| Mario Kart 7 Deluxe | ||||
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| Developer(s) | Existence Software Original game: Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios | |||
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo | |||
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch | |||
| Genre(s) | Party, racing | |||
| Series | Mario Kart series | |||
| Predecessor | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) | |||
| Release Date(s) | Q4 2018 | |||
| Mode(s) | 1-4 players | |||
| Age Rating(s) | E for Everyone (ESRB) | |||
| Media Included | Digital Download Nintendo Switch cartridge | |||
Mario Kart 7 Deluxe (Japanese: マリオカート７ デラックス Mario Kāto 7 Derakkusu) is a racing game developed by Existence Software and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. As the game's name implies, Mario Kart 7 Deluxe is an HD remaster of the 2011 Nintendo 3DS title Mario Kart 7, with upgraded visuals and gameplay mechanics based upon those later used in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
In addition to including all content from the original 3DS release of Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 7 Deluxe also includes local multiplayer play for up to 4 players, a 12 player racing system not unlike Mario Kart 8, as well as several new playable characters, items, and vehicle parts (most of which being taken directly from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe). As with the original release of Mario Kart 8, retro courses have been updated both in aesthetic design and course layout, with new glider and underwater segments added into some of the courses. The anti-gravity racing mechanic, originally introduced in Mario Kart 8, has also been implemented into some of the courses included in Mario Kart 7 Deluxe, thus making the game feel wholly new despite being based on a pre-existing title.
Differences from Mario Kart 7
Despite being described as a "remake" of Mario Kart 7, the game is based almost entirely off of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and as such includes several of the changes made to the formula of Mario Kart 7 made in that game as well as Mario Kart 8. Mario Kart 7 Deluxe also includes the 200cc engine class for both normal races and the Time Trial mode, as well as the Double Item Boxes reintroduced in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For the most part, the game plays identically to Mario Kart 8, and includes 12 racers at once as opposed to the 8 that Mario Kart 7 did. Due to the addition of four more racers on the field at once, the point spread for races has been adjusted, and is now identical to that of Mario Kart 8:
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||||
| Mario Kart 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Mario Kart 7 Deluxe | 15 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Gold background signifies victory results, with a unique winning animation and music.
Silver background signifies moderate win results. Bronze background signifies losing results, with losing animations and music. | |||||||||||||||
The third level of Mini-Turbo boosting from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (denoted by purple sparks) has also been added into Mario Kart 7 Deluxe, as has the Smart Steering and Auto Acceleration features also present in that game. Motion controls, which were present in the original version of Mario Kart 7 exclusively in first-person view, have also been made available to be used in either first-person or third-person mode, and the player is no longer forced to use motion controls in first-person view as well.
One of the largest differences between Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 7 Deluxe is the fact that local multiplayer support has been added into the game; as the Nintendo 3DS was a handheld system with games designed to be primarily single player experiences. Because of this new multiplayer-focus, the game also allows for two players to play together online at once. In addition to these changes, the game's Battle Mode features all five of the game modes present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in order to showcase this game's Battle Mode in a similar way.
Due to the heavy usage of the Nintendo Network service in the original game, the online component to the game has been reworked to be nearly-identical to its Mario Kart 8 Deluxe counterpart. While the VR points system is maintained, players have a different collection of VR points for both races and battles, whereas in Mario Kart 7 these were conflated. Players can also create their own tournaments with specific rulesets. Unlike both Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8 players who choose to play online VS Races are now able to choose which engine class (100cc, 150cc, Mirror, or 200cc; 50cc is unavailable) they wish to play in, though they may also choose a "Quick Match" section, which matches them into a random engine class match after each race.
Playable characters
In addition to adding in new characters, Mario Kart 7 Deluxe includes all 17 playable characters included in the original release of Mario Kart 7. As with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe all playable characters are unlocked by default. Also like Mario Kart 8 and its Switch port, the player can choose to play as one of nine different colours of Yoshi and Shy Guy, though unlike the aforementioned games they may also appear as CPU racers.
