of emergency" due to low 3DS sales at that time and because of the very few staff involved in its development. In the end, Retro Studios was involved in the development of the retro tracks (tracks from prior games in the series). Mario Kart 7 received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its innovations, race tracks, and gyro control option. The game has won several awards and was a commercial success, becoming the best-selling game on the Nintendo 3DS with nearly 19 million copies sold.

Source: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 — Mario Kart 7 · retrieved October 19, 2026

Developer

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development, Retro Studios

Publisher

Nintendo

First release

December 1, 2011

Series

Mario Kart

Cover

Official thumbnail

Record ID

Q1117024