Like with the original Mario Kart 7, characters are broken up into five weight classes, though each racer has their own unique stat changes, regardless. Characters are divided into one of the following weight classes: Feather, Light, Medium, Cruiser, and Heavy.
Mario Kart 7 characters
Additional characters
The only characters included in Mario Kart 7 Deluxe that also did not appear in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are Diddy Kong and Birdo. All other characters added that were not present in Mario Kart 7 are also playable in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Enough characters were included to increase the game's roster from 17 characters to 35.
Colour variants
Gold Mario serves as the game's only unlockable character. He is unlocked by earning a gold trophy on every cup in every weight class in Grand Prix mode.
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Racecourses
All 32 of the game's courses have been overhauled, both aesthetically and in course layout. As Mario Kart 8 introduced a new anti-gravity racing mechanic, several of the courses have had this new mode integrated into them. As with Mario Kart 8, all of the game's retro courses have undergone significant changes in order to match them with the "nitro" ones.
Unlike in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, all courses use the same names in both the English language North American and PAL versions of the games; specifically, both versions of the game use the North American names for the courses.
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| Toad Circuit Toad Circuit remains relatively unchanged from its original appearance, sans an aesthetic upgrade. The long circular turn at the end of the course has been changed to be on stilts, and thus has been made into an anti-gravity segment. Otherwise, this course remains mostly the same. |
Daisy Hills In terms of aesthetics, Daisy Hills is now set during sunset, and the town featured near the end of the course is now larger, and arcs around the lake that racers glide over. The wide turn before the gliding segment has been made to be on the side of a cliff, with wooden ramps leading up to it, and thus an anti-gravity segment. The small road on the left side of the gliding jump has been removed, though players are now able to enter the water directly instead from there via a small pathway. |
Cheep Cheep Lagoon Cheep Cheep Lagoon's aesthetics have been heavily modified from its original appearance, and is now set around a small fishing village. The dock that racers jump off into the ocean has been made wider, though the underwater path around it has also been extended. The cave that players drove through in the original has been changed to be an undersea cavern and is filled up more with water; players can still glide over the water however, though the path leading to the blue glider jump has been made longer and wider, and is now curved slightly. |
Shy Guy Bazaar Barring a visual upgrade, Shy Guy Bazaar remains relatively unchanged from its original appearance. The only major change to the course has been made to the three separate buildings that players had to drive across originally: players may now jump across them normally or take an anti-gravity path on a large wall to the left of these buildings. The stone steps around the road on the final stretch of the course have also been removed, and the desert area is lumpier than it was before, with a pillar that collapses on the second lap being located slightly past the starting line. | |
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| Wuhu Loop Aside from an aesthetics upgrade, Wuhu Loop remains almost entirely unchanged. The only changes that have been made to the course relate to the last two shortcuts on the original course: the pillars have been removed, as has the long dirt road that led to a gliding jump. |
Mario Circuit In terms of a visual upgrade, Mario Circuit is now set at sundown, and the design of Peach's Castle is more reminiscent of its design in Super Mario Odyssey. Aside from these aesthetic changes, the only other additions to the course are anti-gravity segments present in Peach's Castle, and the Warp Pipe tunnel at the end of the course. The aforementioned tunnel now dips down into the ground and out again in a loose U-like shape, and part of it is submerged in water. |
Music Park The changes made of Music Park in Mario Kart 8 are retained, however it is not identical. The large indoor area near the end of the course, where the large music notes bounce up and down, has been made into a zero gravity segment and has been curved; the music notes now bounce up and down in the centre of the road as a result, making them easier to dodge. The grass patches in this area have also been removed, as has the glider jump at its entrance. |
Rock Rock Mountain Rock Rock Mountain has seen the addition of multiple anti-gravity segments in addition to a heavy aesthetic upgrade. Two fairly prominent anti-gravity segments have been added: the first is directly after the starting line and lasts through the cavernous segment, while the second is located at the end of the course, while players climb up a large inclined slope before gliding to the finish. The starting line has also been moved back towards the glider jump a bit, with the area in front of it stretched out slightly to be a little longer. | |
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| Piranha Plant Slide Piranha Plant Slide is identical to its appearance in Mario Kart 8. |
Wario Shipyard Aside from a visual upgrade, Wario Shipyard remains relatively unchanged in its layout. The sole change in the course's layout is that the wooden turn at the end of the underwater section has been changed to be a zero gravity section, and has been made much wider. |
Neo Bowser City Neo Bowser City is identical to its appearance in Mario Kart 8. |
Maka Wuhu Maka Wuhu remains relatively unchanged aside from a graphical update. When the final lap begins, the time of day changes from sunset to night, but otherwise the course remains identical to its Mario Kart 7 appearance. | |
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| DK Jungle DK Jungle is identical to its appearance in Mario Kart 8. |
Rosalina's Ice World Rosalina's Ice World has undergone a number of major changes in course layout. Most of the course is now set in anti-gravity segments, and the water segment has been almost entirely redesigned, with the ice platforms that float on the water's surface being redesigned to be a series of jumps that move closer and further away from the initial jump into/onto the lake over time. After this segment, the course initially split in two separated by a wall of ice has been modified into two paths attached to the Comet Observatory, which now sits closer to the stage, that cross around each other a number of times before converging at a jump. |
Bowser's Castle Bowser's Castle remains entirely unchanged from its original appearance in Mario Kart 7, barring a graphical upgrade. The underwater part of the course has been slightly changed in that the water is now a purple colour instead of blue like in all other courses. The weather outside of the castle has also been changed from a calm night to a lightning storm at night, with a bolt of lightning continually striking the front of Bowser's Castle (though it can not be hit directly, and thus serves simply as decoration). |
Rainbow Road Outside of a large graphical update, the only change that has been made to Rainbow Road is that the entire stage is set in anti-gravity. In terms of aesthetics, there are a number of planets, including the Starship Mario from Super Mario Galaxy 2 and the Comet Observatory from Super Mario Galaxy, that appear in the background of the course, and a small rocket ship with Toads in it flies alongside the course throwing coins onto the track. | |
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| N64 Luigi Raceway Luigi Raceway has seen a number of changes in its transition to Mario Kart 7 Deluxe. The entire course is now on an angle, being inclined above the ground by Ultra Hand stilts, and thus set in anti-gravity. The two long turns at the two ends of the course are also curved upwards. The tunnel has also been modified and split in two, and now a long gliding jump separates the two parts over a small out-of-bounds lake. |
GBA Bowser Castle 1 Bowser Castle 1 is now set both in and around Bowser's Castle, and most of the corners have been rounded out slightly. The layout remains generally unchanged from its Mario Kart 7 appearance, aside from this however. |
Wii Mushroom Gorge Aside from a graphical update, Mushroom Gorge remains relatively unchanged from its Mario Kart 7 incarnation. The cavern leading up to the mushroom platforms has been lengthened and made into an anti-gravity segment, while water has also been added beneath these same platforms so that, should a racer fall, Lakitu would not need to retrieve them, and racers can continue to race around these platforms' stems. |
DS Luigi's Mansion Luigi's Mansion remains completely unchanged from its Mario Kart 7 incarnation barring a graphical enhancement, though the inside of the mansion now appears to waver and is set in anti-gravity. | |
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| N64 Koopa Troopa Beach Koopa Troopa Beach reappears identically to how it does in Mario Kart 7 barring a graphical upgrade. The course is now set at sunset, and a small town is set out-of-bounds around the southern part of the island, but the course itself is not changed. Some Sidesteppers have been added to the course, specifically the parts that racers can drive underwater in. |
SNES Mario Circuit 2 Mario Circuit 2 is now set in a grassland around a lake, and the course's layout has been adjusted to fit this change. The course is not set on a series of boardwalks, with the rainbow-coloured block walls serving as barriers so racers don't fall off of most areas of it. Cheep Cheeps now jump over parts of the course, replacing the pipes that once scattered around the road, and a puddle replaces the oil spill. After the newly-added puddle, the part leading up to the gliding jump has been changed to be underwater, but the path beneath the water still roughly follows the same path as the original course did. The glider jump is now a raised part of the boardwalk that leads over a small fishing boat with Nokis and Toads cheering on it and back towards the same boardwalk path that the starting line is on. |
Wii Coconut Mall Barring a graphical upgrade, the three metallic pathways in and around the courtyard area have been changed to be anti-gravity segments. The parking lot of of Coconut Mall has also been extended to make room for a third car, making it similar to its Mario Kart Wii incarnation instead of its Mario Kart 7 one. |
DS Waluigi Pinball Waluigi Pinball remains relatively unchanged from its Mario Kart 7 design, with its main difference being a graphical update. A lot of the stage's aesthetic cues now reference Waluigi and Wario, with some of the billboards also depicting characters from both the WarioWare and Wario Land series, and the large pinballs that roll along the course are now based upon the designs of Bob-ombs. The entire course is now also set within anti-gravity. | |
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| N64 Kalimari Desert Kalimari Desert is relatively unchanged from its Mario Kart 7 incarnation barring a large graphical update. The course is now set around a western town, and a lot of the cacti that were around the beginning of the course have been removed and instead the end of the course now has a Chain Chomp staked in the ground. The course now has a number of bumps in the road, and the course's end is now on a slight hill that leads down, with the first train track crossing instead being stilted up above the path, and the later intersecting through it on a long flat plane before the hill begins to slope upwards again. |
DS DK Pass Aside from a large graphical update, DK Pass has seen a number of changes from its original incarnation. The later part of the downhill segment now has a number of trees dotting the path, which serve as obstacles. Additionally, after the gliding jump, racers now land on or before a large skating rink, where two large Shy Guys skate around on it. |
GCN Daisy Cruiser Daisy Cruiser has seen a number of changes from its Mario Kart 7 design, in addition to a graphical update. The banquet area has become a lot larger than before and, while it still has fewer tables than its Mario Kart: Double Dash!! incarnation, it does have more than its Mario Kart 7 one. The hanging life preservers have been re-added, after being absent from Mario Kart 7, and the cannon, which was replaced by dash panels, is once again replaced, this time with an anti-gravity ramp that ends with a long jump. The course is also set at night now. |
Wii Maple Treeway Maple Treeway keeps all of its changes from its Mario Kart 7 incarnation, though it has been made longer to match its original Mario Kart Wii appearance. In addition to a graphical update, most of the tree branch paths are now anti-gravity segments. | |
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| Wii Koopa Cape Barring its graphical update, Koopa Cape more resembles its Mario Kart Wii incarnation instead of its Mario Kart 7 one. The underwater tunnel, which was filled with water in the latter game, is once again empty, and is now an anti-gravity segment. The Grand Goombas on the course have been replaced with normal Goombas, while the glider jump that led into the waterway has been kept. |
GCN Dino Dino Jungle Dino Dino Jungle's graphical updates have been massive; the course is now set at night and it is now set in a volcano and the jungle around it. The jungle section has been relatively unchanged, though the two boardwalk paths leading into the cavernous section is now a split stony pathway with pieces that fall away as the race progresses (the third, smaller, path with the boost pad has been completely removed). The cavernous area is also fairly similar, with lava now pooling around the course's ledges, and parts of this course also fall away as the race progresses. The geysers inside the cave have been removed, and the shortcut jump has been altered into a gliding jump set in-between two raising lava pillars. On the final lap, large fiery boulders will begin to crash into parts of the jungle, leaving behind small patches of flames. |
DS Airship Fortress Besides a graphical update, the only change to Airship Fortress is that the circular stone tower path has been changed to be an anti-gravity segment. Additionally, the stone path leading from this tower to the finish line has been changed to be curved, and two Dry Bones now march back and forth on it. |
SNES Rainbow Road Rainbow Road is identical to its appearance in Mario Kart 8. |
Vehicle parts
In addition to all of the vehicle parts that appeared in the original Mario Kart 7, several vehicle parts have been added from Mario Kart 8; players are still restricted to racing with karts, omitting the bikes and ATV vehicles from Mario Kart 8.
Unlike previous Mario Kart titles, all vehicle parts have been made available by default barring the Gold-themed ones. The Gold vehicle parts are unlocked by collecting 500 coins (glider), 1000 coins (wheels), and 1500 coins (body).
Kart bodies
Wheels
Gliders
Items
Barring the Crazy 8, all of the items introduced in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have been added into Mario Kart 7 Deluxe. As with in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Cape Feather can only be obtained in Battle Mode, while Golden Mushrooms, Bullet Bills, and Spiny Shells can only be obtained in races.
Battle Mode
All five of the game modes from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe return in Mario Kart 7 Deluxe, these being Balloon Battle, Coin Runners, Bob-omb Blast, Shine Thief, and Renegade Roundup.
Several minor changes have been made to some of the game modes:
- The mini-map no longer appears in any mode.
- The last renegade remaining in Renegade Roundup will now move at an increased speed until they release some of their teammates. However, they are also marked by a visual indicator.
- In the final minute of Renegade Roundup, all of the player's opponents will be marked with visual indicators, making it easier for the cops to target the renegades, and it easier for the renegades to flee.
- When a competitor has fewer than five seconds remaining in Shine Thief, the screen's border will now have a red overlay that gets more intense as the seconds tick down, making it more noticeable when the game could potentially near its end.
- While the 5 minute timer for Shine Thief remains unseen to players, an audio cue will play when there is only 1 minute remaining, and the music will speed up like in all other timed modes.
- Some new options have been made available to players - such as the ability to make Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast "last man standing"-type modes, with players that lose all their balloons becoming ghosts that can no longer earn points but still hinder other players.
All six of the stages present in the Battle Mode of Mario Kart 7 return, and, much like the racecourses, they have been redesigned and updated to take advantage of the HD visuals.
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| Honeybee Hive Honeybee Hive has seen a number of more-minor changes in addition to a graphical update. The Stingby enemies that flew around the stage in the original have been removed, but several now fly about outside the course's boundaries, and the pipe in the centre of the stage has been removed. The patches of honey have been removed and a smaller puddle of honey is now located where the pipe in the course's centre was. |
GBA Battle Course 1 Due to limitations of the Game Boy Advance preventing excessive course details, Battle Course 1 has been heavily modified in order to differentiate it from the Battle Course 1 present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The course is now set within a stadium, with statues of Mario, Peach, Wario, and Bowser being present on each side of the map; as such, the corresponding sides are also coloured based upon them: Mario's side is red and blue, Peach's side is pink and white, Wario's side is yellow and purple, and Bowser's side is green and orange. The general layout of the map remains the same, though the barriers in the centre of the course raise and lower at certain intervals. The dirt in the centre of the course remains, though it is now a circle of dirt as opposed to a square and has a raised border that players can jump off of to collect Item Boxes. |
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| Sherbet Rink Sherbet Rink has seen a number of changes to its original design in the transition to Mario Kart 7 Deluxe. In addition to a graphical update, the penguins and snowmen have been removed from the course. The patches of snow that slowed racers down have also been removed, and the bumpers have been slightly re-positioned so that the stage is no longer symmetrical. |
N64 Big Donut Big Donut has been redesigned so that it takes places on the top of Bowser's Castle, with various members of the Koopa Troop cheering on the battle from the sidelines. All of the changes made to the stage in the transition from Mario Kart 64 to Mario Kart 7 have also been kept, though the four glider jumps have been made much larger. |
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| Wuhu Town Wuhu Town is nearly identical to its appearance in Mario Kart 8, though it has reverted from being set during the day to back at night like originally. |
DS Palm Shore Outside of a graphical update, the only change made to Palm Shore from its Mario Kart 7 appearance is that the stage's Item Boxes have been spread out all over the course, as they were in Mario Kart DS, instead of all being concentrated on the centre island. |
Gallery
